NEWARE CT-4000 Series

Why NEWARE Battery Testing Equipment Matters in Modern R&D

The global lithium battery charge-discharge test equipment market was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 2.5 billion by 2033, demonstrating the critical importance of accurate battery testing technology. As the electric vehicle sector experiences a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.6% from 2021 to 2028, the demand for high-precision testing equipment has become increasingly vital for manufacturers striving to produce high-performance batteries. Battery testing is not merely a validation process—it's a fundamental requirement that ensures compliance with international safety standards whilst enhancing the overall reliability and performance of energy storage systems across industries.

The Critical Role of Precise Charge-Discharge Testing

Charge-discharge testers serve as the backbone of lithium-ion battery analysis by assessing charging efficiency, discharging capacity, and cycling stability under controlled conditions. Real-time monitoring of these cycles provides researchers with invaluable insights into battery performance, internal resistance changes, and potential degradation mechanisms. Advanced testing equipment like the CT-4000 Series enables researchers to observe charge and discharge cycles under various environmental and operational conditions, making it indispensable for developing batteries that meet the stringent requirements of modern applications—from portable consumer electronics to large-scale renewable energy storage systems.

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Understanding the CT-4000 Series Architecture

Modular Design Philosophy

The CT-4000 Series embraces unit modularity as a core design principle. Each module contains 8 independent channels that can be independently configured for data acquisition and programming, with support for up to 254 programmable test lines. This architecture means you're not purchasing a single-purpose instrument—you're investing in a flexible testing platform that scales with your research needs. Multiple units can be assembled onto gantries, enabling parallel testing of numerous battery samples simultaneously whilst maintaining independent control over each channel. The compact 1U height (1.75 inches/4.445 centimetres) ensures minimal laboratory footprint regardless of how many units you deploy.

Industry-Leading Precision Specifications

Precision in battery testing directly impacts the reliability of your research outcomes. The CT-4000 Series delivers current accuracy of ±0.02% F.S., ensuring that every measurement maintains exceptional fidelity. With a rapid current response time of less than 1 millisecond (10% F.S. to 90% F.S.) and sampling intervals as short as 10 milliseconds, the system captures even the most transient electrical phenomena. The 100Hz recording frequency provides sufficient temporal resolution for sophisticated analysis including differential capacity curves (dQ/dV analysis), which are crucial for understanding battery ageing mechanisms and cell degradation patterns.

Advanced Testing Capabilities

The CT-4000 Series supports a comprehensive array of testing methodologies essential for modern battery R&D:

Cycle Life Testing: Monitor battery capacity and performance degradation over hundreds or thousands of charge-discharge cycles, providing insights into long-term reliability and durability.

Rate Performance Analysis: Evaluate how batteries respond to different charging and discharging rates, critical for optimising battery performance across diverse application scenarios.

Pulse Simulation Testing: Replicate real-world usage patterns with dynamic current profiles, enabling researchers to assess battery behaviour under actual operational conditions.

GITT (Galvanostatic Intermittent Titration Technique): Perform sophisticated electrochemical analysis to measure diffusion coefficients and understand ion transport mechanisms within the battery.

DCIR (Direct Current Internal Resistance) Measurement: Quantify internal resistance changes during cycling, a key indicator of battery degradation and health status.

dQ/dV Differential Capacity Analysis: Generate differential capacity curves that reveal subtle changes in battery electrochemistry, enabling early detection of degradation and failure modes.

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Comprehensive Operating Modes

The CT-4000 Series integrates five distinct charging and discharging modes to accommodate virtually any battery testing scenario:

Constant Current (CC): Maintains fixed current throughout charge or discharge phases, ideal for basic cycle testing and capacity determination.

Constant Voltage (CV): Applies stable voltage to the battery, commonly used in the final charging stage to achieve complete charge without current spikes.

Constant Current & Voltage (CC/CV): Combines both modes sequentially, replicating the two-stage charging process used in most portable electronics and electric vehicles.

Constant Power: Delivers fixed power output regardless of battery voltage changes, useful for applications with stable power requirements.

Constant Resistance: Maintains fixed electrical resistance throughout the test cycle, enabling research into battery behaviour under resistive loads commonly found in industrial applications.

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CT-4000 Model Variants: Tailored Solutions for Diverse Applications

CT-4000 – 5/10V 50mA (3 Ranges) – Versatile Multi-Application Platform

Optimal For: Coin cells, pouch cells, small-capacity batteries, super capacitors, and 3-electrode electrochemical systems.

The 5/10V 50mA variant provides three distinct current ranges enabling precise control across ultra-low to moderate current applications:

• 5V/10V 10mA Range: 5µA ~ 1mA (ultra-microampere precision)
• 5V/10V 20mA Range: 5µA ~ 1mA (extended range coverage)
• 5V/10V 50mA Range: 5µA ~ 1mA (broad current spectrum)

This configuration is particularly valuable for academic research, development of emerging battery chemistries, and validation of innovative energy storage concepts. The ability to switch between three independent ranges ensures optimal measurement accuracy across the entire current spectrum without signal degradation at extreme values.

Practical Applications: Coin cell electrode characterisation, solid-state battery prototype validation, super capacitor energy storage analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) coupled measurements.

NEWARE  CT-4000 5V100mA (4 Ranges) – Premium Precision for Low-Current Research

Optimal For: Coin cells, pouch cells, small-capacity batteries, super capacitors, and 3-electrode electrochemical testing with enhanced low-current resolution.

This advanced variant provides four distinct current ranges, each optimised for specific current magnitudes:

• Range 1: 0.2µA ~ 0.1mA (ultra-low microampere region)
• Range 2: 0.1mA ~ 1mA (low milliampere region)
• Range 3: 1mA ~ 10mA (moderate milliampere region)
• Range 4: 10mA ~ 100mA (high precision milliampere range)

The expanded four-range architecture enables researchers working with extremely small battery prototypes or high-impedance electrochemical cells to achieve measurement resolution previously unattainable with conventional three-range systems. Each range maintains the ±0.02% accuracy specification, ensuring consistent precision regardless of which range is active.

Practical Applications: Micro-battery development, advanced electrode material characterisation, battery management system (BMS) validation, degradation mechanism studies on small-format cells.

CT-4000 5V 6A/12A (3 Ranges) – High-Current Performance for Production Research

Optimal For: Cylindrical cells, pouch cells, 3C digital products (smartphones, laptops, tablets), and production-scale R&D applications.

This configuration delivers three ranges optimised for higher current applications:

• 5V 6A Range: 0.5mA ~ 0.1A (milliampere to 100mA transition)
• 5V 12A Range: 5mA ~ 1A (ampere-class currents)

The 6A/12A variant bridges the gap between laboratory-scale research and production validation. This is the ideal choice for engineers developing battery packs for consumer electronics, validating manufacturing processes, and conducting accelerated life testing on commercially-relevant battery formats. The extended current range enables simulation of actual discharge profiles experienced by batteries in smartphones, tablets, power banks, and similar devices.

Practical Applications: Mobile device battery validation, fast-charging protocol development, thermal stress testing under high-current conditions, battery pack assembly line qualification.

CT-4000 Super Capacitor Testing System (3 Ranges) – Specialised Energy Storage Solution

Optimal For: Super capacitors, ultra-capacitors, hybrid energy storage systems, and advanced capacitor technologies requiring specialised testing.

Engineered specifically for the unique requirements of supercapacitor testing, this variant includes three optimised ranges:

• 5V 10mA Range: 5µA ~ 1mA
• 5V 6A Range: 0.5mA ~ 0.1A
• 5V 12A Range: 5mA ~ 1A

Supercapacitors present fundamentally different testing challenges compared to batteries due to their linear charge-discharge voltage profiles and extremely low internal resistance. This specialised system accounts for these characteristics, enabling accurate measurement of equivalent series resistance (ESR), capacitance, and energy density. The system can complete rapid charge-discharge cycles with minimal discharge time, critical for optimising supercapacitor performance in high-volume manufacturing environments.

Specialised Testing Capabilities: ESR measurement using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), capacitance determination under various frequency conditions, energy efficiency analysis, thermal performance under pulsed current conditions.

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Advanced Safety Architecture and Protective Features

The CT-4000 Series implements perpetual safety protection mechanisms designed to safeguard both the equipment and experimental samples:

Comprehensive Safeguard Parameters

Discharge Data Protection: Automatic safeguarding of accumulated test data prevents loss due to unexpected power interruptions, component failures, or software anomalies. Critical battery data is continuously secured in non-volatile storage.

Offline Testing Function: Enables continuation of testing procedures even if the primary control computer becomes temporarily unavailable, ensuring experimental continuity and preventing costly interruptions to long-duration tests.

Voltage Upper Limit Setting: Prevents battery overcharging by automatically terminating charging processes when voltage exceeds user-defined thresholds, protecting against thermal runaway and internal chemical decomposition.

Voltage Lower Limit Setting: Protects batteries from over-discharge conditions that can damage internal chemistry and permanently reduce capacity, critical for lithium-ion cells that are particularly sensitive to deep discharge.

Current Upper Limit Setting: Prevents excessive current that could trigger thermal stress, dendrite formation, or structural damage to battery internals.

Current Lower Limit Setting: Enables precision control of minimal charging currents, essential for trickle-charging protocols and sensitive battery types.

Capacity Upper Limit Setting: Automatically stops testing when battery capacity exceeds expected parameters, indicating potential measurement errors or abnormal electrochemical behaviour.

Overheating Protection: Monitors system temperature and automatically reduces testing intensity or halts operations if thermal thresholds are exceeded, preventing equipment damage and ensuring laboratory safety.

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Integration with Environmental Testing Systems

The CT-4000 Series fully integrates with comprehensive environmental testing chambers, enabling multi-dimensional testing scenarios that replicate real-world operational conditions. This integration capability means you can simultaneously control battery charge-discharge testing parameters whilst maintaining precise environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition. Unified software control from a single PC interface simplifies complex experimental protocols and ensures synchronised data acquisition across all testing parameters.

Multi-Dimensional Testing Environment

This integrated approach enables researchers to investigate critical phenomena including:

• Thermal Performance Mapping: Understand how battery efficiency and capacity vary across the complete operational temperature range (-40°C to +60°C or beyond)
• Cold-Start Analysis: Evaluate battery performance under extreme low-temperature conditions essential for aerospace and arctic applications
• Thermal Cycling Durability: Assess capacity fade and impedance growth resulting from repeated temperature cycling
• Humidity Effect Analysis: Determine how moisture ingress affects battery performance, critical for tropical or marine applications

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Comprehensive Software and Control Architecture

The NEWARE CT-4000 Series features fully functional software covering an extensive range of work-step settings, advanced recording capabilities, and sophisticated data storage mechanisms tailored to meet diverse research requirements. The software architecture supports:

Custom Test Protocol Development: Create complex multi-step testing sequences with conditional logic, enabling automated execution of sophisticated experimental protocols without continuous manual intervention.

Real-Time Data Acquisition: Monitor charge-discharge parameters in real-time with configurable sampling intervals and recording frequencies, enabling immediate detection of anomalous behaviour.

Advanced Data Export: Export measurement data in multiple formats compatible with standard analytical software, enabling seamless integration with external data processing and statistical analysis tools.

Graphical Result Visualisation: Generate publication-quality graphs and charts directly from collected data, accelerating the transition from raw data to scientific insights.

Long-Term Data Storage: Archive extended test results with minimal storage overhead whilst maintaining complete data integrity and retrieval accessibility.

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Sciencegears' Complete NEWARE CT-4000 Portfolio

Sciencegears offers the complete CT-4000 Series ecosystem, enabling you to select the precise configuration matching your specific research requirements:

Available Models Through Sciencegears

CT-4000 – 5/10V 50mA (3 ranges)

Ideal for coin cells, pouch cells, small-capacity batteries, super capacitors, and 3-electrode electrochemical system testing. This versatile platform provides three distinct current ranges ensuring optimal measurement accuracy across diverse low-to-moderate current applications.

Voltage & Current Specifications:

• 5V/10V 10mA: 5µA ~ 1mA
• 5V/10V 20mA: 5µA ~ 1mA
• 5V/10V 50mA: 5µA ~ 1mA

CT-4000 5V100mA (4 ranges)

Premium precision variant for researchers requiring ultra-low current resolution in microampere ranges. The four-range architecture provides unmatched flexibility for coin cells, pouch cells, small-capacity batteries, and super capacitors with enhanced low-current measurement capability.

Voltage & Current Specifications:

• Range 1: 0.2µA ~ 0.1mA
• Range 2: 0.1mA ~ 1mA
• Range 3: 1mA ~ 10mA
• Range 4: 10mA ~ 100mA

CT-4000 5V 6A/12A (3 ranges)

Designed for cylindrical cells, pouch cells, and 3C digital products requiring higher-current testing capabilities. This configuration enables production-scale research, manufacturing validation, and high-current stress testing of commercially-relevant battery formats.

Voltage & Current Specifications:

• 5V 6A Range: 0.5mA ~ 0.1A
• 5V 12A Range: 5mA ~ 1A

CT-4000 Super Capacitor Testing System (3 ranges)

Specialised platform engineered specifically for supercapacitor and ultra-capacitor characterisation. This variant includes optimised measurement protocols for equivalent series resistance (ESR), capacitance determination, and energy efficiency analysis unique to supercapacitor applications.

Voltage & Current Specifications:

• 5V 10mA Range: 5µA ~ 1mA
• 5V 6A Range: 0.5mA ~ 0.1A
• 5V 12A Range: 5mA ~ 1A

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Technical Specifications Summary

Performance Parameter	Specification
Current Accuracy	±0.02% F.S.
Sampling Time	10ms
Current Response Time	<1ms (10% to 90% F.S.)
Recording Frequency	100Hz
Channels per Unit	8 independent channels
Form Factor	1U (1.75 inches / 4.445 cm height)
Programmable Test Lines	Up to 254 lines
Modular Design	Stackable for multi-unit testing
Environmental Integration	Compatible with test chambers
Data Storage	1GB offline testing capacity
Software Control	Unified PC-based interface

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Industry Applications and Use Cases

Electric Vehicle Battery Development

EV manufacturers and battery suppliers leverage the CT-4000 Series to validate charge-discharge profiles specific to automotive applications. The system's high-current capabilities (6A-12A ranges) enable realistic simulation of EV acceleration profiles and rapid-charging scenarios, whilst advanced analysis capabilities (dQ/dV, GITT, DCIR) reveal degradation mechanisms affecting long-term warranty performance.

Consumer Electronics Battery Validation

Mobile device manufacturers employ the CT-4000 Series for rapid qualification of coin cells and pouch cell variants in portable electronics. The 50mA and 100mA variants provide the precision necessary for accurate capacity measurement in small-format cells, whilst multi-range switching ensures accurate data across the complete discharge curve.

Renewable Energy Storage Research

Grid-scale battery storage systems require extreme reliability, driving demand for rigorous cycle-life testing. Researchers use the CT-4000 Series in conjunction with environmental chambers to validate long-duration cycling protocols (10,000+ cycles) under realistic temperature conditions, providing confidence in 20-30 year system lifespans.

Emerging Battery Chemistry Research

Researchers developing next-generation battery chemistries—including sodium-ion, solid-state, and metal-air batteries—require flexible testing platforms accommodating novel cell formats and electrochemical behaviours. The CT-4000 Series' modular architecture and extensive analysis capabilities enable rapid prototyping and comparative evaluation of competing technologies.

Academic Research and Education

Universities and research institutions employ the CT-4000 Series to train students in modern battery characterisation techniques whilst conducting cutting-edge research into battery degradation, thermal management, and electrochemical phenomena.

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Why Choose Sciencegears for NEWARE CT-4000 Series

Sciencegears represents the authoritative source for the complete NEWARE CT-4000 battery testing ecosystem. When you purchase through Sciencegears, you gain access to:

Expert Technical Consultation: Navigate the complex selection process with guidance from experienced battery testing specialists who understand the nuances of different cell formats, testing protocols, and application requirements.

Complete System Integration: Sciencegears handles integration with environmental chambers, software customisation, and facility setup, ensuring your equipment arrives ready for productive research immediately upon installation.

Comprehensive Support: Receive ongoing technical support, software updates, and maintenance services ensuring consistent equipment performance throughout its operational lifespan.

Flexible Customisation: Sciencegears accommodates custom voltage and current requirements beyond standard models, enabling you to specify a system precisely matching your research needs.

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Conclusion: Precision Testing for Next-Generation Energy Storage

The NEWARE CT-4000 Series represents the convergence of engineering excellence, measurement precision, and operational flexibility required for modern battery research and development. Whether you're optimising commercial battery production, validating emerging chemistries, or investigating fundamental electrochemical phenomena, the NEWARE CT-4000 Series delivers the accuracy, reliability, and comprehensive analysis capabilities essential for advancing energy storage technology.

Contact Sciencegears today to discuss your specific battery testing requirements and receive a customised system recommendation matched to your research objectives.