This article was posted on 12/01/1995.
IC manages charge/discharge of rechargeable alkaline batteries
Device can improve the service life of rechargeable alkaline cells
The bq2903 Rechargeable Alkaline Charge IC charges three or four rechargeable
alkaline batteries such as Renewal batteries from Rayovac. According to the
company, it is the first such device to allow in-system charging of the Renewal
The bq2903 manages the charge and discharge cycles and monitors each cell
individually to ensure full charge detection without damaging overcharge. The
device uses a current-limited supply to generate the proper charge pulses for
the Renewal cell and provides a low-battery cutoff. LED status outputs indicate
charge in progress, charge complete, and fault condition.
Other features include selectable end-of-discharge voltage, internal discharge-
and charge-control FETs, optional external FET drive, and precharge
qualification. The bq2903 comes in 14-pin DIPs and small-outline packages. An
integrated module solution and a development system are also available. (From
$2.70 ea/5,000--available now.)
Benchmarq Microelectronics, Inc.
David Heacock 214-437-9195
The bq2903 is a charge controller for rechargeable alkaline batteries such as
Renewal batteries from Rayovac.