BALANCER 3 CLICK
PID: MIKROE-3737 Weight: 22 g
Balancer 3 Click is overvoltage protection device for 2-series cell lithium-ion battery packs that
incorporates a high-accuracy precision overvoltage detection circuit and automatic cell imbalance
correction. It can be used for various applications, ranging from smartphones, notebook / laptops,
power tools, portable equipment and instrumentation, to energy storage systems (ESS), while
providing the output voltage at the same time.
The Click board™ is supported by the mikroSDK compliant library, which includes functions that
simplify software development. The Click board™ comes as a fully tested product, ready to be used
on a system equipped with mikroBUS™.
Features like the automatic cell imbalance correction, external capacitor-controlled
delay timer, external resistor-controlled cell balance current, and low power
consumption make the Balancer 3 click specialized two batteries balancer, used to
provide the same voltage on two in-series cells of Li-Ion Batteries. Balancer 3 click,
combined with a LiPo/Li-Ion battery charger can be used in a wide range of applications
that can benefit from reliable and efficient battery charging circuit, like the mobile
phones, multimedia players, digital cameras, portable medical equipment, and many
more.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The core component of Balancer 3 click is the BQ29200, Voltage Protection with
Automatic Cell Balance for 2-Series Cell Li-Ion Batteries from Texas Instruments. It
includes all necessary components for the BQ29200 to ensure the proper functionality
of the Click board™ and maintain the monitoring precision. Therefore, Balancer 3 click
has two separate onboard battery connectors, as well as output voltage screw terminal,
to ensure the straight forward connecting of peripheries, and therefore the ease of use.
The BQ29200 can operate in two different modes: internal cell balancing mode and
external cell balancing mode. When internal cell balancing mode is used, the BQ29200
is capable of handling up to 15 mA of balancing current. Although it is enough for many
use-cases, this Click board™ is operating in external cell balancing mode, in which the
external MOSFETs are used to regulate the balancing current. More precisely, one Ntype MOSFET is wired between the positive and middle point of the batteries, and one
P-type MOSFETs is wired between the middle point of the batteries and the ground.
Resistor R3 is connected is series between the batteries and the middle point of the
MOSFETS, and therefore limits the maximum balancing current, which is by default
about 350mA.
The voltage of each cell in a 2-series cell battery pack is compared to an internal
reference voltage. If either cell reaches an overvoltage condition, the BQ29200 device
starts a timer that provides a delay proportional to the capacitance on the CD pin. Upon
expiration of the internal timer, the OUT pin changes from low to high state. Therefore,
the OUT pin from the bq29200 is connected to the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket,
enabling the user to write the desired interrupt routine in case of battery overvoltage, as
well as disable the device, using the CS pin of the mikroBUS™.
The Click board™ is designed to work with 3.3V only. When using it with MCUs that use
5V levels for their communication, a proper level translation circuit should be used.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type
Battery charger
Applications
Balancer 3 click can be used for smartphones, notebook / laptops,
power tools, portable equipment and instrumentation, to energy
storage systems (ESS)
On-board
modules
BQ29200, Voltage Protection with Automatic Cell Balance for 2Series Cell Li-Ion Batteries from Texas Instruments
Key Features
Balancer click features automatic cell imbalance correction,
external capacitor-controlled delay timer, external resistorcontrolled cell balance current, and low power consumption
Interface
GPIO
Click board
size
M (42.9 x 25.4 mm)
Input Voltage
3.3V
PINOUT DIAGRAM
This table shows how the pinout on Balancer 3 click corresponds to the pinout on the
mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).
Notes
Enable
Pin
Pin
NC
1
AN
PWM
16
NC
NC
2
RST
INT
15
INT
EN
3
CS
RX
14
NC
Notes
Interrupt Out
NC
4
SCK
TX
13
NC
NC
5
MISO
SCL
12
NC
NC
6
MOSI
SDA
11
NC
Power Supply
3.3V
7
3.3V
5V
10
NC
Ground
GND
8
GND
GND
9
GND
Ground
ONBOARD SETTINGS AND INDICATORS
Label
Name
Default
Description
LD1
PWR
-
Power LED Indicator
BAT1
BAT1
-
Battery connector
BAT2
BAT2
-
Battery connector
TB1
OUT
-
Output voltage terminal block
BALANCER 3 CLICK ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Description
Operating current consumption
Battery balancing current
Overvoltage Protection accuracy
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
-
-
3
µA
300
-
450
mA
-
25
-
mV
SOFTWARE SUPPORT
We provide a library for the Balancer 3 click on our LibStock page, as well as a demo
application (example), developed using MikroElektronika compilers. The demo can run
on all the main MikroElektronika development boards.
Library Description
This library allows user to perform a control of the Balancer 3 Click board and to check
the Overvoltage condition status. This click also can be used for power supply with the
voltage range from 6V to 8.4V. For more details check documentation.
Key functions:
void balancer3_gpioDriverInit( T_BALANCER3_P gpioObj ) - This function initializes GPIO driver.
void balancer3_enable_cell_balance( uint8_t state ) - This function allows user to enable or
disable Cell Balance (cell mismatch correction circuitry).
uint8_t balancer3_check_overvoltage_cond( void ) - This function checks the Overvoltage
condition.
Examples description
The application is composed of three sections :
System Initialization - Initializes peripherals and pins.
Application Initialization - Initializes GPIO driver and sets the time interval variable (time_inter) to the
0, which is used for OV condition message logging.
Application Task - (code snippet) - Allows user to enter a commands that can enable or disable cell
balance and check the overvoltage condition. When OV condition is not detected, the status
message will be sent after every 8 seconds. When OV condition is detected, the status message will
be sent after every 2 seconds. Press '0' when you want to disable cell balance. Press '1' when you
want to enable cell balance. Press '2' when you want to check the OV condition status immediately.
Note : The voltage of each cell in a 2-series cell battery pack is compared to an internal reference
voltage. If either cell reaches an overvoltage condition, the Balancer 3 click starts a timer that
provides a delay proportional to the capacitance on the CD pin, in our example it's about 2 seconds.
Upon expiration of the internal timer, the OV condition will be detected. If enabled, the Balancer 3
click performs automatic cell imbalance correction where the two cells are automatically corrected
for voltage imbalance by loading the cell with the higher charge voltage with a small balancing
current. When the cells are measured to be equal within nominally 0 mV, the load current is
removed. It will be re-applied if the imbalance exceeds nominally 30 mV. The cell mismatch
correction circuitry is controlled by the user.
void applicationTask()
{
rx_dat = UART_Rdy_Ptr();
if (rx_dat != _RX_NOT_READY)
{
rx_dat = UART_Rd_Ptr();
switch (rx_dat)
{
case '0' :
{
balancer3_enable_cell_balance( _BALANCER3_CELL_BALANCE_DIS );
mikrobus_logWrite( "* Cell balance is disabled *", _LOG_LINE );
break;
}
case '1' :
{
balancer3_enable_cell_balance( _BALANCER3_CELL_BALANCE_EN );
mikrobus_logWrite( "* Cell balance is enabled *", _LOG_LINE );
break;
}
case '2' :
{
time_inter = 8000;
break;
}
default :
{
break;
}
}
}
ov_cond = balancer3_check_overvoltage_cond();
if ((time_inter == 8000) || (ov_cond == _BALANCER3_OV_COND_DETECTED))
{
if (ov_cond == _BALANCER3_OV_COND_NOT_DETECTED)
{
mikrobus_logWrite( "* Overvoltage condition is not detected *", _LOG_LINE );
time_inter = 0;
}
else if (time_inter > 2000)
{
mikrobus_logWrite( "* Overvoltage condition is detected *", _LOG_LINE );
time_inter = 0;
}
else
{
time_inter++;
}
}
else
{
time_inter++;
}
Delay_ms( 1 );
}
The full application code, and ready to use projects can be found on our LibStock page.
Other mikroE Libraries used in the example:
UART
Additional notes and informations
Depending on the development board you are using, you may need USB UART
click, USB UART 2 click or RS232 click to connect to your PC, for development systems
with no UART to USB interface available on the board. The terminal available in all
MikroElektronika compilers, or any other terminal application of your choice, can be
used to read the message.
MIKROSDK
This Click board™ is supported with mikroSDK - MikroElektronika Software
Development Kit. To ensure proper operation of mikroSDK compliant Click board™
demo applications, mikroSDK should be downloaded from the LibStock and installed for
the compiler you are using.
For more information about mikroSDK, visit the official page.
https://www.mikroe.com/balancer‐3‐click/9‐20‐19