System Control Electronics 109 Connectors The other thing to make sure if evaluated when designing the controls and electronics systems are the connectors. While this may seem like a “no brainer,” the lithium-ion battery industry is only just beginning to get to some level of standardization so there are still many solutions available and each has different costs/benefits—and they are not all compatible with each other! Additionally there are many portable electronics application connectors that may be evaluated but many do not yet meet the rigid performance or life requirements of the automo- tive application ( Figure 8 ). Figure 8 Automotive EV battery connectors.
Image used courtesy of Delphi Electronics. Connectors must be evaluated for the level of sealing that is required in the pack, their ability to withstand abusive environmental conditions, the amount of EMI shielding, and of course their ability to transmit the proper currents, voltages, and communications without adding excess costs to the systems ( Figure 9 ). Figure 9 TE Connectivity AMP + high-voltage connector. Image used courtesy of TE Connectivity.