Innoscience Technology

Increased demand for convenient eco-friendly travel, mobile energy storage, and small power solutions has driven rapid market developments. Battery protection system (BMS) technology needs further advancement to improve battery safety and efficiency. GaN technology supports this by improving efficiency, power density, and thermal performance, improving the overall conversion efficiency of power systems. With no parasitic body diode and bidirectional control, one (1) innoscience’s bi-directional (VGaN) device can effectively replace two (2) traditional MOS Silicon pairs. Innoscience’s VGaN series brings these advantages to Over Voltage Protection (OVP) and BMS applications.

A 48V/180A BMS demo is the latest Innoscience design solution to support a high-side same-port BMS application. This design adopts Innoscience’s latest 100V VGaN product, the INV100FQ030A, which is packaged in a 4mm x 6mm² FCQFN and offers a maximum on-resistance of 3.2mΩ. No heat sink is required with a maximum temperature rise of less than 50°C. The 16-string charging and discharging battery protection system uses the controllable bidirectional conduction and cut-off features of VGaN, enabling four operational states: normal charging and discharging, charging protection, discharging protection, and sleep mode. 

Innoscience’s 48V/180A high-side BMS solution is ideal for home batteries, portable charging stations, e-scooters, e-bikes etc., optimizing battery life and safety through efficient charge and discharge control. It reduces temperature rise and system costs while ensuring a compact, portable design. 

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Littelfuse, Inc.has revealed the newest member of its eFuse Protection IC lineup, the LS0502SCD33S. This novel development introduces the Single Cell Super Capacitor Protection IC, tailored explicitly for charging backup power sources under extreme conditions, setting a new benchmark in the sector. 

Backup power is essential in numerous settings, but lithium-ion batteries’ limited temperature tolerance often restricts their application. In response, Littelfuse engineered the LS0502SCD33S, leveraging supercapacitor technology to deliver a solution that excels in a broad temperature range and offers superior power/energy density. This single-cell approach ensures a reliable and compact backup option.

A standout feature of the LS0502SCD33S is its proficiency in effortlessly managing high operational voltages (above 3 V), eliminating the necessity for intricate power management arrangements. The LS0502SCD33S protects against potential system impairments with its integrated input overvoltage and current protection mechanisms. It offers an adaptable, all-in-one, and space-efficient solution for storage capacitors or capacitor banks. Additionally, it incorporates an ideal diode for reverse blocking to maintain performance and efficiency when the input voltage drops.

The LS0502SCD33S Single Cell Super Capacitor Protection IC is ideally suited for various SuperCap uses, such as: Automotive dash cameras; Smart utility meters; IoT gadgets; Industrial handheld devices; Portable electronics with removable batteries.

The LS0502SCD33S stands out by supporting an extensive array of protection functionalities, such as Over-Current Protection (OCP) and Over-Voltage Protection (OVP), while also being energy-efficient and facilitating automatic primary/backup switchover, distinguishing it from competing products.

Beyond its protective capabilities, the LS0502SCD33S offers numerous advantages. It enhances reliability and extends the lifespan, helping manufacturers lower maintenance costs. Moreover, it promotes extended battery durability and minimizes the end-products’ size due to its compact design, an essential feature for devices that require prolonged standby times.

The LS0502SCD33S is a comprehensive backup storage capacitor system solution that integrates input overvoltage, overcurrent protection, a reverse blocking switch, and supercapacitor charging control circuits. It ensures balanced charging for two-cell supercapacitor configurations, operates with a minimal 2.5 μA current draw after the storage component is fully charged, and signals the disconnection of the input supply, allowing the primary system to react swiftly.

The eFuse Single Cell Protection ICs are available in tape and reel format in quantities of 5,000.

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Li-ion batteries can get hot, which can cause failures or worse in the products they power. Thus, it’s important to monitor their temperature and act before damage occurs. You can monitor temperature with a set of thermocouples, scan them, and write software to produce an action when the temperature exceeds a limit.

Littelfuse has a simpler way, so long as you need just one temperature limit: TTape.

TTape is a strip of ten temperature sensors that you attach to battery packs in EVs, commercial vehicles, and energy-storage systems. The sensors are essentially a series of ten temperature-sensitive switches. When any of the sensors detect an over-temperature condition of 61°C, that sensor will enter a high-impedance state. An external pull-up resistor raises the logic-level voltage that you can use to trigger an action. Hysteresis keeps the switch open until the temperature drops to 55°C. The schematic and voltage plot show how the sensors work. According to Littelfuse, the fixed temperature supports most cell systems for use in degradation management and thermal-runaway protection. The company says that other temperature threshholds will be available later in 2024.

Because the TTape uses a simple single-wire pair and provides a binary output, it doesn’t detect which cell overheated. It can, however, wake up a microcontroller to act when overheating occurs. The TTape’s sensors can break the circuit in less than 1 sec after an over-temperature condition occurs.

The TTape, which attaches to battery packs with an adhesive backing, measures 337 mm in length.

The TTape operates at voltages from V_DD = 3.3 V to 5.5 V with a 200 kΩ (±5%) pull-up resistor. Note: As of this writing, the datasheet also lists a V_DD = 2.5 V to 3.3 V range with a 100 kΩpull-up resistor. EE World pointed that out to Littelfuse. The company will remove that range from the datasheet.

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