Step-by-Step Guide for Remote Monitoring Setup for Lithium-ion Battery

Step-by-Step Guide for Remote Monitoring of a Lithium Battery via External GSM Card

1. Understand System Components & Requirements:

• BMS (Battery Management System): Manages battery parameters (voltage, current, temperature, cycles, alerts).
• OBD Interface: Connects to the BMS for data extraction and programming (e.g., CAN bus, SAE J1939 protocols).
• GSM Module: Enables cellular communication (e.g., SIM800C, Quentel modules) with a SIM card and data plan.
• Remote Server/Cloud Platform: Stores and processes data (e.g., AWS, Things Board, custom server).

• Connect OBD Port to GSM Module:
  • Use an OBD-II to UART/CAN converter to interface the BMS with the GSM module. In Su-vastika BMS there is a CAN protocol in the smart BMS which can interface with Su-vastika Lithium UPS and can interact with each other. The Lithium UPS start functioning according to the data received from the BMS specially for the protections.
• Power Supply:
  • Power of  the GSM module and OBD interface is taken from the BMS of the lithium battery

5. Set Up Remote Server:

• Cloud Platform: Configure an MQTT broker (e.g., Mosquitto) or HTTP API endpoint.
• Database: Store parameters (e.g., InfluxDB for time-series data).
• Security: Enable SSL/TLS encryption and API authentication (e.g., tokens).

1.BMS ID: Identifies the Battery Management System (BMS) connected to the system.

2.Voltage: Represents the current voltage level of the battery.

3.Current: Indicates the rate of flow of electricity through the system.

4.Paralleling: Indicates whether the battery system is connected in parallel with other units.

5.SOC (State of Charge): Percentage of charge left in the battery.

6.Fault: Shows if any faults have been detected in the system.

7.Load: Displays the current power consumption or demand placed on the battery.

8.Charging: Indicates if the battery is in charging mode.

9.Discharging: Shows if the battery is in discharging mode.

10.SOH (State of Health): Reflects the overall health of the battery, including capacity loss and degradation.

11.Cycles: Represents the number of charge-discharge cycles the battery has gone through.

 7. Configure Alerts & Notifications:

• Threshold Triggers: Program the microcontroller to detect BMS alerts (e.g., overcurrent) and send SMS/email via GSM.
• Real-Time Dashboards: Use Grafana or Node-RED to visualize data and trigger alerts.

8. Data Retrieval & Analysis:

• Automated Reports: Schedule server scripts to compile cycle counts, historical alerts, and health metrics.
• User Access: Develop a web/mobile app for users to download logs and adjust settings remotely.

1.SOC (State of Charge): The percentage of charge remaining in the battery.

2.Remaining Capacity: The remaining usable energy in the battery, typically measured in amp-hours (Ah).

3.Pack Voltage: The total voltage across the entire battery pack, which is the sum of the voltages of all the cells in the pack.

4.SOH (State of Health): Represents the overall health of the battery, accounting for wear, capacity loss, and degradation over time.

5.Cycle Count: The number of complete charge and discharge cycles the battery has gone through.

6.Battery Parallel: Indicates whether the battery is operating in parallel with other batteries.

7.Status: Real-Time status of the Battery.

• IDEAL CONDITION : If no Charging/Discharging is going ON.

7.Charging: Shows whether the battery is currently in charging mode.

8.Discharging: Shows whether the battery is in discharging mode, providing power to connected loads.

1.Temperature: The current temperature of the individual battery cells. Monitoring temperature is critical to ensure the cells are not overheating, which can damage the battery and cause safety hazards.

• Difference: Temperature difference between the max and min zone.
• Bar Color: The bar with green color represents the lower value and red represents the higher value.

2.Cell Voltage: The voltage of each individual battery cell in the pack. Essential for assessing the balance and health of each cell.

• Difference: Difference between max and min cell/string voltages.
• Min Cell Voltage: The lowest voltage recorded across any of the individual cells in the battery pack.
• Max Cell Voltage: The highest voltage recorded across any of the individual cells in the battery pack.

9. Testing & Validation:

• Local Tests: Verify OBD data reading and GSM transmission using serial monitors.
• Remote Tests: Confirm server data storage and command execution (e.g., changing a voltage limit).
• Fail-Safes: Test network dropout recovery and watchdog timers.

10. Deployment & Maintenance:

• Power Optimization: Enable GSM sleep modes to conserve battery.
• Firmware Updates: Implement OTA (Over-the-Air) updates for the microcontroller/GSM module.
• Monitoring: Track data usage and server uptime.

Tools & Tips:

• GSM Modules: Use modules with MQTT/HTTP support (e.g., SIM7600).
• Security: Use VPNs or private APNs for sensitive applications.
• Protocols: Refer to BMS datasheets for custom OBD PIDs and commands.

By following these steps, one can achieve real-time remote monitoring, parameter adjustment, and historical analysis of your lithium battery system via GSM.

Su-vastika is the first company in India which has taken the Technology patent for the BMS and it has the proprietary software.