Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) has introduced what it calls the industry’s first integrated battery monitor and protector. The enticingly-named bq76PL455A-Q1 provides cell-voltage monitoring for large batteries with up to 256 cells in a series.

The bq76PL455A-Q1 is designed to reveal a pack’s state of charge and state of health by precisely measuring cell voltage, and also provides active and passive cell-balancing support (in conjunction with TI’s EMB1428Q switch-matrix gate driver and EMB1499Q bidirectional current DC/DC converter.). Passive cell balancing compensates for charging voltage mismatches, while active cell balancing maximizes the amount of each charge.

The bq76PL455A-Q1 can monitor 16 stacked cells. It features an isolated differential UART, allowing designers to eliminate the need for a controller area network (CAN) and isolators. Its integrated features are designed to replace as many as four devices for a 48 V system, reducing the space needed on a printed circuit board.

The product comes in a thin quad flat pack (TQFP) 80 package and is priced at US$14.95 in 1,000-unit quantities.

Source: ChargedEVs