Li-Ion/Poly batteries generate considerable progress of battery control ICs from headsets to electric powered vehicles, says Petrov Group

Four main latest market forces result battery control IC attributes: end-equipment method trends, battery solutions trends, battery charging trends, and commercial design and design and marketing (end-user) trends. Battery control ICs are application-specific and analog-intensive mixed-signal ICs used within of a variety of end-systems and their battery packs. The complexity and broad range of battery control ICs are driven by end-equipment types, battery types, and battery control architectures. This drives the needs for customization of battery control ICs so that you just can fulfill the particular would like in the concentrate on end-equipment system, battery, and energy sources.

Battery control ICs consist of options which could be typically used on an end-equipment method board or within a battery pack. In addition, some are developed for use in battery charging cradles. Battery control ICs are not used in adapters (also generally referred to as “chargers”) supplying energy to an on-board charger IC.

Battery control ICs url an end-equipment system’s energy engineering using the front-end energy options (typically an AC adapter and USB port) as well as the back-end battery pack system; they are an integral element in the conventional end-equipment system’s energy architecture. The needs for customization is especially powerful for ICs integrated into battery packs (such as fuel gauges) precisely where there is typically a tight romantic relationship amid a battery’s chemistry as well as the linked electronics.

Battery energy control engineering is typically particular to an end-equipment system and drives battery control IC implementation strategies. essential method level trends include: method level method to battery energy control featuring progressively closer romantic relationship amid charging, fuel gauging, protection, and method host functions. raising amount of energy options and appropriate standardization trends. energy options consist of adapters (AC/DC, DC/DC) and USB/USB-OTG ports, each and every featuring a broad range of working conditions that should be managed from the charging IC. raising utilization of sensible battery method engineering compliant with SBS1.0 (Intel/Duracell) specifications previous conventional laptop applications. In-system utilization of standalone fuel gauges enabling a higher level of battery standardization and minimal battery cost. raising charger specifications for managing method energy delivery (powerpath management). raising utilization of one- and two-wire communications interfaces for battery status/data report, control, and charging parameter programming.

The product classification and latest market segmentation of the fast altering over US$ 3 billion standalone battery control IC latest market in 2009 are best validated with a bottom-up evaluation of options and sellers and numerous battery charger, fuel gauge, protection, and authentication ICs. The Petrov team analyzed extra than 600 major options of twenty sellers and eleven end-systems, stated Boris Petrov, managing director in the Petrov Group. These major options constitute about 3,000+ normal products.

Standalone charger ICs alone accounted for about 1.9 billion models and US$ 1.4 billion revenues in 2009, while standalone fuel appraise ICs accounted for about 1.6 billion models and US$ 1.4 billion in revenues. Texas Instruments, Maxim, and Linear solutions accounted for almost one-third in the normal IC products. About half in the standalone battery control ICs are custom made as opposed to normal ICs.

Analysis of twenty IC sellers and 622 battery control major IC options reveal the fact that top-seven sellers represent about 85% of complete products. TI alone represents about 39% in the analyzed 622 products. like a result, TI will probable be the dominant supplier of battery control ICs. Charger ICs and fuel appraise ICs can be the two main product groups representing 76% and 14% of complete products, respectively. 6 hundred twenty-two major options translate to about 3,000 generic options as well as a minimum amount of 10,000 catalog (variant) battery control IC products.

Battery control IC groups consist of charger ICs − solo purpose and multifunction, fuel appraise ICs − standalone and monitor, protection ICs − charger front-end (FE), fuel appraise analog front-end (AFE), and level-2 protection ICs, and authentication ICs. The authentication purpose is typically integrated into other battery control ICs, hence, a pretty tiny amount of supplied devices.

Standalone charger ICs element an on-chip demand deal with algorithm execution engine (typically a condition machine). This sort of charger IC is generally referred to like a standalone system on account of the actuality it could run autonomously devoid of any help from the method host (host processor, battery pack, or method centered fuel gauge). However, variations of the sort of charger IC could consist of options featuring a level of deal with over the execution in the charging algorithm. IC sellers typically provide these options as element of the product loved kinds that consists of the major standalone product and its host controlled variations.

Single purpose (“discrete”) charger ICs represent about 87% in the complete of 471 analyzed charger IC options used within of a broad broad range of end-equipment applications. The standalone sort dominates 86% of 352 analyzed products: Linear topology chargers represent about 61% of options and therefore are largely specific at 1-cell Li-Ion/Pol battery applications; about 52% of all those options are USB 2.0 energy source compliant. altering topology chargers represent the remaining 39% of options and therefore are largely specific at multi-cell Li-Ion/Pol battery applications.

Multifunction (integrated) charger ICs (PWMICs) are largely used in cell cellular phone uses as energy control companion ICs for the system’s main processor. They represent about 13% in the 471 analyzed charger IC options and therefore are typically marketed in considerable volumes, yielding pretty considerable revenues every product.

The level of sensible integration varies extensively from the charger IC with an additional on-chip DC/DC converter (Bluetooth products application) to extremely integrated SoC sort products used in cell cellular phone applications. The Petrov team estimates that about 50% of PWMICs element an on-chip charger function. These options typically use linear topology chargers for 1-cell Li-Ion/Pol batteries and generally element a USB 2.0 compliant energy input (50 of 63 analyzed PWMICs). They element standalone and host controlled operation.

The Petrov team classified battery charger ICs in to a five-level hierarchy by integration, topology, algorithm execution, input energy sources, and ask attributes, mentioned Boris Petrov. Fuel appraise ICs are classified by algorithm execution (intelligence), integration, battery chemistry, cellular configuration, and protection and monitoring features. End-equipment energy is segmented into three main energy levels; energy harvesting products and electric powered autos are separate emerging segments.

Enabled by microelectronics solutions Li-Ion batteries are displacing other battery systems. The needs for raising standard performance battery control ICs is driven by two main forces: (1) greatest utilization of the battery’s supplied potential and (2) full-proof protection from protection hazards.

Battery control ICs should provide considerable precision, considerable energy (voltage and current) capability, and ultra-low energy consumption. Bipolar is typically a should method solutions for battery control ICs − therefore using BiCMOS and BCD dominates. The craze toward universal adapters (“chargers”) calls for an additional level of protection and favors raising utilization of BCD technology.

The 2009 latest market for charger ICs and fuel appraise ICs was about 2.3 billion models and 1.6 billion units, respectively. About 82% of easily transportable end-equipment models element standalone charging ability (or about 1.9 billion units). At a amount ASP of US$ 0.75, this quantities to about US$ 1.4 billion. Standalone charger ICs consists of solo purpose (“discrete”) and multifunction (integrated) charger ICs. Standalone fuel appraise ICs represent about 1.6 billion models (1.1 billion models as well as 50% latest alternative rate, therefore 1.6 billion units) and US$ 1.4 billion at a latest amount ASP of US$ 0.85. The CAGR (2009 to 2012) for each product groups is about 12%.

Front-end charger IC protection is getting progressively important attributed in the direction of the emergence of universal AC adapters (“battery chargers”). raising and mandated utilization of universal AC adapters in cell mobile phones in China and in Europe/North America (there are two “universal” adapter standards) is raising the protection specifications of front-end charger IC protection. In an natural environment of standardized adapters developed with a broad range of third-party vendors, charger ICs could be subjected to considerable voltages and currents.

This calls for an additional level of front-end protection both through a separate protection IC or an on-chip protection ability of the charger IC. In each scenarios utilization of BCD method solutions is mandatory. This craze is illustrated by latest PWMIC introductions, e.g., the energy IC chipset for Intel’s Atom Z6xx processor. At Computex 2010 Freescale released a extremely integrated chipset, such as charger functionality, producing utilization of its 130nm BCD SmartMOS-10 platform. Maxim and Renesas PWMICs for Atom Z6xx processor will probable use 180nm BCD method technology. the brand new adapter conditions market utilization of USB connectors − USB type-A for the China normal and micro-USB connector for the USB-IF normal (Europe and North America).

“Dumb” battery packs element at minimum amount a protection IC with energy MOSFETs as well as a thermistor. In addition, it could consist of the check IC to acquire battery details required by an exterior fuel appraise for processing. “Smart” battery packs element an in-pack fuel appraise compliant using the SBS1.1 specification. In addition, the battery pack typically consists of a protection IC with energy MOSFETs. This prospects to some 4- or 5-pin battery pack vs. 3-pin inside the circumstance of the “dumb” battery. A “smart” battery can work since the master of the sensible battery method (SBS) precisely where the charger IC functions like a slave (a so-called Level-2 charger).

The most versatile battery control engineering is centered inside the sensible battery method specification (SBS 1.1) at first developed by Intel and Duracell largely for use in laptop applications, according in the direction of the Petrov Group. The sensible battery method engineering utilizes SMBus for discussion amid a sensible battery, sensible charger, and method host.

Smart batteries element an integrated fuel appraise which communicates the circumstance in the battery and requests a demand (voltage and current) over the SMBus. demand requests are met from the sensible battery charger, which applies the requested voltage and latest in the direction of the battery terminals. The charger does not should know the battery chemistry on account of the actuality the fuel appraise maintains the demand algorithms. like a result, any sensible battery charger can demand any sensible battery. The SBS 1.1 specification provides for two main modes of operation (1) the sensible battery will probable be the method master (level-2 system), and (2) any system other compared to sensible battery may maybe be the master (level-3 system). on this architecture, any sensible battery and sensible charger type a closed loop demand method that does not need host processor intervention.

Energy harvesting solutions could be segmented into two main categories. (1) Macro-scale harvesting producing utilization of eco-friendly energy options (such as photo voltaic and wind). A essential attribute of those solutions will probable be the actuality which they provide off-grid energy options which enable it to feed the electric powered energy grid; hence, their ultimate intention can be to cut back essential oil dependency. (2) Micro-scale harvesting producing utilization of energy away from your natural environment (such as vibration, method heat, and light). A essential attribute of those solutions can be to energy ultra-low energy devices; hence, their ultimate intention can be to allow perpetual devices.

A considerable near-term institution opportunity for standalone battery charger ICs is in photo voltaic solo panel uses much under 4 rectangular ft in area producing as an awesome offer as 25-30W of power. common end-equipment uses consist of high-end consumer, automotive, industrial, roadside, and marine and army segments − each easily transportable and non-portable. Linear solutions and TI have recently accelerated product introductions on this area as well other energy harvesting applications.

Electric transportation is not just appropriate to motors but at current in use in numerous millions of easy task-oriented autos near to the world. The techniques are extra essential when in comparison with all those inside the hybrid and electric powered auto facet but consist in exactly the exact same sensible blocks. Representative illustrations consist of e-bike, scooter, golfing cart, forklift, as well as other tiny task-oriented autos (STOVs)

The hybrid and electric powered auto method is created of the quantity of modules to type the generate educate and energy safe-keeping system. The battery obstruct is typically Li-Ion chemistry inside the broad range of 400V. It is managed and monitored from the battery control method (BMS) and charged through an on-board AC/DC converter module (“adapter”) with voltages ranging from 110V solo cycle to 380V three-phase systems. A battery control method (BMS) is integrated in to the battery pack.

The battery control method (BMS) is typically a essential element inside the conventional electric powered auto architecture. It represents a extremely safety-critical purpose − as a finish off result the linked analog and electronic components (microcontroller) should fulfill particular protection requirements. The battery pack should be very carefully monitored through operation and charging so that you just can maximize energy utilization and prolong battery life. this could be achieved with state-of-the-art battery monitoring ICs typically managed with a host controller, according in the direction of the Petrov Group.

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