Texas Instruments has introduced the BQ78926Z-Q1, a new battery monitoring device that incorporates integrated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technology. The company states that this feature allows the chip to provide continuous, real-time data regarding battery health, enabling the detection of fault conditions from within individual cells before they escalate into critical issues.
This capability is designed to enhance safety for electric vehicles and support the reliability requirements of energy storage systems used in AI data centers.
The BQ78926Z-Q1 supports up to 26 cells per device, which Texas Instruments notes is eight more than competing products. The company claims this higher cell count reduces the number of monitoring devices needed, leading to a lower bill of materials, simplified system architecture, and reduced board space requirements. These changes are intended to lower costs per channel while maintaining quality and reliability standards.
When paired with the BQ79881-Q1 pack monitor and an optional Texas Instruments communications bridge, the BQ78926Z-Q1 forms a chipset designed to work across various module sizes, battery chemistries, and mechanical designs. The company says this scalability reduces engineering overhead and accelerates time-to-market for designers in the automotive and energy storage sectors.
Regarding performance, the device offers voltage accuracy of less than 2 millivolts across a temperature range of –40°C to +125°C. It utilizes a higher resolution analogue-to-digital converter and ultra-low noise components to facilitate more accurate state-of-charge calculations.
Texas Instruments states that the integrated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement time is five times faster than previous solutions, providing what the company describes as the highest functional-safety voltage reading per cell. The device complies with Automotive Safety Integrity Level D and International Organisation for Standardisation 26262 standards.
Texas Instruments will showcase the BQ78926Z-Q1 and other new products at PCIM 2026 in Hall 7, Booth No. 652. The company plans to feature the new monitor in an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-enabled battery management system reference design.