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Simplified Authentication for Battery Pack Testing

17 February 2023 - The most significant difference between electric vehicle technology and the gas-diesel technology of the past is the battery system developed for each different vehicle model. To minimize security threats such as leakage of critical information, tampering with BMS (Battery Management System) data, and charging attempts using counterfeit chargers, manufacturers set up different authentication levels for diagnostic readings and control of information.

The battery pack will only accept commands after it has been properly authenticated. In a practical test scenario, when the battery pack is connected, it is supplied with auxiliary power from a 12V/24V analog lead-acid battery. The EV simulator sends periodic heartbeats (Live counts and Checksum) and then unlocks the battery pack via the SID (Service Identifier) of the Unified Diagnostic Services (UDS) protocol. UDS is an ISO 14229-1 protocol for diagnostic communication within the electronic control unit (ECU) in automotive electronic equipment. It enables authorized operators to obtain information on vehicle/battery pack conditions, fault memory and diagnosis, testing routines, and software updates. Only when the battery pack has been unlocked correctly and permission has been obtained can the control signal be sent to connect the high and low voltage relays in the battery pack, allowing the battery to start charging and discharging and the firmware to be updated.

The Chroma Regenerative Charge and Discharge Tester Series 17020/17020E/17040/17040E come equipped with a proprietary BatteryPro software, which can control the authentication of battery packs of different voltages. For example, by using BatteryPro's pre-test/post-test function to designate the pre-test preparation, authentication, and post-test finishing steps as test stages, users can customize the entire pre-test/post-test process to their needs, making the procedure highly user-friendly and fully automated.

For general CAN communication, the BatteryPro software features built-in CAN write functions for different test processes. It can also control the sending and receiving of CAN signals for specific CAN ID locations and various commands such as relay on/off control, providing more flexibility and closer correspondence with actual usage conditions.

Chroma has been actively working on power battery test solutions in recent years, delivering comprehensive and widely adopted solutions for battery cell, battery module and battery pack testing.

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