Improved safety with temperature monitoring input
Implementing voltage accuracy for extended driving range STMicroelectronics has announced battery management technology that could improve the reliability, safety, range, and cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles (EVs).
▲ Battery Management System IC <Image = ST Microelectronics> Electric vehicles are expected to reach price parity with conventional combustion engine vehicles within the next decade and overtake them in sales by 2038.
ST's new advanced battery management system (BMS) L9963 controller targets automotive manufacturers. Temperature monitoring input has been added for improved safety and industry-leading voltage accuracy has been implemented to increase driving range and battery life.
A typical BMS application uses multiple L9963 devices to monitor groups of cells in a battery stack, managed by a host microcontroller (MCU) such as ST's SPC5, a high-performance automotive-quality MCU.
ST, which has demonstrated advanced semiconductor technology through joint projects with major organizations developing electric vehicle batteries, has been conducting ongoing collaboration with LG Chem since 2008, as well as with Chinese R&D lab IMECAS and electric vehicle battery technology company EPOCH, which were announced in 2017.
“ST’s new battery management chip builds on more than a decade of collaboration with key partners in the electric-vehicle battery space,” said Alberto Poma, General Manager of ST’s Smart Power Solutions MACRO Division. “It enhances the efficiency of electric-vehicle energy management and builds trust with the market and consumers.”
