Designers can now achieve ASIL-D compliance for automotive applications using just a single chip for a safer, more cost-effective battery management system with the MAX17853 battery monitor IC from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Targeting mid-to-large cell count configurations for automotive applications, such as battery packs for electric and hybrid vehicles, MAX17853’s unique flexible architecture called Flexpack allows customers to rapidly 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 IC 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 device’s advanced 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. In addition, the MAX17853 reduces system BOM cost by up to 35 percent compared to competitive solutions to allow the customer to achieve lower overall cost for their BMS solution.
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 is the industry’s only IC supporting 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.
Key Advantages
- Safety: The MAX17853 is the only mid- to large-size cell battery management solution that enables ASIL-D compliance for temperature, cell voltage and communication.
- Ease of Design: Flexpack architecture allows customers to make changes to their module configurations without spinning and qualifying additional boards.
Commentary
“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.”