BPS Series

The BPS Series are automotive-grade pressure sensors designed to detect and report thermal runaway events in lithium-ion battery packs. They use a combination of MEMS (Micro- Electromechanical System) and ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) technologies to detect pressure changes in the battery packs of electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). The detected value is transmitted to the battery management system (BMS) using CAN (Controller Area Network) communication.

The BPS Series measures from 50 kPa to 300 kPa absolute pressure. It has settable warning thresholds for both absolute pressure and rate of change of pressure. The BPS Series allows early detection of a thermal runaway event in a lithium-ion battery pack. This product delivers on performance and reliability.

The BPS Series is automotive qualified and incorporates integrated circuits that are AEC-Q100 qualified to meet higher quality and reliability requirements. The BPS series is also RoHS compliant.

FEATURES

• High accuracy and low temperature drift
• CAN communication protocol
• Wake-up output and request input for high reliability system integration
• Settable warning thresholds for absolute pressure and rate of change of pressure allow use with different equipment types

OPERATING MODES

The sensors function in the following operating modes:

• ECO Mode: The sensor operates in ECO mode when the request pin voltage is set to low. The sensor wakes up for 15 ms and hibernates for the remaining 985 ms (typical) to reduce power consumption during each measurement cycle of 1 second (default value). In ECO Mode, CAN communication is disabled. If the absolute pressure or rate of change of pressure is above the set threshold, a wake-up signal is sent to the BMS to initiate a full battery system check.
• Continuous Mode: The sensor operates in Continuous Mode when the request pin voltage is set to high by the BMS. CAN communication is enabled in Continuous mode. In Continuous mode, the sensor monitors and outputs the absolute pressure and rate of change of pressure to the BMS using CAN communication. The sensor can be switched to ECO mode by setting the request pin voltage to low.

Note: The sensor default working mode is ECO mode.

WORKING LOGIC FUNCTIONS

• Request Signal: The BMS controls the sensor's operating mode through the request pin of the sensor.
• Wake-up Signal: When the sensor detects that the absolute pressure or rate of change of pressure is above a set threshold, the wake-up pin is set to high to wake up the BMS.

VALUE TO CUSTOMERS

• Early detection of thermal runaway has the potential to mitigate the loss of life and property
• ECO mode enables continuous system monitoring in low power mode
• Thermal runaway detection sensor allows compliance with international regulations and recommendations
• Solutions may be tailored to exact specifications for improved time to market
• Lower total system costs and enhanced reliability