This article presents a novel approach to monitoring car batteries, based on the recording of battery terminal voltage signals during the vehicle's startup. The objective is to introduce a new capability for modifying warranty service terms and enhancing energy efficiency. In contrast to the existing approach, the proposed method would provide warranty services based on the number of times the battery is used for starting the car, rather than on the battery's usage time. To facilitate the implementation of the methodology outlined in this article, a microcontroller circuit has been designed and constructed. The microcontroller circuit employs an ATmega328P microcontroller and a micro SD card for monitoring the battery voltage signal and as external memory, respectively. Furthermore, a resistive voltage divider has been utilized to calibrate the range of battery terminal voltage fluctuations to a level that the microcontroller can process. The circuit was designed, assembled, and installed on several different passenger cars, and tested under real-world operating conditions. The results of this examination demonstrate that the designed and built system accurately counts the number of times the car is started and records the desired characteristics of the battery voltage signal during startup in the allocated memory. The successful performance of the prototype under various conditions confirms the high efficiency and reliability of the proposed method presented in this article.
