Single-chip ASIL-D battery monitor for mid-to-large cell counts
Maxim Integrated has developed a single chip, ASIL-D compliant battery monitoring chip for mid-to-large cell count configurations for battery packs in electric and hybrid vehicles.
The MAX17853 battery monitor uses a flexible architecture called Flexpack that allows designers to make changes to their module configurations to quickly respond to market demands.
Achieving safety compliance in automotive applications can require adding redundant components to the system. The MAX17853 is the only ASIL-D-compliant battery monitor for mid-to-large cell count configurations, enabling customers to create a system that meets the highest level of safety for voltage, temperature and communication. Also contributing to higher safety is the battery cell balancing system, which automatically balances each cell by time and voltage to minimize risk of overcharging. Customers can achieve all this without adding extra components such as redundant comparators to help achieve smaller form factors
Flexibility is also important as engineers typically must design and qualify separate boards and bills of materials (BOMs) for each different module configuration. The MAX17853 battery monitor supports multiple channel configurations (8 to 14 cells) with one board. This enables customers to reduce design time by up to 50 percent through reduced validation and qualification time. For example, customers cut their development time and qualification efforts in half by using the same board for 8S and 14S modules.
“With this solution, automotive OEMs no longer need to redesign their whole BMS system,” said Tamer Kira, executive director for the Automotive Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “They simply have one board for their fleet that supports multiple cell module configurations.”
An evaluation kit called the MAX17853EVKIT# is available for $250
