Who's doing the redesign for this board for the new charging unit? Josh Rong
The charger interface board is used to communicate with our battery charger and with the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) charger using the SAE J1772 standard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772). The EVSE requires signals on the control pilot and proximity detection (circuits completed through the protective earth signal) pins to enable its AC output. The Elcon charger requires communication over its CAN bus to enable the output and set the output voltage and current. A CAN message is required every 1s.
J1772 handshake step by step guide: https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/article/21751240/understanding-us-and-european-standards-for-electricvehicle-charging
http://www.fveaa.org/fb/J1772_386.pdf
EVSE Details
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772
The EVSE charger we have in the bay is a Flo Home G5 Level 2 Charger, which complies with the J1772 standard. We will need to connect this to our Elcon charger.
Charger Details
Charger we are using is elcon 3.3kw (HK-J-H198-23 provides 50-198VDC output)
https://www.elconchargers.com/catalog/item/9034090/10295140.htm
Documentation we have received from Elcon is found below:
Validation Tasks
- Mount EVSE Charger
- Figure out pinout of our J1772 adapter
- Figure out pinout, model, connections, etc to MSXII charger (should be the same model)
- We will be doing our testing on this charger as the new one will not be coming in until mid winter term
- Create a confluence page on the J1772 protocol
- What is required for the protocol
- What are all the pins for
- What is Level 1, Level 2 charging
- Basically condense the Wikipedia page and other resources.
- Create a confluence page on the J1772 protocol and the charger interface board
- What controller board outputs are required to satisfy the J1772 protocol
- Must be easy to understand to implement in firmware
- Create a confluence page on the Elcon charger
- Read the datasheet and understand the operating modes
- How do we test for correct functionality of fault conditions, safety timers, etc?
- What is required to get it working - do the batteries need a relay, can they be directly connected, is a precharge required, is a backfeed protection diode required?
- Create wiring harness to connect the J1772 adapter to the controller board and the Elcon Charger
- Follow proper safety guidelines for the protective earth. More research is required for this
- Create wiring harness to connect the Elcon charger and our pack
- Start with the connectors already attached (Anderson SB50 on the Elcon to M5 lug terminals to attach to the relay contacts unless we want to play with BMS firmware to close those relays for testing as well)
- First understand the Elcon charger requirements
- Install a FUSE
- Use properly sized wire and fuse (23A Max)
- Define charging test procedure
- Voltages and currents to charge at
- How to test end of charge termination (current limit control)
- Create charger firmware
- Must first understand J1772 protocol
- Understand High Voltage Safety
- Always work with 1 HAND ONLY - This way there is never a current path through your body
- Use insulated tools as much as possible
- Work with the system not powered (if possible - batteries are always powered)
- If you are not comfortable doing a task, DON'T DO IT. Ask senior hardware members, and practice without the system plugged in