Battery Management IC Targets Portables

Designed for portable applications that use both lithium-based and nickel-based rechargeable batteries, the bq2000 is an 8-pin switching charge-control IC for chemistry-independent, high-accuracy charge-management solutions. The chip simplifies charging of the batteries by combining the necessary power conversion and charge-control algorithms for both lithium- and nickel-based chemistries into a single IC.The chip automatically detects the battery chemistry by monitoring its voltage profile during the initial stage of the charge. After determining the chemistry, it completes the fast charge with the appropriate algorithm.