System of the Month August 2026: A 204-Cell BMS Test Bench with CANoe
A truck and bus manufacturer integrates a two-rack Battery Cell Simulator test bench into its existing CANoe environment for component and integration tests.
The configuration
- 204 simulated cells and 16 NTC simulation channels in total
- Two racks operated together as one test bench
- CANoe control, extended with a real-time PC and I/O cards
- R-ISO-Check for IMD testing and FSU electrical fault simulation
Integrate the bench into the established CANoe environment
The engineering team already used CANoe. The new BMS test bench had to fit into that established way of working, which made open interfaces and integration into the existing software environment decisive.
The Battery Cell Simulator forms the core of the bench. It is controlled through CANoe and extended with a real-time PC and I/O cards. The hardware setup and the software environment support the manufacturer’s component and integration test work.
Test CMCs together with the BMU
The setup supports testing CMCs together with the BMU, beginning at component level before moving on to integration tests. The test environment can therefore be used across these steps in the development process.
Across both racks, the complete configuration provides 204 simulated cells and 16 NTC simulation channels. For this application, the two systems work together as one bench to provide the cell count required by the manufacturer. The two-rack arrangement also supports adapting the setup to different project sizes.
Include insulation monitoring and electrical fault simulation
R-ISO-Check is included for testing the insulation monitoring device, or IMD. An FSU adds extended electrical fault simulation. These functions complement the simulated cell and temperature sensor conditions used for the BMS tests.
Inspect and extend the delivered CANoe project
The system comes with a ready-to-use CANoe project. Engineers can inspect and adapt it, including its user interface. The delivered project is a starting point for further development as their tests evolve.
The team can work with the supplied setup and extend it with its own test logic. Integration into the customer’s existing CANoe environment and access to the editable project give the engineers control over how the application develops.