About this replacement
X-Rite 331C / 341C Densitometer — 4.8V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (SE-15-43)
This is a 4.8V, 2000mAh Ni-MH replacement battery for the X-Rite 331C and 341C Densitometers. It replaces OEM part SE-15-43 Rev C. Both instruments use this pack to power optical measurement and ink density analysis during portable field and press-side use.
- 331C and 341C compatibility: Both models share the same battery bay, connector pinout, and 4.8V supply rail. The BMS handshake is identical across the two, so one pack covers either instrument without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through measurement sequences on the 331C, monitoring BMS response at sensor initialisation. The pack handled repeated optical module power-up draws without tripping the protection circuit.
- Calibration cycle after install: Run a full calibration cycle through the instrument menu before field deployment. The 331C maps battery state during calibration — skipping this step causes premature low-battery warnings during your first measurement session, even when the pack is fully charged.
BMS lockout after the 331C sat unused in a carry case for months
Ni-MH cells self-discharge during storage. If the pack drops below roughly 3.6V total, the protection circuit locks out to prevent cell reversal. When you plug in the charger, nothing happens — the BMS is blocking charge current, not the charger itself. Place the pack on a Ni-MH compatible charger that supports a low-current recovery mode, typically 100–200mA, and hold it there until the circuit releases. Once voltage climbs above 4.0V, the BMS re-enables normal charge current and the instrument accepts the pack again.
331C shuts down mid-measurement even though the battery indicator showed full
The 331C's voltage threshold indicator reads resting voltage, not voltage under load. During an active optical measurement, the sensor and display draw sustained current that causes a brief voltage sag. If cell capacity has degraded — even in a pack that reads full at rest — that sag trips the low-voltage cutoff and the instrument shuts off mid-sequence. The fix is a full charge followed by a complete discharge cycle to reset the instrument's voltage reference. After one conditioning cycle, the low-battery warning should align accurately with actual remaining capacity.