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1. INTRODUCTION
2. EVALUATION PLATFORM SETUP
2.1 HARDWARE SETUP
2.2 SOFTWARE SETUP
2.3 TEST SETUP AND EVALUTION RESULTS
3. REFERENCES
4. Contact Us
The main function of a Battery Monitoring System is to keep the different cells of the battery pack inside their safe operating area. The ADBMS1818 Multicell Battery Stack Monitor described in this application note is a solution featuring the ADBMS1818, an Analog Devices, Inc., cell monitoring IC.
This application note introduces the ADBMS1818 Multicell Battery Stack Monitor which is an evaluation platform, consisting of the following boards.
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BMCU Board Unit (see Figure 1: BMCU Board Unit)
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ADBMS1818 Slave unit (see Figure 2: EVAL-ADBMS1818 Slave)
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DC2472A 18-Cell Stimulus Board
This application note also describes the system setup from a hardware and software perspective. Refer to the ADBMS1818 data sheet and the master unit documentation linked in the References section while using this application note.
Figure 1. BMCU Board Unit
Figure 2. EVAL-ADBMS1818 Slave
Figure 3. DC2472A
This section describes the evaluation of the ADBMS1818 platform and lists the required steps for both hardware and software setup.
Figure 3: BMCU Block Diagram shows the main elements and interconnections of the BMS system. The implementation (the number of slave units, the size of the battery) depend on the user application and specifications.
Figure 4. BMCU Block Diagram
This section focuses on the main elements that intercommunicate in the system. Check References for the required hardware.
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Part Number / Description |
|---|---|---|
| BMCU Board Unit | Analog Devices | ADI BMCU Board |
| ADBMS1818 Slave Unit | Analog Devices | EVAL-ADBMS1818Z |
| DC2472A 18-Cell Stimulus Board | Analog Devices | DC2472A |
| ADI BMS UI Application EXE | Analog Devices | Precompiled Sample Python Windows GUI Application |
| ADI BMS UI Application Source | Analog Devices | Python Source Code for Windows GUI Application |
| BMS MASTER: BMCU Firmware Source code | Analog Devices | Embedded Firmware targeting MAX32626ITK on the BMCU Board Unit |
Table 2. BMCU System Components
BMCU Board Unit:
The Evaluation Platform Demo Software uses the following components on the BMCU Board Unit:
- Microcontroller MAX32626ITK+ with ARM Cortex-M4 FPU Processor.
- USB Interface for communication as well as power supply source.
- Two IsoSPI ports for communication with ADBMS1818 Slave Units
There are also additional components on the BMCU Board Unit which are not used in the Demo Software but offer value and may be expanded upon by the customer:
- Two Standard SPI(FRC)
- EEPROM via I2C.
- Arduino Shield connectors.
- Isolated CAN Interface via SPI.
- Host computer running Windows
EVAL-ADBMS1818 Slave Unit:
The ADBMS1818 Multicell Battery Stack Monitor can measure up to 18 series connected battery cells with a total measurement error of less than 3mV. The cell measurement range of 0V to 5V makes the ADBMS1818 suitable for most battery chemistries. All 18 cells can be measured in 290μs, and lower data acquisition rates can be selected for high noise reduction.
Multiple ADBMS1818 devices can be connected in series, permitting simultaneous cell monitoring of long, high voltage battery strings. Each ADBMS1818 has an isoSPI interface for high speed, RF immune, long-distance communications. Multiple devices are connected in a daisy chain with one host processor connection for all devices. This daisy chain can be operated bidirectionally, ensuring communication integrity, even in the event of a fault along the communication path.
The ADBMS1818 Slave Unit can be powered directly from the battery stack or from an isolated supply. In this evaluation platform, the ADBMS1818 Slave unit is powered by the DC2472A 18-Cell Stimulus Board. The ADBMS1818 includes passive balancing for each cell, with individual PWM duty cycle control for each cell. Other features include an onboard 5V regulator, nine general purpose I/O lines and a sleep mode, where current consumption is reduced to 6μA.
Using the DC2472A 18-Cell Simulus Board:
The DC2472A 18-Cell Simulus Board is a simple battery stack simulator and can be used to mimic up to 18 cells connected in series. It is powered from a USB connection. The number of output rails (cells) can be reduced and adjusted using the jumpers. This board simulates 1.5 volts and 4.2 volts per cell, which is suitable for several battery chemistries.
Make connections of the BMCU boards with EVAL-ADBMS1818 boards as shown in Figure 3: BMCU Block Diagram.
Connect the following cables:
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USB Type-C Cable: This is a generic USB 2.0 Type-C to Type-A Male cable used to connect and power the BMCU Board Unit from the Host PC.
E.g. https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Type-C-USB-Male-Cable/dp/B01GGKYKQM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=usb+type+c+2.0&qid=1672736825&sprefix=usb+type+c+2.0%2Caps%2C383&sr=8-3 -
USB Type-Micro-B Cable: Used to connect and power each DC2472A 18-Cell Stimulus Board
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DuraClik Cable: This is a custom made DuraClik to ethernet which can be assembled as per below instructions:
DuraClik-Ethernet Cable Set Details
To connect and communicate between the BMCU Board Unit and two ADBMS1818 Slave Units, two DuraClik-Ethernet Cables are needed. ADBMS1818 Slave Units communicate between each other with normal Ethernet cables. If only one ADBMS1818 Slave Unit is used, there no requirement for a normal Ethernet cable. With each additional ADBMS1818 Slave Unit in the system, an additional Ethernet cable is required.
The following parts are needed to create the two required DuraClik-Ethernet cables.
- One normal Ethernet cable
- One Molex 797581009 cable, which has one cable crimp terminal 0797581009 on each end.
- Cut One Ethernet Cable in two equal parts
- Cut two 797581009 crimped cables into half
- Insert crimped end of the 797581009 cable pieces into the DuraClik Connector 5023510200
- Strip the free ends of the Ethernet cable and 797581009 cable pieces
- Solder the Ethernet cable and DuraClik cable together.
This cable is used to connect and communicate ADBMS1818 board with BMCU board.
- JTAG: JTAG Debugger and programmer is used for flashing the firmware on to the board through a 10-pin connector.
Running ADI BMS UI Application EXE:
- On the host computer, download BMCU Board GUI Executable(see the Reference Section).
- Open the extracted BMCU Board GUI Executable folder navigate to Executable\BMS Application\BMS-GUI
- Open the application named BMS-GUI.exe
- Determine the COM port of the BMCU Board Unit by going to windows Device Manager.
- After opening in the PC/Host configuration Tab set the required configuration data like OV, UV thresholds, COM port, number of boards.
- Set the baud rate to 115200
- Check the GUI user guide for detailed information, check References for link
Figure 5. BMCU Board GUI
Stack voltage vs time graphs are plotted for each board as shown in Figure 5: GUI - PC/Host Configuration Tab
In board tabs, real time cell voltages, gpio voltages are filled. The graph is plotted for the selected cells as shown in Figure 6: GUI - Board Tab
Figure 6. GUI - PC/Host Configuration Tab
Figure 7. GUI - Board Tab
| No. | Document | Path |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Reference Code | https://github.com/ArrowElectronics/BMCU/tree/Development |
| 2. | BMCU Board Schematics | https://github.com/ArrowElectronics/BMCU/blob/Development/Documents/Schematic.pdf |
Table 3. Reference links
5. Contact Us
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- If you have not already downloaded the repository, go here: https://github.com/ArrowElectronics/BMCU/tree/Development
- Download and unzip the zip file
- Navigate to BMCU-Development\Executable\BMS Application\BMS-GUI.exe