Renesas Electronics Corporation, a provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, has released an AUTOSAR-compatible complex device driver (CDD) software module for designers of automotive battery management systems (BMS) in electric vehicles (EVs).
The new software is paired with Renesas' ISL78714 lithium-ion battery management IC to accelerate design and optimize performance of next-generation systems.
The CDD software is designed to work with the Renesas Winning Combination BMS reference design hardware kit, which includes the ISL78714 IC and the RH850/P1M MCU.
The CDD includes configuration and integration of the necessary microcontroller abstraction layer (MCAL) modules provided by Renesas for the RH850 MCU. It also provides a complete low-level software solution for collecting battery cell voltage and temperature measurements and controlling the cell balancing functions of the ISL78714.
There are configurable parameters that determine the number of cells in the BMS system and the desired rate of data collection from the battery cells.
“As the electric vehicle market continues to expand rapidly, battery management is a critical element in the success of new vehicles,” said Niall Lyne, vice president of Renesas’ automotive analog power and video business division. “The Renesas ISL78714 IC combined with our new CDD software helps our customers get the best possible performance from their battery management systems, shortens their development timeline while easing the difficult process of meeting stringent security requirements ASIL D.”
CDD software has a simple but complete API that allows end-user application software to receive real-time battery cell measurements. The software interfaces and protocol management required to operate the ISL78714 are integrated into the CDD software and operate on top of the existing lower-level SPI, GPIO, and general purpose timer (GPT) drivers included in the MCAL modules.
CDD software provides customers with a practical architecture to simplify their software design and allows them to focus efforts on unique features of their application.
The new ISL78714 CDD software follows the ISO26262 ASIL D development processes (the highest level of automotive functional safety). The RH850/P1M MCU and MCAL modules also achieve ASIL D. The ISL78714 CDD software, as a model for successful ASIL D software development, is a huge asset. Customers wanting assistance with their project can work under contract with Renesas partner TATA Elxsi to develop their system.
“The unique features of the Renesas ISL78714 battery management IC, combined with new CDD software, provide a powerful platform to develop our integrated BMS,” said Chris Klesyk, vice president of battery management at Our Next Energy. “This technology partnership is critical to ONE’s immediate BMS needs and provides a path for future improvements.”
