STMicroelectronics Introduces L9962 Battery-Management IC

STMicroelectronics has introduced the L9962 lithium-battery management IC, designed to monitor, balance, and protect battery packs based on lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-polymer (Li-Po) cells. Supporting battery configurations with up to 10 series-connected cells, the device combines high-precision voltage measurement with a 70 mA cell-balancing current to accelerate voltage correction and support battery performance and longevity.

The L9962 is intended for portable and semi-portable equipment, including cordless power tools, medical devices, and light electric vehicles such as e-bikes and scooters. It also targets backup energy storage applications, such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Its low quiescent current enables power-saving operation, including a 5 µA standby mode and a 2 µA deep-sleep mode, helping minimize battery consumption when equipment is inactive or in transit.

Individual cell voltages are continuously monitored using a programmable measurement cycle. When overvoltage or undervoltage conditions are detected, the device can initiate cell balancing and protection functions. A plausibility check also compares the total battery-stack voltage with the configured number of cells. ST specifies voltage measurement accuracy across the full operating temperature range.

For battery current monitoring, the L9962 integrates a high-accuracy current-sense amplifier that supports Coulomb counting. The device can detect excessive charge and discharge currents and provide short-circuit discharge protection. ST specifies 0.25% current-measurement accuracy across the full temperature range, with single-point calibration available during production.

Temperature monitoring is implemented using an external NTC thermistor, providing ratiometric measurements to detect battery-pack over- and undertemperature conditions.

The IC integrates several additional functions intended to reduce external component requirements. These include battery-pack fuse management and configurable high-side and low-side pre-drivers for battery-pack relays. A 3.3 V low-dropout regulator (LDO) remains active in standby mode and can supply external devices such as a microcontroller or indicator LEDs.

An I²C interface allows the host system to configure parameters, including voltage measurement intervals, and to retrieve battery information such as state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH).

The L9962 is currently in production and is supplied in a 7 × 7 mm, 48-pin TQFP package.

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