The designs are adaptable to various market needs, offering solutions tailored for both residential and commercial charging applications.
Microchip Technology has introduced a flexible and scalable Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Reference Design to support the global adoption of electric vehicles. This design aims to accelerate the time to market for EV chargers by providing manufacturers with a comprehensive solution that integrates a range of components, primarily sourced from Microchip itself. These components include microcontrollers, analog front-ends, memory, connectivity modules, and power conversion units, all of which streamline the integration process for faster development and deployment of EV charging solutions.
One of the key offerings is the Three-Phase AC Commercial EV Charger Reference Design, which is particularly suited for commercial and public charging stations. This design supports up to 22 kW of power with bidirectional charging capabilities and features a modular architecture. It is designed to operate robustly, even in challenging environments, and includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) with a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) screen and touch input for user-friendly operation. The reference design is built to be modular, cost-efficient, and reliable, meeting the stringent standards of UL 2231. Its robust user interface is designed to withstand harsh conditions, while the integrated OCPP and ISO 15118 protocols ensure seamless and secure communication, reducing the time required for development.
The design also includes an AC energy metering function that uses the ATM90E32 for precise power measurement and reporting, which minimizes the processing load on the microcontroller and simplifies the manufacturing process through automated calibration. In addition to its modular architecture, the reference design incorporates onboard relays and drivers to support bi-directional charging, with integrated safety features to protect users from potential hazards. Comprehensive connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, GSM/LTE, and Ethernet, enable secure remote management and communication via OCPP 1.6/2.0.1, with additional support for two secure BLE connections. The design also features a secure boot loader, firmware update capabilities, and board-to-board communication to enhance security.
Key components of the reference design include the ATSAMA5D27-WLSOM1 System-On-Module (SOM) with a high-performance 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-A5 processor, providing up to 1% energy measurement accuracy with automatic calibration. The design is equipped with a durable TFT screen for the GUI, supports NFC payment, and includes safety features such as Protective Earth and Neutral (PEN) detection, residual current detection, and earth fault detection. The reference design is also compatible with fast DC chargers (L3) and supports the latest security standards, including OCPP 2.0.1, ISO 15118, and PKI, ensuring a secure and efficient charging solution for a wide range of applications.
Microchip has tested this reference design. It comes with a bill of materials (BOM), schematics, assembly drawing, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, and more. The company’s website has additional data about the reference design. To read more about this reference design, click here.
