Tag: cell

ABLIC launches the S-19193 Series of automotive battery monitoring protection ICs

ABLIC (President: Seiji Tanaka, Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “ABLIC”), a group company of MinebeaMitsumi Inc., today launched the S-19193 Series of automotive 3 to 6-cell battery monitoring protection ICs.

BMS (Battery Management Systems) for EVs and e-Bikes, etc. require functional safety (*1) compliant with ISO26262 (*2), which is a standard for functional safety in road vehicles.

The acceptance criteria for functional safety are (1) fail-safe (the ability to return to a safe state in the event of a failure or malfunction), (2) fail-operational (the ability to continue operation even in the event of a failure or malfunction), and (3) fail-degraded (the ability to continue operation with decreased functionality). In the past, the conventional method of achieving (1) fail-safe functional safety was to use a microcontroller (MCU) together with a high performance IC called an “analog front-end” (AFE) to monitor automotive battery overcharge and over discharge conditions.

Under the conventional (1) fail-safe methodology, the safety of a driver is ensured by “returning to a safe state”, i.e. stopping the vehicle in the event of an actual failure or malfunction, and there was no requirement for continued monitoring of batteries after the vehicle had safely stopped.

However, with the evolution of automated driving technologies, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of cases where the system, rather than the driver, handles any problems that occur, so the (2) fail-operational and (3) fail-degraded methodologies, which allow for continued operation even in the event of a failure or malfunction, are becoming increasingly important.

The S-19193 Series automotive 3 to 6 cell battery monitoring protection ICs launched today are products developed in ISO26262 compliant processes and are equipped with functions for monitoring automotive battery overcharge and overdischarge.

Utilizing the S-19193 Series makes it possible to continue battery monitoring as a secondary system even in the event the conventional monitoring system (primary) fails, and to achieve a safer BMS that is both (2) fail-operational and (3) fail-degraded compliant.

There are also examples with AFE and MCU internal monitoring functions configured as primary and secondary, but these are mainly for failure and fault detection through mutual monitoring and are insufficient for backup of functionality. In addition, internal redundancy also poses a risk of “joint failure”, where loss of functionality occurs simultaneous to the occurrence of a failure, however with the S-19193 Series, the secondary monitoring can be made completely independent from the primary monitoring to also mitigate the risk of joint failures occurring.

The S-19193 Series also makes it possible to configure a stand-alone operation secondary monitoring circuit which does not require MCU control, which can also contribute to a reduction in the number of design processes.

A Safety Manual is also available for download to support BMS functional safety design using the S-19193 Series. The product is also compliant with the PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) established by the U.S. Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), and is also planned to be made compliant with AEC(*)-Q100 Grade1 (*Automotive Electronics Council) quality standards for automotive IC.

Going forward, ABLIC will continue to strive to contribute to our customers’ success with high-quality products developed with the utmost consideration for safety and based on our many years of technological capability and knowhow.

(*1) Functional safety: The incorporation of functional innovations to maintain an acceptable level of safety
(Reference: https://www.ablic.com/en/semicon/products/automotive/asil/)

(*2) ISO26262:
An international standard for functional safety of automotive electronic control systems which was officially established in November 2011. It standardizes development processes aimed at achieving “functional safety” by calculating the risk of failure in automotive electronic control systems and devising measures to lower those risks and integrate those risk reduction measures into systems as functionality in advance. The standard covers the entire vehicle development life cycle from initial vehicle conceptualization to development, production, maintenance, and disposal of systems, ECU, embedded software, and devices.
ABLIC has received “ISO 26262” development process certification from a third-party certification organization in Germany.
(Reference: https://www.ablic.com/en/semicon/news/2024/01/10/iso26262/)

 

Major Features

1.Continued automotive battery monitoring functionality in the event of a failure when used as a secondary monitoring IC
The S-19193 Series is capable of maintaining continuous monitoring of battery overcharge and overdischarge through stand-alone operation which does not require microcontroller control. This makes it possible for battery monitoring to be maintained even in the event of a failure of the main monitoring system (primary), to achieve a fail-operational BMS.
In addition, the S-19193 Series is functional safety standard product developed in ISO26262 compliant processes which achieves ASIL-B(D) classification under expected use cases. This product enables to the achievement of safer BMS by configuring this IC as a secondary monitoring circuit while continuing to use existing circuits at the primary monitoring circuit.

2.Enable stand-alone monitoring and failure detection through self-testing with a simple structure
The product is equipped with a self-test function which makes it possible to detect internal IC failures by simply inputting an external start signal. This makes it possible to use the self-test function to allow the system to detect monitoring function failures even in the event monitoring functionality is lost due to overcharge or over discharge resulting from the random failures that can occur when ICs are used over long periods.

3.Cascade function makes it possible to configure simply monitoring circuits with a small number of components
The S-19193 Series is equipped with a cascade function. In addition to direction connection, the S-19193 Series also supports connection with adjacent S-19193 Series products through a photocoupler, making it possible to construct safe monitoring circuits even in high-voltage BMS with a large number of serially-connected batteries.

Major Specifications
•Overcharge detection voltage: 2.50V to 4.50V ±20mV
•Overdischarge detection voltage: 1.00V to 3.00V ±80mV
•Current consumption during operation: 20μ max.
•Max. rating: 28V
•Operating temperature: -40℃ to +125℃
•Package: HTSSOP-16
•Functional safety compliant (*3)
•AEC-Q100 compliant
•PPAP support available
(*3) Functional safety compliant： https://www.ablic.com/en/semicon/products/automotive/asil/fusa-compliance/?rf=asil

Application Examples
• Automotive devices
• Battery monitoring in EVs, HEVs, PHEVs, e-Bikes, etc.
• Industrial equipment
• Battery monitoring in capacitors, electric forklifts, etc.

The Ultimate Guide to Cell Phone Signal Boosters

In current times the population of Earth depends on their mobile phones for daily communication and day-to-day business. Hence, reliability on a strong Internet connection is at stake for different users with various purposes. Generally, the cell phone contact, be it at home or in the office, has poor connection. 

The solution to the described problem is a signal booster which can allow people to continue using their phones in all areas in spite of coverage. If you are on the search for the best service, then you need to boost the giffgaff mobile coverage to receive the utmost mobile quality network, persistent data connection for any kinds of tasks and goals. 

General understanding of a signal booster 

A signal booster, known as a cell phone booster, is a special device that enhances weak cellular signals which are usually used by cell phones, smartphones, tablets, even hotspots and cellular-connected devices. 

By increasing the already existing cell signal, a booster helps to:

  • Reduce dropped signals
  • Improve voice quality
  • Lessen glitches with phone calls
  • Increase data speed 

Regardless of the network carries, there were situations when every user experienced weak cell signal at least once. 

It is worth mentioning that signal boosters amplify the signal which is already available. Broadly speaking, boosters can improve signal only by using transmissions, not by creating new signals. As practice shows, dead zones lack any kind of transmission. However, there are other factors which make cell signals unreliable. Here is the list of primary factors:

  • Buildings which impede the cell signals passing through concrete, metal, energy-efficient windows and others. 
  • Vehicles, which are made up of metal and safety glass, the outer shell of any vehicle, block any cell signals. 
  • Distance, the further one moves away from the cell tower the weaker the signal gets. 
  • Terrain, such as rocks, hills, mountains, which can be located near a cell tower can potentially prevent a cell signal. 

 

Therefore, if in the area of your accomodation there is no coverage for the network then the booster will not do the work. On the other hand, occasionally, such devices may enhance weak signals when the coverage is sparse and spotty then there is a high probability that booster installment will provide users with a signal. 

The question may arise on whether signal boosters work in rural or remote areas. Yes, it may work in off the beaten track locations and rural areas, however, it is recommended to use the strongest booster within the home or vehicle category to achieve the best possible results. 

Tricks to get a better cell phone signal 

As mentioned earlier, not everyone has a great signal on their location and as a matter of fact physical obstacles usually affect cell signal strength by often simply blocking it. 

1. Move to a different location in your home 

First and foremost, cellular coverage may be uneven inside your home. In some rooms there may be a better signal because of the direction of a carrier tower, or large trees on the property hinder the signal. Connectivity may improve depending on where the person is. So, think about putting a cell signal on the stronger part of the house. 

2. Do not block the antenna 

Try removing your cell phone case since most smartphones tuck the antenna inside of the phone and dull antenna’s activity is unable to receive and transmit RF signals. 

3. Check your phones performance 

From time to time, the root of the problem can be with the actual mobile device. You need to make sure that your cell phone’s performance is performing at its best with a full battery and the most recent software updates. Traditionally, older phone models do not have recent updates or strong networks. 

4. Remove possible obstructions 

It may not change the situation drastically, however, taking away some metal constructions, surfaces or elements may no longer distance the user from the faster signal. It is an easy concept to grasp, the less obstructions there are the better the signal will be. 

5. Evaluate cell phone signal 

Various websites and applications can help users find towers and get general reading on the user’s cell phone signal. It is necessary to find field test mode which can give an exact reading for the specific device at the specific moment.  

6. Consider a new carrier 

If previous recommendations fail, you may consider switching the carrier and start a new plan with a new carrier which proves to be more reliable and provides decent cellular coverage for personal needs of a user. 

7. Cell phone signal booster

Choosing a proper signal booster can be an important point to consider as well. As a rule of the thumb, signal boosters are carrier agnostic and can support different carriers. However, should there be a problem with a carrier, consider choosing a new one. 

Cell phone boosters often use an antenna to receive a signal and amplify it to give users a strong connection in general. Cell phone signal boosters consist of 3 components:

  • An outdoor antenna, which is mounted on the roof of one’s home. Such a type of antenna is powerful enough to get even weak signals that are not detected by smartphones. 
  • A booster unit which receives the signal from an outdoor antenna and amplifies it into a dependable signal that is used by indoor devices. 
  • An indoor antenna, which takes the received boosted cellular signal and distributes it evenly through the house to provide more connectivity. 

Conclusion

This guide is supposed to provide you with fundamental information about signal boosters and how to create good access to the Internet. If you ever wonder how to boost a cell phone signal at home, turn to UCtel who offer solutions for any individual case and can even improve signal for mobile operators if necessary. Giffgaff, known as a large MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), mobile coverage has flexible deals to offer, like unlimited data plans, and most importantly provides great coverage throughout the UK and Europe.