Monolithic Power Systems Inc. EVKT-MP2796-0002

Overview

EVKT-MP2796-0002 from Monolithic Power Systems is a complete evaluation kit for the MP2796 battery management AFE IC, designed to demonstrate and validate its operation in 7–16-cell lithium-ion/polymer battery systems. It includes the EV2796-0002-FP-00A evaluation board with SPI interface support, EVKT-USBSPI-00 USB-to-SPI adapter, cables, and GUI software - enabling real-time configuration, protection threshold tuning, and cell voltage/current measurement verification.

For engineers reviewing the EVKT-MP2796-0002 datasheet, EVKT-MP2796-0002 hardware setup, EVKT-MP2796-0002 GUI configuration workflow, or EVKT-MP2796-0002 SPI communication interface compatibility, this kit provides validated test infrastructure for rapid prototyping of high-voltage battery packs used in e-bikes, energy storage systems, and industrial UPS.

Technical Context

The EVKT-MP2796-0002 implements a full-stack evaluation environment for the MP2796 analog front-end IC, which integrates dual ADCs (15-bit cell voltage, 16-bit pack current), configurable over-current/short-circuit/cell voltage/temperature protections, and high-side MOSFET drivers supporting up to 70A discharge control. The kit's EV2796-0002-FP-00A board maps all critical MP2796 pins-including NCS, SCK, SDI, SDO, NSHDN, VTOP, and thermistor inputs-to accessible headers and jumpers.

It supports both volatile register-based configuration via SPI and non-volatile MTP programming (up to two user writes), with GUI-driven access to OTP/MTP views, CRC-protected register groups, and hardware-safe mode entry. Communication relies on the EVKT-USBSPI-00 interface using MPS Virtual Bench Pro firmware and USBXpress driver v4.0.0.0.

Key Specifications

Availability

EVKT-MP2796-0002 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for battery system validation, BMS firmware development, and production-grade protection algorithm testing requiring stable component supply, traceable sourcing, and long-term lifecycle support.

Supply support for EVKT-MP2796-0002 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance power management ICs, including DC/DC converters, battery management solutions, and motor drivers for industrial, automotive, and computing applications.

The MP2796 product line delivers integrated analog front-end functionality for high-cell-count battery packs, targeting robust cell monitoring, configurable safety protections, and scalable balancing architecture in space-constrained applications.

FAQ

What is the difference between EVKT-MP2796-0000 and EVKT-MP2796-0002?

EVKT-MP2796-0000 uses I²C communication via the EVKT-USBI2C-02 interface, while EVKT-MP2796-0002 uses SPI communication via the EVKT-USBSPI-00 interface. Both kits share identical EV2796 evaluation board layouts and GUI software but require different physical interfaces and register access protocols - SPI offers higher bandwidth and deterministic timing for time-critical protection updates.

Does the EVKT-MP2796-0002 retain configuration after power cycle?

No. All register-based configurations made via SPI during active operation are volatile and reset to default values upon power-down. Only settings written to MTP memory (up to two user-programmable writes) persist across cycles - but MTP requires specific voltage sequencing on NSHDN and register-level commands executed through the GUI's NVM View.

Can the EVKT-MP2796-0002 evaluate passive cell balancing?

Yes. The kit supports manual and automatic passive balancing control via dedicated GPIOs and registers. It can drive external balancing transistors with up to 58 mA per cell, and balancing enable/disable, timer duration, and cell selection are fully configurable in the GUI under the Cell Balancing section.

What are the minimum PC requirements to run the MP2796 GUI?

The GUI requires Windows XP or later, .NET Framework 4.0, at least one available USB port, and 25.7 MB of free disk space. Driver installation must use USBXpress v4.0.0.0 - Windows 10 may auto-install an incompatible older version, requiring manual replacement with the correct x86/x64 installer from MPS.

How is thermal protection verified on this evaluation kit?

Thermal shutdown behavior is observable via die temperature monitoring in the GUI and confirmed by automatic recovery when junction temperature falls below the threshold. The kit exposes the THERM pin and supports up to four NTC sensors; die temperature readings appear in real time under the "Monitoring" tab, and fault status flags trigger visible alerts in the GUI interface.

Is open-wire detection functional on the EVKT-MP2796-0002?

Yes. Open-wire detection is enabled by default and verified through the GUI's diagnostic view. When a cell sense line is disconnected, the corresponding channel reports "Open Wire" status, and the fault flag appears in the interrupt register. Configuration options for sensitivity and response delay are accessible in the Open-Wire section of the Configuration tab.