Power modes

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Revision as of 23:54, 21 June 2010 by Jasay (talk | contribs) (Turn off if not using for a few days or battery will die.)
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Power Modes

Without switching the device entirely off, it may be placed into low power mode or regular power mode; simply pressing the power button will toggle modes.

Normal Mode

This is the normal operating mode, screen on, WiFi and Bluetooth on if requested. CPU speed can be selected by the user, and has a small impact on battery life. Screen brightness will also have an effect. The CPU should automatically self-regulate to the current task, and 10-14 hours battery life is possible depending on usage. At any time, the battery gague will show the remaining battery life if the usage remains the same as over the past some seconds.

Lid Closed

The only change with the lid closed is to turn off the LCD backlight. This improves battery life, allowing music playback and streaming to continue. As of Hotfix2, the screen remains on if the device is powered up with the screen closed.

Low Power

Low power mode is toggled by a short press of the power switch to the right. The screen is off, the radios are disabled, the CPU max speed is set to 14 MHz. The device is still silently on, allowing for alarms to go off or it to be turned on again instantly.

Low power mode is probably going to be used as the normal "off" for most people, with true off (device powered down entirely, unable to respond to alarms or wake up quickly) available to conserve battery power. Turning the Pandora off completely is the best option if you don't plan on using it for few days or longer.

Since the Pandora has to be powered whilst it is charging, low power mode is best for fastest charging, and will even allow a full charge to be achieved from USB.

Power Off

Select Logout then Shutdown from the window manager to power off. If a charger is connected, the device will re-boot immediately.

Events

The events which control power can be customised [1]. Lid switch, Power Switch, battery threshold and Window Manager shutdown commands.

Charging

It is possible to charge from the mains charger (use the supplied one or a GENUINE PSP adaptor only) or USB cable. While a charger is connected, remaining battery level is displayed, but the time displays 00:00. If charging from USB, it is possible that the battery will still discharge slowly, since the Pandora takes more current (in normal mode) than the USB can supply.

Times

(These are my estimates, should be clarified once more user data exists)

Charge/Discharge times
Mode Time
Normal Operating 10-14 hours
Lid Closed 16-20 hours (est)
Low Power 4 days (est, should improve)
Power off 10-20% per day charge loss (est)
Mains charge, operating 20 hours (est)
Mains charge (low power) 8 hours (est)
USB Charge, operating Breakeven, may charge or discharge
USB Charge, low power 20 hours (est)