Easy to program, flexible to use - controllers for DC charging stations

02Jan

Setting up a DC charging station is a rather complex project, but it can be effortlessly mastered using an intelligent and easily programmable charging controller. The EV Charge Control Professional DC charging controller encompasses all the interfaces of a sophisticated fast charging station in a single device.

Communication with electric vehicles is based on DIN SPEC 70121, a protocol that was developed for this purpose only. In the future, the standard will become a fixed component of DC charging in ISO 15118. Phoenix Contact designed the EV Charge Control Professional DC charging controller to contain all of the specific function blocks that precisely map this communication. After all, the most time-consuming, complex task before commissioning a DC charging station is programming the communication.

The function blocks already available will relieve charging station operators or installers of a good deal of work. For example, the digital communication between a fast charging station and the electric vehicle necessary for controlling the DC charging process in accordance with IEC 61851-24 can be set up quickly. The overall program sequence is stored in the controller as a function block. If the programmer who is tailoring the application for operation does not want to or is unable to do the work, Phoenix Contact provides a block as part of a specific library for EV Charge Control Professional controllers.

Communication is everything

The Modbus/RTU protocol has become established for communication with energy measuring devices, which is normally implemented via the RS485 interface. The EV Charge Control Professional DC controller has two of these interfaces. This enables an RFID card reader to be connected for authenticating the user. Alternatively, users can use two RS232 interfaces that are available for connecting card-reading devices and electronic energy measuring devices.

Read the full article in the January 2020 issue of PBSI