Flexible bus architecture for monitoring and control of battery pack

A control system for a stacked battery of a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack having a plurality of battery cells coupled in series, the control system being capable of reconfiguring communication among the battery packs in the stacked battery, comprising:

• a plurality of processors coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through a first bus;
• a plurality of controllers coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent controllers of said plurality of controllers are able to communicate with each other through a second bus, the plurality of processors being capable of communicating with the plurality of controllers through a third bus;
• a first set of plurality of isolators coupled to said plurality of processors, and wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through one of the plurality of isolators;
• and
• a monitoring unit for monitoring communications among the plurality of processors and communications among the plurality of controllers, the monitoring unit being capable of detecting communication problems on the first bus, the monitoring unit further being capable of reconfiguring communication paths among the plurality of processors and communication path among the plurality of controllers,
• wherein said first set of plurality of isolators are coupled in a cascade connection.

A method of reconfiguring a communication system having a first plurality of paths capable of communicating a plurality of processors coupled in series, a second plurality of paths capable of communicating a plurality of controllers coupled in series, and a third plurality of paths capable of communicating one of said plurality of processors and one of said plurality of controllers, comprising:

• diagnosing said communication system;
• confirming one path of said first plurality of paths and said second plurality of paths is not in working condition;
• reconfiguring said communication system;
• and
• actuating two third paths of said third plurality of paths, wherein said two third path coupled to two ends of said one path,
• wherein diagnosing said communication system further comprising
• sending information from a central unit to said plurality of processors through said first plurality of paths,
• transmitting said information from a top processor of said plurality of processors to a top controller of said plurality of controllers through one of said third plurality of paths,
• transmitting said information from said top controller through said second plurality of paths to said central unit,
• comparing said information sent from said central unit with said information received by said central unit, and
• indicating a communication problem if said information sent from said central unit is different from said information received by said central unit.