|
STMicroelectronics has introduced a new battery monitoring “gas gauge” for handheld applications. The STC3105 combines a small footprint with measurement accuracy and low power consumption to increase battery runtime and lifespan in mobile phones, multimedia players, digital cameras, and other space-constrained portable gadgets.
The IC delivers high-precision measurement of the battery voltage and current in a 2 x 3 x 0.8 mm package, which makes it the smallest-in-class device in the market. The IC uses open-circuit voltage and coulomb-counter methods to estimate the battery capacity and to supervise and track charge/discharge status. Accurate predictions of the battery state of charge and time-to-empty help avoid unnecessary re-charging, extend operating time between charges, and lengthen the battery lifespan in portable applications.
The STC3105 has 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.
