Battery management IC extends life of battery packs

May 24, 2011 9:37 AM

Texas Instruments Inc. announces a battery management integrated circuit (IC) that increases the life of rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs and maximizes available energy for hybrid and electric vehicles, power tools, and uninterruptible power source (UPS) applications.

The stackable bq76PL536 battery monitor, balancer, and protector includes analog-to-digital converters for independent cell voltage and temperature protection, cell balancing, and isolated chip-to-chip communication. The device also intelligently measures battery cell voltages to 1-mV accuracy, which is important for demanding new lithium chemistries.

The new IC also provides full secondary protection for over-voltage, under-voltage, and over-temperature conditions. When safety thresholds are exceeded, the device sets the fault and alert outputs independently of the normal communication channel. No external components are required to configure or enable the protection features.

Key features and benefits:

±1-mV typical voltage measurement accuracy increases battery gas gauging accuracy to determine remaining capacity, cell-balancing efficiency, and system safety
Integrated secondary level of protection for over-voltage, under-voltage, and over-temperature conditions increases safety without adding component cost
Vertically stackable to monitor up to 192 cells without additional isolation components between ICs
High-speed 1-Mb/s serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus operates between each bq76PL536 to provide reliable communication
AEC-100 production flow, reliability, and testing for automotive applications.
Cell-balancing drivers extend the available capacity and lifetime of the battery pack by maintaining state of charge and capacity balance

For more information, contact Texas Instruments Inc., 12500 TI Blvd., Dallas, TX 75243. Phone: (972) 644-5580.