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Shaping E-Mobility
Smart Solutions for the Electrified World
Innovative solutions are becoming more available to allow electric mobility to enter the mass-market. An important part of this is the charging technology. The term smart charging is used for charging systems of electric or hybrid vehicles according to ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121, SAE J2847/2. Vector supports developers of on-board charging ECUs in the vehicle, charging stations and induction charging systems with extensive test systems and bespoke ECU software.
Boost Your EV Charging Know-How
Order the Vector Electric Vehicle Chart. The clearly structured Poster in DIN A1 format gives you important technical details on Charging Communication. Among other things, the unique poster illustrates the following topics:
- Electric Charging Use Cases
- Charging Methods
- Charging Interfaces
- Standards and Protocols
Types of Charging
The charging infrastructure essentially offers three types of charging:
- Alternating current (AC)
- Direct current (DC)
- Inductive charging
The battery in the vehicle is always charged with direct current (DC). This means that the charging systems (charging infrastructure and vehicle electronics) need to be set up differently. An AC/DC converter is needed in the vehicle for AC and inductive charging. In the case of DC charging, this converter is already installed in the charging station, i.e. the charging station is essentially directly connected to the battery. That is why in DC charging the vehicle must always communicate its momentary charging power requirements to the charging station. This means that it is absolutely essential for DC charging systems to be equipped with a communications unit between the vehicle and the charging station. The physical communication medium and details on the message sequence are defined in these national and international standards: ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121, SAE J2847/2, GB/T 27930 and CHAdeMO.
ISO 15118
ISO 15118 is the only standard to describe the option of an automatic payment process with authentication based on certificates and TLS security. In the standard, this mechanism is referred to as Plug’n Charge (PnC).
In principle, inductive charging systems work with alternating current. It is not possible to simply limit the power on the vehicle side, so communication is also necessary – in this case between the vehicle (secondary side) and the floor plate (primary side). This communication is currently also specified in ISO 15118.
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Read about the upcoming ISO 15118-20 document that focuses on Smart Charging. In addition to wired charging, the standard defines other energy transfer modes like Bidirectional Power Transfer (BPT), Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and Automatic Connection Device Pantograph (ACDP).
Smart Charging
The term smart charging is used for charging systems of electric or hybrid vehicles according to ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121, SAE J2847/2. The communication between vehicle and charging station is realized in two ways:
- As powerline communication via the control pilot pin in the form of a PWM signal and a digital signal for HomePlug-GreenPhy standard.
- Wireless in case of inductive charging.
Vector Solutions for Smart Charging
Vector supports developers of on-board charging ECUs in the vehicle, charging stations and induction charging systems with extensive test systems and bespoke ECU software. This helps you to develop your software quickly and cost effectively.
Testing of ECUs
Using the Vector test solution for smart charging, you can test on-board charging ECUs without having to operate a real charge spot. Within the test, the behavior of the charge spot is simulated within a wide range and can be varied.
Through system-wide uniform time stamps, the test system is able to set the charging communication, bus communication and I/O events in a precise temporal relation. You would like to test on-board charging ECUs quickly and easily?
Vector provides the following products for testing the typical tasks:
vTESTstudio is an authoring tool for test design and offers:
- Test programming (CAPL, C#)
- Spreadsheet-based test design
- Graphic test design
- Definition of parameters and waveforms for any signals, value settings or similar objects
CANoe .Ethernet is the ideal development and test tool for the development of ECUs and charge spots for smart charging:
- Test creation and execution
- Simulation of state machine and environment with help of a SCC DLL (intelligent charging per ISO 15118)
- Wide-ranging analysis, measurement and logging functions
- Supports remaining bus simulation
- Controlling further system components, e.g. power supply
For testing the charging communication, the VT System offers e.g.
- access to the Control Pilot Signal (input and output) and Proximity Pilot Signal
- simulation of additional sensors and actuators of the ECU
- driving external measuring equipment (power supply, electronic loads)
Conformance & Interoperability Tests for Charging Standards
The CANoe Test Package EV is a library of powerful test cases. This is used to test conformance and interoperability of electric vehicles (EV) within the international standards CCS and GB/T. CANoe Test Package EV covers the relevant test scenarios, is up-to-date at all times and is clearly structured.
- Comfortable selection and execution of test cases
- Automatic test execution and report generation
- Fast generation of an executable test environment
- Easily extendable test cases for individual tests
- Openness for the connection of additional test hardware
Testing of Charge Spots
Using the Vector test solution for smart charging, you can test charge spots without having to run a real on-board charging ECU. Within the test, the behavior of the ECU is simulated within a wide range and can be varied.
For the testing of charging stations and simplifying the test assembling, you can get the following products from Vector:
vTESTstudio is an authoring tool for test design and offers:
- Test programming (CAPL, C#)
- Spreadsheet-based test design
- Graphic test design
- Definition of parameters and waveforms for any signals, value settings or similar objects
CANoe.Ethernet is the ideal development and test tool for the development of ECUs and charge spots for smart charging:
- Test creation and execution
- Simulation of state machine and environment with help of a SCC DLL (intelligent charging per ISO 15118)
- Wide-ranging analysis, measurement and logging functions
- Supports remaining bus simulation
- Controlling further system components, e.g. electric loads
For testing the charging communication, the VT System offers e.g.
- access to the Control Pilot Signal (input and output) and Proximity Pilot Signal
- simulation of additional sensors and actuators of the ECU
- driving external measuring equipment (power supply, electronic loads)
E-Mobility Measurement Solution
Vector and CSM developed a very powerful and flexible e-mobility measurement solution. The advantages are:
- Fast multi-channel measurements in high-voltage cables and components
- Efficient support in the laboratory, at the test stand, during test drives and endurance tests
- Conveniently recording physical values, internal ECU signals as well as signals sent via the vehicle bus with vMeasure exp
- Online calculation of all relevant parameters like charging system efficiency, vehicle energy consumption, drive train and inverter efficiency, mechanical axle power, engine power and efficiency, vehicle electrical system ripple or shield currents of high-voltage cables
Further information about the eMobilityAnalyzer and about vMeasure exp.
ECU Software
For the rapid development of on-board charging ECUs, Vector offers the software stack MICROSAR.CHARGE. The stack already contains the entire protocol stream of smart charging according to ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121 and SAE J2847/2. Controlling the Powerline transceiver is included, too.
MICROSAR.CHARGE also supports the standards GB/T 27930 and CHAdeMO for China and Japan. These specify the DC charging and are based on communication via CAN.
Vector offers MICROSAR.CHARGE, which are embedded software modules that cover the vehicle-side communication sequence for Smart Charging.
The MICROSAR.CHARGE basic software fits seamlessly into existing AUTOSAR architectures and is being used in series production at a number of OEMs. It can also be used with existing OEM-specific software architectures.
Ethernet-based communication is supported according to ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121 and SAE J2847/2. This so called Combined Charging System (CCS) is common in North America and Europe. For all vehicle manufacturers, AC and DC charging is supported with the profiles EIM (External Identification Means) and PnC (Plug' n Charge) including SLAC (Signal Level Attenuation Characterization). In addition, Value Added Services (VAS) can be connected via HTTP and DNS, for example, or OEM-specific functions can be implemented. This could be, for example, a parallel, proprietary communication between the vehicle and the charging station in order to exchange additional information.
In addition to the CCS-related standards, Vector also supports the GB/T 27930 and CHAdeMO standards for China and Japan. These specify the DC charging and are based on communication via CAN. AC charging is controlled exclusively by a PWM signal.
Software Libraries for Charging Stations
vSECClib is a family of source code libraries that simplify the software development for communication interfaces of charging station controllers. The software stacks cover the vehicle, back end and soon also the power electronics communication of smart AC or DC charging stations. Each library can be integrated into the controller individually and ensures sustainable charging standard compliance.
Charging Station Controller
vSECC and vSECC.single are universal controllers for intelligent wallboxes and fast charging stations. The controllers serve as a communication interface between the electric vehicle, the charging and load management system and the power electronics. With vSECC, two charge points of different standards can be operated simultaneously, ideal for high power chargers. vSECC.single is particularly suitable for single charge points and wallboxes, available as a plug-on board or in DIN rail housing.
Charging Station Management Software
vCharM simplifies the management and power control of charging infrastructure. Numerous charging points can be integrated into the manufacturer-independent software to authorize, monitor and plan charging processes. With dynamic load management, cost-intensive load peaks can be avoided and more charging stations can be installed with existing grid connections. Ideal for fleet depots or residential and commercial properties offering charging for employees, residents or customers.