A microprocessor-controlled battery charger is designed to provide fast, safe, and efficient charging to a wide variety of battery types and sizes. The microprocessor collects information from the battery and adjusts the charge current and voltage accordingly, which allows the battery to be charged quickly, correctly, and completely without negative effects on the capacity of the battery and on battery cycle-life.
An automatic battery charger stops charging and switches to maintain mode (float-mode monitoring) automatically after the battery is fully charged. Automatic chargers are more forgiving on the battery than manual chargers but are not designed for indefinite or maintenance use.
A manual battery charger won’t cycle or shut down by itself, even after the battery is fully charged. It will continue to put current at the selected setting to the battery until the charger is disconnected.