Reference design accelerates EV charger development

Arrow Electronics has revealed a data-communication reference design for EV charging that combines software stacks for state-of-the-art protocols and a HomePlug Green PHY hardware module. The reference design helps accelerate time-to-market for EV supply equipment (EVSE), meeting the latest industry standards.

The software, developed at the company's engineering solutions centre in Gdansk, contains protocol stacks for ISO 15118 V2G communication. It also includes sample application code and support for OCCP and Control Pilot interfaces as defined in IEC 61851 and SAE J1772.

"V2G is required for fast DC chargers and quickly becoming the preferred communication protocol for AC charging. It increases charger functionality with future-proof capabilities, including wireless charging, bi-directional power transfer and plug-and-charge feature," said Vitali Damasevich, director of engineering for Eastern Europe and Arrow's engineering solutions centre EMEA. "Our reference design enables EV chargers producers to quickly adopt the new standard, relieving much of the software development needed by including the ISO 15118 protocol stack and also providing a HomePlug Green PHY module to assist hardware design and integration."

Completing the reference design, the hardware communication module contains the Lumissil CG5317 HomePlug Green PHY low-power communications transceiver. This IC is HomePlug compliant and AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified, allowing operation from -40C to 105C.

The reference design board is easily connected to various evaluation boards for testing and development, and the company's engineers are ready to help customers integrate with their chosen MPU or MCU platform when finalising the production design. Turnkey conformance tests are also available to assist customers in verifying the correct operation when connecting to various popular EV models. This saves significant time and development costs to secure the required product-level approvals.

The combination of software stacks and sample code, engineering support, and vehicle-specific tests presents a fast and efficient route to market. Moreover, the engineering team's engineering solutions centre is committed to ongoing development of the ISO 15118 stack as specifications evolve.

The software stack has recently been deployed by the company's engineering services provider, eInfochips, in its DC charger design. THE DCFC is tailored for small and mid-sized commercial and public EV charging. It supports both US and EU markets and is compliant with CE, FCC, and UL standards. Drivers and charge point service providers can also manage DCFC remotely via the eInfochips EVWER platform and mobile app.