Battery Management System Testing

Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) testing is a powerful approach to validating many complex automotive ECUs, including the battery management system (BMS). In fact, BMS HIL testing can dramatically accelerate the battery and electrical systems development for new EV programs, while optimizing the safety, reliability, and performance. But what comprises a typical BMS HIL Test System, and how do they work?

Many EV suppliers utilize inefficient approaches for testing the vehicle’s electronic subsystems, including the battery management system (BMS), cell monitors, safety interlocks, and charging systems. For example, use of either live li-ion cells or conventional power supplies and loads produces unsatisfactory results. Limitations with these approaches include safety, repeatability, efficiency and test coverage. Use of traditional, vendor-defined test systems limit the flexibility and scalability of the system.