About this replacement
Chauvin Arnoux C.A 6116N / C.A 6117 — 10.8V Li-ion Replacement Battery (693942A00)
This is a 10.8V 6800mAh Li-ion battery pack for the Chauvin Arnoux C.A 6116N and C.A 6117 insulation testers. Both instruments use the same OEM part number 693942A00 and share an identical battery bay and connector configuration. The pack replaces the original when capacity fade begins affecting test session length or when the instrument fails to power on after storage.
- C.A 6116N and C.A 6117 compatibility: Both models run on the same 10.8V three-cell Li-ion architecture, use the same BMS handshake protocol, and draw from the same connector pinout — the 693942A00 part number covers both without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through high-voltage insulation test sequences up to 1000V output mode, where the internal inverter draws a sustained current spike at measurement initiation. The BMS held steady through repeated test triggers without tripping into overcurrent lockout.
- Post-installation calibration on the C.A 6116N: After fitting a new pack, run a full calibration cycle through the instrument menu before taking it to site. The C.A 6116N maps battery state during calibration — skipping this step causes the low-battery indicator to fire early on the first measurement session, even with a fully charged pack.
BMS cutoff when the C.A 6116N initiates a high-voltage insulation test
At the moment the C.A 6116N fires its internal inverter to generate test voltages — particularly at the 500V and 1000V settings — current draw spikes sharply for 50–150ms. A degraded original pack can no longer buffer this spike, and the BMS interprets it as an overcurrent fault and shuts down. This replacement pack's cells carry a higher internal capacity margin at 6800mAh, which reduces the voltage sag during that spike. If the instrument still trips on test initiation, check that the battery contacts are clean and seating fully — contact resistance amplifies the voltage drop the BMS sees.
Pack will not charge after the instrument sat unused for months
Li-ion cells that discharge below approximately 2.5V per cell enter a deep-discharge state where the BMS disables charging as a protection measure. The C.A 6116N does not output a trickle recovery charge, so plugging into the mains and seeing no charging activity is expected if the pack voltage has dropped too far during long storage. To recover the pack, apply a compatible 10.8V Li-ion charger with a recovery or pre-charge mode directly to the battery if the instrument's own charger circuit shows no response. If the pack does not respond to recovery charge within 30 minutes at 2.5–3V per cell, the cells have passed the recovery threshold and the pack needs replacement.