nRF51822 with 3.6V lithium batteries

[Kent Suzuki]

Hi there,

I know 3V lithium batteries (Lithium Manganese Dioxide) batteries would be perfect for the nRF51822, but we're wondering if Lithium Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) 3.6V batteries would work as well. The datasheet for the nRF51822 says the operating voltage is up to 3.6V, and the absolute maximum voltage is 3.9V. The open circuit voltage (no load) is 3.67V on the Li-SOCl2 batteries. This seems like it should be fine, but wanted to see if anyone had experience with this.

We need long battery life for our product, but we're also very space-constrained as well. We're specifying the CR14250 3V battery, but there are LS14250 and ER14250 3.6V batteries that our customers may use instead, since they're the same size. If you search for CR14250 online, the LS14250 and ER14250 cells often come up as alternatives, so this would be an easy mistake to make.

Thanks and best regards, Kent

[Ole Bauck]

Do not operate the chip over 3.6V, this is the maximum operating voltage as specified in the datasheet. Yes, the absolute maximum is 3.9V, but as the datasheet says:

Maximum ratings are the extreme limits the chip can be exposed to without causing permanent damage. Exposure to absolute maximum ratings for prolonged periods of time may affect the reliability of the chip.

[Kent Suzuki]

Thank you Ole,

Best regards, Kent