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BQ40Z60 without ev2300/ev2400

Mathias Koch
Prodigy 165 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: BQ40Z60, BQSTUDIO, EK-TM4C1294XL

Hi guys.

Is it possible to use the BQ40Z60 without an EV2300 or the like?
By only programming it through the SMBus through, say a microcontroller or a linux gpio system?

Also, is the BQ40Z60 supposed to work in any way before being programmed? I have made a custom PCB, with an almost exact copy of the BQ40Z60-evm board schematic, but initially it doesn't look like the BQ40Z60 is letting any current through from the battery to the load output. It looks like CHG fet and DSG fet doesn't open up?

- Mathias.

  • 0
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    Mathias,
    You can communicate with the gauge using a uC, but you will need to use bqStudio for development. The default state for the device is a 3S configuration and the FETs are disabled. There is a quick start section in the EVM User's guide to help with getting started.
    Tom
  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Prodigy 165 points

    Thank you very much for your reply.

    Okay. So what i hear you say, is that i need to use bqStudio to develop a configuration, which i can then program to the actual BQ40Z60 chip through eg. a uC?

    And also, our initial tests showing no power on the load side of an unprogrammed chip is normal, and nothing to be worried about? We are going to use it with a 3s LiPo battery btw.

    Best Regards

    Mathias

  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    Mathias,
    That is correct. You can communicate with the device with a uC and you can also load the data flash memory. The FETs are disabled in the default configuration, so you have to send the FET_EN command to turn on voltage to the load.
    Tom
  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Prodigy 165 points

    Hi Thomas.

    I have now been playing around with BQStudio, and if i understand you correctly, i am supposed to be able to set up a config in the Data Memory section, and the export it to a .srec file, that i can parse with a uC to program the data flash memory? 

    But no matter what i do, it tells me i need to connect ev2300 and read initial values? The problem is, i would very much like to do this totally without an ev2300, as i dont have one.

    Thank you very much for your support!

    - Mathias

  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    Mathias
    You can load the srec with the uC, but you are not going to be able to complete the design without using the EV2300 and bqStudio. One reason is that you have to load the chemistry data into the device and these tools are required to do that. You also need to run an optimization cycle and the logging function will make this much easier.
    Tom
  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Prodigy 165 points

    Okay Thomas.

    Thank you very much for your explanation, even though it was not what i was hoping to hear. I guess i am forced to purchase a ThumBus2300 in that case.

    I think that is the cheapest way for me to get started? Funds matter quite a lot more than time for me as a student.

    Best regards

    Mathias

  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    Mathias
    I am not sure that the ThumBus will work with bqStudio and the bq40z60EVM does not support a mini USB cable. The EV2300 will probably be the best solution.

    Tom
  • 0
    Prodigy 165 points
    Okay.

    I have now been playing around with the EV2300, so far so good. But the temperature settings seems to be off?

    For some reason my ChargingStatus()[IN] is set, resulting in OperationStatusA()[XCHG] being set, thus not allowing me to charge my battery? I have been going for the solution of disabling all temperature settings, as i have no thermistors available anyways, but it seems I'm missing something?

    Other than the [IN] i don't seem to have anything out of the ordinary, no safety or protection flags set. I will try to upload a screenshot of my registers and perhaps an srec file tomorrow when i get the chance.

    - Mathias
  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    TI__Guru 73830 points

    You need to check the Temperature and compare it to the Temperature Ranges in the Advanced Charging section of the data memory. Maybe you can calibrate the temperature or adjust the T1 or T3 threshold.

  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Prodigy 165 points
    Okay.
    But what registers should i set, and to what values, when i dont use thermistors on TS1-4, and they are all left floating? Or should they be pulled high/low?
  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    Prodigy 165 points

    Here is a screenshot of my registers screen and a copy of my current srec file

    www.dropbox.com/.../setup.srec

  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    Your Temperature is measuring -273.2, so one of the external temp sensors is selected. Set the Temperature Select = 01 and Temperature Mode = 00 in the Settings section of the Data Memory. This will select the internal temp sensor.
  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Prodigy 165 points
    Cool!
    It seems like everything works now!

    Thank you very much, now i just need to run a full learning cycle and i should be up and running.
  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    Prodigy 165 points
    Aside from the question about what to do when not using the 4 thermistors (Circuitry-wise), I am interested in knowing if there is any problems in adding the BQ40Z60 into an existing I2C bus? and if so how does the SMBus relate to the I2C devices regarding address? I would be reading/writing to it from a microprocessor, but i would like to use the same data and clock pins to control I2C devices aswell.

    Best Regards
    Mathias
  • 0 in reply to Mathias Koch
    Intellectual 460 points
    hello mathias,
    i am trying to use a similar battery fuel gauge evm and want to read out the actual battery state without ev2300/2400 using the Tiva C board (EK-TM4C1294XL) with I2C serial. Can you explain me how you did it?

    Thank you.

    -Yaman-
  • 0 in reply to Ferhat YAMAN
    Prodigy 165 points

    There is no way of setting up the gauge and calibrating it for the battery without the EV2300 or similar.

    Once set up and calibrated, the different registers of the gauge can be read through I2C as any other device, but you need the EV2300 or similar to get you started.

    So, my only solution was to get an EV2300 kit.

    - Mathias