Innovative Gas Gauge IC Monitors Lead-Acid Batteries
The bq34z110 battery management gas gauge IC from TI is touted as the industry’s first scalable power management device to support multi-cell lead-acid battery packs with battery voltages of 4 V, 12 V, 24 V, 48 V and higher, including large capacity batteries (1 to 65 Ahr and higher) and high-current applications (0 A to 32 A and higher). The highly accurate gauge supports batteries used in mobile and stationary applications like medical instruments, wireless base stations and telecom shelters, e-bikes, inverters and uninterruptible power supplies. Utilizing a proprietary Impedance Track algorithm, the gauge constantly informs a user about the battery’s state-of-health and state-of-charge and maintains up to a 95% accurate capacity measurement for the entire life of the battery. This information also prevents premature shutdown, increasing the longevity of the battery and end-equipment. The bq34z110 gas gauge is available now in a 14-pin, 5 x 6 mm TSSOP package, priced at $2.30 each/1,000. An evaluation module, the bq34z110EVM, is available for $49.