UPS (Uninterruptible Power System) is a device that protects equipment or data by supplying electricity stored inside to the load equipment in the event of a power failure or other emergency. The number of lithium-ion batteries varies depending on the size and type of UPS in which they are installed. The circuits that protect the battery vary according to the number of cells used. The number of cells connected in series has a particularly large impact on the protection circuits, therefore protection ICs with cascade functions that can handle batteries with a varying numbers of cells in series are required. As the number of cells in series increases, voltage variations between cells have a significant impact on storage performance, thus a cell balancing function that compensates for voltage variations is also imperative.
In terms of ensuring UPS safety, it is beneficial to configure an independent overcharge protection circuit that combines a constantly monitoring secondary protection IC with a protective fuse in case of a control unit failure or malfunction.
ABLIC offers a wide range of battery protection ICs with cascade and cell balancing functions that are ideal for protecting lithium-ion batteries with various numbers of cells in series.