TEXAS RRC EV2400 SMBus Intelligent Reader Instruction Manual

TEXAS RRC EV2400 SMBus Intelligent Reader

Introduction

This manual describes how to use the EV2400 interface unit from Texas Instrument. After installing the battery management Studio on a Windows-based PC it is easy to communicate with RRC
POWERPAQ over the SMBus, and shows results on screen.

Setup requirements

•  EV2400 evaluation kit, Texim p/n: EV2400-RRC
• POWERPAQ RRC battery (2020 / 2024 / 2037 / 2040(-2) / 2054(-2) / 2057 – series)
  • The RRC3570 battery has another connector and, is not compatible with the SMBus cable as it is
  • The RRC21xx batteries could be compatible with even another connector, too.
• SMBus cable, Texim p/n: EV2400-SMBUS-CABLE-RRC
• Windows 7 or higher based x86 computer Download Battery Management Studio software from https://www.ti.com/tool/BQSTUDIO

IMPORTANT: By default the battery is delivered in “shipping mode”. To exit this shipping mode and start communication a mating RRC charger is required (e.g. RRC-SMB-UBC ) .

Initial Setup

1. First Install Battery Management Studio software from https://www.ti.com/tool/BQSTUDIO.
2. Connect EV2400 (PORT1 – SMB) to the RRC battery with SMBus cable:
3. Then connect EV2400 (USB Type B) to PC with USB cable (part of EV2400 evaluation kit):

Using Texas Instruments Battery Management Studio

The Overview Screen
When starting the Battery Management Studio Software below image will appear:

On top of the screen is the “Registers” section, which shows the main battery parameters:

If the SMBus interface between the PC and battery is established this will be confirmed on left side:

Here the connected SMBus Intelligent Reader and the version are specified. Also, the Li-Ion Battery pack manager IC’s product code inside the connected battery is shown with the battery voltage and charge level just beneath.
On right side there is a Command bar, several buttons, and a table

For example, here it is possible to set the battery in shipping mode for transportation (only if the State of Charge is <30%) or shut it down. The table shows the results of the executed command.

The Command Screen
It is also possible to manually enter commands to receive information from the battery, or set some data. To get to this screen select the Advanced Comm SB tab at the top of the screen:

Below screen with several sections will be opening:

The first section on top is the Config section, showing the address of the connected battery (17h). Please do not change this address.
The next section is the Word read/write section.

• This section allows to insert commands to read or writes words. A word is composed of two hexadecimal letters or numbers, for example 0xA5. The 0x just signifies hexadecimal notation.
  A hexadecimal command can be entered directly.

• For commands that set values, a hexadecimal word of data can be entered, which sets that value to the registers of the battery. More information about this topic can be found on Page 11 of this manual.

• The next section is the Block Read/Write section. For read or write multiple bytes of data.

• Finally, the Transaction Log shows the results from executed commands:

• As example, when running the RRC Manufacturer Name read command(0x20) the result might be:

• Figure 10 Result for executing Manufacturer Name
  In both the Block section and Transaction Log the result is visible. If an RRC battery is connected and command 0x20h (Manufacturer Name) is entered the result will be “0x53 0x53 0x43”. The program converts the responding hex-value in the ASCII field as “RRC”:

• Figure 11 Location of ASCI field
  If the command is executed successfully this will be confirmed at the right side in the Status field.

Executing Commands
This chapter explains how you can run your commands. Below is a table of commands that can be run, as well as what data types the command needs or returns. Further, the R/W Type of this command is shown. This explains where to input the command. Table 1 This table contains the commands that can be run.

Troubleshooting

Question: Why does the Battery Management Studio Software not detect the connected battery?
Answer: Check if the cables are all connected properly using the Initial Setup chapter of this manual. If everything is connected properly and it is still not working, press the black circle on the battery-shaped indicator:

• When pressing on the indicator button, and the battery is not in shipping mode, one or more green LEDs are active depending on the status of the charge. If no LED is active the battery can be in shipping mode or empty.
• To wake the battery (exit shipping mode) insert it in the RRC charger. The charger will need a few seconds to take the battery out of shipping mode.
• When configuration files, for addressing the BQ40Z50 fuel gauge during testing, are needed, please contact Texim Europe. We can provide these files.

References

• BQSTUDIO Application software & framework | TI.com

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