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To: steve olivier who wrote (2605)	10/18/1999 3:06:00 PM
From: steve olivier	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2920

Xicor Announces Industry's First 'Smart Safety Unit' Battery Chip Extends Run Time of Li-Ion Battery Pack in Laptop PCs Reduces Cost and Chip Count by Integration of Safety Unit and Enables Low Cost Software "Gas Gauge" MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 1999-- Xicor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XICO - news) today announced the industry's first programmable smart safety unit battery chip. The X3100 combines mixed signal and EEPROM technologies, enabling the design of smart Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery packs with longer run times and extended life at lower cost. The X3100 targets multi-cell Li-Ion batteries for laptop PCs, medical electronics and portable instruments. ``This is Xicor's first product targeted at the smart battery market, which is growing rapidly to satisfy consumer demand for extended run time and improved battery life,' said Mike Levis, vice president, marketing. ``We believe that Xicor is uniquely positioned to develop semiconductor chips for the smart battery market because of our ability to combine mixed signal and EEPROM technologies. We are currently developing our second chip and are defining the third chip in the product line with key customers. ``We were able to integrate many of the components found in a smart battery system on a single chip,' Levis continued. ``This integration significantly reduces battery power consumption in comparison to present solutions, thus enhancing battery operating time.' Cell Balancing and Programmable Thresholds Extend Run Time The X3100 chip extends the run time and life of a 3 or 4 cell Li-Ion battery packs by enabling the voltages on the battery cells to be balanced during the charging process. The chip measures and then reports the voltage on each cell to a separate microcontroller. The X3100 then accepts commands from the microcontroller to control the charging circuitry to supply more current into the weaker cells until all cells reach similar voltages. Uniformly charged cells store the maximum amount of energy in the battery pack and achieve longer run times than non-uniformly charged cells. The full charges also keep the individual cells operating at peak efficiency which extends overall battery life (i.e., the maximum number of recharge cycles). Embedded NVM Makes the Battery Smarter The X3100 contains a nonvolatile memory (NVM) in the form of 4Kbits of EEPROM . The NVM can be used to store critical battery system data such as the amount of power left in the battery, battery usage history and the algorithms for charging and discharging. The NVM can also be used as general purpose nonvolatile storage for the microcontroller. Analog Outputs Enable a Software Gas Gauge The X3100 provides inputs to a separate microcontroller enabling the implementation of a software gas gauge. It contains an 8-to-1 analog multiplexer that allows the microcontroller to select and measure several analog values such as cell voltage or output current. The chip features a fast SPI interface to allow the device to rapidly communicate with the attached microcontroller. This integration reduces cost and chip count relative to traditional solutions. Programmable Protection Thresholds Provide Safety The automatic protection circuit in the X3100 continuously monitors the voltage of each battery cell during a charging cycle and compares it to the over-voltage values which have been programmed and stored in the X3100 nonvolatile memory. If this threshold is exceeded, the chip automatically disconnects the charging circuit until the value returns to the acceptable, programmed level. Likewise, during a discharge cycle, the chip automatically disconnects the load if the voltage on a cell falls below its threshold value, or if the current exceeds its threshold value. The programmed over/under voltage threshold levels can be adjusted to compensate for differences in battery cells due to element chemistry, manufacturing variation, or temperature effects. Accurate Voltage Regulation The X3100 also contains a highly accurate voltage regulator with outputs of 5V + 0.5% driving up to 250mA of current. This level of accuracy is very beneficial for driving the thermistors that monitor battery temperature and for the analog reference used for the A/D converters in the microcontroller. The 5V output is also used as the power supply for the microcontroller. Availability and Price The X3100 is available now in 28-pin TSSOP and SSOP. The price in low volume is $2.50. A development system and application notes are available now. Reader Contact Mike Levis, vice president, marketing, Xicor, Inc., 1511 Buckeye Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035. Telephone: 408/546-3317. E-mail mlevis@xicor.com. Company Background Xicor, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells nonvolatile in-the-system programmable products which retain information even when the system is turned off or power is inadvertently lost. Xicor's product line includes digitally controlled potentiometers (XDCPs(TM)), system management ICs, and standard and secure memory ICs . Xicor product, corporate and financial information is readily accessible on the worldwide web at xicor.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Xicor, Inc. Mike Levis, 408/546-3317 Wendy Matthews, 408/546-3394 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Quotes and News: Xicor Inc (NasdaqNM:XICO - news) Related News Categories: computer hardware, computers, semiconductors --------------------------------------------------------------------------------