bq2164
NiCd or NiMH Gas Gauge Module
with Fast-Charge Control
Features
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Complete bq2004/bq2014 battery management
solution for NiCd or NiMH pack
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Accurate battery state-of-charge monitoring
Reliable fast charge termination
Automatic full capacity calibration
specified in the configuration table. They consist of the fast
charge hold-off, safety timers, and the pulse trickle rate as
shown in the bq2004 data sheet. The bq2164 is optimized for
temperature termination with the thermistor provided with
the development kit. Figure 1 shows how the module con-
nects to the cells.
Battery information available over a single-wire
bi-directional serial port
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Nominal capacity, cell chemistry, and charge control
parameters pre-configured
Compact size for battery pack integration
The sense resistor value and type should also be specified
on the configuration sheet. The two options available are
a 3W through-hole type or a 1W surface-mount type.
Please refer to the application note entitled “A Tutorial for
Gas Gauging” to select the proper value.
General Description
The bq2164 Gas Gauge Module provides a complete and
compact battery management solution for NiCd and NiMH
battery packs. Designed for battery pack integration, the
bq2164 combines the bq2014 Gas Gauge IC with the
bq2004 Fast-Charge IC on a small printed circuit board.
The board includes all the necessary components to accu-
rately monitor the capacity and reliably terminate fast
charge of 5 to 10 series cells.
A module development kit is also available for the
bq2164. The bq2164B-KT includes one configured mod-
ule and the following:
1) A serial interface board that allows connection to
the RS-232 port of an AT-compatible computer.
2) Menu-driven software with the bq2164 to display
charge/discharge activity and to allow user inter-
face to the bq2014 from any standard DOS PC.
The gas gauge IC uses the onboard sense resistor to track
charge and discharge activity of the battery pack. The fast
charge IC gates a current-limited or constant-current charg-
ing supply connected to PACK+. Charging termination is
based on ∆T/∆t or -∆V/PVD, maximum temperature, time,
and voltage. The bq2004 signals charge completion to the
bq2014 to indicate full capacity. The charge complete signal
to the gas gauge eliminates the need to fully cycle the bat-
tery pack to initially calibrate full pack capacity.
3) Source code for the TSR.
4) A Philips 10K NTC Thermistor type 2322-640-
63103.
Pin Description
Contacts are provided on the bq2164 for direct connec-
tion to the battery stack (BAT+, BAT-), the gas gauge's
communications port (DQ), and the thermistor
(THERM+, THERM). The thermistor is required for
temperature fast charge termination. Please refer to the
bq2004 and bq2014 data sheets for the specifics on the
operation of the gas gauge and the fast charge ICs.
DQ/Serial communication port
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
BAT+/Battery positive
PACK+/Pack positive
PACK-/Pack negative
Unitrode configures the bq2164 based on the informa-
tion requested in Table 1. The configuration defines
the number of series cells, the nominal battery pack
capacity, the self-discharge rate, and the fast charge
control parameters. The control parameters depend on
the charge rate, cell chemistry and termination technique
BAT-/Battery negative
THERM+/Thermistor positive
THERM-/Thermistor negative
MOD/Fast charge control output
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