SparkFun
LiPo Fuel Gauge - MAX17043
· MPN: TOL-20680
Keep an eye on your single-cell LiPo battery before your project suddenly runs out of power. This compact fuel gauge board sits in circuit with your battery ...
Keep an eye on your single-cell LiPo battery before your project suddenly runs out of power. This compact fuel gauge board sits in circuit with your battery and reports the relative state of charge using the MAX17043 fuel gauge IC.
It combines a charge-estimation algorithm with direct A/D measurement of battery voltage, giving your microcontroller a practical way to know how much “fuel” is left. Communication is over I2C, and an alert pin can notify your project when the charge drops below a set percentage.
Supporting resources include schematic and Eagle design files, a hookup guide, the MAX17043G+U datasheet, a Fritzing part, C example code, and libraries for Arduino, Python / MicroPython / CircuitPython, and Particle Photon.
Features:
- Fuel gauge system for single-cell lithium-ion batteries
- Can be connected in circuit to monitor the battery.
- Hardware and Software Reset.
- I2C Interface
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- CircuitPython
- A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.
- Fuel gauge IC
- A battery-monitoring chip that estimates how much charge is left in a rechargeable battery. It matters because it lets a microcontroller report battery level or take action before the project shuts down unexpectedly.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- LiPo
- A lithium polymer rechargeable battery commonly used in portable electronics projects. It matters because LiPo batteries need correct charging circuitry and care, and this board includes hardware intended for that battery type.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- MicroPython
- A version of the Python programming language made to run on microcontrollers. It matters because it lets beginners write readable code to control LEDs, sensors, motors and displays without needing to start with lower-level languages.
- State of charge
- The estimated remaining battery capacity, usually shown as a percentage. It helps you decide when to warn the user, reduce power use, or recharge the battery.
Find this product in
LiPo Fuel Gauge Schematic
Schematic · 83.4 KB · Click any page to view full size
MAX17043/MAX17044 Datasheet
Datasheet · 352.5 KB · Click any page to view full size
LiPo Fuel Gauge Schematic v1.1
Schematic · 28.3 KB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 649.8 KB · Click any page to view full size
Resources & Downloads
Guides, code examples, and more
LiPo Fuel Gauge Eagle Files v1.1
Schematic · ZIP · 46.6 KB
Eagle PCB design files for the LiPo Fuel Gauge v1.1.
LiPo Fuel Gauge Example Code v1.0
Example Code · ZIP · 18.2 KB
Sample code demonstrating use of the LiPo Fuel Gauge board.
LiPo Fuel Gauge Eagle Files
Schematic · ZIP · 160.6 KB
Latest Eagle PCB design files for the LiPo Fuel Gauge board.
