Modular Reference Design Lets Customers Select Different Functional Blocks for Range of Applications, Reduces Time to Market, Saves on BOM and Resources

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced a 48V Mobility Winning Combination Solution that helps customers accelerate the development of e-scooters, e-bikes, UPS and energy storage systems. This reference design uses a modular approach in both hardware and software to showcase core and optional functional blocks that can be adopted for many 24V-48V applications such as lawn mowers, electric carts, robot cleaners, power tools, power banks, and more. It also uses 15 Renesas ICs, including three key devices: the ISL94216 16-cell battery front end (BFE), robust HIP2211 100V MOSFET drivers, and RX23T 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) for motor control. The 48V mobility winning combination solution is powered from a 25 AHr Li-ion battery that drives a 1600W inverter to attain speeds up to 5000 rpm.

“Micromobility options like e-scooters and e-bikes offer an attractive, low-carbon footprint vehicle for first-mile and last-mile travel. Rising demand for these applications is driving new battery management capabilities as cell balancing plays an increasingly critical role in recharging,” said DK Singh, Director, Systems and Solutions Team at Renesas. “Our new 48V mobility winning combination solution combines Renesas’ advanced BFE, industry-leading MCUs, along with analog and power devices, and innovative motor control technology to help customers speed up the development of their high power and torque e-scooters and e-bikes.”

The 48V mobility winning combination solution includes two boards that address the higher battery cell count and power levels mobility applications require. The BFE and charger board focuses on larger, higher voltage battery packs. The motor control and inverter board features synchronized current/voltage measurements and drivers that are pulse width modulated (PWM) to actuate the motor, and monitor motor status. The algorithm with the hardware is ideal for driving brushless DC (BLDC) motors. Also, two optional boards are available: the wireless charging receiver board, and the Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE 5.0) control board.

For system control, the winning combination solution uses a cost optimized, energy-efficient RX23T MCU with built-in floating point unit (FPU) and six high-performance timers specifically tooled for complex inverter control algorithms. These specific features and modular design helps engineers greatly reduce the man-hours in software/hardware development and debug. In addition, unlike other large cell count single-chip battery managers, the highly integrated ISL94216 offers several features that balance and monitor system conditions to improve battery life and safety, independent of the MCU. The winning combination solution also uses the ISL81601 60V bidirectional 4-switch synchronous buck-boost controller for ultra-fast charging. The controller’s CC/CV charger profile is implemented through the system MCU.

Key Features of the 48V Mobility Winning Combination Solution

• BFE and charger board
  • ISL94216 16-cell BFE supports up to 200 mA+ external cell balancing – key to enabling fast recharging and high utilization in large battery packs with hot plug tolerance up to 62V
  • BFE provides full high-side, battery protection and monitoring for 4S to 16S cell battery packs
  • Renesas’ RX23T 32-bit MCU with built-in FPU supports full control of entire system
  • Renesas ISL28214 op amps deliver low power consumption and input bias, and the ISL81601 maximizes charging efficiency and uses current sensing and I/O monitoring to adjust input levels
  • Renesas’ ISL84051 multiplexer handles up to eight inputs with low RDSon connectivity and nanosecond switch times
• Motor control and inverter board
  • The motor control and inverter board supports a 48V battery pack and can reach up 5000 RPM using a 1600-watt inverter powertrain with motor control sensors
  • Motor control and inverter board includes a DC/DC converter, ISL28191 op-amp current sensors, ISL80410 LDO regulator, HIP2211 100V half-bridge MOSFET drivers, and MOSFET bank; connects to the BFE and charger board
• Optional boards and mobile phone application
  • BLE control board with RX23W MCU enables secure mobile phone connectivity via BLE for throttle control, battery status, GPS connection, and saved route history; connects to the BFE and charger board. This MCU is specifically chosen from the same RX Family to enable monotonic software design
  • Wireless charging receiver board features two Renesas wireless receivers used in parallel to boost output as needed; connects to the BFE and charger board
  • Mobile phone application unlocks scooter, controls ON/OFF power and motor start
  • Mobility solution sends diagnostic and parametric data to mobile phone’s secure BLE channel in 1-second intervals

Pricing and Availability

For more information on the Renesas 48V mobility winning combination solution, including system block diagram, bill of materials (BOM), and data sheets, please visit: www.renesas.com/solutions/industrial-automation/motion-and-drives/48v-mobility-solution.

The new ISL94216 16-cell BFE is available now in a 64-lead QFN package from Renesas’ worldwide distributors, and is priced at $2.99 USD in 1,000-unit quantities. For more information and evaluation board, please visit: www.renesas.com/products/ISL94216.