According to the company, the active cell balancing has negligible impact on a supercapacitor’s power consumption. The two-channel supercapacitor automatic balancing (SAB) PCB balances leakage current, manages over-voltage and dissipates zero power, providing an energy efficiency for low-loss energy applications. Each PCB balances two supercapacitors used in a series stack. The board can be used for prototyping or production, and does not require additional engineering resources for use, says the company.

The board uses an ALD9100xx dual SAB MOSFET to automatically balance each individual supercapacitor cell in the stack. System designers and developers can control leakage current and balance voltage in each cell, to prevent over-voltage damage, in applications as diverse as robotics, utility boxes, data protection and battery back-up products.

Additionally, the MOSFETs can save supercapacitor leakage current and associated power dissipation by lowering the operating bias voltage of the leakier of the two supercapacitors.

The board is designed to reduce time-to-market and is offered in a small package, measuring 15.2 x 25.4mm. The company claims it can extend the operational life of the stacked supercapacitor, balancing cells ranging from two in a series, up to dozens, and for cells that range from 0.1 to 3000Farad in 3.3, 4.2 and 5.0V systems.  

The boards can be ordered directly from the company or from DigiKey and Mouser.