Fuel gauges offers high levels of accuracy and ease of design

Designers can maximise runtime and achieve an enhanced user experience with the MAX17260 and MAX17261 ModelGauge m5 EZ fuel gauges by Maxim Integrated Products. Perfect for a wide range of Li-ion battery powered applications, these battery characterisation-free solutions enable high levels of accuracy while also providing small size and ease of design. The devices give a high level of accuracy in fuel gauging in comparison to competing solutions. This enables designers to maximise their devices’ runtime by stopping premature or sudden device shutdowns while supporting a smaller battery size. The fuel gauges, which are stored in an ultra-small 1.5mm x 1.5mm package, offer a very low quiescent current of 5.1µA to reduce draining the battery during long periods of standby time. The products enable designs to be promptly done without battery characterisation or calibration. “With the proliferation of consumer electronics goods with rechargeable batteries, the demand for small batteries with maximum runtime becomes even more prominent, according to our recent report,” said Raghu Raj Singh, lead semiconductor equipment analyst for Technavio. “The latest fuel gauges from Maxim are just what the market needs to save space and considerably extend the battery life of portable products.” “Designers are constantly having to innovate and enhance user experience to give them a competitive advantage," said Perry Tsao, executive director of Business Management for the Mobile Solutions Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. "These simple, highly-accurate fuel gauges help designers differentiate their products by maximising runtime, one of their users’ highest priorities.”