Texas Instruments introduced two battery fuel gauge devices with integrated low-dropout regulators (LDOs). The system-side and battery pack-side fuel gauges predict battery life with 99-percent accuracy. The bq27510 system-side battery fuel gauge with Impedance Track technology incorporates a LDO and can be powered directly from the battery cell. In addition to the system-side battery fuel gauges, the device resides directly on the embedded or removable battery pack to manage available power that resides in the battery. The bq27540 will support SDQ, HDQ and I2C communication protocols to allow the system to read important information from the battery.

The bq27510 and the bq27540 are sampling today, with volume production expected in the second quarter of 2008. Available in a 12-pin, 2.5 mm x 4 mm SON package, both devices’ suggested retail price is $1.35 each in 1,000-piece quantities. Evaluation modules of the bq27500, bq27510 and bq27540, design application notes, user guides and TI’s bqEASY software design tool are available through power.ti.com .