System and method for supplying power from a multi-cell battery to a single-cell power management system

A method for supplying power from a multi-cell battery to a single-cell power management integrated circuit, the method comprising:

• receiving a positive battery terminal voltage signal from the multi-cell battery at a first power terminal;
• receiving a cell voltage signal from the multi-cell battery at a second power terminal;
• scaling the positive battery terminal voltage signal with a voltage converter circuit to generate a scaled voltage signal;
• selecting, with a control circuit, one of the scaled voltage signal or the cell voltage signal based on a voltage at the second power terminal;
• outputting, with the control circuit, a high-impedance single-cell power signal including the selected one of the scaled voltage signal or the cell voltage signal;
• buffering the high-impedance single-cell power signal with a signal buffer circuit to generate a low-impedance single-cell power signal;
• and
• sending the low-impedance single-cell power signal to a voltage sense pin of the single-cell power management integrated circuit from a third power terminal.