Smart Battery Packs
A smart battery pack provides the device with information so that it can manage its own charging, report errors, inform the device of low-charge conditions, predict remaining run-time, provide temperature, voltage, and current information, continuously self-correct to maintain prediction accuracy, and maintain its power status so that the device can conserve power intelligently. Smart battery packs can include many additional features and functionality, such as fuel gauge integration, communication protocol (I2C, SMBus, RS485, RS232 or CANBUS), cell balancing, and protection circuitry.
As all different types of equipment are becoming smaller and lighter, a custom lithium battery have the advantage of having high energy density, being light weight, wide operating temperature range, and the flexibility to use software and firmware to design the proper battery management systems (BMS) for every application.
One of the most critical parts of designing a custom battery pack is cell selection. Various chemistries are made in a wide variety of sizes, and custom battery packs offer the ability to dial in the performance of a specific cell chemistry to exactly match the performance that a device requires. A key thing to remember is that a smaller, lighter battery with the same energy density will usually cost more to produce and develop than a larger, heavier battery, which is why it is usually wise to work with an experienced custom battery pack designer before picking a specific cell technology.
