OCPP

The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 1.6 is a standardized communication protocol designed to facilitate interoperability between Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and Central Management Systems (CMS).

Introduction

OCPP 1.6 employs JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) for efficient message formatting and data exchange. WinCC OA acts as an OCPP 1.6 Central System using OCPP 1.6 J for transportation, providing comprehensive charge point management capabilities.

Technical Highlights

  • Interoperability: Ensures seamless communication between diverse charging stations and CMS, regardless of manufacturer, promoting a unified EV charging infrastructure
  • Message Format: Utilizes JSON for structured, lightweight data exchange, enhancing processing efficiency and reducing overhead
  • Smart Charging Capabilities: Supports load balancing and static charging profiles, enabling optimized energy distribution and management
  • Security Features: Implements TLS encryption to secure data transmission

OCPP 1.6 is pivotal in standardizing EV charging operations, fostering compatibility across various hardware and software platforms, and enhancing the overall user experience.

Supported OCPP Profiles

WinCC OA supports the following OCPP 1.6 profiles:

Core
Support for basic Charge Point Management functionality, including authorization, boot notifications, configuration changes, and transaction management
Smart Charging
Support for basic Smart Charging, for instance using control pilot, load balancing and charging profiles
Remote Trigger
Support for remote triggering of Charge Point-initiated messages
Local Auth List Management
Features to manage the local authorization list in Charge Points
Reservation
Support for reservation of a Charge Point
Firmware Management
Support for firmware update management and diagnostic log file download

Security Profiles

The implementation supports OCPP Security Profiles 1, 2 and 3:

Profile 1: Unsecured Transport with Basic Authentication
Does not include authentication for the Central System, or measures to set up a secure communication channel. Should only be used in trusted networks, for instance in networks where there is a VPN between the Central System and the Charge Point
Profile 2: TLS with Basic Authentication
Communication channel is secured using Transport Layer Security (TLS). The Central System authenticates itself using a TLS server certificate. The Charge Points authenticate themselves using HTTP Basic Authentication
Profile 3: TLS with Client Side Certificates
Communication channel is secured using TLS. Both the Charge Point and Central System authenticate themselves using certificates
Important:
For field operation it is highly recommended to use a security profile with TLS (Profile 2 or 3).

Limitations

  • Only OCPP-J 1.6 is supported
  • The OCPP Protocol does not support redundant Charge Stations or a redundant Central System