BATTERY MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM MASTER-SLAVE

Novi trg 9, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia

mail: [email protected]; www.rec-bms.com

All information in this document is subject to copyright and other intellectual property rights of REC d.o.o. and its
licensors. The material may not be modified, reproduced or copied, in whole or in part without the prior written
permission of REC d.o.o. or its licensors. REC d.o.o., 2023.
 Novi trg 9, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia
mail: [email protected]; www.rec-bms.com

Features:

- Master BMS unit + up to 15 series Slave BMS units configuration

- up to 3 digital temperature sensors DS18B20
- single cell voltage measurement (0.1 – 5.0 V, resolution 1 mV)
- single cell - under/over voltage protection
- single cell internal resistance measurement
- SOC and SOH calculation
- over temperature protection
- under temperature charging protection
- 4.0 Ω passive cell balancing
- shunt current measurement (resolution 19.5 mA @ ± 500 A)
- internal battery powered real time-clock (RTC)
- galvanically isolated user defined multi-purpose digital outputs
- 4 internal relays output (normally open or normally closed)
- galvanically isolated RS-485 communication protocol
- CAN communication (SMA SI compatible)
- error LED + buzzer indicator
- 12 V galvanically isolated supply (11-13.5 V)
- PC user interface/WiFi for changing the settings and data-logging (optional accessory)
- hibernate switch
- ISO16315, ISO10133, EN61558-1, EN61558-2 and EN50498 compliant

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INDEX:
General Description of the BMS Unit:..................................................................................................... 4
Hardware Parameters: ............................................................................................................................ 5
Default Software Parameters: ................................................................................................................ 7
System Overview: ................................................................................................................................... 8
Slave BMS Unit Connections: .................................................................................................................. 8
Setting Number of Cells and the RS-485 Address: ................................................................................ 13
BMS Cell Connector: ............................................................................................................................. 14
BMS Unit Power Supply: ....................................................................................................................... 15
Paralleling Cells: .................................................................................................................................... 17
BMS Unit Connection Instructions: ....................................................................................................... 17
BMS Unit Start Procedure: .................................................................................................................... 18
Slave BMS Unit LED Indication: ............................................................................................................. 19
Cell Voltage Measurement: .................................................................................................................. 19
Battery Pack Temperature Measurement: ........................................................................................... 19
BMS Current Measurement: ................................................................................................................. 20
Master BMS Unit ................................................................................................................................... 22
Power Supply ........................................................................................................................................ 23
RS-485 Communication Protocol: ......................................................................................................... 23
Master-Slave RS-485 communication ................................................................................................... 28
CAN Communication: ............................................................................................................................ 29
Master BMS Unit Start Procedure: ....................................................................................................... 31
Voltage/Temperature Hysteresis: ......................................................................................................... 31
Master BMS Unit LED Indication: .......................................................................................................... 31
BMS Cell Balancing: ............................................................................................................................... 31
Balancing START Voltage (BMIN): ......................................................................................................... 31
Balancing Voltage END(BALV): .............................................................................................................. 32
Cell Internal DC Resistance Measurement: .......................................................................................... 32
Battery Pack SOC/SOH Determination:................................................................................................. 32
Battery Pack’s Charging Algorithm: ...................................................................................................... 32
Maximum Cell Float Voltage Coefficient (CFVC): .................................................................................. 34
Battery Pack’s Discharging Algorithm: .................................................................................................. 34
Master BMS Unit Battery Packs Pre-Charge Connection ...................................................................... 37
System Error Indication:........................................................................................................................ 38
Slave BMS Unit Dimensions: ................................................................................................................. 42
Master BMS Unit Dimensions ............................................................................................................... 42

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General Description of the BMS Unit:

The Battery Management System (BMS) monitors and controls each cell in the battery pack by measuring
its parameters. The capacity of the battery pack differs from one cell to another and this increases with
number of charging/discharging cycles. The Li-poly batteries are fully charged at typical cell voltage 4.16 -
4.20 V or 3.5 – 3.7 V for LiFePO4. Due to the different capacity this voltage is not reached at the same time
for all cells in the pack. The lower the cell’s capacity the sooner this voltage is reached. When charging
series connected cells with a single charger, voltage on some cells might be higher than the maximum
allowed voltage. Overcharging the cell additionally lowers its capacity and number of charging cycles. The
BMS equalizes cell’s voltage by diverting some of the charging current from higher voltage cells to power
resistors – passive balancing. The device’s temperature is measured to protect the circuit from over-heating
due to unexpected failure. Battery pack’s temperature is monitored by Dallas DS18B20 digital temperature
sensor/s. Maximum 3 temperature sensors per unit may be used. Current is measured by a low-side shunt
resistor. Battery pack current, temperature and cell’s voltage determine state of charge (SOC). State of
health (SOH) is determined by comparing cell’s current parameters with the parameters of a new battery
pack. The BMS default HW parameters are listed in Table 1.

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Hardware Parameters:
Table 1: Slave BMS unit hardware parameters.
PARAMETER VALUE UNIT
BMS maximum pack voltage 68.0 V
BMS minimum pack voltage 10 V
BMS minimum pack voltage (HW UVP)* - V
BMS cell voltage range 0.0 to 5.0 V
Shunt common mode input voltage interval
-0.3 to 3.0 V
(Shunt+, Shunt -) to the Cell 1 negative
Shunt sensor max differential input voltage interval
-0.25 to 0.25 V
(Shunt+ to Shunt -)
Cell voltage accuracy +/-1 mV
Pack voltage accuracy +/-5 mV
DC current accuracy +/- 1 LSB
Temperature measuring accuracy +/-0.5 °C
DC Current sample rate 4 Hz
Cell voltage sample rate 1 Hz
Cell balancing resistors 4.0 Ω
Maximum operating temperature** 70 °C
Minimum operating temperature** -20 °C
Maximum storage temperature** 30 °C
Minimum storage temperature** 0 °C
Maximum humidity** 75 %
Max continuous DC current opto-relay @ 100 V DC 3 A
Max DC current @ optocoupler 1, 2 15 mA
Max DC voltage@ optocoupler 1, 2 62.5 V
BMS unit disable power supply @ 48 V 1.5 mW
BMS pre-charge resistance 25 Ω
BMS unit operation power supply @ 48 V 180 - 190 mW
BMS unit cell balance fuse rating 3 slow A
Internal relay fuse 3.15 slow A
Dimensions (w × l × h) 190 x 98.4 x 38 mm
IP protection IP32
HW version 1.36 n.a.
*installed on request
**defined by internal RTC back-up 2032 battery

Table 2: BMS 9M Master BMS unit hardware parameters.

PARAMETER VALUE UNIT
Master BMS unit 9M maximum supply voltage 13.5 V
Master BMS unit 9M minimum supply voltage 11 V
Master BMS unit 9M minimum supply voltage (HW UVP)* 10.5 V
BMS maximum cell voltage 5.0 V
Cell voltage sample rate 1 Hz
Maximum operating temperature 70 °C
Minimum operating temperature -20 °C
Maximum storage temperature 30 °C
Minimum storage temperature 0 °C
Maximum humidity 75 %
Max continuous DC current relay @ 60 V DC 0.7 A
Max continuous AC current relay @ 230 V AC 2 A

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Internal relay fuse 3.15 slow A

Master BMS unit 9M unit disable power supply @ 12 V 0 mW
Master BMS unit 9M unit stand-by power supply @ 12 V < 350 mW
Dimensions (w × l × h) 190 x 104 x 38 mm
IP protection IP32
HW version 4.2 n.a.
*installed on request, may be set from 12 to 60 V.

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Default Software Parameters:

Table 3: Default Master BMS unit parameter settings*.
PARMETER VALUE UNIT
Chemistry 3 (LiFePO4) n.a.
Capacity 200 Ah
Balance start voltage 3.45 V
Balance end voltage 3.55 V
Cell over-voltage switch-off per cell 3.75 V
Over-voltage switch-off hysteresis per cell 0.20 V
Cell end of charge voltage 3.55 V
End of charge hysteresis per cell 0.25 V
SOC end of charge hysteresis 5 %
Maximum cell float voltage coefficient 0.5 n.a.
Cell-under voltage protection switch-off 2.80 V
Under voltage protection switch-off hysteresis per cell 0.10 V
Cell under voltage discharge protection 2.95 V
Battery pack under voltage protection switch-off timer 2 s
Cells max difference 0.25 V
SOC discharge hysteresis 5 %
BMS over-temperature switch-off 55 °C
BMS over-temperature switch-off hysteresis 5 °C
Cell over temperature switch-off 55 °C
Cell over temperature switch-off hysteresis 2 °C
Under temperature charging disable 0 °C
Under temperature charging disable hysteresis 2 °C
Voltage to current coefficient - Slave BMS units 0.01953125 A/bit
Integrated pre-charge time - Slave BMS units 4 s
Current measurement zero offset - Slave BMS units 0.0 A
Maximum charging/discharging current per inverter device 36/62 A
Number of inverter/charger devices 1 n.a.
Charge coefficient 0.6 1/h
Discharge coefficient 1.5 1/h
CAN communication frequency 500 kbit/s
SW version 2.9 n.a.
*all parameters’ values may be changed with PC Software Master BMS unit Control user interface/WiFi module.

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System Overview:

Figure 1: System overview.

Slave BMS Unit Connections:

Figure 2: BMS Slave unit function overview.

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Figure 3: Slave BMS unit connections description.

Table 4: RS-485 communication output connector’s pin description.

Master-Slave
(MS)/Stand-
Pin Connection Description Plug
alone (SA)
connection
1 RS-485 B out Signal B out MS/SA
2 RS-485 A out Signal A out MS/SA
BMS Enable output from
RS-485 +5 V ENABLE Master BMS unit in Master-
3 MS
out Slave configuration (installed
794190-1
on demand)
4 RS-485 +5 V out RS-485 +5 V Power supply MS/SA
5 RS-485 GND out RS-485 Power supply GND MS/SA
RS-485 CABLE SHIELD
6 SHIELD OUT MS/SA
out

Table 5: RS-485 communication input, CAN communication and Control Pilot connector’s pin description.
Master-Slave
(MS)/Stand-
Pin Connection Description Plug
alone (SA)
connection
1 CP AGND EVSE CP ground SA
2 CAN TERMINATION L 120 Ω CAN termination low SA
3 CAN L CAN signal low SA
CAN driver power supply in
case of required galvanic
4 + 5V CAN SA
isolation (+5 V between pin 11
and pin 4)*
BMS Enable input from
Master BMS unit in Master-
5 RS-485 +5 V ENABLE in MS
Slave configuration (installed 794202-1
on demand)
6 RS-485 B in Signal B in MS/SA
7 RS-485 A in Signal A in MS/SA
8 CP EVSE CP signal SA
9 CAN TERMINATION H 120 Ω CAN termination high SA
10 CAN H CAN signal high SA
CAN ground - BMS GND. If
11 CAN GND galvanically isolated use as SA
+5V supply AGND.*

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RS-485 CABLE SHIELD

12 SHIELD IN MS/SA
in
13 RS-485 GND RS-485 Power supply GND MS/SA
14 RS-485 +5V RS-485 +5 V Power supply MS/SA
* Galvanically isolated CAN communication is upgraded upon request.

Table 6: Power supply, cell measurement and pre-charge connector’s pin description.
Master-Slave
(MS)/Stand-
Pin Connection Description Plug
alone (SA)
connection
1 CELL 1- Cell 1 negative (PACK -) MS/SA
2 CELL 2+ Cell 2 positive MS/SA
3 CELL 4+ Cell 4 positive MS/SA
4 CELL 6+ Cell 6 positive MS/SA
5 CELL 8+ Cell 8 positive MS/SA
6 CELL 10+ Cell 10 positive MS/SA
7 CELL 12+ Cell 12 positive MS/SA
8 CELL 14+ Cell 14 positive MS/SA
9 CELL 16+ Cell 16 positive MS/SA
PRE-CHARGE Pre-charge out – connect to System +
10 SA
OUT side of the contactor
794210-1
BMS Power supply negative (Cell 1
11 PACK- MS/SA
negative)
12 CELL 1+ Cell 1 positive MS/SA
13 CELL 3+ Cell 3 positive MS/SA
14 CELL 5+ Cell 5 positive MS/SA
15 CELL 7+ Cell 7 positive MS/SA
16 CELL 9+ Cell 9 positive MS/SA
17 CELL 11+ Cell 11 positive MS/SA
18 CELL 13+ Cell 13 positive MS/SA
19 CELL 15+ Cell 15 positive MS/SA
20 PACK + BMS Power supply positive MS/SA

Table 7: Current and temperature sensor connector’s pin description.

Master-Slave
Pin Connection Description (MS)/Stand-alone Plug
(SA) connection
1-WIRE GND 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20
1 MS/SA
port 1 Supply GND
1-WIRE 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20
2 MS/SA
SIGNAL port 1 signal
1-WIRE +5 V 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20
3 MS/SA
port 1 Supply +5 V 794196-1
CURRENT Shunt sensor Kelvin connection
4 MS*/SA
SENS - negative
CURRENT
5 SENS CABLE Current sensor cable shield MS*/SA
SHIELD

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1-WIRE GND 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20

6 MS/SA
port 2 Supply GND
1-WIRE 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20
7 MS/SA
SIGNAL port 2 signal
1-WIRE +5 V 1-WIRE temperature sensor DS18B20
8 MS/SA
port 2 Supply +5 V
CURRENT Shunt sensor Kelvin connection
9 MS*/SA
SENS + positive
10 - - -
*Slave BMS unit with address 1 only.

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Table 8: Remote ON/OFF and I/O connector’s pin description.

Master-Slave
Pin Connection Description (MS)/Stand-alone Plug
(SA) connection
OPTOCOUPLER
1 Optocoupler 1 emitter (negative) SA
1 EMITTER
OPTOCOUPLER
2 Optocoupler 2 emitter (negative) SA
2 EMITTER
OPTO-RELAY
3 Opto-relay output signal SA
OUT
REMOTE
4 BMS Remote ON/OFF input MS/SA
ON/OFF -
OPTOCOUPLER 794192-1
5 Optocoupler 1 collector (positive) SA
1 COLLECTOR
OPTOCOUPLER
6 Optocoupler 2 collector (positive) SA
2 COLLECTOR
OPTO-RELAY IN Input supply + for the OPTO – RELAY
7 SA
(100V DC, 3 A max)
BMS Remote ON/OFF source (connect
REMOTE
8 to REMOTE ON/OFF – pin 4 to enable MS/SA
ON/OFF +
the BMS)

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Setting Number of Cells and the RS-485 Address:

Before powering the device, the end user must set the correct number of cells that will connect to the unit
and if multiple BMS units are used it is also required to set a unique address for each unit to avoid data
collision on the RS–485 communication bus.

The number of cells connected to the BMS unit is selected via the CELLS rotary switch, while the BMS
address is set via ADDR rotary switch at the back of the BMS unit. User should set 4-16 cell and address
from 1-15. Address 16 is used for Master BMS unit 9M.

Figure 4: BMS address and cell selection rotary switches.

Table 9: Number of cells CELLS settings.

Selection Setting
0 1 cell (ERROR 6)
1 2 cell (ERROR 6)
2 3 cells (ERROR 6)
3 4 cells
4 5 cells
5 6 cells
6 7 cells
7 8 cells
8 9 cells
9 10 cells
A 11 cells
B 12 cells
C 13 cells
D 14 cells
E 15 cells
F 16 cells

Table 10: BMS address ADDR settings.

Selection Setting
0 Address 0 (ERROR 6)
1 Address 1
2 Address 2

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3 Address 3
4 Address 4
5 Address 5
6 Address 6
7 Address 7
8 Address 8
9 Address 9
A Address 10
B Address 11
C Address 12
D Address 13
E Address 14
F Address 15

BMS Cell Connector:

Connect BMS power supply, each cell and pre-charge BMS cell connector 20-pin plug. We recommend using
silicon wires with a cross section of 0.5 – 1 mm2.
! Before inserting the cell connector check the voltage level and polarity of each connection!
! When working on cells/connections – the BMS’ cells connector must be unplugged, otherwise the BMS
may be damaged!

Figure 5: Battery pack BMS cell connector.

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BMS Unit Power Supply:

BMS unit is always powered from the PACK + and PACK – connections. An additional connection from the
battery pack positive voltage (Pack +) and the battery pack negative voltage (Pack -) should be connected
to pins 20 and 11. Do not bypass the Cell 1- and the highest cell to this connection. It decreases the
measurement accuracy since the power is connected through the measurement cells connection.

Figure 6: BMS unit power supply.

If multiple Slave BMS units are used in series, care should be taken how to connect each. Two separate
wires should be wired to the same cell: first wire for the lower Slave BMS unit as the end-cell voltage
potential, and second wire as GND potential for the higher Slave BMS unit. See Fig. 7! Do not bypass the
higher cell!

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Figure 7: Multiple Slave BMS units for series cell connection.

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Paralleling Cells:
Battery pack capacity may be increased in two ways. By adding a parallel string with the same cells using
BMS Master unit and multiple 2Q BMS in Slave configuration or paralleling on the cell connection level.
Connecting cells in parallel as a sub-pack that are later connected in series have to be designed properly to
enable same current distribution amongst all the parallel cells in the sub-pack. Lithium cells have very low
DC impedance, sub 1 mOhm. Connecting the sub-pack with 1 mOhm cell connection difference causes the
cells with the lowest connection to double the current in/out of the cell. A result is a cell with higher
temperature that self-discharges faster and ages faster than the rest of the cells in the sub-pack.
This is a centralized BMS and it is not suitable for connection of multiple sub-packs with a power cable
between them. This connection introduces a voltage rise/drop on the adjacent cell due to the increased
internal impedance. A distributed BMS should be used in this case.

Figure 8: Parallel cell connection.

BMS Unit Connection Instructions:

Connect the BMS unit to the system by the following order described in Fig. 9. It is important to disable all
the BMS functions by turning enable switch OFF before plugging any connectors. All cells should be
connected last and simultaneously. When all the system components are plugged in, the enable switch
can be turned ON and the BMS starts the test procedure.

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Figure 9: BMS connection/disconnection procedure.

When disconnecting the unit from the battery pack, the procedure should be followed in reverse order.

BMS Unit Start Procedure:

When the BMS is turned ON it commences the test procedure. BMS checks if the user tries to upload a new
firmware. After the timeout the RED error LED turns on to signal the system’s test procedure. The
procedure starts by testing the balancing switches, the BMS address and cells number, temperature
sensor/s detection, self-calibration and EEPROM memory parameters. The test completes in under 2
seconds. In case of no Errors the RED LED turns off and the BMS unit starts working in normal mode after
a beep sound.
If an error is detected a sound alarm/blinking red LED signal will notify the user. Each error is coded to a
number. The most common errors at system startup are listed below.
• Error 6 = improper DIP switch setting.
In case of Address=0 or 16 or a cell number <4, error 6 informs the user to properly set the rotary
switches. BMS has to be turned off before the pins are changed.
• Error 8 = temperature sensor not detected.
• Error 10 = reference/BMS temperature measurement failure
• Error 15 = balancing transistor failure
• Error 16 = TWI communication failure

An overview of all possible system errors is presented in the System Error Indication Section.

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Slave BMS Unit LED Indication:

Power LED (green) signals the state when the Slave BMS unit is measuring its battery pack values.

Error LED (red) is turned on in case of system error and signals the error number with 50 % duty cycle.
Between repeated error number 1 s timeout is introduced.

Cell Voltage Measurement:

Cell voltages are measured every second. The cell measurement performs 16-bit 4 ms cell measurement
by Sigma Delta ADC. Each cell voltage is measured after the balancing fuse, in case the fuse blows, BMS
signals error 10 or 15 to notify the user.

Battery Pack Temperature Measurement:

Battery pack temperatures are measured by Dallas DS18B20 digital temperature sensor/s. Up to two
sensors can be used in parallel @ each 1-wire port, connected directly to the wiring. Up to 8 sensors may
be used with a junction box and a custom firmware. BMS should be turned off and the sensor 10-pin
connector should be disconnected before adding sensors. Temperature sensor/s use shielded 3-wire cable
and a common mode line chock to prevent EMI. Cable length should be as short as possible. Placing
temperature cable near the power connection should be avoided. Route temperature sensor 90° to the
power cable to avoid EMI that may cause communication error no. 8.

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BMS Current Measurement:

Low-side only precision shunt resistor for current measurement is used on the Slave BMS unit with the
address 1. Connect the shunt as close as possible to the battery negative power connection (cell 1-). Fuses
or manual DC switch should be placed to the system positive - before the contactor, since the CAN GND
may be supplying the inverter negative rail.
A 4-wire Kelvin connection is used to measure voltage drop on the resistor. As short as possible shielded
cable should be used to connect the power shunt and Slave BMS unit. The average battery pack current is
calculated in every measurement cycle. A high precision Sigma-Delta ADC is used to filter out the current
spikes. The first current measurement is timed at the beginning of the cell measurement procedure for a
proper internal DC resistance calculation. Four more 300 ms measurements are performed through the
whole BMS measurement interval Shunt connection is shown in Fig. 10. If the BMS measures
charging/discharging current that is higher than the double value of the rated shunt for more than 2
consecutive cycles error 12 is triggered. This serves for a shunt, contactor and fuse protection in case of the
short circuit.

Figure 10: Shunt resistor connection.

Different size and resistance shunts can be used, since the voltage-to-current coefficient can be changed in
the BMS Control software as IOJA x.xxxx or selected from the drop menu in the REC WiFi module Settings
tab. Offset may be corrected using IOFF x.xx instruction. Non-listed shunts coefficients should be entered
manually. Current is calculated by the voltage drop at the shunt resistor. 1 LSB of the 18-bit ADC represents
different current values according to the shunt resistance. The LSB coefficient can be calculated as:
0.05 V 𝐼currentx
𝑘𝐿𝑆𝐵 = 0.01171875 ∙ ∙
300 A 𝑉dropx
where the Vdropx represents the voltage drop on shunt resistor at current Icurrentx.

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Table 4: Voltage-to-current coefficients for typical shunt resistors

SHUNT VOLTAGE-TO-CURRENT COEFFICIENT
RESISTOR SETTING
100 A/50 mV 0.00390625
200 A/50 mV 0.0078125
300 A/50 mV 0.01171875
500 A/50 mV 0.01953125

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Master BMS Unit:

Figure 11: Master BMS Unit function overview.

Table 12: Relay Outputs (optional by additional software).

Pin Connection Polarity Protection
Charger enable relay 1 -
1 NO
backup
Charger enable relay 1 -
2 Signal Fuse 2A Slow
backup
3 - NC
Main relay DC- negative
4 NO
rail control relay 2
Main relay DC- negative
5 Signal Fuse 2A Slow
rail control relay 2
Main relay DC- negative
6 NC
rail control relay 2
7 Pre-charge relay 3 NO
8 Pre-charge relay 3 Signal Fuse 2A Slow
9 Pre-charge relay 3 NC
Main relay DC+ positive
10 NO
rail control relay 4
Main relay DC+ positive
11 Signal Fuse 2A Slow
rail control relay 4
Main relay DC+ positive
12 NC
rail control relay 4

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Power Supply:
Connect the power supply at the back side of the Master BMS unit. Supply voltage is limited to 11 – 13.5 V
DC by internal protection circuit. Power consumption differs according to the switched-on relays or I/O. If
no relay is turned on, the Master BMS unit consumes about 350 mW of power @ 12 V. Power supply entry
is isolated from the rest of the circuit by internal isolative DC-DC converter. CAN bus only has the same
ground as the power supply. Under 10.5 V Master BMS unit shuts off.

Figure 12: Master BMS unit back plate power supply pins.

Table 5: Master BMS unit power supply connections.

Pin Connection Protection
1 GND
Under-voltage/overvoltage +
2 +12 DC (11 V – 13.5 V)
over-current protection

RS-485 Communication Protocol:

Figure 13: RS-485 DB9 COM

Table 6: RS-485 DB9 Master BMS unit connector pin designator.

Master BMS DESIGNATOR COM

unit DB9 pin
1 CABLE SHIELD (AGND)
2 AGND - Master
3 B
4 A
5 -
6 +5V to AGND
7 -
8 -
9 -

Galvanically isolated RS-485 (EN 61558-1, EN 61558-2) serves for logging and changing BMS parameters.
Dedicated PC Software BMS Master Control, REC Wi-Fi module, REC LCD touch display or another RS-485
device may be used for the communication. Default RS-485 Master BMS unit address is 16.
Unlock password: Serial without the first minus e.g. 2Q-XXXX, 9M-YYYY.

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Messages are comprised as follows:

STX, DA, SA, N, INSTRUCTION- 4 bytes, 16-bit CRC, ETX

• STX start transmission <0x55> (always)
• DA - destination address <0x01> to <0x10> (set as 6)
• SA - sender address <0x00> (always 0)
• N – number of sent bytes
• INSTRUCTION 4 bytes for example.: LCD1? - (combined from 4 ASCII characters, followed by ‘?’, if
we would like to receive the current parameter value or ‘ ’,’xx.xx’ value in case we want to set a
new value
• 16-bit CRC - big endian, for the whole message except STX in ETX -
https://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/crc-calculation.html
• ETX - end transmission <0xAA> (always)

Dataflow:
• Bit rate: 56k
• Data bits: 8
• Stop bits: 1
• Parity: None
• Mode: Asynchronous
• Little endian format when an array is sent

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Table 7: RS-485 instruction set.

SETTING
INSTRUCTION DESCRIPTION BMS ANSWER
INTERVAL
Answer “REC-BATTERY
*IDN? Identification Read only
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM”
GENERAL ARRAYS INSTRUCTIONS
First answer is 28 – how many
byte data will be sent and then
data message follows as 7 float
values:
LCD1 [0] = min cell voltage,
LCD1 [1] = max cell voltage,
LCD1? Main data LCD1 [2] = current, Read only
LCD1 [3] = max temperature,
LCD1 [4] = pack voltage,
LCD1 [5] = SOC (state of charge)
interval 0-1-> 1=100% and
LCD1 [6] = SOH (state of health)
interval 0-1-> 1=100%
First answer is 8 – how many
byte data will be sent and then
data message follows as 8 byte
values:
LCD3 [0] = min cell BMS address,
LCD3 [1] = min cell number,
LCD3 [2] = max cell BMS address,
LCD3? Main data Read only
LCD3 [3] = max cell number,
LCD3 [4] = max temp. sens. BMS
address,
LCD3 [5] = max temp. sens.
number,
LCD3 [6] = Ah MSB,
LCD3 [7] = Ah LSB
BMS first responds with how
many BMS units are connected,
CELL? Cell voltages Read only
then it sends the values of the
cells in float format
BMS first responds with how
many BMS units are connected
PTEM? Cell temperatures then it sends the values of the Read only
temperature sensors in float
format
BMS first responds with how
many BMS units are connected
RINT? Cells internal DC resistance Read only
then it sends the values in float
format
BMS first responds with value 1,
then it sends the values of the
BTEM? BMS temperature Read only
BMS temperature sensor in float
format

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First answer is 4 – how many

byte data will be sent and then
data message follows as 4 byte
values:
ERRO [0] = 0 – no error, 1 – error
Error number description
ERRO? ERRO [1] = BMS unit Read only
array
ERRO [2] = error number (1-16)
and
ERRO [3] = number of the cell,
temp. sensor where the error
occurred
VOLTAGE SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS
BVOL? or
Balance end voltage Returns float voltage [V] 2.5 to 4.30 V
BVOL x.xx
BMIN? or Balancing start voltage
Returns float voltage [V] 2.5 to 4.30 V
BMIN x.xxx Should be set to 90 % SOC
CMAX? or
Cell over-voltage switch-off Returns float voltage [V] 2.0 to 4.30 V
CMAX x.xx
MAXH? or Cell over-voltage switch-off
Returns float voltage [V] 0.005 to 2.0 V
MAXH x.xx hysteresis per cell
CMIN? or Cell-under voltage
Returns float voltage [V] 1.8 to 4.00 V
CMIN x.xxx protection switch-off
MINH? or Cell uder-voltage switch-off
Returns float voltage [V] 0.005 to 2.0 V
MIN x.xxx hysteresis per cell
CHAR? Or Cell End of charging
Returns float voltage [V] 2.0 to 4.30 V
CHAR x.xxx voltage
CHIS? Or End of charging voltage
Returns float voltage [V] 0.005 to 2.0 V
CHIS x.xxx hysteresis per cell
CFVC? Or Maximum cell float voltage
Returns float value 0.0 to 1.0
CFVC x.xxx coefficient
RAZL? or
Cells max difference Returns float voltage [V] 0.005 to 1.0 V
RAZL x.xx
TEMPERATURE SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS
TMAX? or cell over temperature
Returns float temperature [°C] -20 to 65 °C
TMAX x.xxx switch-off
TMIN? or Under-temperature
Returns float temperature [°C] -30 to 65 °C
TMIN x.xxx charging disable
TBAL? or BMS over-temperature
Returns float temperature [°C] -20 to 65 °C
TBAL x.xxx switch-off
BMTH? or BMS over temperature
Returns float temperature [°C] 1 to 30 °C
BMTH x.xxx switch-off hysteresis
SLAVE BMS UNIT CURRENT SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS*
IOFF? or Current measurement zero
Returns float current [A] -2.0 to 2.0 A
IOFF x.xxx offset
Voltage to current
IOJA? Or
coefficient broadcast to all Returns float value 0.0005 to 0.5
IOJA x.xxx
Slave BMS units
BATTERY PACK SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS
CYCL? or Current number of full
Returns integer value 0 to 8000
CYCL xx battery pack cycles
CAPA? or
Battery pack capacity Returns float capacity [Ah] 1.0 to 5000.0 Ah
CAPA x.xxx
CHEM? or
Cell chemistry Returns unsigned char value 1 to 7
CHEM xx

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SOC SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS

SOCH? or SOC end of charge
Returns float value 0 – 1.0 0.005 to 0.99
SOCH x.xxx hysteresis
SOCS? or
SOC manual re-set Returns float value 0 – 1.0 0.01 to 1.00
SOCS x.xx
SYSTEM COMMUNICATION SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS
CHAC? or Charge coefficient (0-3C) Returns float value 0-3.0
0.01 to 3.0
CHAC x.xxx (default 0.6)
DCHC? or Discharge coefficient (0- Returns float value 0-3.0
0.01 to 3.0
DCHCx.xxx 3C) (default 1.5)
Number of inverter Returns unsigned char value
SISN? or SISN xx 1 to 6
devices on the bus (default 1)
MAXC? or Maximum charge current
Returns float current [A] 5.0 to 345.0 A
MAXC x.xxx per inverter device
Maximum discharge
MAXD? or
current per inverter Returns float current [A] 5.0 to 345.0 A
MAXD x.xxx
device
cell under-voltage
CLOW? or
discharge protection set Returns float voltage [V] 1.8 to 4.20 V
CLOW x.xxx
to 3-5% SOC
CANF? or Returns unsigned char value of If CANF=1, CAN =250 kb/s
CAN Frequency
CANF xx 1 or 2 If CANF=2 CAN =500 kb/s
ERROR LOG INSTRUCTIONS
Setting First use to 1
clears the whole Error log
FUSE? or after the Maser BMS is
First use Returns byte value
FUSExx restarted and
broadcasted to all Slave
BMS units
Error, BMS with error,
Returns error log FiFO line, by
BMS element number
ERRL? Error log sending Query multiple times
with error; mm:hh;
user gets all 8 logs.
dd.mm.yyy
MASTER BMS UNIT SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS
SWVR? BMS software version Returns string “2.7” Read only
HWVR? BMS hardware version Returns string “4.2” Read only
DATE? or DATE Date is also broadcasted
RTC date dd.mm.yyyy format
xx.xx.xxxx to all Slave BMS units
TIME? or TIME Time is also broadcasted
RTC time hh:mm:ss format
xx:xx:xx to all Slave BMS units
Slave BMS unit
Setting is broadcasted to all
PRCT xx integrated pre-charge Read only
Slave BMS units
timer
* Connect to the dedicated Slave BMS unit.

Parameter accepted and changed value is responded with 'SET' answer.

Example: proper byte message for 'LCD1?' instruction for BMS address 2 is:

<0x55><0x01><0x00><0x05><0x4C><0x43><0x44><0x31><0x3F><0x46><0xD0><0xAA>

RS-485 message is executed when the microprocessor is not in interrupt routine so a timeout of 350 ms
should be set for the answer to arrive. If the timeout occurs the message should be sent again. Little endian

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format is used for all sent float or integer values. In case of single data is sent ASCII characters are used e.g.
-1.2351e2
Custom made instructions can be added to the list to log or set the parameters that control the BMS
algorithm or its outputs.

Video instruction link for settings change: REC Changing Settings - YouTube
Video instruction link for firmware update: REC Firmware Update Procedure - YouTube
and REC Wi-Fi Module Update and REC BMS Firmware Update Using REC Wi-Fi Module - YouTube

Master-Slave RS-485 communication:

Master BMS unit uses the same protocol to asynchronously send instruction messages and queries to all
the Slave BMS units on the bus. After the Master BMS unit initial test, bus is scanned for Slave BMS devices.
Each Slave BMS unit should have its own distinguished RS-485 address to prevent data collision and to be
properly identified. Each found Slave BMS unit is then controlled by Master BMS unit with instructions on
when to perform measurement, balance, turn on outputs, signal errors,..

All BMS Slave units should be daisy-chained to the SLAVE BMS Master unit DB9 RS-485 communication
port. A 1k2 termination plug should be used @ the last Slave out port and @ the Master BMS unit DB9
connector between RS-485 A and B.

Table 8: RS-485 DB9 Master and Slave BMS units connector pin designator.
MASTER MASTER BMS SLAVE BMS SLAVE BMS SLAVE BMS
BMS DB9 pin DESIGNATOR COM DESIGNATOR DESIGNATOR DESIGNATOR
input port output port
1 CABLE SHIELD (AGND) RS-485 CABLE SHIELD 6 12
2 AGND - Master AGND - Master 5 13
3 RS-485 B RS-485 B 1 6
4 RS-485 A RS-485 A 2 7
6 +5V to AGND RS-485 +5 V 4 14

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CAN Communication:

Figure 14: CAN female DB9 connector front view.

Table 9: CAN DB9 connector pin designator.

PIN DESIGNATOR
1 -
2 CANL + TERMINATION*
3 GND
4 -
5 -
6 -
7 CANH + TERMINATION*
8 -
9 -

* Terminate pins 2 and 7 with 120 Ohm resistor or short pins 1 and 2 to prevent BMS to reset. REC CAN
cables are already terminated using 120 Ohm resistors between CANH and CANL inside the DB9 connector.
Additional RJ45 connector with 120 Ohms across CANL and CANH should be used for the end device on the
CAN bus for end termination.
CAN messages are sent every 20 ms.

Table 18: CAN message description for ID=0x041.

Byte Description Type
1 State of charge [%] Unsigned char 0-200 LSB = 0.5 % SOC
2 State of health [%] Unsigned char 0-200 LSB = 0.5 % SOH
3 Battery pack voltage high byte
Unsigned integer 0-65535, LSB = 100 mV
4 Battery pack voltage low byte
5 Battery pack current high byte
Signed integer −32768 to 32767 LSB = 50 mA
6 Battery pack current low byte
7 Battery pack max temperature Signed char -127 to 127 LSB = 1° C
8 Battery pack min temperature Signed char -127 to 127 LSB = 1° C

Table 19: CAN message description for ID =0x042.

Byte Description Type
1 Low cell voltage high byte
Unsigned integer 0-65535, LSB = 1 mV
2 Low cell voltage low byte
3 High cell voltage high byte
Unsigned integer 0-65535, LSB = 1 mV
4 High cell voltage low byte
5 Low cell – Slave BMS position Unsigned char 1-16
6 Low cell – Slave number Unsigned char 1-15
7 High cell – Slave BMS position Unsigned char 1-16
8 High cell – Slave number Unsigned char 1-15

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Table 20: CAN message description for ID =0x043.

Byte Description Type
Max temperature – Slave BMS
1 Unsigned char 1-16
position
2 Max temperature – Slave number Unsigned char 1-15
Min temperature – Slave BMS
3 Unsigned char 1-16
position
4 Min temperature – Slave number Unsigned char 1-15
5 Max BMS temperature Signed char -127 to 127 LSB = 1° C
6 Error number Unsigned char 0-16
7 Error number – unit address Unsigned char 0-15
8 Error number – unit position Unsigned char 0-16

Table 21: CAN message description for ID =0x044.

Byte Description Type Property
1 Charge voltage high byte
Unsigned integer LSB = 0.1 V
2 Charge voltage low byte
3 Max charging current high byte
Signed integer LSB = 0.1 A
4 Max charging current low byte
5 Max charging current high byte
Signed integer LSB = 0.1 A
6 Max charging current low byte
7 Discharge voltage high byte
Unsigned integer LSB = 0.1 V
8 Discharge voltage low byte

Table 22: CAN message description for ID =0x045.

Byte Description Type Property
1 Discharged Ah high byte
Unsigned integer LSB = 1 Ah
2 Discharged Ah low byte
0 – unconnected
3 Connection status Unsigned char 1 – pre-charge
2 - connected
Bit 1 – Relay 1
Bit 2 – Relay 2
4 Relay status Unsigned char Bit 3 – Relay 3
Bit 4 – Relay 4
Bits 5-8 not used - 0

When the CAN frequency is changed via RS-485 instruction CANF, BMS has to be reset to enable the new
setting.

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Master BMS Unit Start Procedure:

When the BMS Master unit is turned ON it commences the internal initialization procedure and searches
the Slave BMS units on the RS-485 Slave bus. If no Slave BMS unit is detected or if a Master BMS unit detects
different number of Slave BMS units than pre-programmed error 9 is signaled and the BMS stays in the
Slave BMS detection mode.

Voltage/Temperature Hysteresis:
Most of the BMS setting thresholds also have a dedicated hysteresis parameter. This way the BMS prevents
ringing due to the oscillation of the controlled parameter above and under the set threshold. If the
threshold limits the top value of the parameter like Maximum cell voltage CMAX or temperature TMAX,
the value of hysteresis should be negative to prevent the ringing. If the threshold limits the bottom value
of the parameter like Minimum cell voltage CMIN or temperature TMIN the value of hysteresis should be
positive to prevent the ringing. For a simplicity, all the BMS settings are set without the sign and the BMS
firmware takes care for proper sign value.

Master BMS Unit LED Indication:

Power LED (green) signals the state of the battery pack. Low SOC is signaled by a single ON blink. Normal
mode is signaled by 2 consecutives ON blinks while the balancing mode is indicated by 3 consecutives ON
blinks before the longer pause. When the battery pack is fully charged and SOC/End of Charge Hysteresis
are set POWER LED is turned 100% on.

Error LED (red) is turned on in case of system error and signals the error number with 50 % duty cycle.
Between repeated error number 1 s timeout is introduced.

BMS Cell Balancing:

Cells are balanced passively by discharging each cell through a 3.9 Ω power resistor. Since the balancing
resistors dissipate heat an additional temperature measurement inside the enclosure of the BMS unit is
performed to prevent overheating the integrated circuits. If the BMS temperature rises above the set
threshold, balancing is stopped. BMS error 5 is indicated until the temperature drops under the set
hysteresis value. Master BMS unit sends the instruction to each Slave BMS unit individually which cells
should be balanced. If the Slave BMS unit does not get a refreshed value in 5 s, all balancing is switched off.

Balancing START Voltage (BMIN):

If errors 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 are not present, the charging current is above 0.2 A and at least one cell’s voltage
rises above the balancing start voltage threshold the BMS initiates the balancing algorithm. The algorithm
calculates a weighted cell voltage average which takes into account the internal dc resistance of each cell.
On the basis of the calculated average the BMS determines which cell will be balanced. BMIN cell voltage
setting should be set to the voltage that corresponds to 90 % of the usable capacity.

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Balancing Voltage END(BALV):

If errors 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 are not present, any cell above balance END voltage is balanced regardless of the
battery pack current.

Cell Internal DC Resistance Measurement:

Cell internal DC resistance is measured as a ratio of a voltage change and current change in two sequential
measurement cycles. If the absolute current change is above 15 A, cells internal resistance is calculated.
Moving average is used to filter out voltage spikes errors.

Battery Pack SOC/SOH Determination:

SOC is determined by integrating the charge in or out of the battery pack. Different Li-ion chemistries may
be selected:

Table 23: Li-ion chemistry designators.

NUMBER TYPE
1 Li-Po Kokam High power
2 Li-Po Kokam High capacity
3 Winston/Thunder-Sky/GWL LiFePO4
4 A123
5 Li-ion NMC/ LiMn2O4
6 LTO
7 Li-ideal

Temperature and power correction coefficient are taken into consideration at the SOC calculation. Li-Po
chemistry algorithms have an additional voltage to SOC regulation loop inside the algorithm. BMS
calculates battery self-discharge upon selected chemistry, SOC and temperature. State of health (SOH) is
calculated as number of cycles compared to battery end of life cycles and compensated with SOH and
temperature. Operational capacity is recalculated by the number of the charging cycles as pointed out in
the manufacturer’s datasheet.

When BMS is connected to the battery pack for the first time, SOC is set to 50 %. SOC is reset to 100 % at
the end of charging. Charging cycle is added if the coulomb counter had reached the Battery Pack’s Capacity
CAPA.

Battery Pack’s Charging Algorithm:

The communication between the REC Master BMS unit and the SMA SI device is established through the
CAN bus. All the parameters that control the charging/discharging behavior are calculated by the BMS and
transmitted to the GX device in each measurement cycle.

The charging current is controlled by the Maximum charging current parameter sent to the GX device. It’s
calculated as Charge Coefficient CHAC x Battery capacity CAPA x parallel Strings. The parameter has an
upper limit which is defined as Maximum Charging Current per Device MAXC x Number of Inverter/Charger
Devices SISN. Lowest value is selected:

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Table 24: Maximum charging current calculation.

SETTING VALUE UNIT
Battery Capacity (CAPA) 100 Ah
Parallel Strings detected 2 n.a.
Charge Coefficient (CHAC) 0.6 1/h
Maximum Charging Current per Device
75 A
(MAXC)
Number of Inverter/Charger Devices (SISN) 2 n.a.

Charge Coefficient CHAC x Battery Capacity CAPA x parallel strings = 0.6 1/h x 100Ah x 2 = 120 A
Maximum Charging current per device MAXC x Number of Inverter/Charger devices SISN = 75 A x 2 = 150 A

Maximum charging current is set to 120 A due to lower value of the Charge Coefficient CHAC x Battery
Capacity CAPA x parallel strings.

When the highest cell reaches the End of charge CHAR voltage setting, charging current starts to ramp
down to 1.1 A x Number of Inverter/Charger Devices SISN until the last cell rises near the End of Charge
Voltage CHAR (CC/CV). At that point the Maximum charging voltage allowed is set to Number of cells x (End
of Charge Voltage per cell CHAR – Maximum Cell Float Voltage Coefficient CFVC x End of charge hysteresis
per cell). End of Charge SOC hysteresis SOCH and End of charge cell voltage hysteresis CHIS is set to prevent
unwanted switching. If CFVC is set to 0.0, charging current is set to 0.0 A until the End of Charge Hysteresis
CHIS and End of Charge SOC hysteresis SOCH have been met.
SOC is calibrated to 100 % and Power LED lights ON 100 % Charger enable relay 1 is turned off. Maximum
allowed charging current is set to 50% to allow supplying DC loads from charging devices like MPPTs.
Charging current is limited to 30 % of the maximum charging current, but more than 5 A near both ends of
temperature (Max cell temperature TMAX and Min temperature for charging TMIN) and when the battery
is empty (Max discharging current is set to zero).

Charging is stopped in case of systems errors (See System Errors indication chapter). SOC is calibrated to
96 % when the maximum open circuit cell voltage rises above the 0.502 x (Balance start voltage BMIN +
End of charge voltage CHAR), minimum open circuit voltage above balance start voltage and system is in
charge regime.

BMS forces a full charge if the pack was not fully charged for more than three weeks.

In case BMS is not able to control the MPPT/Non-SMA SI charging sources directly (MPPT should be set to
charge when the remote is in short), relay 1 can be used to controlled the charger. MPPT should be
programmed with its own charging curve set as End of charge voltage x number of cells.

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Figure 15: Charging diagram.

Maximum Cell Float Voltage Coefficient (CFVC):

Maximum Cell Float Voltage Coefficient CFVC has been introduced into the charging algorithm to enable
cell float voltage change after the full charge. It may be set from 0.0 to 1.0 of the End of Charge Hysteresis
CHIS. When End of Charge Hysteresis CHIS and End of Charge SOC hysteresis SOCH have been met, full
charge is enabled again. @ CFVC 50 % of maximum charging current is allowed to supply DC loads from
MPPTs directly without discharging the battery pack below End of Charge Hysteresis CHIS and End of Charge
SOC hysteresis SOCH. If CFVC is set to 0.0, charging current is set to 0.0 A until the End of Charge Hysteresis
CHIS and End of Charge SOC hysteresis SOCH have been met

Battery Pack’s Discharging Algorithm:

Calculated maximum discharging current is sent to the GX device by CAN communication in each
measurement cycle. When the BMS starts/recovers from the error or from Discharging SOC hysteresis,
maximum allowed discharging current is set. It is calculated as Discharge Coefficient DCHC x Battery
Capacity CAPA x parallel strings. If this value is higher than Maximum Discharging Current per device MAXD
x Number of Inverter/Charger Devices SISN, maximum discharging current is decreased to this value.

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Table 25: Maximum discharging current calculation.

SETTING VALUE UNIT

Battery Capacity (CAPA) 100 Ah
Parallel Strings detected 2 n.a.
Discharge Coefficient (DCHC) 1.5 1/h
Maximum Discharging Current per Device
100 A
(MAXC)
Number of Inverter/Charger Devices (SISN) 2 n.a.

Discharge Coefficient DCHC x Battery Capacity CAPA x parallel strings = 1.5 1/h x 100Ah x 2 = 300 A
Maximum Discharging Current per device MAXC x Number of Inverter/Charger devices SISN = 100 A x 2 =
200 A
Maximum discharging current is set to 200 A.

When the lowest cell open circuit voltage is discharged bellow the set threshold CLOW maximum
discharging current starts to decrease down to 0.02 C (2 % of Capacity CAPA in A). After decreasing down,
maximum allowed discharging current is set to 0 A. At discharge currents lower than 0.05 C or positive, SOC
is reset to 3 % and Discharging SOC hysteresis is set to 5 %. If the cell discharges below Minimum Cell voltage
CMIN, BMS signals Error 2. If the battery current is lower than 0.05 C or positive, SOC is reset to 1 %. If the
Charger/inverter is connected to the grid maximum allowed discharge current is drawn from the grid.
Otherwise, 100 % load current is drawn from the battery until maximum allowed discharging current is set
to 0 A. Discharging current is also limited near both ends of temperature (Max cell temperature TMAX and
Min temperature for charging TMIN) to 30 %, but more than 5 A. If the minimum cell discharges under the
Cell-under voltage protection switch-off CMIN x 0.95 for more than 30 s BMS goes to deep sleep mode to
protect the cells from over-discharging. OFF-ON switch sequence wakes the BMS from this state. CLOW cell
voltage setting should be set to the voltage that corresponds to 3 % of the usable capacity.

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Figure 16: Discharging diagram.

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Master BMS Unit Battery Packs Pre-Charge Connection:

Master BMS unit - relays 2, 3 and 4 are used to pre-charge the input capacitors of inverter/s or controllers
and prevent high in-rush currents. Relay 3 is programmed as the 4 s pre-charge relay. Relay 3 and Relay 2
(negative DC rail DC-) start at the same time. After 4 s Relay 3 turns off and relay 4 (positive DC rail DC+)
turns on. Pre-charge should be performed by using an external power resistor to enable 2-4 A of initial
current @ empty capacitors (82 – 240 Ohm @ 400 V). System input capacitors should be pre-charged to
80-90 % of the battery voltage in those 4 s. Take into account the power rating of the power resistor when
designing the system.

Figure 17: Master BMS unit contactors control electrical schematics.

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System Error Indication:

System errors are indicated On the Master BMS and Slave BMS units with red error LED by the number of
ON blinks, followed by a longer OFF state. Each and every error number trigger algorithm has a normal
delay time of 3 measuring cycles with sensed/measured error – 3 x 1.25 s before the error is triggered.
Errors 2 and 10 are set to trigger @ the first measured error when the BMS is turned ON. If the two errors
are not present normal delay timer is set.

Table 26: BMS error states.

NUMBER OF
ERROR BMS OWNER
ON BLINKS

BMS will try to balance down the

Single or multiple cell
problematic cell/cells to safe voltage
voltage is too high (cell
level (2.5 s error hysteresis + single
over voltage switch-off
cell voltage hysteresis is applied). • Wait until the BMS does
1 per cell CMAX - cell
Charging is disabled, discharging is its job.
over-voltage switch-off
enabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
hysteresis per cell
and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
MAXH ).
1 is disabled.

BMS will try to charge the battery

Single or multiple cell
(2.5 s error hysteresis + single cell
voltage is too low (cell
voltage hysteresis is applied). SOC is • Plug in the charging
under voltage
reset to 1 % in case of discharge sources. Lower MIN
protection switch-off
2 current lower than 0.05C or positive. VCell setting CMIN for
per cell CMIN + under
Charging is enabled, discharging is enabling the internal
voltage protection
disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2 relay.
switch-off hysteresis per
and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
cell MINH).
1 is disabled.

BMS will try to balance the cells if

• Wait until the BMS does
balancing is enabled (20 mV voltage
Cell voltages differs its job. If the BMS is not
difference hysteresis).
more than set (cells max able to balance the
3 Charging is enabled, discharging is
difference RAZL – 20 mV difference in a few
enabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
hysteresis) hours, contact the
and 4 are connected. Charge relay 1
service.
is enabled.

Cells temperature or cell inter-

Cell temperature is connecting cable temperature in the
too high (cell over battery pack is/are too high. (2.5 s
temperature switch-off error hysteresis 2°C hysteresis). • Wait until the pack cools
4
TMAX + cell over Charging is disabled, discharging is down.
temperature switch-off disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
hysteresis –> 2°C). and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
1 is disabled.

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Due to extensive cell

BMS temperature is too balancing/hardware error the BMS
high –internal error temperature rose over the upper
(BMS over temperature limit (2.5 s error hysteresis - 5 °C
• Wait until the BMS cools
5 switch-off TBAL - BMS temperature hysteresis).
down.
over-temperature Charging is enabled, discharging is
switch-off hysteresis enabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
BMTH). and 4 are connected. Charge relay 1
is enabled.

Number of cells,
Charging is disabled, discharging is • Set proper Slave BMS
6 address is not set
disabled. All relays are disconnected. unit address
properly.

If cells are charged at temperatures

lower than operating temperature
The temperature is too
range, cells are aging much faster
low for charging (under-
than they normally would, so
temperature charging • Wait until the battery’s
charging is disabled (2 °C
7 disable TMIN + under temperature rises to
temperature hysteresis).
temperature charging usable range.
Charging is disabled, discharging is
disable hysteresis of
enabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
2°C).
and 4 are connected. Charge relay 1
is disabled.

• Turn-off Slave BMS unit

Temperature sensor is un-plugged or
and try to re-plug the
not working properly (2.5 s error
temp. sensor. If the
hysteresis).
Temperature sensor Slave BMS still signals
8 Charging is disabled, discharging is
error. error 8, contact the
disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
service. The
and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
temperature sensors
1 is disabled.
should be replaced.
RS-485 Master-Slave communication
only. Charging is disabled,
9 Communication error. discharging is disabled. Master BMS
unit relay 2 and 4 are disconnected.
Charge relay 1 is disabled.

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Single or multiple cell voltage is close

• Turn-off the Master
to zero or out of range, indicating a
BMS unit and check the
blown fuse, short circuit or
Cell in short circuit or cells connection to the
measuring failure
BMS measurement BMS and fuses. Restart
(15 s error hysteresis + 10 mV
10 error (Max cell voltage > the Master BMS unit.
voltage difference hysteresis).
4.5 V or Min cell voltage
Charging is disabled, discharging is
< 0.8 V). • If the same error starts
disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
to signal again contact
and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
the service.
1 is disabled.

If the main relay should be opened

and current is not zero or positive,
• Restart the Master BMS
Main relay is in short the BMS signals error 11.
unit. If the same error
11 circuit. Charging is disabled, discharging is
starts to signal again
disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
contact the service.
and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
1 is disabled.

• Check the system

Current measurement BMS is not able to measure current
settings/HW
disabled or or current is too high (short circuit).
configuration. If the
charging/discharging Charging is disabled, discharging is
12 BMS still signals error
current >2 x shunt max disabled. Master BMS unit relay 2
12, contact the service
current and 4 are disconnected. Charge relay
or change the BMS
1 is disabled.
settings.

In some application the chemistry

pre-set is compulsory. Charging is • Use PC Control
Wrong cell chemistry disabled, discharging is disabled. Software/WiFi module
13
CHEM selected. Master BMS unit relay 2 and 4 are to set proper cell
disconnected. Charge relay 1 is chemistry.
disabled.

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 Novi trg 9, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia
mail: [email protected]; www.rec-bms.com

During start-up or shut-down

EEPROM read/write was
interrupted. The corrupted
setting/settings was/were set to a
default value. If the setting/settings • Use PC Control
EEPROM data
14 was/were changed after the first Software/WiFi module
corruption
installation it/they should be to set proper settings
corrected. Charging is enabled,
discharging is enabled. Master BMS
unit relay 2 and 4 are connected.
Charge relay 1 is enabled.

During the start-up a burned fuse or

cell balancing failure was detected. • Restart the Master BMS
Cell
Charging is enabled, discharging is unit. If the same error
15 balancing/measurement
enabled. Master BMS unit relay 2 starts to signal again
failure
and 4 are connected. Charge relay 1 contact the service.
is enabled.

I2C or SPI communication failure.

BMS signals error 16 and does not
• Restart the Slave BMS
start normal procedure Charging is
BMS internal unit. If the same error
16 disabled, discharging is disabled.
communication failure starts to signal again
Master BMS unit relay 2 and 4 are
contact the service.
disconnected. Charge relay 1 is
disabled.

Battery current is out over the set

limit. Maximum allowed
Charging/discharging charging/discharging current sent to • Wait until the Master
current > 1.2 x current GX unit is reduced. Charging is BMS unit reduces the
17
charging/discharging enabled, discharging is enabled. charge/discharge
max limit Master BMS unit relay 2 and 4 are battery current.
connected. Charge relay 1 is
enabled.

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 Novi trg 9, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia
mail: [email protected]; www.rec-bms.com

Slave BMS Unit Dimensions:

Figure 18: Slave BMS unit dimensions.

Master BMS Unit Dimensions:

Figure 19: Master BMS unit dimensions.

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