SupercapacitorsAGIGACAP™ Ultracapacitor

AgigA Tech PowerGEM modules use supercapacitors (or supercaps) to provide the energy for a Non-Volatile DIMM (NVDIMM) when power unexpectedly fails. Supercapacitors are the perfect solution for this application when compared to batteries as they provide:

  • Efficient Power Delivery for Shorter Periods
  • Low ESR
  • Wide Operating Temperature Range
  • Fast Charge/Discharge
  • Fast charge time (minutes vs hours)
  • No conditioning/learn cycles or servicing
  • Long operating life
  • Long shelf life

In addition, they are reliable and predictable with no safety issues. And the supercaps used in AgigA Tech PowerGEMs require no shipping restrictions.

AgigA Tech has qualified two main types of supercapacitors for use in the PowerGEM designs:

Electric Double-Layer Capacitors (EDLC) – these devices store electrical energy using activated carbon on the electrodes. These can be considered the more traditional type of supercapacitor device in a cylindrical form factor.

Hybrid Supercapacitors – these devices store electrical energy using asymmetric electrodes, one of which exhibits mostly electrostatic (e.g. activated carbon) and the other mostly electrochemical capacitance (e.g. lithium-ion). These are typically referred to as assymetric capacitors in regulatory documentation.

AGIGACAPS®

AgigA Tech has established a reliability test lab in Chengdu, China and has been continuously testing supercapacitors for more than a decade amassing a significant amount of test data that is unmatched in the industry. The test lab continues to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have tested the supercap offerings of multiple manufacturers, at extended operating temperatures and voltages. Our goal is to basically “break” the supercaps, so that we may understand the failure modes and reliability of each.

Chengdu test lab chartIt is important to note that supercaps from various vendors age in different ways, much like you would see with batteries. It is all dependent on the materials used and the manufacturing capability of the vendor. Based on the extensive test data that we’ve taken, AgigA Tech has selected only the most reliable supercaps to incorporate into our PowerGEM® products.

Ultracap curves chart

With over 3 million supercaps shipped to the field to date, AgigA has established itself as a leader in battery-free power technology.