CR2032 Datasheet Guide

   The information on a CR2032 datasheet can be very confusing at first. Many of the parameters used aren’t completely defined or discussed, so here are a few notes to help you understand CR2032 battery datasheet:

Chemical System
   This part of the datasheet refers to the chemicals in the battery which react to produce energy. With CR2032 batteries, this is always Lithium and Manganese Dioxide. For more information about chemical systems 2032 batteries often use, click here.

Nominal Voltage
   The battery’s average voltage before the end of its life cycle. As the battery drains, this voltage slowly goes down before it hits the cutoff voltage and stops producing energy.

Capacity
   The total amount of energy stored in the battery. This is typically expressed in milli Ampere-hours (mAh).

Standard Discharge Current
   The average current the battery outputs to the devices it powers. With the CR2032, this is usually around 0.4 mA.

Maximum Continuous Discharge Current
   The maximum current the battery allows before its safety mechanisms activate and cut off the current completely.

Operating Temperature
   A range of temperatures within which the battery will operate safely and effectively.

Self Discharge At Room Temperature
   The rate at which the battery depletes its own stores of energy when placed in a room temperature environment.

Discharge Performance
   Many CR2032 datasheets include graphs of the battery’s discharge performance. These are usually done at room temperature, and they show different performance characteristics for different loads placed on a circuit.

Temperature Performance
   Some CR2032 datasheets show the same discharge performance plot but for different external temperatures. They illustrate how a constant load will operate under various temperature settings.

Cell Capacity At Various Loads
   This graph shows how long the battery can last as a function of the load placed on the circuit. A common point of confusion here is why the battery is able to last for a longer time when the load on it increases. This can be solved by looking at Ohm's law, which states that I = V/R, where I is the current, V is the voltage, and R is the resistance of the conductor. We can see here, that if the voltage (V) is roughly constant, and the resistance (R) increases, that implies that the current (I) had to decrease for the law to hold true, and a reduced current means a longer battery life. A simpler way of imagining this is that when there is more resistance to the battery releasing its energy, the longer it will last.

Internal Resistance Characteristics
   Some CR2032 datasheets show information on the internal resistance of the cell - this also relates to Ohm's law from above. Every given material, even wires and the internal parts of a battery, have a resistance. As a battery is used, its internal resistance increases and therefore its ability to produce power decreases.