Intersil, a global leader in the design and production of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today launched an HEV/EV system solution capable of managing and monitoring automotive-grade lithium-ion batteries. Based on Intersil’s proven battery management devices in the portable electronics market, the automotive-grade (AEC-Q100) ISL78600 multi-cell solution was specifically designed, tested, and developed to meet the safety, reliability, and performance requirements of the hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and electric vehicle markets.

Intersil's HEV/EV solution complies with ISO26262 (ASIL) standards to prevent battery pack failures in order to address the stringent safety requirements of the automotive market. In addition, this solution incorporates error detection capabilities for critical internal functions and detects open circuits, overvoltage, and undervoltage, as well as temperature and cell balancing errors.

The ISL78600 battery management system provides the high precision required for accurate State of Charge (SOC) measurements to extend vehicle range and the lifespan of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. To this end, each ISL78600 unit utilizes a 14-bit temperature-compensated data converter that scans 12 channels within 250 microseconds. The average modern mid-size HEV uses 126 to 168 cells, allowing for the use of 11 to 14 ISL78600 units per vehicle. Combined with four external temperature sensors, the ISL78600 provides SOC measurements with outstanding precision across the entire battery operating temperature range.

ISL78600 utilizes a communication method that has high noise immunity and immunity to transient signals to achieve maximum stability in internal system communication. This perfect differential daisy-chain structure allows the use of low-cost twisted-pair wires that enable stacking of multiple battery packs while providing protection against hot-plugging and high-voltage transients. Therefore, Intersil's HEV/EV system solutions offer the benefit of significantly reducing the overall battery management system cost.

The ISL78600 connects simply to a microcontroller via a 2.5MHz SPI or 400KHz I2C interface and operates from -40ºC to 105ºC. While specifically targeting the HEV/EV market, it can also be easily adapted for industrial and battery backup applications.