NXP releases first ultra-wideband wireless battery management system solution

• NXP's ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless battery management system (BMS) simplifies electric vehicle assembly, increases battery energy density, and decouples mechanical and electrical development for faster time to market

• Compared with existing narrowband technologies, Trimension UWB can more effectively resist reflections and frequency-selective attenuation within the battery pack, ensuring more stable and reliable data transmission.

• The solution is part of the NXP FlexCom chipset and supports both wired and wireless BMS configuration, with a common software architecture and security library

Munich Electronics Show, Germany - November 25, 2024 - NXP Semiconductors NV recently released a new generation of wireless battery management system (BMS) solutions. NXP has one of the richest UWB product portfolios in the industry, and the solution integrates the powerful functions of UWB . The new generation of UWB BMS solutions is the next step in overcoming development challenges, aiming to solve problems such as high costs and complex processes in the manufacturing process, thereby accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

Wireless communication within the battery pack enables stable and reliable transmission of battery cell information such as voltage and temperature from each module to the battery management unit without the need for wiring, thereby ensuring optimal performance and preventing situations that could lead to premature failure or safety hazards.

NXP’s UWB wireless BMS technology separates the mechanical and electrical development processes, allowing electric vehicle manufacturers to increase flexibility, accelerate time to market, and reduce costs while maintaining full system scalability across different platforms.

Wireless solutions can minimize complex wiring within the battery pack, reduce error-prone manual operations during production, improve electric vehicle assembly efficiency, and reduce overall life cycle costs. By eliminating connectors and wiring between battery cells, energy density is increased, which is a key parameter in electric vehicle performance design to extend driving range.

“Our wireless battery management system solution incorporating UWB technology is the first of its kind on the market, providing electric vehicle manufacturers with an advanced technology solution to support future electric vehicles,” said Naomi Smit, vice president and general manager of battery management systems at NXP Semiconductors. “Trimension UWB provides simple, secure and robust wireless communication within the BMS, surpassing existing narrowband-based solutions. We are proud to work with our customers to deliver on the promise of wireless technology.”

Implementing wireless technology within the reflective housing of a battery pack is challenging. UWB uses high-bandwidth pulses rather than a modulated carrier frequency (sinusoidal signal) as in 2.4 GHz narrowband technologies such as Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), which improves its immunity to reflections and frequency-selective fading, ensuring more robust data transmission.

NXP’s ultra-wideband wireless battery management system solution will be available to OEMs for evaluation and development in the second quarter of 2025.

The solution is part of NXP's FlexCom chipset and supports both wired and wireless technologies, providing OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers with more flexible vehicle architecture and technology options. Its common software architecture and safety library are applicable to both BMS configurations, enabling customers to reuse software across different platforms, further reducing development workload.

NXP MC33777 Battery Junction Box IC

NXP's FlexCom BMS chipset also includes its recently released MC33777 battery junction box (BJB) IC for high-voltage systems, providing accurate voltage, high-voltage insulation detection and current measurement. The BJB is included in NXP's complete one-stop battery management system solution for wired and wireless battery management solutions, and is compatible with NXP's software and applications, without the need for manufacturers to add other brands.

NXP Electrification Solutions

NXP Electrification Solutions manage the flow of energy across the entire electrified ecosystem, including electric vehicles, homes and buildings, and smart grids. In electric vehicles, flexibility and accuracy enable our customers to extend driving range and keep vehicles on the road longer. NXP Electrification Solutions encompass complete electric vehicle system solutions, including battery cell controllers, battery junction boxes, communication gateways, and microcontrollers, dedicated to providing OEMs with the optimized performance and integrated safety they need.