TI's New Fuel Gauge IC
Texas Instruments (TXN) or "TI” has launched a lithium-ion battery fuel gauge integrated circuit (:IC) that will extend battery run-time in portable devices by 50%.
TI’s new fuel gauge circuit, bq27421, accurately reports remaining battery capacity, battery voltage and state-of-charge. These improve the run time of portable devices by as much as 50% thus making the devices more convenient for users.
TI’s new IC can be used in a variety of portable medical devices, industrial devices and other consumer electronics. The product is expected to benefit TI as it has wide application and is not restricted to smart devices alone.
The fuel gauge circuit, bq27421comes in a 1.5-mm by 1.5-mm, 9-ball wafer chip scale (:WCSP) package with a price tag of $1.20 in 1,000-unit quantities.
With the continued rise in the use of medical and industrial devices, consumer electronic devices and smartphones, product designers these days are facing challenges to incorporate advanced features in these devices that are driven by high-capacity batteries.
Consequently, TI’s increasing focus on introducing new products in the market should generate good returns. The company’s endeavor to provide a diverse portfolio targeting different market segments such as smart grid, factory automation, high-voltage power, LED lighting and control are also positives for its future revenue growth.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2013, TI generated total revenue of $2.89 billion, which was down 3.2% sequentially and 7.6% year over year (slightly better than the mid-point of the recently narrowed guidance range of $2.80 billion to $2.91 billion). The Analog business fell 1.3% sequentially and 2.3% year over year.
TI attributed the year-over-year decline primarily to SVA, which continues to shift to a consignment model. HVAL and HPA also declined but were offset by an increase in the power management product line.
Texas Instruments has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Stocks that have been performing well and are worth considering include STMicroelectronics NV (STM), Magnachip Semiconductor (MX), Microchip Technology (MCHP), all carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Read the Full Research Report on TXN
Read the Full Research Report on STM
Read the Full Research Report on MCHP
Read the Full Research Report on MX
More From Zacks.com
