Patent attributes
A battery system includes a first cell balancing circuit electrically coupled to first and second sense lines and to a first battery cell. The battery system includes an integrated circuit measuring a first cell voltage between first and second sense lines at a first time while a first cell balancing circuit is turned off, and a second cell voltage between second and third sense lines at the first time while the second cell balancing circuit is turned off, and determining first and second cell voltage values based on the first and second cell voltages, respectively. A microcontroller receives the first and second cell voltage values and determines that an open circuit condition exists in the first balancing circuit if the first cell voltage value is greater than a first threshold voltage value, or the second cell voltage value is less than a second threshold voltage value.
