Management IC is adapted to silver zinc batteries

New device will be part of all ZPower batteries as the company prepares for high volume production in mid-2008.

Silver-zinc rechargeable battery pioneer ZPower has chosen Texas Instruments to supply the company's first notebook battery gas gauge for silver zinc batteries.

Based on the Texas Instrument's bq2084 battery management platform, the new device will be part of all ZPower batteries as ZPower prepares for high volume production in mid-2008.

The silver-zinc notebook battery gas gauge will: monitor and control the charge and discharge of the silver-zinc battery; monitor the state of the charge of the battery; provide battery protection from fault conditions; and communicate the status of the battery with the notebook computer via SMBus.

"Texas Instruments is a market leader in notebook battery monitoring solutions", says Dr Ross Dueber, President of ZPower.

"As ZPower has worked diligently to advance the chemistry of batteries, Texas Instruments has done the same with battery monitoring solutions".

"Texas Instruments provides us with the best opportunity for compatibility with a wide range of OEMs and makes our battery an even more attractive power source for our customers".

This first notebook battery gas gauge is the initial step toward the development of gas gauge solutions for other mobile applications such as cellphones.

ZPower will use Texas Instruments when developing those solutions as well.

"Texas Instruments is very pleased to have been chosen as the development platform for a silver-zinc battery monitoring solution", says Garry Elder, Systems Engineering Manager of Battery Monitoring Solutions at Texas Instruments.

"We're proud to play a role in the development of this innovative, new power source for mobile electronics".

ZPower batteries offer up to 40% more run time than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Additionally, ZPower batteries offer an inherently safe technology which features a water-based chemistry that is not flammable.

The battery contains no lithium or flammable liquids and is therefore free from the problems of thermal runaway, fire and danger of explosion.

ZPower batteries also offer consumers an environmentally friendly alternative.

Over 90% of the primary elements used to produce the batteries can be recycled and re-used.

The raw materials recovered in the recycling process of silver-zinc batteries are the same quality as those that went into the creation of the battery.

ZPower is initially working with Tier 1 notebook computer and cellphone manufacturers to provide an innovative new power source for next-generation mobile devices.

At CES 2008, ZPower batteries were named among the "Top 5 green gadgets at CES" by TheDailyGreen.com.

Also at CES this year, Dr Dueber was selected as a panellist at a session called "The top 10 technologies you've never heard of".

The company was also recently named a "GoingGreen 100" winner by AlwaysOn.

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