AVR® 8-Bit RISC - Applications - Battery Management

Battery Management Devices for Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries is the technology of choice for portable handheld applications due to the high energy density at low weight and volume. Battery management devices are designed to protect and extend the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries.
The main functions of the electronic protection are:
- Overvoltage protection
- Undervoltage protection
- Short circuit protection
- Overcurrent protection
- Temperature supervision

Safety is a major criterion for battery usage and recent industry problems – generating huge recalls from manufacturers – illustrates the importance of safe and accurate control functions. End-user equipment manufacturers are endorsing the responsibility in case of problem, so it is important for them to make sure that users will permanently use certified battery pack and not a copy pack of unknown quality. This require for authentication mechanisms on the battery itself.

Combining AVR® microcontroller's performance with leading-edge high-voltage technology and with a long-established cooperation with key battery manufacturers, Atmel® has developed a full range of microcontrollers dedicated to Li-Ion battery management supporting from 1 to 4 cells in series. This product family offers a unique set of features to optimize performance and security. This includes an outstanding voltage measurement accuracy of ±12.5 mV in the 0 to +60°C temperature range, helping customers to extend the battery energy that can be safely used between recharging.

The one-chip solution is minimizing the component count on the PCB and is available in tiny packages. A full range of development tools is available to facilitate battery design. This includes reference designs with firmware, evaluation kit and PC software.