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BQ27425-G2B .gg and .dffs question

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: BQSTUDIO

Is there a way  to convert the .gg and .dffs files to use FW mode?  They are recieved using ROM mode.

Also does the .gg file fully describe the data memory?

  • Yes, the recent version of bqStudio supports the export of a .gm.fs (gauge mode flashstream) file using the Golden Image plugin. This will be an I2C script in the same format as .dffs, but it will leave the gauge in FW mode (running FW) and not send it to ROM mode. It will use the CONFIG_UPDATE mode and block data transfer commands to update the configuration, then exit CONFIG_UPDATE mode.
    All public parameters you see on the Data Memory screen within bqStudio will be exported and encompassed by the .gm.fs file. This means everything you would see in your .gg.csv file (exported from the Data Memory plugin) will be updated in the .gm.fs file, even if you have left them at default. Of course you could manually edit the .gm.fs file and cut out sections, or change the type of command used to exit CONFIG_UPDATE mode at the end. Or you could just use it as an example and hard code the same data and sequence in your system.
    Get the latest version of bqStudio from this link:
    www.ti.com/.../bqstudio
    The same information applies to the bq27421, bq27441, and bq27411 gauges. In fact, because these have no NVM which you can update, they can only be configured in gauge mode and must be reconfigured every time there is a POR.
    Just a reminder on the best way to work with these bq274xx gauges:
    1) Verify your battery is a decent match to the generic profile used by them. If they are fairly typical LiCoO2 cells then you might be okay, but you can run a charge-relax-discharge-relax cycle and then use the chemistry selection Mathcad worksheet (chemselect_cont.mcd) to see if the chemID used in your target bq274xx is on the list of recommended chemIDs generated by the Mathcad tool.
    2) Assuming it is a reasonable match, configure the gauge and run a learning cycle to get Qmax and Ra updated. Using bqStudio to control a GDK (a gauge development kit) connected to your EVM and a battery is an easy way to get the cycle done properly with no other bench equipment.
    3) Don't reset the EVM after the learning cycle if you are using bq27421, bq27441, or bq27411 because that will reset the Qmax and Ra values back to default.
    4) Export the configured and learned image using the Golden File plugin in bqStudio.
    5) Do some test cycles with the gauge and analyze the accuracy. The simplest analysis is just visually plotting voltage, SOC, and other columns from the log you collected in bqStudio, but it is more insightful to integrate the current in the log over time to calculate the TrueFCC, then back-calculate the TrueRemainingCapacity, and then the TrueSOC (TrueRemCap/TrueFCC), and plot that in comparison with the reported values from the gauge.