STMicroelectronics launches "gas gauge"
STMicroelectronics has introduced a new battery monitoring "gas gauge" for handheld applications. ST's newest battery-monitor IC is said to deliver high-precision measurement of the battery voltage and current in a 2 x 3 x 0.8 mm package. The IC uses open-circuit voltage and coulomb-counter methods to estimate the battery capacity and to supervise and track charge/discharge status. The STC3105 boasts low supply-current requirements 60 µA typical which also contribute to extending the battery runtime and lifespan. The power-saving mode reduces current consumption in the IC, as well as enabling low standby-power levels in the final application. Integrating a programmable alarm output, the STC3105 can alert the system when the battery state of charge is below a certain level. Such embedded intelligence helps initiate appropriate power-management actions when the battery is nearly empty without involving the system microcontroller, enabling the microcontroller to spend longer times in a sleep mode, decreasing the overall power consumption. For More Details See www.varindia.com |