Customer Background
This US-based customer redefines the concept of energy storage, supplying groundbreaking and eco-friendly battery modules to utility, industrial, and commercial customers around the world. This award-winning company is accelerating the transition to clean energy through innovative solutions that transform how the world stores power.
Customer Need
The customer’s connected clean energy storage solution had one critical component, the Battery Management System (BMS), crucial for managing electronic vehicle batteries. Previously dependent on BMS provided by external firms, they sought independence by creating their own BMS that complied with global safety standards. Impressed by Softdel’s extensive expertise in embedded solution development and our knowledge of global safety procedures and standards, the customer decided to partner with us to develop their own next-gen BMS platform aligned with the IEC 60730 and UL 1998 standards.
Softdel’s Solution
- After a comprehensive study of the customer's requirements, Softdel proposed a detailed strategy to build a BMS in accordance with the globally recognised IEC 60730 Class B safety standard. The system would comprise a Primary and Secondary Board, designed to visualise and monitor the performance of all 64 batteries within the BMS, employing the CAN protocol.
- Following a detailed requirement study and finalisation of the microcontroller approach, hardware development adhered to compliance standards UL1557, UL1973, UL991, CSA/ANSI C22.2 No. 340, and covered:
- Electronic schematic design and selection of hardware components based on compliance standards
- Designing the printed circuit board (PCB) layout, creating Gerber files, manufacturing a prototype PCB board, and performing a final review of the boards
- Creation and execution of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) as per UL 991
- Conducting pre-compliance testing, including EMI/EMC testing, and providing UL/EN/CSA/ANSI compliance testing support
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Firmware development supported compliance standards like
UL1998-Class 1, IEC 60730-Class B, CSA/ANSI C22.2 No. 340, and was designed keeping scalability, modularity, and flexibility in mind. The scope involved:
- Development of a BareMetal State machine
- Design and implementation of drivers for analog-to-digital converter (ADC), CAN, primitive layer, and an LED module
- Integration of an Ethernet driver and TCP/IP stack
- Execution of board bring-up procedures and development of a bootloader application
- Seamless integration of the BMS application with the platform firmware
- Softdel also developed a GUI (Graphical User Interface)-based BMS CAN Utility Development using Python, which included:
- Monitoring of CAN bus
- Configuration of the BMS
- Enabling firmware upgrade over CAN bus
- Additionally, the solution was facilitated with compliance documentation and certification including:
- Compliance related activities for firmware and hardware to enhance functional safety encompassing the EMI/EMC report, Pre-compliance Test Report, Requirement Traceability Matrix, and CPU diagnostics as per IEC 60730-Class B
- Assistance for the actual certification process for UL 1557, UL1973, UL991, UL1998-Class 1, IEC 60730-Class B, CSA/ANSI C22.2 No. 340
Standards and Technology
Hardware: Altium
Communication Protocol: CAN bus, Ethernet
Testing: Static and Dynamic Analysis, Vector cast, Pclint
Programming Language: Embedded C & C++, Python
Platform: Baremetal
CPU Tests: As per IEC 60730-Class B and UL 1998 Class 1
Benefits
- Accelerated time to market: Softdel’s robust expertise helped develop a BMS platform exactly as the customer intended, reducing the need for redesigning efforts on the third-party solution.
- Versatile application: The versatility and scalability of the BMS platform offered adaptability for a multitude of use cases, from optimising large turbines to managing a fleet of buses.
- Compliance with industry standards: Meeting UL 991 and IEC 607030, UL 1557, UL 1973, and CSA standards provided the customer with a solution ensured safety-critical aspect and met the required benchmarks for quality and safety across the world.
- End-to-end assistance: Softdel's team of experts spearheaded the entire process, overseeing design, development, and certification, to guarantee the customer experienced a seamless and thoroughly guided journey.
