11 Sep 2023

Automotive Manufacturers Advance Battery Management Systems with Elite, Flexible Solutions from Pickering Interfaces

Pickering offers flexible testing and simulation solutions amidst pressing demands on BMSs

Pickering Interfaces, a premium supplier of modular signal switching and simulation solutions for use in electronic test and verification, today announced the company’s success with flexible testing solutions for battery management systems (BMSs).

As electric vehicles continue to advance, testing and validating their complex systems becomes increasingly critical. At the core of these vehicles lies the BMS - a sophisticated electronic system tasked with monitoring hundreds of cells and protecting the battery from damage. Validating BMS performance requires rigorous simulation across diverse operating conditions early and often.

“Our solutions help automakers move from design validation to production test of BMSs,” said Noman Hussain, Pickering Interfaces Vice President, Software & Strategic Business Development. “Today’s BMS demands can require testing of a single system every 15 seconds, 24/7 – our modules provide consistent, reliable test results for accurate validation and verification.”

Read more about Pickering’s BMS verification success: https://www.pickeringtest.com/resources/success-stories/battery-management-system-bms-verification-in-15-seconds

Pickering provides successful solutions for customers by offering platform-agnostic hardware and specific modules optimal for BMS testing.

Maximizing multiple test standards in a single, modular solution keeps systems flexible and cost effective

Pickering enables long-term flexibility for test and simulation systems through support for open platforms like PXI and LXI.

Unlike vendors tied to a single platform, Pickering provides PXI switching and simulation solutions that integrate into any vendor’s PXI chassis as well as their LXI/USB chassis.

PXI excels when timing synchronization, speed, and high density are critical, while LXI/USB provides simple and convenient control options via Ethernet and USB interfaces, and the ability to house multiple capabilities within a single unit further streamlines the testing process, reducing complexity and enhancing flexibility. Workloads can be optimized by partitioning to meet density, timing, and cost demands. Pickering also simplifies test creation through unified software for PXI and LXI systems – engineers can use the same application to control LXI and PXI instruments without the need to change drivers or change test setups.

Pickering offers modules ideal for BMS testing 

Pickering solutions for BMS test include:

  • Fault Insertion Modules: high current, high-density modules to simulate various faults when validating BMS, ECU, or powertrain performance in an HIL system
  • RTD Modules: resistance-based temperature sensors simulate both PT100 and PT1000 RTD sensor types that require fine setting resolution
  • Thermocouples: simulation of thermocouples can be used for sensor emulation in ECU testing 
  • Battery Simulator – voltage and current simulation of Li-ion batteries during charge/discharge cycles, now with increased voltage isolation up to 1000V
To help customers avoid supply chain issues, Pickering keeps an available supply of these modules as well as a variety of chassis.

See Pickering’s BMS solutions at The Battery Show 

Visit Pickering Interfaces in booth #2749 at The Battery Show North America in Novi, MI, September 12-14. Pickering will have the BMS demo available, as well as PXI and LXI/USB chassis with high voltage switching, RTD, and fault insertion modules.

Interested in learning more? Read about Pickering’s Battery Simulator, explore Pickering’s product selection tool, or visit pickeringtest.com. 

About Pickering Interfaces

Pickering Interfaces designs and manufactures modular signal switching and simulation for use in electronic test and verification. Pickering offers the largest range of switching and simulation products in the industry for PXI, LXI, USB and PCI applications. To support these products, Pickering also provides cable and connector solutions, diagnostic test tools, and application software and software drivers created by an in-house software team.