• State Answer Suggested
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 5 replies
  • Answers 1 answer
  • Subscribers 64 subscribers
  • Views 1228 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Support feedback
Options
Options
Related

This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

Identifing gauges

Jeremy51164
Intellectual 780 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: BQ78350, EV2400, BQEVSW, BQSTUDIO

Hello,

I have an unmarked smart battery pack and I'd like to determine which gauge it is based around.  Is there a command I can send to determnine the gauge part number?

Thank you,

Jeremy.

  • 0
    Mastermind 8415 points
    Hi Jeremy,
    Do you have access to the PCB so you can see the actual ICs? If so, look for an IC with a part number that starts with BQ followed by number and or letters (ex: BQ78350)

    If not, you would have to communicate directly with the gauge IC.
    If the communication is SMBus based, then you can use the command ID 0x20 for the manufacturer name (should be Texas Instruments) and 0x21 for the device.
    If it's not SMBus, then you would have to look at the refence manuals of different devices to establish if there are any commands that would give you that information.

    Good luck
    Michel
  • 0 in reply to Michel Solecki
    Intellectual 780 points

    Thank you Michel,

    Unfortunately, I don't have physical access to the PCB.  Is there a way of using the BQ Evaluation Software? 

    I understand BQ Evaluation Software is customised for each gauge, so this might not be a viable approach, but perhaps I can start it with another gauge I have and then swap across?

    Thank you,

    Jeremy

  • 0 in reply to Jeremy51164
    Mastermind 8415 points

    Hi Jeremy,

    From the work that I've previously done, I would connect my battery pack to the SMBus of the gauge and the BQ studio software would automatically detect the connected device. But I don't remember whether I had to select the first time that I connected the device.

    There is a possiblity that you might be able to connect your battery pack with an EV2300 (or EV2400) and during startup the BQ studio would detect it and tell what it is.

    Otherwise, you can try sending the 0x21 command as I mentioned previously.

    That's as much as I can help you. If somebody else has any other suggestions, then I am sure it would appreciated.

    Michel

  • 0 in reply to Michel Solecki
    TI__Guru 73830 points
    The best way would be to try using the bqEVSW for the older gauges and bqStudio for the newer gauges. You could try bqStudio first, because it has several gauges already loaded in the database. There is a dedicated bqEVSW setup program for each device, so it would be difficult to know which one to load. If you are lucky, bqStudio will auto-detect and you will see which gauge is used on the Control panel. If it does not auto-detect, then you will have to arbitrarily select a gauge and see what is reported on the Control panel. Send a screenshot and we may be able to decioher the device type for you.
  • 0 in reply to ThomasCosby
    Intellectual 780 points

    Thank you Thomas - I tried bqStudio, but it couldn't idnetify the gauge, so in the end I used bqEVSW as follows;

    Start bqEVSW with a known gauge attached

    Navigate to the Pro tab

    Disconnect known gauge

    Attach unknown gauge

    Issue Read SMB Block (0x20) for the Manufacturer Identification

    Issue Read SMB Block (0x21) for the Device Identification

    Thanks again,

    Jeremy.