It would also require a non-trivial redesign of the computer case, which potentially means a non-trivial redesign of major internal components.
I think a more pragmatic solution would be some means of disabling, soft-“disconnecting” the battery from the OS. The functionality is already there, except for two drawbacks:
It’s “not latched”. This means that once power is reapplied to the system, the firmware unsets this and soft-connects the battery again
It can’t be done on the fly; you need to reboot to toggle this. This makes it less convenient (though way more convenient than shutting down and disconnecting it physically)
Now, as far as brainstorming goes…
I don’t know if the Firmware design in the Framework permits that, but I know that some vendors, such as Dell expose some features via WMI/WBEM, and we use it at work for configuring notebooks during Windows setup (some manufacturers disallow this unless a firmware password is configured first, and others permit all but the firmware password to be configured to prevent ransomware from murdering computers).
@winny yes you can. But, you need a screwdriver to remove the screws, open the chassis and carefulness which is takes more time than conventional removable battery method (unlock the lock switch and then the battery pops up without any screwdriver) similar like System76/XMG/Gigabyte Laptops.
I have set up the battery charge limit in mine and it seems to work fine - but the charging light never stops flashing - is that a bug that as it only gets to 95% (my setting) that it is never seen as fully charged so the charge indicator remains flashing?
@Fraoch So to be clear, the indicator turns white when charged to 100%, but flashes orange when user-defined limit is reached, correct? To me that would make perfect sense as a “reminder” that it’s not “fully” charged.
Edit: asking because I haven’t tinkered with it yet, but plan to set 90% as a compromise between 100% (not so great in long run) and 80% (best for battery health but less convenient)
Exactly. I have not seen white again after setting my charge limit to 80%. I see blinking amber when it’s reached its charge limit, and I see solid amber when it’s below its charge limit and charging.
@mjnz An 80% charge is roughly the compromise between 50% and 100%, so 90% is not much of one.
Some experts even say lithiun ion batteries should be stored at 40% ideally. I use 70% which is a compromise of previous compromises!
@John_Lombardo a compromise of compromises lol. I think eventually I’ll figure out how much I actually use in a normal day and set it like 10% higher. Realistically I probably only use around 40% in the evenings (2 hrs max) so maybe 50 will be good. This max charge setting is new to me, so I’m learning and I will pay more attention.
Thanks all, I’ll set mine too 80% and see how it goes. Like you say @John_Lombardo a compromise there’s no right number here but for my use case 80% will be fine. Now I need a fix for the headphone noise issue… But that’s a different thread
The main factor to determine what threshold you set it to is the probability that you will unplug it and use it away from the charger.
If it’s going to stay plugged into a docking station almost all of the time, then it can be kept close to 50%. If you think it might be unplugged and used portably, then keeping it at a higher level is more convenient.
While it’s plugged in, how much you use it is not a factor since the charging system will keep it very close to the set level automatically.
Does the new firmware expose the battery charge limit to the OS, perhaps allowing a user/developer to make an application to control it on the fly, or at least upon reboot, not needing to go into the BIOS to change it?
I would be intrigued to setup an “automated” script that on weekdays, when I need mine for classes and school, set the charge limit higher (80%), then on weekends when I use it plugged in more often for convenience, it could set the limit considerably lower (60%).
I didn’t set up a system like this on my previous system, but it did have the ability to do that, theoretically. I had an old Asus that allowed me to change the charge limit without reboot through a systemd service. Perhaps this could be an option in the future, assuming it isn’t currently?
EDIT: After looking through my /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/ files I don’t see anything relating directly to a maximum battery level, seemingly that data is restricted to the BIOS, if I’m understanding that correctly.
While the laptop is on, it appears that the 50% charge capacity I set in the BIOS is honored. However, when I shutdown my computer or put it into hibernation, if the device is plugged into the wall, it charges to 100%.
to all posters and readers,
I have written this with extreme care.
I might be the only poster here without some formal tech education.
I and very-probably others like me would appreciate any comments on any of the following:
I plan to use the pc on-premises 99.9% of the time; it would travel exceedingly-rarely.
I plan to leave the pc On always, because i recall that a number of years ago i decided that hibernation and Sleep were too unreliable, and the energy waste of being continually On would be small. (Every night i turn down the screen lights and keyboard lights.)
I plan to set the charge-limit at 50%, to extend battery life, based on this thread of posts, which i have medium-skimmed.
I previously wondered if i should buy a spare battery with the pc, just in case Framework goes out of business. But i decided No, for each following reason:
the statement in this thread of postings, ‘If the battery is removed to protect it [or, i guess, bought without an enveloping pc or other charge-maintaining device], you would still have to store it at 60-75% charge anyway.’
the probable ability to buy a battery from some other seller someday
Hi @Doug_H a few thoughts
There is no good answer to this.
Batteries only last a few years so you will always need a new one in time.
It is a compromise between battery wear and component wear really - if you leave it on and plugged in all the time then the components will all be fired up - which decreases their lifespan - some things like the fan will spin up occasionally as the OS does its housekeeping and so on and the processor will be constantly warm. In short you are better off buying a new battery every few years than a laptop (unless you need the fastest machine possible, and that will come with a new battery anyway).
tldr
If you have to wear something out - better the battery than the rest of the hardware IMHO. Hope this is helpful
I plan to leave the pc On always, because i recall that a number of years ago i decided that hibernation and Sleep were too unreliable, and the energy waste of being continually On would be small. (Every night i turn down the screen lights and keyboard lights.)
Software gets improved over time. Years is a very long time in software.
Although there have been reports of minor problems with Suspend states on the framework, those have primarily been for excess power draw which is clearly less of a concern to you.
Linux suspend still has some issues apparently, but Windows 10/11 suspend shouldn’t cause you any functional problems.
Just from a purely environmental perspective suspending or better yet hibernating will save a notable amount of power over a year. And across an entire neighborhood not-suspending would add significant power draw which could go to other uses.