Device and method for equalizing current drain from a battery stack

摘要

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a battery monitor for a battery system that avoids current loops. A battery monitor may be provisioned as an integrated circuit and may include a pair of supply pins for reception of power to the integrated circuit, a third high impedance pin, and a voltage regulation circuit. When the circuits are deployed, the supply pins of several battery monitors may be connected to each other to form a stack. The high impedance inputs of each battery monitor may be coupled to low voltage terminals of an associated battery cell. A voltage reference circuit within the battery monitor may maintain the voltage at a low voltage supply of the monitors at a level that matches the voltage present on the high impedance input. Thus, the voltages on the monitors' low voltage supplies may be regulated. As a result, no current should flow through the high impedance pins of the battery monitor. All current flow should occur through a single loop that extends through the entire stack of battery monitors.

主权项

1. A battery monitor, comprising:
a testing circuit having a test input for connection to a battery, the testing circuit having supply inputs for connection to power inputs of the battery monitor, and a voltage reference circuit having a high impedance input and an output, the high impedance input provided for connection to a low voltage terminal of the battery and the output connected to one of the supply inputs, the reference circuit adapted to maintain a voltage at the connected power input at a common level as a voltage on the high impedance input.