The ALD8100 series from Advanced Linear Devices is a family of Supercapacitor Auto Balancing (SAB™) MOSFET arrays. These chips manage voltage and leakage current balancing with near-zero power dissipation, preventing catastrophic cell failure of supercapacitors connected in series.

The product line is the ideal solution for automatic supercapacitor balancing in applications where cost, board space, efficiency, simplicity, and power dissipation are important design considerations. The devices are rated for operation at a temperature range between -40°C and +85°C. These arrays provide a reliable, efficient, and easy-to-use solution for maintaining the performance and longevity of supercap systems. They are widely used in various applications, including renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and industrial power backup systems.

The chips offer an efficient and cost-effective regulation and balancing of supercapacitor voltages. They occupy minimal board space and cause no extra charge loss beyond the natural leakage of the supercapacitor. Other balancing methods contribute additional continuous power dissipation due to linear currents at all supercapacitor voltage levels. However, SAB MOSFET regulates the voltage across a supercapacitor cell by exponentially increasing or decreasing its drain current, resulting in near-zero leakage charge loss in many cases.

The ALD8100 SAB MOSFET family offers a selection of threshold devices for various supercapacitor maximum operating voltage values, desired leakage balancing characteristics, and different temperature range environments. The product line contains 15 products and can be connected in series or parallel.

The products are available from Digi-Key and Mouser in industry-standard 16-L SOIC packages. The part numbers are ALD810016SCL through ALD810030SCL starting at $4.48 each per 50.