IN Brief:
- WireFlow has launched the 5200 series battery monitoring and balancing system for EV, ESS, and battery test applications.
- The WF 5218 node provides 12-channel cell-voltage measurement, passive balancing, temperature inputs, and 1600 VDC double insulation.
- USB and EtherCAT gateway options place the platform in laboratory, industrial validation, refurbishment, and service-centre workflows.
WireFlow has launched its 5200 series Battery Monitoring and Balancing System for electric vehicle, energy storage, battery validation, and industrial test applications.
The new family includes the WF 5218 Battery Monitoring and Balancing Node, the WF 5220 Gateway for USB communication, and the WF 5221 Gateway for EtherCAT communication. The system gives battery developers, test laboratories, system integrators, service centres, and refurbishment operations a modular route to cell monitoring and balancing without the need to build a complete custom platform.
The WF 5218 node provides 12-channel cell-voltage measurement for series-connected battery modules or packs. Each channel integrates a high-voltage multiplexer, precision ADC, and passive balancing resistor, with additional inputs for resistive temperature sensors. A 1600 VDC double-insulation barrier separates the battery domain from the communication interface, addressing a critical safety requirement in high-voltage battery work.
Multiple WF 5218 units can be connected in series and interfaced through either USB or EtherCAT. The USB gateway is suited to PC-based laboratory and service workflows, while EtherCAT support connects the system to industrial automation and larger test environments where deterministic communication, PLC integration, and distributed measurement are already established.
The system is already being used by a global automotive manufacturer in battery repair and refurbishment centres. That use case points to a growing layer of battery electronics outside the vehicle itself. Once packs leave the vehicle, they still require safe, accurate, and repeatable cell-level assessment before they can be repaired, redeployed, recycled, or certified for another application.
Battery monitoring is scaling across the vehicle, the laboratory, and the aftermarket. High-voltage platforms such as the 800V battery management systems entering production through BorgWarner’s expanded BMU and CMU manufacturing increase the need for robust test and service infrastructure around the pack. WireFlow’s system addresses that surrounding layer, where validation, diagnostics, balancing, and refurbishment workflows must handle modules safely and consistently.
As EV and energy storage systems move to higher voltages and larger pack capacities, cell-level measurement accuracy becomes more important. Small measurement errors can distort state-of-health assessment, balancing decisions, and fault diagnosis. Temperature inputs add another critical data point, particularly in service and refurbishment environments where modules may have uneven ageing, unknown usage histories, or mixed thermal exposure.
Off-the-shelf instrumentation also reduces pressure on engineering teams that need to scale battery testing across multiple sites. Custom fixtures can be effective in early development, but they become harder to maintain when the same measurement approach must be used across laboratories, production environments, and service centres. Modular nodes and standard communication gateways help keep measurement, software access, and automation integration consistent.
EtherCAT support gives the platform a direct path into industrial test systems, while USB keeps it accessible for smaller laboratory and service tasks. That split is useful in battery development because the same measurement problem appears at very different scales, from a benchtop module assessment to a multi-pack validation facility.
Battery electronics now extend well beyond the onboard BMS. Test benches, repair centres, second-life facilities, and ESS integrators need measurement systems that combine isolation, accuracy, scalability, and practical software access. WireFlow’s 5200 series targets that expanding infrastructure layer as battery systems become larger, more valuable, and more complex to manage across their lifecycle.
