Linear Technology Launches 2nd Generation High-Voltage Battery Stack Monitor
Improvement of Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Battery Management System Performance

February 24, 2011 – Linear Technology Korea (CEO Hong Sa-kwak, www.linear.com ) announced the launch of the second-generation high-voltage battery monitor (product name: LTC®6803) for hybrid/electric vehicles (HEC), electric vehicles (EV), and other high-voltage, high-performance battery systems. The LTC6803 is a complete battery measurement IC that includes a 12-bit ADC, a precision voltage reference, a high-voltage input multiplexer, and a serial interface. Each LTC6803 can measure up to 12 individual battery cells arranged in series. Through a patented design, multiple LTC6803s can be stacked without optocouplers or isolators, enabling precise voltage monitoring of all cells in batteries connected in series in a long string. The LTC6803 is the successor to the LTC6802, which was released in 2008 and has already proven its performance in the market, featuring significant performance improvements with the same functions and pinout.

The maximum total measurement error of the LTC6803 is guaranteed to be 0.25% or less over the range of -40°C to 125°C. This product provides an extended cell measurement range of -300mV to 5V, enabling monitoring of a wide range of batteries as well as supercapacitors. Each cell is monitored for undervoltage and overvoltage conditions, and MOSFETs can be used to discharge overcharged cells. Additional features include an onboard 5V regulator, a temperature sensor, GPIO lines, and a thermistor input.
“Linear Technology has been supplying proven battery stack monitor products in the relevant market for over two years, and we are very pleased to introduce the enhanced LTC6803. Currently, a diverse range of customers, including automotive manufacturers worldwide, are using Linear Technology’s powerful battery stack monitors. We are confident that this new addition will provide outstanding performance for next-generation HEVs and EVs,” said Erik Soule, Vice President of Signal Conditioning Products at Linear Technology.
"The LTC6803 takes into account the latest demands for precision, high-performance battery stacks," said Mike Kultgen, Design Manager at Linear Technology. "It ensures accurate, safe, reliable, and error-free operation in harsh automotive environments."
The current consumed by the integrated BMS potentially imbalances the cells for long-term battery pack storage. The LTC6803 addresses this issue with a standby mode that consumes less than 12µA. Additionally, the LTC6803's power input is isolated from the stack, allowing current to be consumed from an independent source. When driven with this input, the current consumed by the pack is reduced to less than 1µA.
The LTC6803 is designed to exceed the environmental, reliability, and safety requirements of automotive and industrial applications. This device operates seamlessly from -40°C to 125°C. Furthermore, it is designed for ISO 26262 (ASIL) compliant systems, and a complete self-test set ensures zero fault delay conditions. To meet these standards, the LTC6803 includes safety-related redundant voltage references, extended logic test circuitry, open-wire detection capabilities, and a WatchTalk timer. Designed to withstand up to 75V, the LTC6803 provides overvoltage gain of more than 20% for a 12-cell string. The 1MHz serial interface features packet error detection.