Open-Source Administration System for Lithium-Titanate Battery Technology
The open source Lithium-Titanate Oxide (LTO) Battery Management System (BMS) project by Vlastimil Slintak is designed for single-cell (1S) configurations of LTO batteries, typically arranged as 1S3P (one series, three parallel cells). This BMS is ideal for low-power applications such as Meshtastic nodes, using an ATtiny824 microcontroller to manage cell protection and monitoring.
Key Features and Specifications
The LTO BMS offers a range of impressive features, including:
- Cell Chemistry: Lithium-Titanate Oxide (LTO) with a nominal voltage around 1.7–2.8 V per cell.
- Configuration: Single series cell with three parallel cells (1S3P).
- Protection: Under-voltage, over-voltage, and over-current protections are included.
- Controller: The ATtiny824 MCU handles management and communications.
- Current Rating: The BMS supports up to 1 A charge/discharge current, providing approximately 2.4 Watts at average cell voltage.
- Capacity: Using three 1300 mAh LTO cells, the total capacity is approximately 9 Wh.
- Communication: The BMS can be queried for statistics over an I2C interface.
Advantages of LTO Chemistry
LTO chemistry offers faster charging, better stability, and improved safety versus typical lithium-ion batteries, at the expense of lower energy density—making it ideal for applications prioritizing longevity and safety over maximum energy density.
Applications
This open source BMS is particularly useful for wireless mesh network nodes (e.g., Meshtastic), other low-power IoT devices needing robust battery safety and monitoring, small-scale renewable energy storage, or portable electronics using LTO cells.
A Filling of a Specific Gap
This BMS project fills a specific gap for managing LTO single-cell configurations with essential protection features and open access to monitoring data, suitable for developers needing dependable battery management for stable, safe, low-power systems.
For those in search of a battery management system for LTO cells, this project provides a customizable option for single-cell LTO systems in embedded and IoT contexts. More information about the development and final design of this LTO BMS project can be found in an accompanying blog post.
[Vlastimil Slintak] and [Marcel] have both provided valuable insights regarding this LTO BMS project.
This open source LTO Battery Management System (BMS) is designed for low-power applications such as wireless mesh network nodes, and it is particularly useful for managing LTO single-cell configurations. The BMS leverages technology, featuring a Controller (ATtiny824 MCU) for management and communications, and it uses Lithium-Titanate Oxide (LTO) chemistry, which offers advantages like faster charging, better stability, and improved safety over typical lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, the BMS is open source, making it an ideal choice for hardware development in science and technology contexts.
