TI smart battery technology protects and manages multi-cell lithium battery systems

TI smart battery technology protects and manages multi-cell lithium battery systems

Scalable battery management controllers support 4- to 12-cell rechargeable lithium batteries used in power tools and e-bicycles

DALLAS (Oct. 6, 2008) — Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) introduced today three new smart battery management integrated circuits that improve measurement and protection of multi-cell, lithium-based battery packs. The innovative controllers simplify design in multi-cell lithium-based rechargeable batteries used in uninterruptible power supplies and applications, such as cordless power tools, power-assisted bicycles, and portable medical and test equipment.

TI’s bq78PL114 battery management controller provides complete lithium battery system control, monitoring and safety functions for 4-series cells. The device integrates accurate battery fuel gauge technology with extremely efficient cell balancing, short-circuit detection and battery protection. The bq78PL114 is completely user-configurable with parametric tables set in Flash memory to support a variety of Li-Ion and Li-Polymer chemistries, operating conditions, safety control and data reporting design requirements. The device can be configured easily using TI’s bqWizard fully programmable graphical user interface and requires no algorithm or firmware development. See: www.ti.com/bq78pl114.

Dual-cell monitor provides scalability up to 12-cells

In addition to the controller, TI introduced its bq76PL102 dual-cell battery monitor, which performs simultaneous voltage and temperature monitoring of each cell and reports those parameters over TI’s proprietary PowerLAN communications interface. By leveraging the PowerLAN interface, a designer can combine multiple bq76PL102 monitor devices with the bq78PL114 controller to create a smart battery solution for up to 12 rechargeable cells. Real-time communications is possible in all operating conditions, even during widely fluctuating load conditions. The scalable PowerLAN architecture also provides robust communications in tough electromagnetic and radio frequency interference situations, while avoiding excess power draw and a large number of discrete components.

PowerPump precise cell balancing technology

Partitioning of the battery monitoring function cell-by-cell enables a more accurate state of charge measurement. With this in mind, the bq78PL114-based system helps extend battery life and system runtime with TI’s patented PowerPump cell balancing technology. This technology uses a charge-transfer methodology that does not waste excess energy as heat, but moves energy dynamically from cell to cell with very high efficiency. Precise balancing occurs at every stage of operation – at charge, discharge and rest. With PowerPump technology, cell balancing is automatically coordinated between all cells in the system. ■