Maxim Integrated MAX17853 battery monitor IC

With the MAX17853 battery monitor IC from Maxim Integrated Products, designers can achieve ASIL-D compliance for automotive applications using a single chip for a safe battery management system. Targeting mid-to-large cell count configurations for automotive applications, such as battery packs for electric and hybrid vehicles, the product’s flexible architecture (Flexpack) allows users to rapidly make changes to their module configurations to quickly respond to market demands, without spinning and qualifying additional boards.

Achieving safety compliance in automotive applications can require adding redundant components to the system. The MAX17853 is claimed to be the only ASIL-D-compliant IC for mid-to-large cell count configurations, enabling users to create a system that meets a high level of safety for voltage, temperature and communication. Also contributing to higher safety is the device’s battery cell balancing system, which automatically balances each cell by time and voltage to minimise risk of overcharging. Users can achieve all this without adding extra components such as redundant comparators to help achieve smaller form factors.

In addition, the device is said to reduce system BOM cost by up to 35% compared to competitive solutions, enabling the user to achieve lower overall cost for their BMS solution. The IC also supports multiple channel configurations (8–14 cells) with one board, enabling users to reduce design time by up to 50% through reduced validation and qualification time.