FS FEUP: BMS & PDU Innovation

FS FEUP 2026: A New Self-Developed Technology

As FS FEUP charges into this new cycle, our partnership with Eurocircuits remains the cornerstone of our electronic evolution. With presence already confirmed in two summer competitions (FS Switzerland and FS Portugal), the team is ready to face even further challenges.

Following our successful transition to complex four-layer PCBs and integrated mechanical designs last year, we are now focusing our efforts on two critical, high-stakes systems: the Battery Management System (BMS) and our brand-new Power Distribution Unit (PDU).

The BMS: Reliability in the Heart of the Accumulator

The BMS is essentially the “brain” of our vehicle’s energy source, ensuring the battery operates within safe limits. However, in a Formula Student car, “safe” is a relative term. The environment inside the Accumulator is incredibly harsh, from vibrations and shock to thermal stress.

This is why Eurocircuits’ rigorous manufacturing standards and low tolerance for error ensure that every trace and via can handle the aggression of the race track. By trusting their high-quality finishes and temperature-resistant substrates, we can, with confidence, shrink our designs further without risking a catastrophic failure.

The New PDU: A High-Precision Fuse Box

This year marks a major milestone for us: the development of our own Power Distribution Unit (PDU). Rather than using traditional thermal fuses, our PDU acts as an intelligent distribution hub, delivering 24V to each sector of the car while monitoring current flow in real-time.

Designing a digital fuse box for a racing environment presents two major PCB challenges:

• High Current Density & Heat: To handle the cumulative current of all vehicle subsystems on a single board, we need wide traces and thick copper layers. Managing the heat generated by these high-current paths, especially around the shunt resistors used for sensing is critical. Eurocircuits’ ability to manufacture boards with heavy copper weights and precise thermal via arrays ensures our PDU doesn’t become a heat sink that compromises nearby electronics.
• Signal Integrity for Sensing: We need to measure tiny voltage drops across current sensors while massive amounts of power are switching just millimeters away. Any manufacturing defect or poor plating in the vias could introduce “noise” into our data. The high-quality surface finishes and manufacturing consistency provided by Eurocircuits give us the clean signal environment we need to ensure our “smart fuses” trigger exactly when they should, protecting the car’s most sensitive components.

Future of FS FEUP 03

FS FEUP currently has its sights set on the upcoming summer competitions and the manufacturing phase of our new prototype, the FS FEUP 03. By implementing new state-of-the-art technologies, we are aiming to surpass the success of our predecessors and take a closer step toward our long-term goal of securing a top 10 spot among the best teams in the world.

It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside a trusted partner like Eurocircuits to turn this vision into a reality. We are excited to see what the future holds for us.

For more information please visit the FS FEUP website.