E-Report

March 2008

EnerSys Charges Ahead with EnForcer Line of Battery Chargers

battery performance, longer battery life, and higher productivity. The EnForcer Hybrid is also very energy efficient, providing operational savings year after year.

Maxim Integrated Products has introduced the DS2788, the industry's smallest stand-alone fuel gauge to integrate LED drivers and a pushbutton input for multiple Li+ cells into a single IC. Designed for the tight space of a battery pack, it is packaged in a lead-free 14-pin TSSOP. The DS2788 is well suited for displaying the remaining battery capacity of power tools, ebikes, portable household appliances and ultra-mobile PCs.

The DS2788 reports a battery pack's remaining capacity in both "mAh remaining" and "percentage of full" to the host system, and it displays the results using either four or all five of its integrated LED driver outputs. Capable of directly sinking current, each LED driver pin requires only a single resistor to set its current in the LED display, thus reducing board space and system cost. A programmable I/O pin that can be configured as a debounced-pushbutton input enables the LED display.

To reduce the need for software development and shorten time-to-market, the DS2788 utilizes an embedded fuel gauge algorithm to calculate remaining capacity based on precision coulomb count, discharge rate, temperature and cell characteristics, along with precision battery-current and voltage measurements. The fuel gauge accurately monitors battery packs with multiple Li+ cells by allowing internal gain calibration of an external voltage-divider that feeds the battery-voltage-measurement input. To conserve battery power, a pin for driving external FET switches enables the voltage-divider only during voltage measurement. An estimate of the battery pack's capacity is communicated to the host over a 1-Wire interface, which reduces the number of necessary contacts between the pack and the host to as few as three.

Additionally, the DS2788 provides 16 bytes of EEPROM for the exclusive use of the host system and/or pack manufacturer. This EEPROM can be used to facilitate battery lot and date tracking, as well as for the nonvolatile storage of system or battery-usage statistics. A unique, factory-programmed 64-bit ROM ID assures that no two DS2788s are alike and enables absolute battery-pack traceability.

Smart Energy Solutions, Inc., developer and manufacturer of the Battery Brain electronic controller for vehicle and marine batteries is launching a new high capacity Battery Brain for the truck and bus markets. The company worked with several major truck and bus fleet maintenance managers to develop and test this product.

There are over 8,000,000 commercial trucks and buses in the US with the top 10 truck fleets having over 350,000 vehicles. Battery failure is a major concern for all fleet managers and the new Heavy Duty Battery Brain product is available for 12-volt and 24-volt systems and will withstand starter battery current draws of up to 2,000 amps. Several major fleets in both the US and Mexico through company approved distributors have purchased the initial production run and placed orders for the new model currently in production.

"After extensive testing and customer input, Smart Energy Solutions is pleased to introduce this new model of Battery Brain for all vehicles that have high amperage draws, diesel engines and/or multi-battery configurations," stated Pete Mateja, CEO of Smart Energy Solutions.

"This new product can pay for itself in less than six months by reducing battery related service calls and delaying battery replacements due to deep cycling when batteries run down. Battery Brain can eliminate valuable lost time, and lost revenues, by reducing the number of vehicles stranded due to a dead battery. The product also provides a warning when batteries are reaching the end of their life cycle so that battery replacement can be scheduled. In addition, to encourage use of the new product, the company has initiated a National Introduction/Installation Program available for major commercial fleets, motor carriers and bus companies."

Battery Brain is Smart Energy's flagship technology that constantly monitors electrical discharge of the battery for nearly all kinds of vehicles including automobiles, SUVs/trucks, medium and heavy duty trucks, military, buses, RVs, boats, commercial vehicles and personal watercraft. Should Battery Brain detect that the battery is losing the required charge needed to start the vehicle's engine, the device automatically disconnects the battery to preserve its starting power. In addition, Battery Brain offers a built- in anti-theft feature on some products and will extend the life of the battery.

While lithium-ion batteries offer many advantages for portable consumer electronics, they require extremely accurate charging current and output voltages to optimize battery life and performance. To address this need, Freescale Semiconductor has introduced a family of Li-Ion battery charger ICs designed to provide high performance and accuracy, as well as improved configuration flexibility.

Freescale’s MC34671, MC34673 and MC34674 single-input autonomous battery charger ICs offer output voltage accuracy of +/-0.4 percent over temperature and charging current accuracy of +/-5 percent over temperature. The ICs can be customized to create hundreds of configurations to address a wide range of portable and ultra-mobile device needs. A designer can select features and specifications, such as pin-out, feature set, charging parameters and LED indication, and Freescale can deliver customized charger ICs by programming them at the end of the manufacturing process.

The programming flexibility of the Li-Ion battery charger devices enables Freescale to create highly tailored charger ICs for specific application requirements. Target applications for Freescale’s battery charger IC family include cell phones, personal media players, navigation systems, digital still cameras, as well as travel chargers for these devices.

Built using Freescale’s advanced SMARTMOS process technology, the battery charger ICs are designed to deliver up to 1.2 A of charge current to single cell Li-Ion or Li-Polymer batteries. The battery charger input voltage can come from an AC adapter or a USB port power source. The high input voltage capability (up to 28V) is designed to eliminate the need for an external input over-voltage protection circuit required in handheld devices, which helps reduce system cost and board space.

Acheson’s Expansion of Capabilities in Japan to Support Rechargeable Battery Market in Asia

Acheson is making a significant investment to expand its battery production and battery testing capabilities on a laboratory scale during the second quarter of 2008 at its facility in Kakogawa, Japan. This investment will enhance Acheson’s ability to develop conductive coatings for the lithium ion battery and EDLC market, specifically for hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles and consumer batteries. The company is implementing capabilities to produce battery cells in the laboratory and to measure the performance of various outputs on the battery to determine the effects of Acheson coatings on current conductor foils.

More than 80 percent of the rechargeable battery market is in Asia, and this investment is expected to support Acheson’s growth in that market segment.

Electrochem’s lithium battery solution has been chosen to power satellite tracking technology for the racing teams in the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The manufacturer of the tracking device, IonEarth LLC., selected Electrochem under a 10-year agreement with Iditarod to ensure power to the bi-directional GPS tracking devices that will permit organizers, volunteers, media and fans to follow the movement of equipped mushers in real-time throughout the race. Electrochem ’ s BCX C-size battery solution is expected to perform in some of the most brutal conditions on earth, including a course that weaves through woodlands, rivers, mountains, tundra and coast, in temperatures down to -50°F and severe winds and snow. The race course from Anchorage to Nome covers 1,150 miles in 10 to17 days.

“Electrochem ’ s high performance lithium batteries were especially chosen for their extended operation in very cold weather,” said Jerry Miller of IonEarth. “The devices will transmit critical information including position, speed, heading, altitude and temperature through the Iridium satellite network to a central server every 15 minutes.” The devices was rolled out to 20 of the competing sleds this year when the race began March 1st, with full roll-out expected in 2009.

The workshop will start with an overview of the various types of intellectual property, including patents, trademark, copyrights, trade secrets, non-competes and publishing. It will feature a detailed discussion of patents, including type of patents, what is patentable, patent laws and rules, the patenting process and patent strategy. Also covered will be the integration of the patenting process with the new product development process and discussion of critical patent strategy issues. It will conclude with a practical training session for writing technical disclosures for patenting purposes.

For more details about what attendees can expect to learn from this workshop visit http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/mag_conf08_workshops.htm#akc.

• Register before March 14, 2008 - $395 • Register after March 14, 2008 - $495

Register Now!

Visit http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/mag_conf08_workshop_reg.php/.

2008 Magnetics Conference
May 15-16, Denver, Colorado

The 2008 Magnetics Conference will focus on the latest advancements in magnetic applications, technology and materials. Serving OEM developers of products that utilize magnets and magnet systems, design engineers, OEM developers involved in EMC technology and magnetic effects, magnetics manufacturers and integrators, and material suppliers in the magnetics industry. 

The 2008 Magnetics Conference is an opportunity to learn from technical experts and network with peers, professionals and potential business partners involved in a variety of applications. Learn about advancements in magnetic materials, as well as the latest technical innovations and application developments in the field of magnetics. Learn the outlook for pricing and economics. Discover the latest techniques, equipment and materials involved in the performance and control of magnetics. Learn from leading technical innovators the latest developments in how magnets are being applied, and magnetic effects utilized, to help optimize system and product performance in diverse applications.

Click here for more information

2008

17-20 - The 25th International Battery Seminar & Exhibit, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

18-20 - Aviation Industry Expo, Dallas, Texas

24-28 - MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, Calif.

CTIA WIRELESS
April 1-3, 2008
Las Vegas (NV) Convention Center

International CTIA WIRELESS 2008, the most important global technology event of the year, will feature more than 1,200 exhibitors, and over 40,000 professional from 125 countries. International CTIA WIRELESS 2008 is THE global marketplace connecting Wireless and You.

From the way corporate executives to teenagers use their mobile devices, needs and demands are changing almost by the minute.  From the same device you could check email, watch a live broadcast, and access your secured database from halfway around the globe.  The wireless industry has revolutionized the way you get your information, entertainment, and communication.  At International CTIA WIRELESS 2008, we are proud to be a part of the wireless phenomenon and provide a premier showcase.
Register now at www.ctia.org/ctiawireless!

Small Fuel Cells for Commercial & Military Applications
April 30 – May 2, 2008
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
Atlanta, GA
www.knowledgefoundation.com

In its 10th year, Small Fuel Cells for Commercial & Military Applications is the primary source of information for end users, developers and manufacturers of portable power devices. With a special pre-conference 1-Day Symposium on building synergy between fuel cells and lithium ion batteries, an impressive lineup of speakers from around the world, and industry leaders exhibiting the latest technologies, this year's conference is not to be missed. Just a few of the presenting organizations include: Motorola, Samsung, Sony Corporation, U.S. Army, and The U.S. Department of Energy.

Contact:
The Knowledge Foundation
Telephone: 617-232-7400
Web: http://www.knowledgefoundation.com
Email: custserv@knowledgefoundation.com

May 4-7, 2008
Orlando, FL

EDS -- Where the Electronics Industry Connects—May 5-8, 2008, Paris/Bally’s Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada  www.edsconnects.com

EDS is North America’s premier venue for business-to-business meetings and networking for the electronics distribution industry. More than 5,000 key representatives from the three major areas of the industry—distribution, manufacturing and professional field sales—attend EDS.  It’s where the “who’s who” in electronics come to build business, including  more international participants than any comparable event in North America. 
EDS is sponsored by industry leaders the Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association (ECA), the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) and the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA).  EDS facilitates sales and marketing partnerships in the global electronics distribution industry. Convened annually since 1937, EDS provides conferences, educational programs, planning sessions, networking opportunities, and a show floor for exhibitors. Complete details and registration information is available at www.edsconnects.com or by calling (312) 648-1140.

2008 Electrochemical Society

Register now for the 213th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS) to take place at the Phoenix Convention Center May 18th- 23rd.

The program for the Phoenix meeting contains a full range of technical symposia, and is expected to attract over 1,500 scientists and engineers, from a broad range of private and public sector institutions. Technical symposia will include electrochemical and solid-state research ranging from batteries and fuel cells to semiconductors and everything in between. The advanced registration deadline is April 18, so don't delay.

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