Mouser Electronics has expanded its portfolio of automotive and industrial battery management system (BMS) sensors by adding Infineon Technologies' XENSIV KP497 to its distribution lineup.

The supply item unveiled on the 13th is a smart barometric pressure sensor focused on detecting abnormal conditions in high-voltage battery packs through pressure changes. Through this, Mouser has expanded accessibility to Infineon's sensor product family targeting battery, automotive, and industrial control applications.

The design focus of the KP497 is to convert physical changes occurring within the battery pack into data that can be interpreted by the electronic control system. By combining a pressure sensor with a 1-axis accelerometer, temperature sensing capabilities, and a digital interface, it handles pressure, shock, and temperature information in a single package. According to official Infineon product information, the KP497 measures pressures in the 20kPa to 250kPa range with an accuracy of ±2kPa and supports SPI and I²C interfaces.

If thermal runaway occurs in a battery pack, changes in internal pressure can appear rapidly. The KP497 detects these changes and provides the pressure data necessary for the system to determine hazardous conditions. In addition, it incorporates z-axis acceleration sensing capabilities to capture shock and vibration information as well. Mouser documentation also explains that the product provides BMS pressure ranges, z-axis acceleration, and temperature sensors.

The low-power autonomous monitoring feature is designed for battery monitoring in standby mode. The product operates by periodically checking pressure and acceleration based on user-set thresholds and waking up the host MCU when the conditions are exceeded. The Infineon product page highlights the KP497's low-power monitoring mode and host wake-up function as key features.

Reliability requirements were also tailored for automotive applications. Infineon’s product selection data classifies the KP497 as an AEC-Q100 and ISO 26262 compliant product, and the official product page also specifies ISO 26262 compliance and SPI/I²C interfaces.

This product addition demonstrates that BMS is evolving beyond mere voltage and temperature measurements to also monitor pressure and shock changes within the battery pack. The KP497 adopts an approach that processes multiple types of physical information within a single component, rather than simply increasing the number of sensors. This aligns with design trends in automotive and industrial battery systems that aim to reduce both the complexity of safety diagnostic circuits and the standby power burden.