Powering the Drive: Unveiling EV Electronics Course

Lesson 1 • Electrical Fundamentals for EV Technicians

Reviews DC and AC circuit theory as applied to high-voltage vehicle systems. Provides the electrical foundation required for all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 2 • Low-Voltage Auxiliary Systems

Covers the 12 V auxiliary network that powers controls, lighting, and accessories. Shows how auxiliary and high-voltage systems interact.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory and Safety Framework

Introduces functional safety standards and electromagnetic compatibility requirements governing EV electronics. Prepares students to design within compliance boundaries.

Lesson 4 • High-Voltage System Architecture

Examines the high-voltage bus, isolation requirements, and interlock circuits. Connects electrical theory to real EV safety and design constraints.

Lesson 1 • State Estimation Algorithms

Teaches SOC, SOH, and SOE estimation methods including Coulomb counting and Kalman filtering. Enables accurate real-time battery monitoring.

Lesson 2 • BMS Fault Detection and Diagnostics

Covers overcurrent, overvoltage, and thermal fault detection algorithms and protective responses. Prepares students to interpret BMS fault codes.

Lesson 3 • BMS Communication and Integration

Examines how the BMS exchanges data with the vehicle control network via CAN and other protocols. Reinforces system-level integration skills.

Lesson 4 • Cell Balancing Techniques

Compares passive and active balancing topologies and their impact on pack longevity. Connects balancing strategy to BMS hardware selection.

Lesson 5 • Battery Pack Architecture and Design

Covers cell-to-module-to-pack hierarchy, series-parallel configurations, and thermal integration. Links cell properties to pack-level performance targets.

Lesson 1 • Switching Device Fundamentals

Covers MOSFET, IGBT, and SiC/GaN device characteristics and switching behaviour. Establishes the device-level knowledge needed for converter design.

Lesson 2 • EMI Filtering and Layout Best Practices

Addresses conducted and radiated EMI sources in switching converters and mitigation techniques. Prepares students to meet EMC requirements from Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • DC-DC Converter Topologies

Analyses buck, boost, and bidirectional converter circuits used in EV power management. Connects topology selection to efficiency and packaging constraints.

Lesson 4 • Three-Phase Inverter Design

Examines the six-switch inverter bridge, modulation strategies, and dead-time effects. Directly supports motor drive design in the next chapter.

Lesson 1 • Regenerative Braking Control

Designs the regenerative braking torque blending strategy between motor and friction brakes. Connects motor control to energy recovery and BMS constraints.

Lesson 2 • Field-Oriented Control Implementation

Implements the complete FOC loop including current regulators, flux estimation, and speed outer loop. Builds on inverter design from Chapter 3.

Lesson 3 • Reference Frame Theory and Transformations

Teaches Clarke and Park transformations that convert three-phase quantities to rotating d-q coordinates. Provides the mathematical basis for FOC.

Lesson 4 • Rotor Position Sensing and Estimation

Covers resolver, encoder, and sensorless estimation techniques for rotor position feedback. Addresses reliability and cost trade-offs in position sensing.

Lesson 1 • Charging Control and Communication

Covers the charging control pilot protocol, BMS-to-OBC communication, and charge termination logic. Integrates OBC operation with the BMS from Chapter 2.

Lesson 2 • Vehicle-to-Grid and Bidirectional Charging

Extends OBC design to bidirectional power flow for V2G and V2H applications. Addresses grid synchronisation and islanding protection requirements.

Lesson 3 • Power Factor Correction Stage Design

Covers boost PFC topology, control loop design, and harmonic compliance requirements. Ensures students can achieve near-unity power factor in the OBC.

Lesson 4 • AC Charging Standards and Inlet Types

Surveys Level 1, Level 2, and three-phase AC charging modes and connector standards. Establishes the interface requirements that drive OBC design.

Lesson 1 • High-Power Rectifier Topologies

Examines Vienna rectifier and active front-end topologies used in high-power chargers. Builds on PFC concepts from Chapter 5 at higher power levels.

Lesson 2 • DCFC Safety and Protection Systems

Covers ground fault detection, arc fault interruption, and emergency shutdown sequences. Ensures students can implement compliant safety architectures.

Lesson 3 • DCFC System Architecture

Maps the power conversion stages from grid AC to vehicle DC in a fast charger. Establishes the system context for all subsequent DCFC sections.

Lesson 4 • DCFC Communication Protocols

Covers CCS, CHAdeMO, and GB/T communication layers and handshake sequences. Enables students to configure and validate charger-vehicle communication.

Lesson 1 • Onboard Diagnostics and OTA Updates

Implements UDS-based diagnostics, DTC management, and secure over-the-air firmware updates. Prepares students to maintain and update deployed EV software.

Lesson 2 • Torque Arbitration and Drive Modes

Implements the torque request chain from driver input through safety checks to motor command. Integrates motor control from Chapter 4 with vehicle-level logic.

Lesson 3 • Vehicle Network Architecture

Configures CAN, LIN, and Ethernet network topologies connecting all EV ECUs. Builds on communication concepts introduced in earlier chapters.

Lesson 4 • Energy Management Strategy

Designs rule-based and optimisation-based energy management algorithms for range maximisation. Draws on BMS data from Chapter 2 and motor efficiency maps from Chapter 4.

Lesson 1 • Reliability and Accelerated Life Testing

Applies HALT, HASS, and thermal cycling methods to identify failure modes in EV electronics. Connects reliability targets to design decisions made throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • High-Voltage Safety Validation

Executes dielectric withstand, isolation resistance, and interlock continuity tests on EV systems. Validates the safety architecture designed in earlier chapters.

Lesson 3 • EMC Testing and Compliance

Covers radiated and conducted emissions testing, immunity testing, and pre-compliance measurement. Applies EMC concepts from Chapters 1 and 3 in a test environment.

Lesson 4 • Validation Campaign Planning

Structures a complete validation plan covering scope, resources, schedule, and acceptance criteria. Synthesises all testing methods into a professional deliverable.