A battery-management system (BMS) lies at the heart of today’s electric vehicle (EV). The BMS has the dual roles of protecting the battery against damage and maximizing the driving range available on a single charge. Semiconductors play a key role in implementing the algorithms that optimize charging and discharging cycles and detect potential battery defects that could lead to significant damage.
BMS Architecture
A BMS typically employs a modular distributed architecture with three major subsystems: the cell supervisor unit (CSU); battery-control unit (BCU), also known as a battery-management unit (BMU); and battery junction box (BJB), also known as a battery disconnect unit (BDU).