Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced a small and accurate Li-Ion battery fuel gauge integrated circuit, the bq27421, which boosts battery run-time in portable medical devices, such as wearable health monitors and industrial devices like inventory scanners and portable emergency lights and other consumer electronics.
Leveraging TI’s proven Impedance Track advanced battery technology typically used in tablets and smartphones, the bq27421 system-side fuel gauge in a 9-ball chipscale (WCSP) package accurately reports remaining battery capacity, state-of-charge and battery voltage, allowing portable devices to extend run-time by 50 percent or higher.
“Users of portable medical and other electronics need an accurate prediction of remaining battery capacity to better manage their mobile device and decide when to recharge or replace the battery. Whether it’s a blood glucose meter, wearable patient monitor bracelet or portable inventory scanner, you need accurate information to make good decisions,” said Steve Lambouses, vice president of battery management. “TI’s fuel gauges give consumers the battery information they can depend on, maximizing the level of convenience with their battery-powered devices and allowing them to get more run-time out of their batteries.”
Designers can use the pre-configured “plug-and-play” bq27421 fuel gauge with TI’s new Gauge Studio software tool to simplify battery gauging design. The file size of the Gauge Studio design tool is about ten times smaller than TI’s previous software, dramatically minimizing configuration and system firmware development. The bq27421EVM-G1A evaluation development kit is available for US$49.
The bq27421 battery fuel gauge is available now in a 1.5-mm by 1.5-mm by 0.5-mm, 9-ball WCSP package, and is priced at US$1.20 in 1,000-unit quantities. A QFN package version is sampling to select customers, and is expected to be available in volume production in the fourth quarter.
