Safety and the lithium battery

Some of the common lithium battery-charging faults that pose safety issues to the device and end users are discussed. Many of these faults are form charging circuits that have direct paths from the adapter to the charging IC, battery, and system. Resolving input overvoltage involves an external protection circuit that with an input overvoltage protection (INOVP) threshold. If the protection circuit cycles between allowing the adapter retry and then checking if the current continues to exceed the overcurrent threshold, then a minor current issue can resolve itself while limiting system, battery, and charger damage. Battery overvoltage protection (BOVP) requires monitoring the battery voltage directly, and disconnecting the power source when the battery voltage exceeds some threshold. Implementing INOVP, OCP, or BOVP requires adding circuits that actively monitor and rectify a particular fault . The most cost-effective and compact solutions use charger protection ICs and inserting them between the adapter and the rest of the system.