NI, formerly known as National Instruments, has launched a new testing solution for battery validation labs. NI’s Software-Defined Battery Lab covers the entire battery lifecycle from research and development to validation, production, second life and remanufacturing.

The Software-Defined Battery Lab is designed to support EV manufacturers and battery suppliers. It allows battery validation and data management and analysis of battery data, while being open and flexible to scale for global validation testing and adapt to innovations in battery technologies.

The Software-Defined Battery Lab draws parallels from the concept of Software-defined vehicles, which allows engineering teams to continuously improve performance. As battery technologies evolve and scale, companies can accelerate test system development, maximize reuse of battery testing investments, and connect battery data to improve performance through changes to software.

“We’re in the nascent stages of the battery revolution,” said Drita Roggenbuck, Senior VP of the Transportation Business Unit at NI. “Companies are faced with driving down battery costs, improving performance, innovating endlessly, and scaling. At a time when new vehicle programs are as short as ever, and battery validation and production must scale immediately and continuously through the end of the decade, NI’s Software-Defined Battery Lab offers the step function change needed to improve time to market and battery performance.”

NI’s Battery Test Software provides battery testing capabilities out-of-the-box while also allowing customization and extensibility through LabVIEW and other common test software.

The newly announced NI SystemLink Enterprise software is a scalable enterprise solution for managing labs, improving test operations, and analyzing test results. It offers lab management functionality including:

• Test request tracking and scheduling
• Tester status, utilization and health monitoring
• Test software management and deployment
• Battery data aggregation, visualization and analytics

NI’s extensive battery cycler portfolio offers easy-to-use solutions for any phase of battery development. NI’s newest cycler, HPS-17000, provides up to 150 kW of power. NI’s open software allows integration with third-party cyclers to increase development efficiency and enable reuse.

The NI battery measurement and control hardware is built on NI’s software-connected, modular hardware platforms. These systems can be quickly reconfigured and customized to meet rapidly changing test requirements, including integration with third-party components.

“As we challenge established supply chains, it’s critical that we own our test strategy,” said Henrik Rudelius, Director, Validation and Simulation, Battery Systems at Northvolt. “Owning our test strategy enables us to quickly implement the features we need so we’re not held back by technology limitations. The validation test data we get from NI systems enables our engineering teams to learn more about our batteries and find ways to improve them even after they’re in the field.”

Source: NI