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OrionBMSMaster/SlaveSupplement
DocumentVersion0.2

Master/Slave(Series)Overview
Asoffirmwareversionv2.4.0,multipleOrionBMSunitscanbeconfiguredtooperatetogetherinseries.This
allowsverylargepacks(over180cellsinseries)orforpackssplitintomultiplephysicallocations(IE:frontand
backofavehicle)tobesafelyandeasilymonitored.

Diagram1:TwomethodsofconfiguringmultipleOrionBMSunitsinseries

Safety
ImportantSafetyNote:Ifthecombinedvoltageforyourentirebatterypackwillexceed1000v(approx300cells
inseries)thenthefollowingadditionalsafetymeasuresmustbetaken:
TheOrionBMSunitsmustbespecialorderedwithoutthehighvoltageisolationdetectioncircuitloaded.
AdditionalexternalisolationmaybenecessaryfortheCANBUSnetworksandthelowvoltagesignals
(powersupply,etc)mustbeisolatedusingsuitableisolation.

ConnectingtheHardware(Wiring)
SettingupthehardwareformultipleBMSunitsinseriesisfairlystraightforward.Asseeninthediagramabove,
themaster(primary)BMSunitisconfiguredsuchthattheCAN1interfacecanbeusedasageneraluse
CANBUSinterfacebuttheCAN2interfaceislinkedtotheCAN1interfaceonthenextBMSinseries(theslave
orthemasterslaveunitdependingonhowmanyareinseries).
ThisprocesscontinuesuntilthelastBMSinseriesisreached(theendoftheline).ThislastBMSinseriesis
calledtheslaveBMSandonlyhastheCAN1interfaceconnected(CAN2couldbeusedasageneraluse
CANBUSinterface).
ItisimportantthatthetotalpackvoltagesensorwiresforeachBMSareconnectedonlytothecellsthatit
monitors(ie:if48cellsareonBMS#1and60cellsareonBMS#2,theHVpacksensorwiresforBMS#1are
connectedtothe48cellsandtheHVpacksensorwiresforBMS#2areconnectedtothe60cells).
NOTE:Itisveryimportantthatexactlytwo(2)terminationresistors(120Ohmeach,placedbetweenthe
CANHighandCANLowwiresonthephysicalendsoftheCANBUS)areineachCANBUSnetwork(ie:inthis
case,everyCAN1andCAN2interfacepairing).TheBMSalreadyhas1terminationresistorinternallyonthe
CAN1interface,soasecondterminationresistormustbeaddedoneveryCAN2interfaceintheseries
configuration.
NOTE:ItisveryimportantthatthewireusedforCANhighandCANlowistwistedpair(shieldedwouldbe
preferableaswell).Evenasmalllength(afewinches)ofuntwistedwirecanexposetheCANBUSnetworkto
EMIandcausesignificantcommunicationissues.

ConfiguringtheSoftware(Profile)
Thereareseveralimportantrequirementsforsettinguptheseriesconfiguration:

EachBMSunitinseriesmusthaveadifferent/uniqueOBD2identifier(setinthe"Communications"tab
oftheBMSprofile).ThisallowseachBMStobedistinguishedfromeachother.
EachBMSunitmusthavefirmwareversion2.4.0orhigher.
ThesamefirmwareversionmustbeinstalledonallBMSunitsinseries.

TheCANBUSfrequenciesmustbethesameonallBMSunitsinseries(500kbpsisrecommended).
ThisonlyappliestotheCANBUSinterfacesusedbythemaster/slavecommunicationsystem
(interfacesmarkedasgeneralusedonotneedtobethesamefrequency).
Allhardwarerecommendationsandrequirementsmentionedintheabovesectionsmustbefollowed.
InorderforeachBMStoknowwhatitissupposetodo,the"UnitType"parameter(setinthe"Addons"tabof
theBMSprofile)mustbeproperlyset.Therearethreedifferentunittypes:Master,Master/Slave,Slave
(selecting"None"willdisabletheseriessystemandtheBMSwilloperatenormally).A"master"orprimaryunit
isconfiguredtoreceiveincomingdatafromaslave(sometimesreferredtoassecondary)unit.Amaster/slave
unitisconfiguredtobothreceiveincomingdatafromaslaveaswellastransmitdataontoanothermasterunit
(asifitwereaslave).Finally,theslaveunitisconfiguredsimplytotransmitinformationtoalisteningmasterunit
anddoesnothaveanyslaveunitsthatitislisteningfor.
AllcommunicationbetweentheBMSunitstakesplaceovertheCANBUSinterfaces.Inaproperlyconfigured
systemthemasterunitwilltransmit/receiveslaveinformationontheCANBUS#2interface(CANBUSinterface
#1canbeusedfornormalcommunication).Theslaveunitswillreceiveinformationfromthemasterunitvia
CANBUS#1interface(seeabovediagramformoredetails).Thisallowsformorethan2unitstobe
daisychainedtogether(method#1inabovediagram)orforonly2unitstobeputinseries(method#2inabove
diagram).
NOTE:ItisnotrecommendedtohaveanyadditionaltransmittedmessagesornodesontheCANBUSlines
beingusedforseriescommunication(linesbetweenmasterandslaveunits)duetotrafficvolumeandspeed.If
additionalmessagesarenecessaryonmaster/slavecommunicationinterfacestheyshouldbekepttoa
minimumandlowtransmitspeed(100msorslowerisrecommended).
NOTE:TheCANBUSmessageIDsformaster/slavecommunicationarenotprogrammableastheyare
intendedtobethesolemessagesonagiveninterface.Forreference,theIDsusedare0x100,0x101and
0x102.Theseshouldnotbeinterceptedoralteredinanyway.Alteringortamperingwiththesemessagescan
preventtheBMSfromproperlyprotectingthebatterypack.

Operation
EachBMSinthemaster/slaveconfigurationstoresitsowninformationaboutthecellsitismonitoring.
Becauseofthis,themajorityoftheparametersvisibleintheBMSutilityarespecifictothecellsdirectlywiredto
eachunit.
Thefollowingparametersaresummed(added,negotiatedoraccumulated)bythemasterunitandwhen
requestedfromthemasterunitarereflectiveofalltheBMSunitsinseriescombined:
Totalpackvoltage
Totalpackopenvoltage
Totalpackresistance
MalfunctionIndicatorLamp(MIL)signal
Cellbalancingvoltages(notdisplayedoravailableasarequestedparameter)

StateofCharge(SOC)

Allotherparameters(eg:temperatures,highestcellvoltage,lowestcellvoltage,packamperage)areBMS
specificandmayvarydependingonwhichBMSisconnectedtotheOBD2utility.
NOTE:WhiletheMIL(errorindicatorsignal)mayactivateonthemasterBMSunit,theactualDTC(diagnostic
troublecode)maybesetonanyoftheBMSunitsinseries.InordertoidentifywhichBMShastheerrorcode
set,theutilitywouldneedtobeconnectedtoeachBMSunitinseriesuntiltheDTCcodeisdiscovered.
NOTE:Duetobandwidthrestrictions,itisnotpossibletoviewallthecellvoltagesfromalltheBMSunitsin
seriesbyconnectingtoonesingleBMSunitwiththeutility(ie:onlythecellsdirectlywiredtothegivenBMSare
visibleintheutility).ItisnecessarytoconnecttoeachBMSindividuallyinordertoviewallthecellvoltages
togetherviatheutility.TheOrionBMSdoessupporttransmissionofcellvoltagesonaregularlyscheduled
intervalviatheBatteryCellBroadcastparameterintheCommunicationstaboftheprofilethoughagainthis
willonlybeforthecellsdirectlywiredtothatspecificBMS.

FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Q:CanIaccessbothOrionBMSunitsinseriesfromthesameCANBUSnetworkusingtheBMSutility?
A:Yes,ifyouonlyhavetwoOrionBMSunitsconnectedinseriesyoucanbridgetheCAN2interfaceontheslave
BMStotheCAN1interfaceonthemasterunitsothattheybothareconnectedtothesameCANBUSnetwork.
Then,usingtheutility,bothBMSunitscanbeconnectedtoandconfiguredaslongastheyeachhaveunique
OBD2ECUIdentifiers.
Q:WhycantthemasterBMSunitkeeptrackofallthecellsfromtheslaveunitaswellsothatIjust
haveonelargeBMSunit?
A:TheBMStakesveryaccuratereadingsfromeachofthecellsinthebatterypack.Thesereadingsaretime
sensitiveandtheamountoflatency(delay)introducedbytransmittingthesevaluesovertheCANBUStothe
masterunitwouldsignificantlyreducetheaccuracyandincreasecodecomplexity.Toreducecostsandto
increaseaccuracy,eachBMSunitmonitorsonlythecellsdirectlyconnectedtoitandforwardstheimportant
informationontothemasterunit.
Q:TheMIL(malfunctionindicatorlamp,orgeneralerror)signalisactivemeaningIhaveacodeset,
butwhenIconnecttotheBMStherearenocodesshown.
A:ThemostlikelyreasonisthatthecodeissetontheotherBMSthatisconnectedinseries(ie:theuser
connectstothemasterbutthecodeissetontheslave).TheMILsignalispropagated(distributed)totheother
BMSunitsinseriesbutthecodewillonlyshowupontheactualBMSthatitisseton.Tofigureoutwhatcodeis
settheusershouldtryconnectingtotheotherBMSinseriesandcheckingforcodes.