Datasheet

NHR Enerchron® 2.0
Test Execution Softwareni.comTable of Contents
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NHR Enerchron® 2.0 Test Execution Software
Best for
Key Features

04

Application

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Intuitive, Menu-Driven Test Sequence Editor

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Measurements Continuously Collected, Time-Stamped and Archived

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Scalable Test Sequencing

06

Import Drive Cycles

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Data Driven Testing07

Eliminate Post-Processing

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Tester Configuration Flexibility (Easy Third-party Integration)ni.comNHR Enerchron® 2.0
Test Execution Software
BEST FOR:

Test applications that yield extensive data over an extended period of time such as battery cycling and evaluation.
Interactive test execution for high-power testingKEY FEATURES:Continuous measurement collection, monitoring, and archiving
Powerful Test Sequence Editor that optimizes flexibility and intuitiveness
Program remapping capability simplifies battery cycling
Ability to instantly scale test sequences to other like products
Dynamic, configurable reporting, and charting
Ability to add new test system hardware onto the core software package
Import and dynamically scale Drive Cycle tables
Eliminate Post Processing datani.com

NHR ENERCHRON 2.0 TEST MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

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Application
Enerchron is a software suite ideally suited for test applications that yield extensive data over an extended period of time such as battery
cycling and evaluation. It allows the creation of complex, dynamic test sequences without requiring the skills of a programmer. In addition
to real-time viewing during execution, measurements are automatically archived for review and analysis after testing has been completed.
Enerchron is available with Models 9200 and 9300 Regenerative Battery Test Systems.

Intuitive, Menu-Driven Test
Sequence Editor
The heart of Enerchron is a Test Sequence Editor (Fig. 1). The
Editor provides the basic framework for creating the test andanalysis sequences to be executed. It uses a simple multi-tab
layout with easy-to-use spreadsheet-type data entry. Sequences
can be as simple or complex as needed with unlimited steps andmultiple sub-sequences. This logical test sequence development
environment results in minimal training necessary to create acomprehensive test package.

Measurements ContinuouslyCollected, Time-Stampedand Archived

FIGURE 1
Enerchron sequence editor

Enerchron is designed to be used with a measurement-archiving
server (Fig. 2). The measurements are collected, time-stamped,
and archived separate from any test-specific routines. This featureprovides multiple advantages when compared to in-sequence
data acquisition and logging.
First, it allows any number of separate test sequences to share thereadings from a common measurement channel. For example,
the common water bath temperature used when testing multiple
batteries can be measured with a single temperature channel rather
than requiring a measurement channel for each test sequence.
Second, measurements from any test instrument can be displayedon a single screen. This can be useful in monitoring the progress ofa test or performing a failure analysis by reviewing measurements
taken by other test channels at the time of the failure.
Finally, Enerchron can use archived measurements to generate
multiple reports (engineering, quality, and customer) in parallelwith each containing a separate level of measurement detail. If thetest reports are missing the desired detail, the archive provides ahistorical view for the test (Fig. 3).

ni.com

FIGURE 2
Enerchron Measurement Server

NHR ENERCHRON 2.0 TEST MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

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FIGURE 3
Enerchron showing historic graphical views.

Scalable Test Sequencing
A key structural element of Enerchron is adaptive sequencing (Fig. 4). That is, a test sequence can be created with variables rather than
hard-coded values. Then, those variables can be modified dynamically to adapt the program to similar UUTs. With this capability, the test
sequence can be written using the same language and template used in a printed industry standard or a written test procedure. There isnever a need to rewrite the template again, only to add the new UUT test parameter information. The end result is saving significant time in
new test sequence preparation.

FIGURE 4
Test sequence step 3 of Fig. 1ni.com

NHR ENERCHRON 2.0 TEST MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE05

Import Drive Cycles
Drive cycles such as FUDs, US06, NEDC, EUDC/EUDCL are standard patterns which represent the power profile a vehicle encounterswhen it is used under real-world conditions. Similarly, Aerospace and Grid-Storage use standard cycling patterns to emulate the real-world
characteristics when testing these applications.
Enerchron can import drive cycle tables and use variables to automatically scale them to product-specific or test-specific settings. Forexample, the same Federal Urban Drive Cycle (FUDs) table may be used to test the battery for a battery electric vehicle (BEV) and abattery for a plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) (Fig. 5). The profile is scaled differently using a static scaling factor for the BEV anddynamically scaled for the PHEV to account for the power generated by the internal combustion engine (ICE). Enerchron makes thisstraight forward to accomplish.

PHEV Battery Power40402020Power (kW)Power (kW)BEV Battery Power

0-20300

310

320Time (s)

330

340

0-20300

310

320330340

Time (s)FIGURE 5
Automatically scaled drive cycles (BEV & PHEV)

Data Driven Testing
Battery standards are starting to require data-driven sequence control (Fig. 6). For example, in start stop applications, the amount ofrecharge energy applied to the battery depends on previous test cycle history. By using variables and expressions, Enerchron allows the testdeveloper to use the same data labels, formulas, and end condition statements found in these dynamic data-driven test standards.

FIGURE 6
Test sequence step 8 of Fig. 1ni.com

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Eliminate Post-Processing
Measurement data is good, battery knowledge is better. To obtain battery knowledge, engineers often must data-mine and post-process themeasurements taken by a battery test sequence (Fig. 7). This process takes considerable time and technical resources. By using variables,
Enerchron can store key points of information and perform the calculations automatically (Fig. 8). These calculations can then be logged toa data file allowing every point of interest to be calculated during the actual test. More timely test decisions can often be made through thisreal-time knowledge of UUT behavior.

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 8

Typical battery testing cycle

Enerchron battery testing cycle

Tester Configuration Flexibility (Easy Third-party Integration)
Within the Enerchron test environment, configuration flexibility along with future enhancements are achieved through Plug-ins (Fig. 9). Plugins are software components for new testing features unique to each test station. They may include control of test hardware, test algorithms,
test channels, measurement channels, or UUT communication protocols. Plug-ins may be supplied by NI for standard options or writtenby the user for new hardware enhancements such as integration of temperature chambers or temperature measurements. Because they
are independent of the core Enerchron application, plug-ins can be developed without requiring a new version of Enerchron supplied by NI,
thereby providing the user independence to supplement tester configuration in the future.

FIGURE 9Enerchron core & plug-in expansion©2023 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, NI, AND NI.COM
ARE TRADEMARKS OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION. OTHER PRODUCT AND COMPANYNAMES LISTED ARE TRADEMARKS OR TRADE NAMES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES. 101523

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