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Integrating wide-bandgap semiconductors with software-defined battery management networks
IAV and Nexperia are collaborating to develop high-voltage topologies that replace decentralized power electronics with a unified system framework.
www.nexperia.com
The technical cooperation combines wide-bandgap semiconductor devices with algorithmic battery control logic to establish a dynamic power conversion framework for electric vehicles. This integration enables individual cell-level switching and software-defined allocation of energy storage segments, targeting high-efficiency powertrains and advanced digital infrastructure in electric mobility applications.
Capacity constraints in conventional fixed-string battery topologies
Standard electric vehicle battery architectures arrange cells in permanent series and parallel configurations. This design limits the total functional throughput of the energy storage system to the performance ceiling of the lowest-capacity cell within the string.
Extracting dynamic power from a fixed topology requires separate auxiliary power electronics systems, including standalone onboard chargers and localized DC-DC converters. These separated hardware blocks introduce additional weight, thermal management overhead, and conversion losses, reducing total systemic efficiency and limiting real-time adaptive cell degradation balancing.
Software-defined switching logic and semiconductor parameters
The joint technical approach relies on an integrated hardware-software architecture that establishes automated allocation of battery segments. Nexperia provides high-speed bidirectional gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) switches integrated directly into the cell connector interfaces. IAV develops the underlying software-defined system architecture and localized cell-balancing software routines.
System responsibilities are divided between the partners to ensure seamless sub-assembly execution:
- Nexperia components: Supply the wide-bandgap power semiconductor switches, optimize packaging layouts for low thermal resistance, and provide baseline bipolar support devices to sustain safe switching states.
- IAV components: Execute the dynamic battery control strategy, monitor individual cell states, and run the real-time software layer that coordinates the modular switching sequence.
By utilizing bidirectional GaN switches, the platform modifies hardware interconnections programmatically. The system bypasses aging or low-voltage cells dynamically, preventing local imbalances from degrading the total systemic energy capacity.
Laboratory validation and demonstration phases
The operational validity of the unified inverter concept has been verified using a hardware laboratory demonstrator. The engineering prototype was presented at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) Europe 2026 and PCIM Europe 2026 to showcase physical switching speeds and multi-cell power tracking under load.
The deployment methodology involves validating cell-level integration parallel to standard vehicle bus layers. During initial testing phases, the integrated GaN devices switched individual storage cells successfully without exceeding maximum target on-resistance (RDS(on)) thresholds. This setup proves that software-controlled topologies can execute direct power conversion without standard independent filtering blocks.
Measurable operational benefits and system efficiency
Implementing cell-level wide-bandgap switching structures optimizes systemic energy utilization by allowing every cell to perform according to its exact real-time health profile. Consolidating the functionalities of distinct power stages such as traction inverters and charging units into a singular software-defined system minimizes total vehicle component counts. This architectural optimization stabilizes thermal distribution across the pack, reduces bulk weight parameters, and lowers total system cost while extending the driving range through optimized capacity extraction.
Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.
www.nexperia.com
Laboratory validation and demonstration phases
The operational validity of the unified inverter concept has been verified using a hardware laboratory demonstrator. The engineering prototype was presented at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) Europe 2026 and PCIM Europe 2026 to showcase physical switching speeds and multi-cell power tracking under load.
The deployment methodology involves validating cell-level integration parallel to standard vehicle bus layers. During initial testing phases, the integrated GaN devices switched individual storage cells successfully without exceeding maximum target on-resistance (RDS(on)) thresholds. This setup proves that software-controlled topologies can execute direct power conversion without standard independent filtering blocks.
Measurable operational benefits and system efficiency
Implementing cell-level wide-bandgap switching structures optimizes systemic energy utilization by allowing every cell to perform according to its exact real-time health profile. Consolidating the functionalities of distinct power stages such as traction inverters and charging units into a singular software-defined system minimizes total vehicle component counts. This architectural optimization stabilizes thermal distribution across the pack, reduces bulk weight parameters, and lowers total system cost while extending the driving range through optimized capacity extraction.
Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.
www.nexperia.com
