Self-Testing Charge Discharge Control Circuit for Battery Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery devices with multiple series-connected secondary batteries and cascade-connected charge/discharge control circuits become complex and require a complicated test device for voltage detection circuits, especially as the number of batteries increases.
Innovation Solution
A charge/discharge control circuit with a self-test function, incorporating a pull-up/pull-down circuit and a self-test control circuit that allows for sequential testing of voltage detection circuits without the need for an external test device, enabling each charge/discharge control circuit to perform a self-test and communicate results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the number of secondary batteries is increased to output high voltage, then the power supply capability is improved, but the number of voltage detection circuits increases and the test device becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The charge/discharge control circuit performs self-diagnosis of its own voltage detection circuit using internal resources. The microcontroller unit uses internal pull-up/pull-down circuits and existing voltage detection functionality to test whether the detection circuit operates normally, eliminating the need for external test equipment and reducing test device complexity while maintaining the ability to handle high voltage through multiple series-connected batteries
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cascade-connected charge/discharge control circuits are used to control multiple secondary batteries, then the control capability is improved, but the complexity of testing each voltage detection circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each charge/discharge control circuit independently performs self-diagnosis of its voltage detection circuit through the microcontroller unit. The system uses internal pull-up/pull-down circuits to create test conditions and evaluates the detection circuit's response, allowing each control circuit to verify its own functionality without requiring complex external testing infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage detection circuit serves dual purposes: it performs its primary function of monitoring battery voltage during normal operation and simultaneously serves as part of the self-diagnosis mechanism during testing. The same detection circuitry is used for both operational monitoring and self-test functions, reducing the need for separate test equipment
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a charge/discharge control circuit having a self-test function, which can dispense with a complicated test device, and a battery device. The battery device includes the charge/discharge control circuits each including a pull-up/pull-down circuit provided at a terminal to which a secondary battery is to be connected. When a self-test start signal is input so as to enter a self-test state, a self-test control circuit controls the pull-up/pull-down circuit, to thereby perform a test on a voltage detection circuit provided at the terminal to which the secondary battery is to be connected. When the self-test is finished, a self-test start signal is output to a next-stage charge/discharge control circuit, to thereby perform a test sequentially on the voltage detection circuits of the cascade-connected charge/discharge control circuits.