Tech Paper

IEEE 1725-2006: Standard for Rechargeable

Batteries in Cellular Telephones
As a result of consumer concern regarding battery safety, the For more information on the CTIA battery registration program
Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), requirements, procedures, key reference documents and a listing
in partnership with leading cellular network operators, has of CTIA Authorized Testing Laboratories (CATLs) please refer
developed a program that helps cell / battery pack and handset to the web site: www.ctia.org (Search Term: Battery Registration
manufacturers raise safety and quality levels. The CTIA has Program).
developed a certification program for validating compliance to
the IEEE 1725-2006 standard via a combination of audits and
testing. The standard establishes criteria for design analysis to
IEEE 1725-2006 standard
ensure reliable user experience and operation of rechargeable IEEE 1725-2006 encompasses system integration, battery
lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries for cellular telephone cell design process, manufacturing considerations, assembly
applications. precautions, leakage protection, component and thermal
c o n s i d e ra t i o n s , ove rc h a rg e , ove rc u r re n t , m e c h a n i c a l
considerations, connector & terminals, quality control, security
Certification process & time frame and validation, as well as external influences such as the host
The CTIA battery certification program will be implemented and auxiliary devices including AC & DC adapters.
in two stages. In the initial stage, which started in 2006, CTIA
maintained a registry of systems declared to be complaint with Since no industry wide standard currently exists, IEEE 1725-2006
IEEE 1725-2006. Compliance during this stage was established is intended to standardize the evaluation of lithium-ion batteries
via independent evaluation of data and results supplied by the for cell phone applications. Primary adopters will include
system vendor (e.g. manufacturer of cell, battery pack, host manufacturers of battery cells, battery packs, cell phones,
cellular product, power adapter or charging cradle). chargers/adapters, and carriers. Compliance is granted on a
system basis so all system components (cell, battery pack,
In stage two, CTIA will introduce a program to certify systems charger, or phone) must be compliant to this standard before the
for compliance with IEEE 1725-2006 via a combination of 3rd integrated system is certified.
party testing and auditing. In January 2008, this certification
requirement became mandatory in order to obtain PCS Type For more information on how to obtain a complete copy of the
Certification Review Board (PTCRB) approval, with the cellular IEEE 1725-2006 standard, please refer to the web site:
network operators giving preference to products that have been http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1725/
CTIA registered.

PTCRB was established in 1997 by North American operators, but

Events that could compromise battery safety
now includes members from around the world whose purpose is Rechargeable lithium chemistry-based battery cells and packs
to provide the framework within which GSM Mobile Equipment are particularly sensitive to overcurrent and/or overtemperature
(ME) or UMTS User Equipment (UE) type certification can take conditions caused by accidental shorting and abusive or
place. runaway charging. These conditions can raise the battery
temperature, resulting in cell damage, equipment failure or even
venting, smoke or flame.

www.circuitprotection.com
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Short circuits during discharge Building redundant protection into the
Accidental short circuits can occur when a metal object bridges battery pack with PolySwitch devices
the exposed terminals of the battery pack. These short circuits The figure below shows a schematic of a typical single-cell Li-ion
can raise temperatures high enough to damage or burn other battery pack for cellular phone applications, using a PolySwitch
components and surrounding materials. PPTC device.

Battery overcharge
Battery cell overcharge can result from an overcurrent or
overvoltage condition or a combination of both. In both cases,
if current or voltage is allowed to exceed the prescribed values,
a significant rise in cell temperature may result, potentially
resulting in venting, smoke or flame. Overcharge can occur, due
to:

In addition to an NTC thermistor, Li-ion packs typically include

A runaway charging condition, in which the charger fails to
protection schemes where MOSFETs and a control IC provide
stop supplying current to the pack once fully charged. This is
overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent protection while a
typically caused by a charger fault.
PolySwitch device provides cell overtemperature protection on
Abusive charging can result in the pack being charged under
charge, discharge, and redundant overcurrent protection.
the wrong conditions by an incorrect or faulty charger. This
is likely to happen when aftermarket or non-compatible
chargers are used. The PolySwitch device's low resistance overcomes the additional
series resistance introduced by the MOSFETs and the low trip
temperature can provide protection against thermal runaway in
Battery pack considerations & redundant the case of an
protection abusive overcharge.
Section 6 of IEEE 1725-2006 covers the design analysis,
manufacturing, and testing of rechargeable Li-ion and Li-ion Technology comparison
Polymer battery packs to ensure reliable performance for the
PPTC devices are often used to replace bimetal or thermal fuse
expected life of cellular phones. More specifically, sections 6.4 -
protectors. Bimetals are often bulky, higher cost protectors
6.8 cover key battery pack safety considerations, such as:
which frequently do not latch in the protected position during
a fault condition resulting in a cycling battery pack fault and
external short-circuits and limiting output current
battery cell damage.
thermal protection design
overcharge and overcurrent protection
Conventional thermal fuses are not resettable and are therefore
Requirements call for a minimum of one overcurrent protection limited in their ability to match the low temperature protection
function and two overcharge protection functions, where one of of PPTC devices. The selection of a low fusing temperature
the overcharge protection functions must reside in the battery in conventional thermal fuses is limited by the need to avoid
pack. These can be met with several design combinations nuisance tripping in temporary high ambient temperature
between the battery cell, battery pack, host device (e.g. environments, such as car dashboards on a hot day or high
cellular phone) or charger and a broad combination of possible storage temperatures.
protection solutions such as “active circuit and/or devices such
as a thermal fuse, PTC, or thermostat.” Even thermal fuses with 94°C or higher fusing temperatures
often nuisance trip during normal operation or pack assembly.
One solution would be to incorporate the primary protection Because the majority of fault conditions that a battery pack
function (active circuit) and redundant protection function, encounters are relatively infrequent or intermittent events,
consisting of a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) resettable protection is the preferred method.
device, into the battery pack. In doing this, the PPTC device
would provide resettability and close proximity to the cell for How PPTC devices mitigate the effects of
optimum temperature sensing as well as protection against short circuit faults
damage from external short-circuits when the pack is removed
During a short circuit fault, the PPTC device rapidly produces
from the host device. An example of this scenario could occur
heat due to the excess current. As it nears trip temperature, the
when a spare battery pack is carried in a briefcase or purse,
device increases in resistance by several orders of magnitude and
where the terminals may come into contact with a metal object.
limits the fault current to a low level. When the fault condition
and power are removed, it cools and returns to a low resistance
Redundant protection, designed into the pack rather than into
state. If the fault is not cleared and the power is not removed,
the charger, additionally protects against hazards that may
the PPTC device will remain latched in the high resistance state.
occur from using third party chargers instead of the normal host
charger.

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How PPTC devices provide overcharge Tyco Electronics’ PolySwitch MXP strap device was specifically
designed for use under the PCB. The chart below shows that
protection
the MXP device provides low resistance (~10 mΩ), good thermal
During a typical overcharge fault, cell temperature rises when communication with the cell, and conforms to UL, CSA and TÜV
excessive voltage across the fully charged cell causes chemical standards.
degradation of cell components. When a PPTC device is
included in the circuit, as the cell temperature rises, the ambient MXP190 VTP210
temperature of the PPTC device increases accordingly and less (chip = 7 mm2) (chip = 60 mm2)

current is required to trip the device. Initial Resistance (typ.) 10 mΩ 24 mΩ

Thermal cut-off @ 1A 85℃ 84℃

Tyco Electronics’ circuit protection solution Voltage rating 6V* 16V

The popular PolySwitch device is available in a variety of product Hold current at 60℃ 1.0A 1.0A

families, targeted at specific battery chemistries or usage Typical Time-to-Trip @ 10A 1.5s 1.7s

profiles. The evolution of Tyco Electronics’ circuit protection Leakage Current @ 4V 150 mA 250 mA

devices, shown below, continues in the direction of lower

* UL1434 rated voltage is 6V, but devices can withstand a higher voltage for a limited
resistance, smaller form factors and better thermal protection.
number of cycles.

This device incorporates conductive metal particles to achieve

lower resistance than traditional carbon black filled PPTC
devices. In comparison with the popular VTP strap device,
having approximately the same hold current at 60℃, it is 88%
smaller in size (as shown in the drawing below) and 68% lower in
resistance.
The trend toward more space efficient packs requires smaller
protection devices. Locating protection circuitry and connectors
at the top of the cell eliminates the need for long metal
interconnects, reduces weight and improves radio performance.

Dimensions are for the chip only, not a complete device with strap.

NOTE: All CTIA certification processes and time frames published

in this Tech Note are considered accurate at the time of
publication. For the latest updates, please refer to the CTIA.org
website.

Raychem Circuit Protection Products

308 Constitution Drive, Building H Tel : (800) 227-7040, (650) 361-6900 www.circuitprotection.com
Menlo Park, CA USA 94025-1164 Fax : (650) 361-4600 www.circuitprotection.com.hk (Chinese)
www.tycoelectronics.com/japan/raychem (Japanese)

Raychem, PolySwitch, TE Logo and Tyco Electronics are trademarks. All other trademarks are
trademarks of their respective owners. All information, including illustrations, is believed to be reliable.
Users, however, should independently evaluate the suitability of each product for their application.
Tyco Electronics makes no warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the information, and
disclaims any liability regarding its use. Tyco Electronics' only obligations are those in the Company's
Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale for this product, and in no case will Tyco Electronics be liable
for any incidental, indirect, or consequential damages arising from the sale, resale, use or misuse of
the product. Specifications are subject to change without notice. In addition, Tyco Electronics
reserves the right to make changes-without notification to Buyer-to materials or processing that do
not affect compliance with any applicable specification.
2008 Tyco Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved.

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