Patent ID: 6611774
Filing Date: 2003-08-26
Classification: G01R,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
An interface device for interfacing at least one portion of at least one string of batteries with a battery monitoring system, comprising:a) at least one probe for respectively probing said at least one portion of said at least one string, each of said at least one probe including: i) a controllable sensing means for sensing a plurality of parameters of said at least one portion; ii) a communication means for communicating data to and from the controllable sensing means, the data including control signals sent from the battery monitoring system to the controllable sensing means, and information signals relating to the plurality of parameters of the at least one portion; and iii) a memory for memorizing an address assigned to each of said at least one probe upon reception of an initialization signal sent by the battery monitoring system via the communication means; and b) a bus for serially interconnecting the communication means of each of said at least one probe to the battery monitoring system in a daisy chain manner wherein said bus is a five wire bus, where a first wire is used exclusively for addressing purposes, a second wire is used as a broadcast in channel, a third wire is used as a broadcast out channel, and a fourth and fifth wires are used for supplying voltage.