Dukosi Opens Sampling for DK-NFLNK Contactless BMS Link, Releases Evaluation Kit

Dukosi has made its DK-NFLNK contactless communication solution available for customer sampling. Samples are available to key customers, and Dukosi has also released an evaluation kit. DK-NFLNK is designed for batteries built on conventional multi-channel analog front end (AFE) designs, and Dukosi says it eliminates traditional wiring and connectors by using a single bus antenna. The company first showed it as a proof of concept in March.

The solution consists of two chips, the DK8503 Node and the DK8203 System Hub, plus the Dukosi API and a proprietary near-field protocol based on the company’s C-SynQ. Each DK8503 Node connects to an AFE over a standard SPI interface, and the product page lists one Node per AFE. DK-NFLNK provides synchronous, module-level measurements from the AFEs to the BMS host, passing data to and from each AFE through the bus antenna and the DK8203 System Hub, which connects to the host over SPI. The company says the contactless network uses a star topology and provides inherent electrical isolation.

Dukosi says the same BMS host processor and System Hub can be reused across multiple battery pack designs, and that a common DK-NFLNK library and API support all configurations, minimizing software development and maintenance.

The near-field implementation minimizes RF power levels and simplifies mechanical integration, according to the company.

DK-NFLNK is AFE-agnostic, Dukosi says, and requires no change to the battery architecture, giving designers an upgrade path from wired or far-field wireless BMS designs.

The DK8503 and DK8203 are AEC-Q100 certified and designed to be ASIL C compliant, according to Dukosi.

Intended uses include electric vehicles, industrial and marine applications, robotics and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for utility and grid-scale projects, telecom infrastructure and AI data centers.

The evaluation kit includes a Node board, a System Hub unit, an optional resistor divider board and USB, SPI, bus antenna and coaxial cables. It also comes with a Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI), a PCB design guide and user guides for DK-NFLNK and the Dukosi software. Dukosi says the kit supports technology evaluation and initial proof-of-concept development on a range of BMS host processors and AFE devices.

Charged covered the company’s chip-on-cell monitoring system in a BESS proof of concept with A123 Systems and Nuvation Energy.

“DK-NFLNK and the Dukosi Cell Monitoring System (DKCMS) share a common communication foundation, C-SynQ, giving battery designers an easy migration path to full DKCMS-enabled Smart Cell battery designs,” said Joseph Notaro, President of Dukosi.

Source: Dukosi