A method and system for identifying individual cell monitoring controllers in an electric vehicle battery pack. Several cell monitoring controllers are serially connected to each other and to a master battery pack controller via a signal line, which is also used for communicating alarm signals between the controllers. The master battery pack controller sends a wake-up signal on the signal line. The first cell monitoring controller in the signal line wiring route receives the wake-up signal and receives an identification number from the master battery pack controller. Only then does the first cell monitoring controller allow the wake-up signal to be passed along to the second cell monitoring controller, which activates and receives its identification number, and so forth. In this way, identical cell monitoring controllers can be used in a battery pack, yet each cell monitoring controller can be uniquely identified by the master battery pack controller.