Single-cell Li-ion over-voltage watchdog
Its primary job is to monitor the cell voltage and trigger a fault output when an over-voltage condition is detected, protecting the cell from charging beyond its safe limit. This is a protection-only device — it does not handle charge control or fuel gauging, so it pairs with a separate charger IC and monitor in a complete battery management system. The -40°C to 110°C operating range covers the full industrial temperature band, including the interior of a sealed battery compartment.
The BQ294602DRVT is specified for over-voltage fault protection only (no under-voltage, no short-circuit, no over-temperature). In a typical application, the IC sits on the cell's protection PCB, monitoring the voltage across the cell. If the voltage exceeds the internal threshold (set by the device variant), the output drives an external FET to disconnect the charge path. This is a one-shot protection latch — once triggered, it holds the fault state until the pack is reset or the charger is removed. Because it is a single-cell device, it is not suitable for multi-cell series stacks without external level-shifting. Designers building 2S or higher packs should look at a multi-cell protector like the BQ2084 series (2–4 cells) or a monitor-plus-protector combo such as the BQ79612 (automotive grade).