NXP Unveils New 18-Channel Battery-Cell Controller IC Family for Improved Battery Management Systems
NXP Introduces New Generation of Battery-Cell Control Integrated Circuits
NXP Semiconductors has announced the launch of a new family of battery-cell controller Integrated Circuits (ICs), the BMx7318 and BMx7518. These advanced ICs are designed to enhance the performance, reliability, and safety of battery management systems (BMS) in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, and 48V applications.
Key Features and Benefits
The new IC family offers advanced 18-channel monitoring for Li-ion battery cells. Each IC can measure voltages of up to 18 individual battery cells and simultaneously track up to 12 temperature sensors, allowing precise monitoring of battery conditions at both cell and pack levels.
Beyond cell-level monitoring, the ICs integrate analog front-end, battery junction box, and gateway functions into a single chip. This integration enables monitoring of pack voltage, insulation integrity, and temperature, thereby enhancing system-level safety and reliability.
The ICs include a hardware alarm pin for quick response to overcurrent events, improving system reliability and helping prevent hazards like short circuits or thermal runaway. They also monitor insulation integrity, critical for thermal management and fire risk reduction.
The family supports NXP’s isolated daisy-chain TPL protocol for connecting multiple ICs in large battery packs and provides an isolated SPI-to-TPL bridge to interface with the BMS safety MCU, enhancing communication robustness and flexibility.
The new architecture reduces external components by 50%, lowering costs for OEMs and tier 1 suppliers while improving electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity and bulk current injection robustness, which bolsters reliability and system stability.
The family offers diverse part numbers with pin-to-pin compatibility, easing design flexibility and scalability for various applications and battery pack sizes. Moreover, the ICs meet automotive ASIL-C and industrial SIL-2 standards, signaling compliance with stringent safety requirements essential for dependable operation in automotive and industrial environments.
Enhanced Battery Management
The sensitivity of Li-ion batteries isn't just a product of the minute impurities or deviations that can occur during the manufacturing process. The new ICs feature configurable averaging of cell voltage measurements through digital filtering and support passive cell balancing to maximize the usable capacity.
The new ICs deliver high-resolution voltage, current, and temperature sensing at the cell and pack levels. They can measure the voltage level of the pack, the condition of the insulation inside it, and the temperatures in different parts of it.
In EVs, a Li-ion battery can reach voltages of up to 1,000 V. The new chips can integrate current sensing through a separate shunt resistor and monitor voltages, currents, and thermal conditions of the larger battery pack.
One of the main risks in battery management is thermal runaway, a condition in which one of the battery cells overheats uncontrollably and can trigger a chain reaction that spreads to other cells. The new BMx7318 and BMx7518 chips can support "semi-centralized" architectures, yielding system-level cost savings while enhancing the performance and stability of the overall BMS.
Looking Ahead
NXP plans to roll out the new family of battery-management ICs more broadly in late 2025. Several firms, including Eatron and Qnovo, are adding artificial intelligence (AI) into BMS software to enhance state estimation and optimize battery operation in real-time. NXP's new ICs are designed to provide faster, more accurate insights into what's happening inside a battery, setting the stage for future advancements in battery management technology.
In addition, the new BMx7318 and BMx7518 chips can act as a battery disconnect unit (BDU), which is used to connect and disconnect the high-voltage battery pack to the loads and prevent short circuits and other hazards. This multi-functional capability further underscores the potential of these new ICs to revolutionize battery management systems.
References: [1] NXP Semiconductors. (2023). Press Release: NXP Semiconductors Unveils New 18-Channel Battery-Cell Controller IC Family for Improved Battery Management Systems [2] NXP Semiconductors. (2023). Datasheet: BMx7318/BMx7518 Battery-Cell Controller IC Family
The new family of battery-cell controller ICs from NXP Semiconductors, the BMx7318 and BMx7518, are designed to enhance the performance and safety of battery management systems in various industries such as electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and 48V applications. In the future, these ICs may also be used in collaboration with artificial intelligence in finance and technology sectors to optimize battery operation and state estimation for more efficient and safe energy manipulation.
