The signpost just ahead for electric vehicles (EVs) appears to be shifting from 400 V to 800 V, not only doubling voltage but significantly reducing the time it takes to charge EV batteries — and, in the process, potentially eliminating one of the main obstacles to widespread EV adoption.
As with any major industry change, this means new requirements will also be in store for testing. While the industry is expected to have largely shifted by 2025, Pickering Interfaces is ahead of the curve with its recent release of a new series of multichannel battery simulator modules capable of increased voltage isolation to support battery stack emulation up to 1,000 V (1 kV).
A new series of multichannel battery simulator modules is capable of emulating battery stacks up to 1,000 V. Source: Pickering Interfaces Ltd.Targeting EV, electric aircraft and other automotive, aerospace and energy storage applications, models in the 41/43-752A-1xx series occupy only a single PXI or PXIe slot. The two-, four- or six-channel battery simulators are capable of supplying up to 7 V and 300 mA per channel; channels are fully isolated from ground and from each other, allowing series connection to simulate batteries in a stacked architecture. The 1 kV isolation barrier also allows modules to be used as lower-power versions of a battery stack, representative of those used for vehicle propulsion.
Each module channel can sink up to 300 mA to simulate a battery under charge and provide independent power and sense connections, allowing the simulator to sense a remote load and correct wiring losses. According to Pickering, the series’ ability to respond to dynamic loads minimizes the need for local decoupling capacitors at the load. Modules also can independently read the voltage at the load and current for each channel, either programmatically or via a manual soft front panel.
It’s also possible to incorporate other Pickering PXI switch and simulation modules, including high voltage switching, fault insertion, thermocouple simulation and RTD simulation, as well as with other vendors’ PXI modules to create a fully flexible battery management system (BMS) test system. The 41/43-752A can also be used as a six-channel fully isolated power supply with independent sense lines on each channel.
Pickering adds that it provides extensive software support, allowing users to design their applications with the operating system and programming languages of their choice for seamless system integration.
Paul Bovindgon, the company’s simulation product manager, noted that “with most of the EV industry expected to shift from 400 V to 800 V architectures by 2025, unlocking significantly faster charge speeds and helping address range anxiety, the 41/43-752A-1xx’s increased voltage isolation will be vital to support BMS test with battery stacks of up to 1 kV.”
