ROHM Semiconductor has announced the development of a cell balancing IC that contributes to increased miniaturization, greater stability, and longer life for supercaps, or EDLCs (Electric Double Layer Capacitors), which are driving the adoption of energy regeneration applications in industrial equipment, automotive start-stop systems, and voltage sag (instantaneous voltage drop) countermeasures. The BD14000EFV-C integrates over 20 discrete components required for supercap cell balancing on a single chip, reducing mounting area by 38% over conventional solutions while eliminating component variations, making it easy to configure compact, high reliability supercap systems. In addition to cell balancing functionality for up to 6 cells, multiple ICs can be connected in series to enable simultaneous control of even more cells. The cell balancing voltage can be set between 2.4V and 3.1V, ensuring support for a variety of supercaps.

Flag output is also built-in, along with an over current detection voltage function with adjustable detection voltage setting based on the cell balancing voltage. In addition, AEC-Q100 qualification ensures worry-free use in automotive and other environments requiring high reliability. Key features: all required supercap cell balancing functions integrated on a single chip reduces mounting area by 38%; supports higher voltage supercap applications by expanding the number of cells; two protection functions enable double-checking of cell conditions.