From blackbox to graybox: ETAS and Rimac Technology elevate BMS understanding
#CustomerSuccessStory
A shared ambition to make complex software accessible has shaped the collaboration between ETAS and Rimac Technology over the past year. Together, both partners have advanced a new approach to software documentation in Battery Management Systems (BMS) using EHANDBOOK. The result is a more transparent and interactive way to explore software functionality, transforming how modern e-mobility systems are developed and applied.
At a glance
Challenge
The "blackbox" nature of complex Battery Management System (BMS) software hindered efficient integration and calibration for OEM partners.
Solution
Using ETAS EHANDBOOK to automatically generate interactive, graphical documentation directly from the BMS source code to make software functions transparent.
Customer Achievement
Transformed the BMS into a transparent "graybox," significantly improving integration efficiency for OEMs and setting a new standard for software documentation.
The challenge
As software complexity in electrified powertrains continues to grow, interpreting functional behavior becomes a major challenge. Traditional documentation often fails to bridge the gap between code and application, leaving engineers without the clarity needed for efficient integration and calibration. For Rimac Technology, a leading Tier 1 supplier of advanced EE systems, delivering production-ready Battery Management Systems (BMS) to global OEMs meant that documentation quality had to meet the highest standards of engineering maturity. The challenge was clear: transform complex BMS software from an opaque "blackbox" into a transparent, understandable system.
The solution
To address this challenge, ETAS and Rimac Technology initiated a close, co-development partnership focused on leveraging the ETAS EHANDBOOK. By combining Rimac’s production-ready BMS software and real-world project feedback with ETAS's deep expertise in automotive software documentation, a powerful solution was forged. The collaboration enabled the automatic generation of interactive, graphical documentation directly from the C code of the BMS. This hands-on approach allowed ETAS to validate and refine EHANDBOOK's capabilities directly on cutting-edge software, ensuring the solution was immediately relevant for practical use cases.
Customer achievement
The collaboration has successfully transformed how BMS software is understood and applied. With ETAS EHANDBOOK, the once-perceived "blackbox" is now a transparent "graybox." Stakeholders across disciplines—from programmers to application engineers—can now easily explore, analyze, and apply software functionalities through interactive visualizations. This enhanced transparency supports key engineering activities like testing, validation, and calibration, laying the foundation for more efficient integration into vehicle architectures. For Rimac Technology, this represents a new, scalable standard for software documentation that meets the demanding expectations of its global OEM partners and supports the full lifecycle of complex electrification systems.
