MathWorks and NXP Collaborate to Launch Model-Based Design Toolbox for Battery Management Systems

MathWorks and NXP Collaborate to Launch Model-Based Design Toolbox for Battery Management Systems

New toolbox simplifies battery management system design, testing and algorithm deployment workflow on NXP processors

Beijing, China, November 13, 2024 - MathWorks, the world's leading mathematical computing software developer, announced today that it has collaborated with NXP® Semiconductors, a world-leading automotive processing company, to launch the Model-Based Design Toolbox (MBDT) for battery management systems (BMS) . The toolbox supports engineers in MATLAB® and Simulink® to model, develop, and verify BMS applications, automatically generating C code from MATLAB for NXP battery cell controllers, and supporting NXP's software solution, BMS SDK components.

The BMS is critical to electric vehicles because it ensures optimal performance, durability, and safety of the battery packs that power these advanced vehicles. The BMS design process increasingly relies on modeling and simulation to fine-tune algorithms to suit the specific cell types and battery pack configurations of electric vehicles. Model-Based Design supports the efficient design of BMS algorithms, providing a way to simulate and test them under different scenarios, such as driving habits, environmental conditions, and fault conditions. MBDT for BMS enables engineers to easily convert from Simulink models directly to run and test BMS algorithms on NXP processors. This capability simplifies the BMS development process and accelerates the prototyping and testing phases.

“We are pleased to collaborate with MathWorks to support automotive engineers in developing next-generation BMS solutions,” said Lars Reger, chief technology officer at NXP Semiconductors . “Using MBDT to streamline testing directly on NXP processors offers numerous benefits, including faster design iterations, enabling engineers to identify and resolve issues earlier in the design process, reducing time to market.”

The MBDT for BMS solution bridges the gap between theoretical design and practical application. Engineers can implement their Simulink BMS models directly on NXP processors without any manual coding, thus maintaining the integrity and efficiency of their original algorithms. In addition, the MBDT BMS product has integrated input/output (IO) connection capabilities. This feature supports engineers to perform dynamic, realistic testing of their BMS systems, providing instant feedback from early hardware prototypes and in-depth understanding of system performance under various operating conditions. This level of testing is critical to ensuring the reliability and safety of BMS solutions in real-world scenarios.

“We’re simplifying and accelerating the development process by enabling engineers to create BMS algorithms in Simulink and then run them directly on NXP processors,” said Jim Tung, principal researcher at MathWorks . “The growth of the electric vehicle market requires more efficient, reliable, and safer battery systems, and tools like MBDT that simplify and enhance the engineering process will be critical. Shortening development time, streamlining testing, and accelerating market entry will set you apart in this competitive market.”