Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Vittorio D'Angelo

Valerio Bendotti

Orazio Pennisi

Salvatore Cannavacciuolo

Vanni Poletto

Paolo Turbanti

Sergio Lecce

Diego Alagna

Daniele Zella

Paolo Selvo

A method can be used to control a battery management system. A first voltage drop is sensed between a first terminal of a first battery cell and a second terminal of the first battery cell and a second voltage drop is sensed between a first terminal of a second battery cell and a second terminal of the second battery cell. A faulty condition is detected in the first battery cell or the second battery cell based on the first voltage drop or the second voltage drop. The first voltage drop is swapped for a first swapped voltage drop between a common terminal and the second terminal of the second battery cell.

Method of operating battery management systems, corresponding device and vehicle

A method of operating a control device includes performing an open load test or a current leakage test. The open load test includes activating a first current and then a second current and sensing with the first current and the second current activated, respectively, a first voltage drop and a second voltage drop between charge distribution pins and charge sensing pins of the control device. Respective differences are calculated between the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop sensed with the first current and the second current activated, respectively. These differences are compared with respective thresholds and an open circuit condition is declared as a result of the differences calculated reaching these thresholds.

An integrated circuit with a hot-plug protection circuit includes input pins and an output pin. The input pins are electrically coupled to a common node in the hot-plug protection circuit via respective electrical connections. The integrated circuit includes clamping circuitry coupled between the common node and the output pin, the clamping circuitry activatable as a result of a voltage spike applied across the clamping circuitry. The plurality of electrical connections and the clamping circuitry provide respective current discharge paths between the input pins in the input pins and the output pin, the respective current discharge paths configured to become conductive as a result of a voltage spike applied to any of the input pins in the plurality of input pins being transferred to the common node via the respective electrical connection in the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupling said any of said input pins to the common node.

Circuit with hot-plug protection, corresponding electronic device, vehicle and method

In an embodiment an isolated gate driver device includes a low-voltage section having a control input configured to receive a PWM control signal with a switching frequency from a control stage, a high-voltage section, galvanically isolated from the low-voltage section the high-voltage section including a driving output configured to provide a gate-driving signal as a function of the PWM control signal to a power stage having at least one switch, a feedback input configured to receive at least one feedback signal indicative of an operation of the power stag, and an ADC module configured to convert the feedback signal into a digital data stream and a conversion-control module coupled to the ADC module and configured to provide a conversion-trigger signal designed to determine a start of a conversion for acquiring a new sample of the feedback signal.

Isolated gate driver device for a power electrical system and corresponding power electrical system

In an embodiment a circuit includes drive circuitry configured to be coupled to a control terminal of an electronic switch and configured to apply a discharge signal to the control terminal causing the electronic switch to become conductive and provide an electrical discharge path for an energized element, a sensing node configured to be coupled to the control terminal and configured to sense a voltage at the control terminal and a feedback network coupled between the sensing node and the drive circuitry, wherein the feedback network includes a comparator circuit coupled to the sensing node and configured to compare the voltage at the control terminal and sensed at the sensing node with a reference threshold and to provide a comparison signal having a first value and a second value, respectively, in response to the voltage at the control terminal being higher or lower than the reference threshold, and wherein the drive circuitry is configured to produce the discharge signal as a function of the comparison signal.

Discharge control circuit, corresponding system, vehicle and method

A method of operating a battery management system is disclosed. A first voltage drop is sensed between a first terminal of a first battery cell and a second terminal of the first battery cell and a second voltage drop is sensed between a charge distribution pin and the second terminal of the first battery cell. The charge distribution pin is coupled to the first terminal of the first battery cell through a resistor. A difference is calculated between the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop and a faulty condition is detected when Rn absolute value of the difference between the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop exceeds a threshold.

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Salerno, Italy

Vittorio D'Angelo