Abstract: A battery management and protection system can include various features to improve safety-critical and other functions. Among the features that can be included in some implementations are automatic loading of safety or other parameters during start-up of the system; a centralized timekeeper and an event system that can trigger actions in the system independently of a central processing unit; use of the same modules for both automatically-controlled safety-related measurements and firmware-controlled measurements; enhanced diagnostic features, and a sleepwalking feature that allows certain modules in the system to continue to perform various functions even when the module or the system is in a low-power sleep mode.

Abstract: Operating a battery management and protection system includes generating a set of events each of which has a respective frequency F/n1, F/n2 . . . F/nm, where ni are integers. One or more of the events are provided to one or more modules in the system. The events, which are generated and provided to the modules independently of a central processing unit, trigger performance of respective actions by the modules.

Abstract: A modulator can be configured to sense a change in current flow in a circuit and to generate an oversampled, noise-shaped signal. A first decimation filter is coupled to the modulator and is configured to generate instantaneous current data at a first data rate. The instantaneous current data can be input into a multiplier circuit. The output of the multiplier circuit (the instantaneous current data squared) can be input to a second decimation filter. The second decimation filter can be configured to generate a sum of the squared current data at a second data rate. The sum of the squared current data can be used by an application (e.g., battery power management) to compute power measurements or for other purposes.

Abstract: A device includes a voltage regulator and/or circuitry for generating a reference voltage. The voltage regulator and the circuitry for generating the reference voltage are operable in a continuous mode or a sample mode. Operating in the sample mode can help reduce overall power consumption of the device. During the sample mode, the voltage regulator and/or the circuitry for generating the reference voltage periodically are enabled to restore energy to respective energy storage components (e.g., capacitors).