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TN-160: Upgrading MultiRAE/QRAE NiCd Battery Pack Technical Note TN-160
rev 1 cw.03-01



1
RAE Systems Inc.
3775 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95134-1708 USA
Phone: +1.888.723.8823
Email: raesales@raesystems.com
Web Site: www.raesystems.com

Upgrading MultiRAE/QRAE NiCd Battery Pack

Improving MultiRAE & QRAE Performance
In an effort to improve the performance of MultiRAEs
and QRAEs using NiCd battery packs, RAE Systems has
upgraded these packs by installing a protection circuit.
This feature prevents the complete discharge of the
Nicad pack, which can lead to battery failure. The
MultiRAE and QRAE both require a constant current to
maintain clock functions and to keep sensors warmed up
to an immediate state of readiness. If removed from
their charger, both meters will exhaust the capacity of
their internal Nicd batteries in 7-10 days even if they
have not been turned on. It is easy to identify when the
meter has gone completely dead because it will give a
start up message that the clock date needs to be reset.
Allowing your MultiRAE or QRAE battery to go
completely can lead to premature failure of the Nicads.
The new protective circuit senses when the battery has
dropped to a very low voltage and automatically cuts
itself off from the meter to prevent a complete discharge.
This protective circuit feature can be found in all Nicad
packs part number 500-0039-000 that are of a blue color
(previous versions without the protective circuit are
white in color).
Voltage too High Warning
When installing the upgraded blue Nicad battery into
older MultiRAEs and QRAEs (firmware version prior to
3.04) one might notice a message during charging of
Voltage Too High. If this happens it means that the
battery has not yet received enough power to reset the
protective circuit. Remove the charge adapter from the
meter and reinsert it to reset the charge. You might have
to do this a number of times to get enough current into
the battery to reset the protective circuit.
Upgrade Your Firmware for FREE
MultiRAE and QRAE firmware (firmware is the internal
meter operating system) of revision 3.04 and higher
already have programming to accommodate the blue
Nicads with the protective circuit. You can easily tell
the firmware revision of your meter by turning it on and
watching the screen. One of the first few screens will
tell you the firmware revision. If you have a computer
interface cable (PN:008-3003-000, supplied with all
datalogging meters) you can easily upgrade your meter
for free in just a few minutes
Upgrade via the Internet
RAE Systems provides for free upgrades via our Internet
web page. Go to
www.raesystems.com
and then follow
the Technical button on the left side of the page to
Download. When you have completed filling in the
information request on the next page press the Take me
to the Download Page button at the bottom of the page.
All of our programs are zipped to make them smaller
to facilitate faster downloads. If you do not have
WinZip on your computer there is a link to WinZip at the
top of the downloads page to allow you to download
WinZip.

If you already have ProRAE Suite installed on your
computer then you may only need to download the
firmware upgrade for your product. To determine your
version of ProRAE Suite, start the program and then tap
on the Help menu at the top of the screen and then
select About ProRAE Suite. A box will appear
showing the revision number.
If the your revision number is lower than that for the
ProRAE Suite download on the web page you may
consider upgrading your ProRAE Suite at the same time
following the same procedure as for the product files.
Click on the program you wish to download and save it
to an area where you save temporary files or to your
desktop. Once you have downloaded the file to your
computer, you need to unzip it. Tap on the downloaded
file and the WinZip program will launch. Extract the
files to C:\Program Files\RAE Systems Inc\ProRAE-
Suite.
Upgrading Firmware
During the download process it is a good idea to close all
other programs, log off your Internet connection and
dont touch your computer to assure that the download
process progresses smoothly. Start the ProRAE Suite
software. Tap on the Option menu at the top of the Technical Note TN-160
rev 1 cw.03-01



2
RAE Systems Inc.
3775 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95134-1708 USA
Phone: +1.888.723.8823
Email: raesales@raesystems.com
Web Site: www.raesystems.com

screen and then select Load Firmware. A dialog box
will appear, reminding you to attach your meter to the
computer. Tap the OK button and then you will
proceed to a screen where you will have to select the
firmware file for your meter. If you are upgrading your
MultiRAE from firmware 2.10 to 3.05 then select the file
MultiRAE_V305s.a07.
Another dialog box will remind you to attach your meter
to the computer via the data cable and to set your meter
to the communication ready mode. With your meter on,
press the Mode key until the screen reads
Communicate with PC? Press the Y key once and
the screen will say Ready Then press the OK
button on the dialog box to start the firmware upgrade
process. This procedure will take about 15 minutes. At
the end of the download process the meter will
automatically turn off. Turn on the meter and verify that
the new firmware has been loaded by checking the
firmware number on the initial screens. If the meter does
not turn on the firmware upgrade may have failed. Call
our service department toll free at 888-723-4800 for
guidance.
Configure Your Meter
After you have completed the firmware upgrade process
you need to reconfigure your meter. Tap on the File
menu at the top of the screen and then select Open. A
file dialog box will appear and under Types of Files
select Config Files (*.cfg). Select the appropriate
config file for your meter and firmware, for example:
MultiRAE(PGM50-5P)_V305s.cfg. If you wish to

customize your setup now is the time. Save the default
configuration to a name of your choice and then
customize it using the Conf key at the top of the menu.

Return your meter to the communications Ready
screen by turning in on and paging through the screens
with the Mode key. Then kit the Send button at the
top of the menu. The configuration process will take
about a minute. After configuration is complete it is
recommended that you recalibrate your meter.
Voltage too High Screen after firmware upgrade.
It is possible to get a Voltage Too High Screen even
after a firmware upgrade if the blue Nicad battery has
over discharged during storage. If you get this screen,
unplug the charge adapter and reinsert it to restart the
charging. You may need to repeat this a couple of times
to initialize the battery. If you continue to have any
problems please contact the RAE Systems service
department at 888-723-4800.