A Novel Secure NFC-based Approach for BMS Monitoring and Diagnostic Readout

Abstract: In modern systems that rely on the use of Battery Management Systems (BMS), longevity and the re-use of battery packs have always been important topics of discussion. These battery packs would be stored inside warehouses where they would need to be properly monitored and configured before their re-integration into the new systems. Traditional use of wired connections can be very cumbersome, and sometimes even impossible, due to the outer layers and packaging. To circumvent these issues, we propose an extension to the conventional BMS design that incorporates the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) for the purpose of wireless battery pack status readout. Additionally, to ensure that these packs are only managed by authenticated devices and that the data that is communicated with is protected against outside eavesdropping and tampering, we present a solution in the form of a lightweight security layer on top of the NFC protocol. To show the feasibility of our design, an accompanying prototype has been implemented and evaluated.