Date: 27/02/2011

Battery monitoring IC for hybrid/electric vehicle

Linear Technology has announced LTC6803, a high voltage battery monitor for hybrid/electric vehicle (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs) and other high voltage, high performance battery systems. The LTC6803 is a complete battery measuring IC that includes a 12-bit ADC, a precision voltage reference, a high voltage input multiplexer and a serial interface.
The key features of LTC6803 include:

LTC6803 can measure up to 12 individual battery cells in series.
Multiple LTC6803s can be stacked in series without optocouplers or isolators, permitting precision voltage monitoring of every cell in long strings of series-connected batteries. The LTC6803 is compatible with LTC6802.
The maximum total measurement error of the LTC6803 is guaranteed to be less than 0.25% from -40°C to 125°C.
The LTC6803 offers an extended cell measurement range from -300mV to 5V, enabling the LTC6803 to monitor a wide range of battery chemistries, as well as supercapacitors. Each cell is monitored for undervoltage and overvoltage conditions, and an associated MOSFET is available to discharge overcharged cells.
Feature onboard 5V regulator, temperature sensor, GPIO lines and thermistor inputs.
Consumes standby mode current of less than 12uA.
Power input of the LTC6803 is isolated from the stack, allowing the LTC6803 to draw current from an independent source. When powering from this input, the current draw on the pack is reduced to less than 1µA.
LTC6803 includes a redundant voltage reference, extensive logic test circuitry, open wire detection capability and a watchdog timer for fail-safe designs.
LTC6803 is designed to withstand up to 75V, providing more than 20% of overvoltage margin for a full string of 12 cells.
The 1MHz serial interface includes packet error checking and is designed to operate in the presence of large amounts of noise and transients.


Erik Soule, Vice President, Signal Conditioning Products, stated, "Now over two years in the field with our proven battery stack monitor family, we are pleased to offer our customers this enhanced product, the LTC6803. Automakers and other customers worldwide have embraced Linear's robust battery stack monitors, and we are confident that this new addition to the family will provide excellent performance for the next generation of HEVs and EVs."

"The LTC6803 addresses the latest demands of precision high performance battery stacks," says Mike Kultgen, design manager for Linear Technology. "It ensures accurate, safe, reliable and error-free operation in harsh automotive environments."


Package: 8mm x 12mm 44-Lead SSOP Package
Availability: Now in samples
Price: Each $9.95for 1K pieces
Editorial Product Rating: ** (Average Plus)
For more details visit www.linear.com