BATTERY ASSEMBLY CONTROLLER WHICH MONITORS VOLTAGES OF SECONDARY BATTERIES AND SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USED FOR THE BATTERY ASSEMBLY CONTROLLER

A battery assembly controller controls terminal voltages of a plurality of series-connected secondary batteries to be equal. The controller includes a discharge circuit selectively reducing the terminal voltages of the secondary batteries; and a monitoring circuit directly connected to positive and negative electrodes of the secondary batteries to monitor the terminal voltages of the secondary batteries.