Greg Zimmer
Linear Technology

Lithium-based battery chemistries are rapidly replacing lead-acid and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) in high power industrial and transportation systems. However, the advantages in energy and power density offered by lithium chemistries are offset by the increased complexity of the battery management electronics. In these "next generation" battery management systems (BMS), the developer needs to contend with especially challenging design constraints. The voltage of each cell must be measured in a harsh noise environment, with very high precision over a wide temperature range, and in the presence of several hundred volts of common mode voltage.