Battery management chip, battery management system, electronic device and power supply method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a battery management chip, comprising: a voltage conversion unit, the voltage conversion unit comprising a step-down DC-DC switching converter, an input end of the voltage conversion unit being connected to a battery output voltage, the step-down DC-DC switching converter converting the battery output voltage into a voltage conversion unit output voltage and outputting the voltage conversion unit output voltage through an output end of the voltage conversion unit; and a battery management unit, the battery management unit detecting and / or controlling a battery, a power supply end of the battery management unit being connected to the output end of the voltage conversion unit so as to supply power to the battery management unit by the voltage conversion unit output voltage. The present disclosure also provides a battery management system, an electronic device and a power supply method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of battery management technology, and more particularly to a battery management chip, a battery management system, an electronic device, and a power supply method. Background Technology

[0002] A Battery Management System (BMS) is a system that manages and controls batteries. The managed and controlled batteries can include lithium batteries or other types of batteries. The main functions of a BMS include real-time monitoring of the battery's status, and using appropriate algorithms to manage and control the battery's internal state by detecting external characteristic parameters (such as voltage, current, and temperature). BMS systems are generally powered by the highest voltage of the battery or battery pack. However, the modules within a BMS system require low-voltage power supplies, such as 5V, 3.3V, or 1.8V. Therefore, traditional BMS systems also require a power management system to provide low-voltage power. In other words, a BMS system needs to work in conjunction with a power management system to function properly, which makes the entire system complex, with numerous components, large size, and high cost. These disadvantages hinder the trend towards product miniaturization and integration.

[0003] Furthermore, in Chinese patent application CN108964162A, the battery management system uses a DC / DC converter's power management system for power supply. Besides the aforementioned drawbacks, the control chip of the DC / DC power unit in the DC / DC converter is directly powered by the battery. This means the control chip uses high-voltage electrical energy as its operating power source, therefore it must be a high-voltage resistant chip. In this patent application, in addition to being powered by an external power management system, a high-voltage chip is also required, which will lead to problems such as high power consumption.

[0004] Taking lithium batteries as an example, the safe operating range of a battery is determined by its current, temperature, and voltage. Overcharging beyond the voltage threshold will rapidly damage the battery, potentially leading to an explosion. Continuing to discharge below the voltage threshold will also damage the battery. Discharging a lithium battery outside a specific temperature range will impair its lifespan. Lithium batteries operating outside their permissible temperature range for extended periods are prone to thermal runaway and spontaneous combustion. Even without thermal runaway, the organic electrolyte can contribute to combustion. The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries can be shortened by high-current discharge or rapid charging. These limits also vary depending on the chemical composition of individual cells. The role of a Battery Management System (BMS) is to ensure that all individual cells within the managed battery operate within their safe operating range. Large-scale battery packs, in particular, composed of numerous connected cells, are more susceptible to overcharging or over-discharging due to voltage imbalances among the individual cells. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address at least one of the aforementioned technical problems and others, this disclosure provides a battery management chip, a battery management system, an electronic device, and a power supply method.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a battery management chip includes:

[0007] A voltage conversion unit, comprising a step-down DC-DC switching converter, wherein the input terminal of the voltage conversion unit is connected to the battery output voltage, the step-down DC-DC switching converter converts the battery output voltage into an output voltage of the voltage conversion unit, and outputs the voltage through the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit; and

[0008] The battery management unit detects and / or controls the battery. The power supply terminal of the battery management unit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit so that the voltage output by the voltage conversion unit can supply power to the battery management unit.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the battery management unit includes an interface circuit that communicates with an external MCU (Microcontroller Unit) connected to the battery management chip. Through the interface circuit, the battery management unit sends and receives information with the external controller, enabling the battery management unit to detect and / or manage the battery.

[0010] The power supply terminal of the MCU is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit so that the voltage output by the voltage conversion unit can power the MCU.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a signal processing unit for processing battery detection signals and / or battery management control signals.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a detection voltage input terminal that receives the voltage of each battery in a battery pack formed by N batteries connected in series, where N is an integer greater than 2.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a selection circuit that selects the battery voltage of one battery in a battery pack at a time, or selects the individual battery voltages of M batteries in a battery pack at a time, thereby obtaining the battery voltage selected by the selection circuit, where 2≤M≤N.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the battery management unit includes a first analog-to-digital converter.

[0015] When the selection circuit selects the voltage of one battery in the battery pack at a given time, the number of first analog-to-digital converters is one, so that the voltage of the selected battery is converted into a digital signal by the first analog-to-digital converter and provided to the signal processing unit.

[0016] When the selection circuit selects the voltage of each of the M batteries in the battery pack at one time, the number of the first analog-to-digital converters is M, so that the voltage of each of the selected M batteries is converted into a digital signal by the M first analog-to-digital converters and provided to the signal processing unit.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a current detection input terminal, which receives current information during battery charging or discharging.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a second analog-to-digital converter that converts the current information into a digital signal and provides it to the signal processing unit.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a battery temperature acquisition unit, through which a temperature value of the battery is obtained, and the temperature value is provided to the signal processing unit.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery management unit includes a charging drive unit and a discharging drive unit, and the signal processing unit controls the charging drive unit and the discharging drive unit according to the battery detection signal and / or the control signal from the MCU, so as to stop or start the charging or discharging of the battery.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the voltage conversion unit further includes an LDO voltage converter, which converts the battery output voltage into an output voltage of the voltage conversion unit.

[0022] The voltage conversion unit is controlled to convert the battery output voltage into the voltage conversion unit output voltage via a buck DC-DC switching converter, or via an LDO voltage converter, or via both a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the LDO voltage converter includes an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter and a comparator-based LDO voltage converter, wherein the LDO voltage converter can be switched to either an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter or a comparator-based LDO voltage converter to convert the battery output voltage into a voltage conversion unit output voltage.

[0024] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, when the battery management chip is in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through an LDO voltage converter or through a series connection of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter. When the battery management chip is not in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through a buck DC-DC switching converter.

[0025] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the voltage conversion unit is controlled by a signal processing unit inside the battery management chip and / or an MCU outside the battery management chip, so as to provide an output voltage through an LDO voltage converter, or through a series connection of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter, or through a buck DC-DC switching converter.

[0026] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a battery management system includes: a battery management chip as described above; and an MCU, wherein the MCU communicates with the battery management chip through an interface circuit of the battery management unit, and the MCU is powered by the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit.

[0027] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, a charging control switch and a discharging control switch are further included. The charging control switch and the discharging control switch are used to control the charging and discharging of the battery via control signals from the charging drive unit and the discharging drive unit of the battery management chip.

[0028] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device includes: a battery or battery pack that powers other components of the electronic device; and a battery management system as described above, the battery management system being used to control the charging or discharging of the battery or battery pack.

[0029] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supplying power to a battery management system via a battery management chip includes: receiving a battery output voltage from a battery or battery pack; stepping down the battery output voltage using a step-down DC-DC switching converter within the battery management chip; and providing the stepped-down voltage to a battery management unit as a power supply voltage for the battery management unit, wherein the battery management unit is integrated in the battery management chip and is used for detecting and / or controlling the battery or battery pack.

[0030] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the voltage after step-down processing is further provided to an MCU external to the battery management chip, wherein the MCU communicates with the battery management unit to detect and / or manage the battery.

[0031] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the battery output voltage is stepped down by the cooperation of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter, wherein the buck DC-DC switching converter and the LDO voltage converter are controlled to: convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by the buck DC-DC switching converter, or convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by the LDO voltage converter, or convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by the buck DC-DC switching converter and the LDO voltage converter.

[0032] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the LDO voltage converter includes an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter and a comparator-based LDO voltage converter, wherein the LDO voltage converter can be switched to either an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter or a comparator-based LDO voltage converter to convert the battery output voltage into a voltage conversion unit output voltage. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a battery management chip according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a battery management chip according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a battery management chip according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage conversion unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a switching circuit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0046] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0047] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary implementations / embodiments shown are to be understood as providing exemplary features of various details that provide ways in which the technical concepts of this disclosure can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features of various implementations / embodiments may be additionally combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concepts of this disclosure.

[0048] The use of crosshairs and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to clarify the boundaries between adjacent components. Thus, unless otherwise stated, the presence or absence of crosshairs or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific material, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the illustrated components, or any other characteristics, properties, etc., of the components. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions and relative dimensions of components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed in a different order than that described. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order of their description. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same components.

[0049] When a component is referred to as being "on" or "above" another component, "connected to," or "joined to" another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly joined to the other component, or there may be intermediate components. However, when a component is referred to as being "directly on" another component, "directly connected to," or "directly joined to" another component, there are no intermediate components. Therefore, the term "connection" can refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., and may or may not have intermediate components.

[0050] For descriptive purposes, this disclosure may use spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “down,” “above,” “above,” “higher,” and “side (e.g., in a “sidewall”)” to describe the relationship between one component and another component as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, the spatial relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device during use, operation, and / or manufacture. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, a component described as “below” or “under” another component or feature would subsequently be positioned “above” said other component or feature. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both “above” and “below” orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise positioned (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), thus interpreting the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein accordingly.

[0051] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a battery management chip and a battery management system are provided.

[0052] Figure 1 A battery management system including a battery management chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The following description uses a lithium battery pack as an example; however, those skilled in the art will understand that the battery can be a single cell or a battery pack of other types of batteries. For example... Figure 1As shown, the battery pack consists of multiple batteries connected in series, such as BAT1, BAT2, ... BATn-1, BATn.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery management system 10 may include a battery management chip 100 and an MCU (Microcontroller Unit) 200. The battery management chip 100 can be used for at least battery data acquisition and protection.

[0054] The battery management chip 100 of this disclosure will now be described. The battery management chip 100 may include a voltage conversion unit 110 and a battery management unit 120. It should be noted that the voltage conversion unit 110 and the battery management unit 120 are integrated into a single chip, so that the battery management unit 120 can be powered by the internal voltage conversion unit 110, without requiring an external power management system to provide low-voltage power.

[0055] The voltage conversion unit 110 may include a step-down DC-DC switching converter. The input terminal IN of the voltage conversion unit 110 can be connected to the output voltage of the battery. When the battery is in the form of a battery pack, the output voltage can be the total voltage of the battery pack or a portion thereof. The battery output voltage can be filtered by an RC filter circuit to obtain the voltage VCC. The step-down DC-DC switching converter converts the battery output voltage into the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit and outputs it through the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit 110.

[0056] The specific form of the voltage conversion unit 110 will be described in detail below.

[0057] The battery management unit 120 may include a digital signal processing unit 121, a selection circuit 127, a first analog-to-digital converter 122, a second analog-to-digital converter 123, a battery temperature acquisition unit 124, a charging control unit 125, and a discharging control unit 126.

[0058] The battery management chip 100 can be used to detect the voltage information of the battery pack. The battery management unit 120 may include voltage detection input terminals SENSE1, SENSE2, ..., SENSEn, which receive the voltage of each battery in the battery pack formed by N batteries connected in series, where N is an integer greater than 2.

[0059] The voltage of each cell in the battery pack can first pass through a filter circuit composed of Rf1 and Cf1, Rf2 and Cf2, ..., Rfn and Cfn to reduce noise and interference, and then be connected to the input terminals SENSE1, SENSE2, ..., SENSEn of the battery management chip 100.

[0060] The selection circuit 127 can receive and select the voltage signal of each battery. For example, it can select the positive and negative voltages of one battery at the same time and send them to the first analog-to-digital converter (ADC1) 122 for sampling and quantization to convert them into digital signals; it can also select the positive and negative voltages of two or more batteries at the same time and send them to the first analog-to-digital converter (ADC1) 122 for sampling and quantization to convert them into digital signals. The converted digital signals are then sent to the digital signal processing unit 121.

[0061] The battery management chip 100 can be used to detect the current information of the battery pack. When the battery pack is charging or discharging, the charging or discharging current of the battery generates a voltage drop through the sampling resistor Rsense connected in series in the current loop. The second analog-to-digital converter (ADC2) 123 acquires the voltage drop information generated by the sampling resistor Rsense, thus obtaining the charging or discharging current information of the battery pack, and sends the current information to the digital signal processing unit 121. Based on the current information, a protection circuit is controlled. The protection circuit may include a charging control unit 125 and a discharging control unit 126. The charging control unit 125 and the discharging control unit 126 respectively control the charging control power device M_CHG and the discharging control power device M_DCH in the battery's current loop to control the charging and discharging of the battery pack in case of voltage abnormalities. Furthermore, the current signal of the battery pack can also be used to calculate the battery pack's capacity, which can be achieved using a coulomb counter.

[0062] The battery management chip 100 can be used to detect the temperature information of the battery pack. Temperature detection can be achieved by forming a series circuit of a thermostatic resistor Rs and a thermistor R_ntc. One end of the series circuit can be connected to the voltage output terminal of the voltage conversion unit 110, and the other end can be grounded. The detection terminal can be the connection node of the thermostatic resistor Rs and the thermistor R_ntc. R_ntc is placed close to the battery pack to ensure that its temperature is close to that of the battery. The thermistor can be a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor, that is, the resistance of the thermistor decreases as the temperature increases. The voltage at the connection node of Rs and R_ntc is sent to the battery temperature acquisition unit 124 of the battery management chip 100. By acquiring the voltage value, comparing it with the output voltage value of the voltage conversion unit 110, and considering the characteristics (temperature coefficient) of the R_ntc resistor, the battery temperature information is obtained. The battery temperature information is then transmitted to the digital signal processing unit 121. In this way, when the temperature is abnormal, the charging and discharging of the battery pack can be controlled by controlling the charging control power device M_CHG and the discharging control power device M_DCH.

[0063] The digital signal processing unit 121 estimates the current state of the battery, such as its capacity and state of charge (current battery charge), based on the obtained battery information, including the voltage, current, and temperature of the battery pack. This is achieved through model algorithms. For example, in case of an anomaly, the digital signal processing unit 121 can perform control functions, such as system initialization, parameter configuration, execution of detection functions, and execution of protection functions, ensuring that each battery cell operates within a safe range. If the battery is charging, and the voltage of any battery cell exceeds the set charging protection threshold voltage, the digital signal processing unit 121 controls the charging control unit 125 to shut down its external charging control power device M_CHG, stopping the charging function to protect the battery. This function can be performed by the digital signal processing unit 121, the MCU 200, or a combination of both. Furthermore, the digital signal processing unit 121 can utilize interface circuit I... 2 C completes communication with MCU200, and digital signal processing unit 121 can also perform the above processing through control signals of MCU200.

[0064] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the power supply terminal of the MCU200 is connected to the voltage output terminal of the voltage conversion unit 110, and the MCU200 is directly powered by the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit 110. This effectively reduces power consumption and the requirements on the MCU200 itself.

[0065] The voltage conversion unit 110 may include a buck DC-DC switching converter, such as a Buck power converter or a switched capacitor voltage converter. The voltage conversion unit 110 may also include a combination circuit of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter, such as a Buck power converter or a switched capacitor voltage converter.

[0066] As an example, Figure 2 The voltage conversion unit 110 is shown as a Buck power converter. When using a Buck power converter, voltage reduction can be achieved through high-frequency switching control and filtering by inductors and capacitors. Furthermore, since the efficiency of a Buck power converter typically reaches 90% or higher, the power conversion efficiency of the battery management chip in this lithium-ion battery pack will be significantly higher than that of conventional lithium-ion battery management chips. In addition, the heat generated by the battery management chip in a lithium-ion battery pack using a Buck power converter will be significantly less than that of a conventionally designed lithium-ion battery management chip, resulting in lower temperature, longer lifespan, and higher reliability.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, the input of the Buck power converter can be connected to the voltage of the battery pack (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The input voltage is obtained by connecting an inductor and a capacitor in series, and the output voltage VOUT is output at the connection point of the inductor and capacitor in series. The output voltage can be used as a feedback voltage. At the same time, the output voltage VOUT serves as the power supply voltage for the internal battery management unit of the chip, and also as the power supply voltage for the external MCU.

[0068] As an example, Figure 3 This illustrates the case where the voltage conversion unit 110 is a switched capacitor voltage converter. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the switched capacitor voltage converter includes a control module and m external capacitors, where m is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, C1, ..., Cm-1, Cm. The capacitor selection is controlled by the switching control in the control module, thereby achieving voltage conversion.

[0069] When using a switched capacitor voltage converter, in the case of step-down conversion, the input voltage is applied to the series capacitor for a certain period of time, and the capacitor is connected in parallel to the output for another period of time. This achieves step-down conversion of the power supply and simultaneously provides an output current that is larger than the input current to improve efficiency.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, the input terminal of the control module of the switched capacitor voltage converter is connected to the voltage of the battery pack (e.g., Figure 1 The input voltage is (in a certain way), and the output voltage VOUT at its output terminal can be used as the feedback voltage. At the same time, the output voltage VOUT serves as the power supply voltage for the internal battery management unit of the chip, and also as the power supply voltage for the external MCU.

[0071] Figure 4 A specific example of a switched capacitor voltage converter is shown. In this example, the switched capacitor voltage converter has three capacitors, and the control module of the switched capacitor voltage converter may include ten switches. One end of the first switch K1 serves as the input terminal of the control module of the switched capacitor voltage converter. The other end of the first switch K1 is connected to one end of the second switch K2 and one end of the first capacitor C1. The other end of the second switch K2 is connected to one end of the fourth switch K4, one end of the sixth switch K6, and one end of the tenth switch K10, and serves as the output terminal and feedback terminal of the control module of the switched capacitor voltage converter.

[0072] One end of the third switch K3 is connected to one end of the fifth switch K5, one end of the tenth switch K10, and the ground terminal. The other end of the third switch K3 is connected to the other end of the first capacitor C1 and one end of the seventh switch K7.

[0073] The other end of the fourth switch K4 is connected to the other end of the seventh switch K7 and one end of the second capacitor C2. The other end of the fifth switch K5 is connected to one end of the eighth switch K8 and the other end of the second capacitor C2. The other end of the sixth switch K6 is connected to the other end of the eighth switch K8 and one end of the third capacitor C3. The other end of the ninth switch K9 is connected to the other end of the tenth switch K10 and the other end of the third capacitor C3.

[0074] The switched capacitor power converter consists of capacitors C1, C2, C3, and Cout, and two sets of switches (the first set of switches consists of K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, and K9; the second set of switches consists of K1, K7, K8, and K10). When the first set of switches is open and the second set of switches is closed, the input voltage is applied across the capacitor consisting of C1, C2, C3, and Cout connected in series. When the first set of switches is closed and the second set of switches is open, C1, C2, and C3 discharge to Cout. By alternately controlling these two sets of switches, the input power can be converted into an output voltage no higher than 1 / 4 of the input voltage, while the output current is 4 times the input current, thus achieving voltage conversion from the input terminal IN to the output terminal VOUT.

[0075] As an example, Figure 5 The voltage conversion unit 110 is shown to include a combination circuit of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In this context, VCC refers to the battery pack voltage or the filtered battery pack voltage (e.g., ...). Figure 1 As shown), in this case, by controlling the switching switches S1 to S5, the voltage conversion unit 110 can be a Buck power converter, an LDO voltage converter, or a combination circuit of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter.

[0077] For example, when S3, S5, and S2 are closed and S1 and S4 are open, the voltage conversion unit 110 is a Buck power converter. When S3, S5, and S2 are open and S1 and S4 are closed, the voltage conversion unit 110 is an LDO voltage converter. When S3 and S5 are closed and S1, S2, and S4 are open, the voltage conversion unit 110 is a combined circuit of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter.

[0078] The following is a comparison between Buck power converters and LDO voltage converters.

[0079] An LDO voltage converter controls the output voltage by adjusting the current or resistance of a power device connected in series between the input and output. Its advantages include simple structure, low ripple, low cost, and small size. However, its disadvantage is low efficiency, especially when the battery voltage (the total voltage of the battery system) is much higher than the voltage required by the battery management system. For example, in a battery system with four lithium batteries connected in series, if the battery management system's supply voltage is 3.3V, using an LDO voltage converter to convert the voltage of the four lithium batteries (3.6 × 4 = 14.4V) to 3.3V will result in an efficiency of no more than 3.3V / 14.4V = 23%. Since this voltage converter supplies power to the various modules in the lithium battery pack's management chip and external components, the overall system efficiency does not exceed 23%. This efficiency is determined by operating conditions and cannot be improved through design. Improving efficiency by reducing the resistance in the wires or increasing the power transistor's size can only bring it close to 23%, but not exceed it. If the battery management system operates at a current of 10mA, the power loss will be 10mA × 14.4V × (1 - 23%) = 111mW. This power loss will be converted into heat, causing the temperature of the battery management system to rise. For example, the thermal resistance of a typical QFN package is 150°C / W, so the temperature of the lithium battery pack's management chip will rise by 111mW × 150°C / W = 16.7°C. For systems with a large number of lithium battery cells, the power loss will be even more significant. For example, for a system with 16 lithium batteries, its power efficiency will not exceed 3.3V / (3.6V × 16) = 5.73%, and the power loss will be 10mA × (3.6V × 16 - 3.3V) = 543mW. This could lead to a temperature increase of 543mW × 150°C / W = 81°C, which is generally unacceptable. Therefore, while the battery management chip of the LDO voltage converter for lithium battery packs solves the shortcomings of traditional lithium battery pack battery management chips that require an external power management system, it brings new disadvantages, namely low efficiency and high heat generation, which will lead to increased system operating temperature and reduced reliability and lifespan.

[0080] Using a switching DC-DC voltage converter, such as a Buck power converter, as the voltage converter significantly improves the efficiency of power conversion, thereby making the battery management chip of the lithium battery pack more efficient and flexible in use. As a result, the battery management chip of the lithium battery pack will have lower temperature, longer life and higher reliability. This will greatly improve the power conversion efficiency of the battery management system using the battery management chip of the lithium battery pack, and also have lower temperature, longer life and higher reliability.

[0081] Buck power converters achieve voltage reduction through high-frequency switching control and filtering by inductors and capacitors. Since the efficiency of Buck power converters can typically reach 90% or even higher, the power conversion efficiency of the battery management chip in this lithium battery pack will be much higher than that of the battery management chip in a lithium battery pack using an LDO voltage converter. In addition, the heat generated by the battery in a lithium battery pack using a Buck power converter will be much less than that of the battery management chip in a lithium battery pack using an LDO voltage converter. Therefore, the data acquisition and protection chips in this lithium battery pack will have lower temperatures, longer lifespans, and higher reliability.

[0082] For Buck power converters, the voltage drop across the power transistor is determined by I×Rdson. In applications where the input voltage is much higher than the output voltage, this voltage drop can be significantly lower than the voltage drop across the power transistor (VIN-VOUT) of an LDO voltage converter under the same conditions. Therefore, the power transistor conduction loss of a Buck power converter is much lower than that of an LDO voltage converter under the same conditions. Even considering the additional losses of Buck converters, such as switching losses and the power loss of the external inductor, its efficiency is still much higher than that of an LDO.

[0083] Assume the normal operating current of the lithium battery pack's battery management chip and external load is 20mA. The power loss of a battery management system containing an LDO voltage converter is (14.4V - 3.3V) × 20mA = 222mW. The power loss of a battery management system containing a Buck power converter is 3.3V × 20mA × (1 - 90%) / 90% = 7.3mW. Therefore, the power loss of the Buck power converter is significantly lower than that of the LDO voltage converter.

[0084] Power loss in a battery management system is typically dissipated through the heat generated by the battery management chip in the lithium battery pack. This results in different heat generation rates for battery management systems using different architectures. The chip's heat is dissipated into the surrounding environment through the package, causing the chip temperature to rise. For the same package, the greater the chip's heat generation, the higher the chip's temperature will be during normal operation. Higher chip temperatures lead to faster chip aging, shorter lifespan, and lower reliability.

[0085] For battery systems with a large number of batteries connected in series, the advantages of Buck power converters become more pronounced. If there are 16 battery cells, the system's input voltage VCC will be as high as 3.6V × 16 = 57.6V. Assuming the battery management chip and external components of the lithium battery pack operate at 3.3V and have a current of 20mA, the highest efficiency of the battery management chip in an LDO voltage converter is 3.3V / 57.6V = 5.7%, with a power loss of (57.6V - 3.3V) × 20mA = 1086mW. In contrast, the efficiency of the battery management chip in a lithium battery pack with a Buck power converter can reach 80% (mainly due to conduction and switching losses of power devices), with a power loss of 3.3V × 20mA / 80% × (1 - 80%) = 16.5mW. Therefore, the Buck solution can improve efficiency by more than 14 times, reducing power loss to 1.5% of the traditional solution, and the heat generation is only 1.5% of the LDO solution.

[0086] Compared to LDO voltage converters, Buck power converters exhibit output ripple due to their operating characteristics. When the input and load are constant and the power converter operates stably, the output current and voltage of an LDO power converter are also constant. However, during operation, the Buck power converter controls the high-frequency switching of the power transistors via its control module. Let the operating frequency be fsw. One cycle 1 / fsw is divided into two time periods: conduction time and freewheeling time. During the conduction time, the power transistor between the switching terminal SW1 of the Buck power converter's control module and the input power supply is turned on, and the voltage at the switching terminal SW1 is close to the input voltage. During the freewheeling time, the power transistor between the switching terminal switch of the Buck power converter's control module and ground is turned on, and the voltage at the switching terminal switch is close to the ground voltage. Therefore, the voltage across the inductor is also a high-frequency changing quantity, and the inductor current, and the Buck power converter's output voltage Vout2, also fluctuate at a high frequency. Ignoring the parasitic resistance of the capacitor and inductor, the Buck's output ripple is: Taking a 16-cell battery system as an example, if L = 330uH, Cout = 10uF, and the operating frequency is 200kHz, then the output voltage ripple during operation will be: =3.3mV.

[0087] Therefore, when the switching DC-DC voltage converter uses a Buck power converter, it can achieve the function of step-down through high-frequency switching control and filtering by inductors and capacitors. Since the efficiency of Buck power converters can usually reach 90% or even higher, the power conversion efficiency of the battery management chip of this lithium battery pack will be much greater than that of the battery management chip of a lithium battery pack containing an LDO. In addition, the heat generation of the battery management chip of a lithium battery pack using a Buck power converter will be much less than that of the battery management chip of a traditional lithium battery pack. Therefore, the battery management chip of this lithium battery pack will have lower temperature, longer life and higher reliability.

[0088] According to embodiments of this disclosure, when employing an innovative voltage converter that can switch between Buck mode and LDO mode, it more flexibly combines the advantages of both Buck architecture voltage converters and LDO architecture voltage converters, making it suitable for battery management systems. Furthermore, users can arbitrarily configure it to Buck mode or LDO mode according to different application requirements. In Buck mode, it features high efficiency and ultra-low standby power consumption, while in LDO mode, it offers low ripple. This innovative architecture maximizes cost savings through clever and innovative shared control logic, drive circuitry, and feedback detection modules across different modes.

[0089] In summary, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the Buck power converter and LDO voltage converter of the voltage conversion unit 110 can be switched according to actual conditions. For example, when the input voltage is high (e.g., greater than 5V) and / or the input / output voltage difference is high, it can be switched to use only the Buck power converter, and vice versa. When the output current is large (e.g., greater than 2A), it can be switched to use only the Buck power converter, and vice versa. When the system has high requirements for output ripple and / or voltage regulation, it can use only the LDO voltage converter, and vice versa. When the system has high requirements for switching efficiency, it can be switched to use only the Buck power converter, and vice versa. When the input voltage is high and / or the input / output voltage difference is high, and the output current is relatively large, a Buck power converter + LDO voltage converter scheme can be used.

[0090] Those skilled in the art will understand that, although not described in detail, the switched capacitor voltage converter described above can also be used in conjunction with an LDO voltage converter, in which case the Buck power converter can be replaced with a switched capacitor voltage converter.

[0091] Figure 6 and Figure 7An embodiment according to this disclosure is shown, in which a Buck power converter or an LDO voltage converter can be selected as the voltage conversion unit 110. Figure 6 The diagram shows the use of a Buck power converter, while... Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the use of an LDO voltage converter.

[0092] In this embodiment, the Buck power converter and the LDO voltage converter share amplifier circuitry and power devices to minimize circuit costs.

[0093] This embodiment includes a Buck drive circuit, an LDO drive circuit, an amplifier (or an amplifier and compensation circuit), two power devices M1-M2, and four switches S1-S4.

[0094] The amplifier's input terminals are connected to the reference voltage Vref and the output voltage Vfb, which serves as the feedback voltage, respectively. The amplifier's output terminals are connected to the Buck driver circuit and the LDO driver circuit.

[0095] The first output terminal of the Buck drive circuit is connected to the gate of the first power device M1 through the first switch S1, and the second output terminal of the Buck drive circuit is connected to the gate of the second power device M2 and one end of the fourth switch S4 through the second switch S2.

[0096] The output of the LDO drive circuit is connected to the gate of the first power device M1 through the third switch S3. The drain of the first power device M1 is connected to the battery voltage VCC. The source of the first power device M1 is connected to the drain of the second power device M2. The other end of the fourth switch S4 can be grounded.

[0097] The connection node of the first power device M1 and the second power device M2 is connected to L and Cout in series to obtain the output voltage VOUT.

[0098] like Figure 6 As shown, when the first switch S1 and the second switch S2 are closed and the third switch S3 and the fourth switch S4 are open, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in Buck mode. Figure 7 As shown, when the first switch S1 and the second switch S2 are open and the third switch S3 and the fourth switch S4 are closed, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in LDO mode.

[0099] In Buck mode, the Buck drive circuit controls the first power device M1 and the second power device M2 to achieve buck conversion. In LDO mode, the LDO drive circuit controls the first power device M1 to achieve buck conversion.

[0100] in addition, Figure 8Another example is provided where a Buck power converter or an LDO voltage converter can be selected as the voltage conversion unit 110, which is similar to Figure 6 and 7 The main difference in the examples shown is that... Figure 6 and 7 In the example, the second power device M2 is replaced with an ESD (Electro-Static discharge) protection circuit, thus compared to Figure 6 and 7 Examples of this approach will effectively save costs and reduce size, among other things.

[0101] exist Figure 8 In the circuit, the output of the Buck drive circuit is connected to the gate of the first power device M1 via switch S1, and the output of the LDO drive circuit is connected to the gate of the first power device M1 via switch S2. The drain of the first power device M1 is connected to the ESD protection circuit, and the connection node of the ESD protection circuit and the first power device M1 is connected to the L and Cout series circuit to obtain the output voltage VOUT.

[0102] Figure 9 Another example is provided where a Buck power converter or an LDO voltage converter can be selected as the voltage conversion unit 110, which is similar to... Figure 6 and 7 The difference in the examples shown is that... Figure 6 and 7 The amplifier in the original text is replaced with a switchable amplifier and comparator.

[0103] according to Figure 9 In the example shown, the voltage conversion unit 110 can be switched to a Buck power converter, an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter, and a comparator-based LDO voltage converter.

[0104] When operating in BUCK power converter mode, it features high efficiency and low power consumption. When operating in amplifier-based LDO voltage converter mode, it features low output ripple. When operating in comparator-based LDO voltage converter mode, it not only features low output ripple but also fast response and low power consumption.

[0105] The switching between the three modes is achieved through a switchable amplifier and comparator circuit and switches S1~S4. A detailed explanation of the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit will follow with specific examples, demonstrating that it can be switched to amplifier mode or comparator mode.

[0106] When S1 and S2 are closed and S3 and S4 are open, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in Buck power converter mode. When S1 and S2 are open and S3 and S4 are closed, and the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit is switched to amplifier mode, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in amplifier-based LDO voltage converter mode. When S1 and S2 are open and S3 and S4 are closed, and the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit is switched to comparator mode, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in comparator-based LDO voltage converter mode.

[0107] Figure 10 Another example of a voltage conversion unit according to this disclosure is provided, based on Figure 10 The example shown illustrates that the voltage conversion unit 110 can be switched between a Buck power converter, an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter, and a comparator-based LDO voltage converter. This example is related to... Figure 8 The difference in the examples shown is that... Figure 8 The amplifier in the original text is replaced with a switchable amplifier and comparator.

[0108] When S1 is closed and S2 is open, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in Buck power converter mode. When S1 is open and S2 is closed and the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit is switched to amplifier mode, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in amplifier-based LDO voltage converter mode. When S1 is open and S2 is closed and the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit is switched to comparator mode, the voltage conversion unit 110 operates in comparator-based LDO voltage converter mode.

[0109] As an example of this disclosure, Figure 11 Detailed views of switchable amplifier and comparator circuits are provided.

[0110] like Figure 11 As shown, the circuit may include a differential comparator circuit (or differential amplifier circuit, hereinafter only taking the differential comparator circuit as an example) 10 and a switching circuit 20. The differential comparator circuit 10 compares Vref and Vfb and outputs the comparison result to the switching circuit 20.

[0111] The switching circuit 20 may include a power device, a switch, a resistor, and a capacitor in series. The power device may be a MOSFET. The gate of the MOSFET is connected to the output of the differential comparator circuit 10, and the source of the MOSFET is the output terminal. This output terminal is connected to the Buck drive circuit and the LDO drive circuit. The two ends of the series circuit are respectively connected to the gate and the source of the MOSFET.

[0112] Thus, when the switch in the series circuit is closed, the switchable amplifier and comparator circuit operates in amplifier mode, and when the switch is open, it operates in comparator mode. Accordingly, it can function as either an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter or a comparator-based LDO voltage converter.

[0113] In addition, the Buck drive circuit is also connected to the output of a switchable amplifier and comparator circuit, so the Buck drive circuit can also operate based on an amplifier or comparator.

[0114] exist Figure 11 In this circuit, the output terminal of the first current source I1 is connected to the source of the first MOSFET T1 and the second MOSFET T2. The gates of the first MOSFET T1 and the second MOSFET T2 serve as the reference voltage input terminal and the feedback voltage input terminal, respectively. The drain of the first MOSFET T1 is connected to the drain and gate of the third MOSFET T3 and the gate of the fourth MOSFET T4. The sources of the third MOSFET T3, the fourth MOSFET T4, and the fifth MOSFET T5 are all connected to ground. The drain of the fourth MOSFET T4 is connected to the drain of the second MOSFET T2, the gate of the fifth MOSFET T5, and one end of the switching switch SW1. The other end of the switching switch SW1 is connected to the drain of the fifth MOSFET T5 through a resistor R, a capacitor C, and a switching switch SW2. The output terminal of the second current source I2 is connected to the drain of the fifth MOSFET T5 and serves as its output terminal.

[0115] Those skilled in the art will understand that a switching switch can also be used, and a MOSFET can be replaced with a transistor, etc. Furthermore, the form of the differential comparator or amplifier can be varied.

[0116] In this disclosure, an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter or a comparator-based LDO voltage converter can be switched according to the actual situation, and when using a comparator-based LDO voltage converter, the power consumption will be reduced by several times to more than ten times compared to an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment of this disclosure, when the battery management chip is in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through an LDO voltage converter or through a series connection of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter. When the battery management chip is not in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through a buck DC-DC switching converter.

[0118] Alternatively, the voltage conversion unit can be controlled by the signal processing unit inside the battery management chip and / or by the MCU outside the battery management chip, so as to provide the output voltage through an LDO voltage converter, or through a series connection of a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter, or through a buck DC-DC switching converter.

[0119] By using different power supply methods depending on the state, the power supply efficiency of the voltage conversion unit can be effectively improved and the required accuracy can be achieved.

[0120] This disclosure also provides a battery management system, including the battery management chip as described above; and an MCU, wherein the MCU communicates with the battery management chip through the interface circuit of the battery management unit, and the MCU is powered by the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit.

[0121] The battery management system may also include a charging control switch and a discharging control switch, which are used to control the charging and discharging of the battery via control signals from the charging drive unit and the discharging drive unit of the battery management chip.

[0122] This disclosure also provides an electronic device including a battery or battery pack that powers other components of the electronic device; and a battery management system as described above, the battery management system being used to control the charging or discharging of the battery or battery pack.

[0123] This disclosure also provides a method for supplying power to a battery management system via a battery management chip, comprising: receiving the battery output voltage of a battery or battery pack; stepping down the battery output voltage using a step-down DC-DC switching converter within the battery management chip; and providing the step-down voltage to the battery management unit as a power supply voltage for the battery management unit, wherein the battery management unit is integrated in the battery management chip and is used for detecting and / or controlling the battery or battery pack.

[0124] The voltage after step-down processing is also provided to an external MCU of the battery management chip, wherein the MCU communicates with the battery management unit to detect and / or manage the battery.

[0125] The battery output voltage is stepped down by using a buck DC-DC switching converter and an LDO voltage converter. The buck DC-DC switching converter and the LDO voltage converter are controlled to convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by means of the buck DC-DC switching converter, or to convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by means of the LDO voltage converter, or to convert the battery output voltage to a stepped-down voltage by means of both the buck DC-DC switching converter and the LDO voltage converter.

[0126] The LDO voltage converter includes an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter and a comparator-based LDO voltage converter. The LDO voltage converter can be switched to either an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter or a comparator-based LDO voltage converter in order to convert the battery output voltage into the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit.

[0127] The combination of the step-down DC-DC switching converter and the LDO voltage converter in this power supply method can be referred to the description in the battery management chip section above. The method and principle described above are applicable to this power supply method, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0128] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment / mode," "some embodiments / modes," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment / mode or example is included in at least one embodiment / mode or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / mode or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments / modes or examples. Furthermore, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments / modes or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments / modes or examples.

[0129] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0130] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make other changes or modifications based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery management chip, characterized in that, The battery management chip includes: The voltage conversion unit includes a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter. The input of the voltage conversion unit is connected to the battery output voltage, and the output voltage can be controlled by a switch that controls the voltage conversion unit. The battery output voltage is converted into the output voltage of a combined circuit of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter, and this output voltage is used as the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit. The output voltage of the voltage conversion unit is then output through its output terminal. The battery management unit detects and / or controls the battery. The power supply terminal of the battery management unit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit so that the voltage conversion unit can output voltage to power the battery management unit. The battery management chip includes switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry. The outputs of the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry are connected to a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter. When the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry is switched to amplifier mode, the LDO voltage converter is switched to an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter and the Buck power converter is switched to an amplifier-based Buck power converter. When the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry is switched to comparator mode, the LDO voltage converter is switched to a comparator-based LDO voltage converter and the Buck power converter is switched to a comparator-based Buck power converter. When the battery management chip is in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through a series connection of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter. When the battery management chip is not in the state of collecting battery information, the voltage conversion unit provides the output voltage through a Buck power converter.

2. The battery management chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes an interface circuit that communicates with an external MCU (Microcontroller Unit) connected to the battery management chip. Through this interface circuit, the battery management unit sends and receives information with the MCU, enabling it to detect and / or manage the battery. The power supply terminal of the MCU is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit so that the voltage output by the voltage conversion unit can power the MCU.

3. The battery management chip as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a signal processing unit for processing battery detection signals and / or battery management control signals.

4. The battery management chip as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a voltage detection input terminal, which receives the voltage of each battery in a battery pack consisting of N batteries connected in series, where N is an integer greater than 2.

5. The battery management chip as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a selection circuit that selects the battery voltage of one battery in the battery pack at a time, or selects the individual battery voltages of M batteries in the battery pack at a time, thereby obtaining the battery voltage selected by the selection circuit, where 2≤M≤N.

6. The battery management chip as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a first analog-to-digital converter. When the selection circuit selects the voltage of one battery in the battery pack at a given time, the number of first analog-to-digital converters is one, so that the voltage of the selected battery is converted into a digital signal by the first analog-to-digital converter and provided to the signal processing unit. When the selection circuit selects the voltage of each of the M batteries in the battery pack at one time, the number of the first analog-to-digital converters is M, so that the voltage of each of the selected M batteries is converted into a digital signal by the M first analog-to-digital converters and provided to the signal processing unit.

7. The battery management chip as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a current detection input terminal, which receives current information during battery charging or discharging.

8. The battery management chip as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a second analog-to-digital converter, which converts the current information into a digital signal and provides it to the signal processing unit.

9. The battery management chip as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a battery temperature acquisition unit, which obtains the temperature value of the battery and provides the temperature value to the signal processing unit.

10. The battery management chip as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The battery management unit includes a charging drive unit and a discharging drive unit. The signal processing unit controls the charging drive unit and the discharging drive unit according to the battery detection signal and / or the control signal from the MCU, so as to stop or start the charging or discharging of the battery.

11. The battery management chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage conversion unit is controlled by the signal processing unit inside the battery management chip and / or the MCU outside the battery management chip, so as to provide the output voltage through the series connection of the Buck power converter and the LDO voltage converter.

12. A battery management system, characterized in that, include: Battery management chip as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; as well as The MCU communicates with the battery management chip through the interface circuit of the battery management unit, and the MCU is powered by the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit.

13. The battery management system as described in claim 12, characterized in that, It also includes a charging control switch and a discharging control switch, which are used to control the charging and discharging of the battery via control signals from the charging drive unit and discharging drive unit of the battery management chip.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A battery or battery pack that powers other components of the electronic device; as well as The battery management system as described in claim 12 or 13 is used to control the charging or discharging of the battery or battery pack.

15. A method for supplying power to a battery management system based on a battery management chip according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, include: Receives the battery output voltage from a battery or battery pack; The battery management chip's internal voltage conversion unit steps down the battery output voltage to generate its output voltage. This voltage conversion unit includes a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter. The input terminal of the voltage conversion unit is connected to the battery output voltage, and its output voltage can be controlled by a switch within the unit. The battery output voltage is converted to the output voltage of a combined circuit of a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter, and used as the output voltage of the voltage conversion unit; and The stepped-down voltage is provided to the battery management unit as its power supply voltage. The battery management unit is integrated into the battery management chip and is used for detecting and / or controlling the battery or battery pack. The battery management chip includes switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry. The outputs of the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry are connected to a Buck power converter and an LDO voltage converter. When the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry is switched to amplifier mode, the LDO voltage converter is switched to an amplifier-based LDO voltage converter, and the Buck power converter is switched to an amplifier-based Buck power converter. When the switchable amplifier and comparator circuitry is switched to comparator mode, the LDO voltage converter is switched to a comparator-based LDO voltage converter, and the Buck power converter is switched to a comparator-based Buck power converter.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The voltage after step-down processing is also provided to an external MCU of the battery management chip, wherein the MCU communicates with the battery management unit to detect and / or manage the battery.

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