Designed for 2-4 and 3-10 cell series (S) lithium-ion batteries, the R-BMS F solutions include Renesas' industry-leading charge indicator integrated circuits (FGICs), an integrated microcontroller (MCU) and analog battery front-end, pre-programmed firmware, software, development tools and full documentation, all available in complete evaluation kits.
Firmware is essential in battery management systems, as it is used to monitor battery state of charge (SoC), state of health (SoH), current, and temperature, as well as to actively balance individual cell voltages and detect faults. However, in some cases, consumer electronics developers may lack the highly specialized knowledge needed to develop control algorithms that keep batteries operating within a safe temperature range and ensure adequate battery life through many charge/discharge cycles.
Renesas' R-BMS F solutions include pre-tested, integrated firmware designed to work with the FGIC's integrated MCU. The firmware includes pre-programmed critical functions to maximize battery life and ensure safe operation. These include cell balancing, current control, and voltage and temperature monitoring. For added flexibility, the battery management system allows developers to set numerous parameters to meet specific requirements and adjust the solution for different cell chemistries via a graphical user interface (GUI), without requiring a full integrated development environment (IDE).
Both R-BMS F solutions include a complete evaluation kit, which contains all the necessary hardware, software, tools, and documentation to begin development. The underlying hardware powering the R-BMS F is Renesas' FGIC solution, which combines an analog battery front-end and an ultra-low-power RL78 MCU in a single, small package. The analog section provides accurate measurements of cell voltage, current, and temperature, as well as controlling external MOSFETs and converting analog data into digital signals. The digital section houses the synchronous functions, including the main CPU, clocks, timers, and serial interfaces. The evaluation kits also include: pre-programmed firmware stored in onboard flash memory, allowing for flexible configuration of the battery pack and cell chemistry parameters; a USB System Management Bus (SMBus) interface; GUI-based software; cables for communicating with the host system; dedicated development tools for parameter configuration; and comprehensive documentation, including schematics and an engineering bill of materials (eBOM). With these resources, developers can confidently innovate intelligent energy management systems that safely monitor battery usage and extend battery life, while reducing their environmental impact. Renesas plans to include turnkey R-BMS F solutions in all future FGICs.
The R-BMS F for 2- to 4-cell solutions (~8 V to 16 V) is targeted at small vacuum cleaners, robotic vacuums, and consumer and medical devices, and works with the Renesas RAJ240055 lithium-ion battery FGIC . Renesas offers the Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner | Renesas by combining this FGIC with other devices in its portfolio.
A solution for 3- to 10-cell series (RTK0EF0136DK0002BU) is also available.
RAJ240100 and RAJ240090 lithium-ion battery FGICs , with intended applications including e-bikes, electric mobility, vacuum cleaners, robotics, drones, and industrial, consumer, and medical systems.
