Product category:
Power Supply ICs and Controllers
News Release from: Xicor | Subject: X3100 family
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 03 March 2004
Cell balancing is key to battery manager
success
The X3100 family of battery management devices has been chosen by two high-profile companies for use in notebook computer and other portable applications.
The X3100 family of battery management devices has been chosen by two high-profile companies for use in notebook computer and other portable applications Battery Technology, a leading, global battery pack manufacturer, has selected Xicor's X3100 for its notebook replacement battery packs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 24 Jan 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Accordingly, the X3100 is now used in the following Battery Technology battery packs: IBM A, IBM I, IBM T, IBM R, Dell Cpi, Dell 7000, Dell 8000, Compaq 300/500, Compaq EVO 610 and Compaq 7000.
"Xicor's X3100 battery solution allows Battery Technology to reduce the number of components in the battery module while both increasing the performance and lowering the system cost", stated Chris Chu of Battery Technology.
"In addition, Xicor's cell-balancing feature allows us to design a higher quality product.
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This is the type of value we have come to expect from strategic partners such as Xicor".
Leading global manufacturer of power and performance optimised electrochemical energy storage systems Varta Microbatterie, has selected Xicor as a development partner for the company's battery pack designs.
Xicor and Varta are collaborating on battery pack designs targeting OEM notebook computer applications as well as portable test and measurement equipment.
The first implementation of the X3100 will be in battery packs for portable test equipment supporting the automotive market.
"We chose to implement the Xicor solution due to its superior 'cell-balancing' features and external programming capabilities", commented Manfred Leimkuhler of Varta.
"The cell-balancing function improves the capacity while the external programming functions provide the ability to reprogram the safety circuit fault voltage levels".
According to market research firm Darnell.Com, the market for smart battery technology is currently growing at a rate of 22% and it estimates that about 1.2 million smart batteries will be sold worldwide by 2005.
The X3100 is part of Xicor's new family of battery management solutions that protect and monitor battery packs consisting of four lithium-ion battery cells in series.
The X3101 is designed for three lithium-ion cells in series.
Both devices provide internal overcharge, overdischarge and overcurrent protection circuitry, internal EEPROM memory, an internal voltage regulator and internal drive circuitry for external FET devices that control cell charge, discharge and cell voltage balancing.
Based on a proprietary cell-balancing algorithm acquired via the acquisition of PoweReady, the Xicor solution allows battery manufacturers of three- and four-cell batteries to increase the useable capacity of the lithium-ion battery packs when there is charge loss or capacity loss within a series string.
This in turn improves the quality and life of the battery pack.
The cell-balancing approach gives the battery pack designer the ability to use the latest cell technology and provides the flexibility to create a battery pack to meet the precise needs of the system.
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