Maxim Integrated Products’ MAX17301 and the MAX17311 one-cell, pack-side ICs claim the most configurable settings for battery safety in the industry and allow fine tuning of voltage and current thresholds based on various temperature zones. These ICs are presented as having a first-of-its-kind secondary protection scheme in case the primary protection fails. This secondary protection scheme permanently disables the battery, by overriding a secondary protector or blowing a fuse in severe fault conditions.

All ICs in the family have Maxim’s ModelGauge m5 EZ algorithm, claiming the highest state-of-charge (SOC) accuracy, offering 40 percent better accuracy than legacy products, eliminating the need for battery characterization. These fuel gauges also offer a quiescent current (IQ) up to 80 percent lower than other solutions, and feature SHA-256 authentication to safeguard the systems from counterfeit batteries.

Battery state-of-charge (SOC) isn’t factored in when triggering an undervoltage cut-off decision. A solution is required that allows deeper configuration of voltage or current thresholds, based on multiple temperature environments, and also protects from unsafe charging conditions. It is also important to ensure that only genuine batteries are used, which can eliminate unexpected shutdowns and crashes caused by potentially unsafe, counterfeit batteries.

The MAX17301 and MAX17311 fuel gauges are presented as the only 1-cell fuel gauges available that offer 2-level Li-ion protection, providing an additional layer of security in case the primary protector fails. The compact ICs offer integrated protection to help system makers meet product safety standards such as IEC 62368-1/UL 62368-1. All ICs in the family offer low-state-based protectors as an alternative to simple low-voltage thresholds, preventing nuisance tripping in the case of short duration voltage dips due to pulse loads on the battery.

As with the rest of the portfolio, the devices claim the highest SOC accuracy without requiring battery characterization. The ModelGauge m5 EZ fuel gauge IC portfolio starts at $1.14 (1,000-up, FOB USA). Pricing for all evaluation kits in this portfolio is $60.

Learn more at www.maximintegrated.com.