Abstract: A battery management system is disclosed. The battery management system comprises a plurality of printed circuit boards. A first printed circuit board (126) and a second printed circuit board are galvanically isolated from each other and arranged for transferring an electronic signal via a non-conductive electronic coupling between each other. Further, a method for arranging and operating the battery management system is disclosed.

Abstract: A battery cell circuit of a battery management system configured to receive, from a previous battery cell circuit of a plurality of battery cell circuits connected in a daisy chain configuration or ring configuration, an instruction requesting a value for the battery cell circuit and determine a comparison result value based on a comparison of the value for the battery cell circuit and a reference value. The battery cell circuit is further configured to output, to a controller, the comparison result value, wherein, to output the comparison result value, the battery cell circuit is configured to refrain from outputting the value for the battery cell circuit.

Abstract: A main controller is coupled with a first cluster coupled with a second cluster in a daisy chain. The main controller is configured to determine a measured delay time associated with a first cluster coupled with a second cluster in a daisy chain topology, and determine a propagation delay associated with the first cluster based on the measured delay time. The main controller is further configured to generate a message to the second cluster which includes a command to be executed by the second cluster, and send the message, through an isolated interface of the main controller, to the second cluster based on the determined propagation delay to execute the command to actuate the second cluster synchronized to a switching clock of the main controller.

Abstract: A main controller is coupled with a first cluster coupled with a second cluster in a daisy chain. The main controller is configured to determine a measured delay time associated with a first cluster coupled with a second cluster in a daisy chain topology, and determine a propagation delay associated with the first cluster based on the measured delay time. The main controller is further configured to generate a message to the second cluster which includes a command to be executed by the second cluster, and send the message, through an isolated interface of the main controller, to the second cluster based on the determined propagation delay to execute the command to actuate the second cluster synchronized to a switching clock of the main controller.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a particular battery cell among a plurality of battery cells may be performed by a battery monitoring circuit, wherein a supply wire from a supply circuit and a voltage measurement wire of a battery management circuit comprises a shared path for the particular battery cell. The method may comprise performing a first voltage measurement associated with the particular battery cell; performing a second voltage measurement associated with the particular battery cell and an additional element; and determining a cell voltage associated with the particular battery cell based on the first voltage measurement and the second voltage measurement.

Abstract: In some examples, this disclosure describes a method of operating a battery management circuit of a battery management system associated with an electric device. The method may comprise supplying power to the battery management circuit from battery cells being monitored by the battery management circuit in a first instance of time; and suppling power to the battery management circuit from a DC/DC power converter in a second instance of time.

Abstract: In some examples, this disclosure describes a method of operating a plurality of battery management circuits of a battery management system associated with an electric device. The method may comprise adjusting a first trim value associated with a first battery management circuit during operation of the electric device, and adjusting a second trim value associated with a second battery management circuit during operation of the electric device. The method may also comprise sinking a first amount of current in the first battery management circuit based on the first trim value; and sinking a second amount of current in the second battery management circuit based on the second trim value, wherein sinking the first amount of current and sinking the second amount of current causes the first battery management circuit and the second battery management circuit to consume substantially similar amounts of current.

Abstract: A device is configured to receive, from a controller, an instruction requesting data for the device and determine a comparison result value based on a comparison of the data for the device and a reference value. The device is further configured to determine whether to respond to the instruction based on the comparison result value and, in response to a determination to respond to the instruction, output, to the controller, the comparison result value, wherein, to output the comparison result value, the device is configured to refrain from outputting the data for the device.

Abstract: A battery cell circuit of a battery management system configured to receive, from a previous battery cell circuit of a plurality of battery cell circuits connected in a daisy chain configuration or ring configuration, an instruction requesting a value for the battery cell circuit and determine a comparison result value based on a comparison of the value for the battery cell circuit and a reference value. The battery cell circuit is further configured to output, to a controller, the comparison result value, wherein, to output the comparison result value, the battery cell circuit is configured to refrain from outputting the value for the battery cell circuit.

Abstract: A device is configured to receive, from a controller, an instruction requesting data for the device and determine a comparison result value based on a comparison of the data for the device and a reference value. The device is further configured to determine whether to respond to the instruction based on the comparison result value and, in response to a determination to respond to the instruction, output, to the controller, the comparison result value, wherein, to output the comparison result value, the device is configured to refrain from outputting the data for the device.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a particular battery cell among a plurality of battery cells may be performed by a battery monitoring circuit, wherein a supply wire from a supply circuit and a voltage measurement wire of a battery management circuit comprises a shared path for the particular battery cell. The method may comprise performing a first voltage measurement associated with the particular battery cell; performing a second voltage measurement associated with the particular battery cell and an additional element; and determining a cell voltage associated with the particular battery cell based on the first voltage measurement and the second voltage measurement.

Abstract: A process for determining an impedance of a battery cell may comprise delivering an excitation current to the battery cell; performing, via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), one or more first measurements associated with the battery cell in the presence of the excitation current, wherein the one or more first measurements comprise one or more current measurements; performing, via the ADC, one or more second measurements associated with the battery cell in the presence of the excitation current, wherein the one or more second measurements comprise one or more voltage measurements; and determining the impedance of the battery cell based on the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements.

Abstract: An embodiment processing system comprises terminals configured to be connected to cells of a rechargeable battery to receive cell voltages, a digital processing circuit, a serial communication interface and a transmission queue interfacing the digital processing circuit with the serial communication interface for parallel operation. The digital processing circuit synchronously acquires a given number of digital samples of each of the cell voltages and stores them to a memory. The digital processing circuit encodes the digital samples stored to the memory via a data compression module, and stores the encoded data to the transmission queue. For example, the data compression module may generate the encoded data by subtracting a given offset from each digital sample to generate values indicative of the dynamic variation of each sample with respect to the offset, and removing a given number of most significant bits from each value.

Abstract: An embodiment processing system comprises terminals configured to be connected to cells of a rechargeable battery to receive cell voltages, a digital processing circuit, a serial communication interface and a transmission queue interfacing the digital processing circuit with the serial communication interface for parallel operation. The digital processing circuit synchronously acquires a given number of digital samples of each of the cell voltages and stores them to a memory. The digital processing circuit encodes the digital samples stored to the memory via a data compression module, and stores the encoded data to the transmission queue. For example, the data compression module may generate the encoded data by subtracting a given offset from each digital sample to generate values indicative of the dynamic variation of each sample with respect to the offset, and removing a given number of most significant bits from each value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes measuring between two consecutive electrical commutations of a brushless direct-current (BLDC) motor a current through the BLDC motor. One or more pulse-width-modulation (PWM)-configurable signals are driving the BLDC motor. The method includes determining a waveform of the current through the BLDC motor; if the waveform of the current through the BLDC motor comprises a first type, then increasing a duty cycle of each of one or more of the PWM-configurable signals driving the BLDC motor; and, if the waveform of the current through the BLDC motor comprises a second type, then decreasing a time interval between electrical communications of the BLDC motor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes measuring between two consecutive electrical commutations of a brushless direct-current (BLDC) motor a current through the BLDC motor. One or more pulse-width-modulation (PWM)-configurable signals are driving the BLDC motor. The method includes determining a waveform of the current through the BLDC motor; if the waveform of the current through the BLDC motor comprises a first type, then increasing a duty cycle of each of one or more of the PWM-configurable signals driving the BLDC motor; and, if the waveform of the current through the BLDC motor comprises a second type, then decreasing a time interval between electrical communications of the BLDC motor.