Partnership develops next generation battery management silicon

Dukosi is partnering with GlobalFoundries to develop feature-rich chips for electric vehicles in the automotive industry. The firm designs and markets a novel battery management technology that employs wireless communications protocols to transmit data on the health of a battery's individual cells over the battery pack.

Dukosi's BMS chipset allows suppliers to re-architect batteries in EVs, removing over 95% of the cables presently needed to monitor temperature, state of health, and state of charge in battery packs. Uniquely, the design employs NFC technology with a single antenna to monitor and process data directly on the battery's cells and wirelessly communicate this data to the central BMS. The simplified battery pack design saves weight and enables higher cell density, resulting in increased driving range.

The partnership supports the manufacturing of production-grade silicon, intended to satisfy the stringent safety and reliability standards of its end markets, including AECQ100 automotive grade. It will use GF's Auto Pro Solution, a platform of automotive technology features, controls, and services to make sure that quality and reliability of the silicon satisfies the demands of the automotive industry.

"Battery management is essential for the safe and efficient operation of batteries," said Dukosi chief executive, Nat Edington. "The market requires a BMS that can meet the space and reliability demands of their applications. To date, battery management has been done with heavy and bulky wires, linking all cells to a central BMS. By replacing individual wires with one simple antenna, more accurate measurement and processing of the data at source, on every cell, batteries become inherently safer, simpler and smarter."

"GlobalFoundries is excited to partner with Dukosi to create innovative solutions to revolutionize battery management systems for electric vehicles," said Kamal Khouri, vice president of automotive at GF. "This partnership is a great example of how companies such as Dukosi use GF's feature-rich technology to create disruptive solutions, in this case, for the automotive industry and the evolution of the electric vehicle."