HMS Offers Battery Connectivity Solutions through its Ixxat Range of Products
Hardware Meets Software (HMS) Networks AB, the Sweden-based Industrial Information and Communication Technology company, has offered Battery Connectivity Solutions through its Ixxat range of products. The company’s operations in the Indian subcontinent are handled by HMS Industrial Networks India Private Ltd., Pune.
These solutions are designed for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
Concept of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and their Requirement
BESS as a Solution for Inconsistent Renewable Energy Supply
Battery Energy Storage Systems are developed to facilitate a smooth Renewable Energy (RE) supply. In case of RE sources like Solar or Wind Energy, the output can turn intermittent or inconsistent depending upon external conditions during power generation. In order to tackle this, BESS can be deployed, which receives power from the RE project and store it in batteries. These batteries can then reliably release a consistent flow of power as and when, and to wherever required.
Structure of BESS and its Deployment
BESS consist of battery cells, which are clubbed together in the form of battery packs. These packs are then grouped in containers, which are deployed in Battery Parks spread over a large geographical area. These Battery Parks comprise the BESS and can deploy multiple types of batteries depending upon the nature of their end usage.
Battery Communication and HMS’ Ixxat Range
BESS require communication facilities since they are large scale battery deployments. In this direction, HMS Networks has launched its Ixxat Range of Battery Communication solutions, which provide PC connectivity, networking, line extensions, and galvanic isolation.
These solutions consist of HMS’ Ixxat Smart Grid (SG) Gateways, which have many variants depending upon their intended application. Smart Grid refers to an energy grid system where the components of the grid can communicate with each other, making it easier to manage and control various metrics of the system.
Protocols for Battery Communication Offered by Ixxat SG-Gateways
Controller Area Network (CAN) is the most widely used communication protocol in battery systems. This protocol allows components of a system, like microcontrollers and gateways, to communicate with each other without the need for another computer.
Apart from being compatible with the CAN protocol, the Ixxat SG-Gateways are compatible with multiple communication protocols including Modbus, BACnet and KNX.
Being compatible with multiple communication protocols enables Ixxat SG-gateways to exchange data and centralise communication control. Moreover, this also enables these gateways to selectively filter, map and manipulate the data for efficient communication exchange.
Cloud Connectivity and SCADA Capabilities of Ixxat SG-gateways for BESS
Ixxat SG-gateways offer connectivity to the cloud as they are compatible with the communication protocols necessary for integration with cloud systems. They also have essential cybersecurity measures such as firewall, OpenVPN, TLS encryption and user management for protection against cyber-attacks.
Ixxat SG-Gateways are compatible with industrial Fieldbus protocols, which help them utilise SCADA*. Ixxat SG-Gateways come with HMS’ own SCADA solution support. This helps in better data centralisation and remote access for predictive maintenance, data logging and data analysis.
*Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a system through which industries can control their operations both locally and remotely. It involves hardware and software elements and helps industries to monitor, track and process real-time data and analytics of their operations.
About HMS Networks AB: Sweden-based HMS Networks AB is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company founded in 1988. It produces products that enable industrial equipment to communicate. The company has about 750 employees and stated a revenue of $213 million in 2021. HMS Industrial Networks India Private Ltd., Pune was established in 2010. With this HMS Networks has operations in 16 countries.