Microchip has released three new EV charger reference designs to speed development times for in-home and commercial EV chargers.
Microchip’s new reference designs can address EV charging in residential and commercial applications.
Compared to gas-powered vehicles, which use energy from a combustion reaction to access power relatively quickly, EVs depend on energy stored in batteries and have an inherently longer charging time. As a result, EV chargers rely on small, efficient, and high-power systems to rapidly charge a connected vehicle. This is exactly what Microchip hopes to provide with its newest reference designs.
At-Home, Single-Phase Charging
Each of the new designs offers unique features that add functionality beyond charging.
First, Microchip’s single-phase residential EV charger reference design unites multiple Microchip active components into a compact charging board. At the heart of the board is the ATM90E26, a single-phase energy metering device that precisely measures the energy being transferred to the vehicle (up to 7.4 kW).
Solution diagram of the single-phase AC residential EV charger reference design. The single-phase charging solution delivers up to 7.4 kW with BLE connectivity included.
The single-phase reference design also includes an Arm-based MCU and a BLE module to enable wireless interaction with the charger. Users can easily see the EV’s charging state and rate and other metrics from their phones. The charger interacts with the vehicle via a CP/PP interface.
Regarding safety, the single-phase charger incorporates an onboard relay, RCD detection, and protective earth-neutral fault detection. As a result, designers can use the evaluation board as a jumping-off point for safe and efficient single-phase residential chargers.
Robust Three-Phase Charging Boards
If designers need more power, Microchip has also released two new three-phase EV charging designs. Compared to the single-phase board, the three-phase devices sport improved power transmission (up to 22 kW) along with advanced features that make them suitable for commercial applications.
The first three-phase board uses the ATM90E32 three-phase energy metering device to provide up to 1% energy measurement accuracy. In addition, the board includes a Wi-Fi-enabled MCU to improve the device’s networking ability, alongside Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) support. OCPP support is critical to these devices, allowing commercial designers to expand the interoperability of their devices.
Solution diagram of the three-phase AC commercial EV charger reference design with OCPP and a Wi-Fi SoC.
Microchip also offers a new three-phase charger with TFT display support. This charger leverages the same three-phase metering chip but substitutes the Wi-Fi MCU for an advanced system-on-module that can support Wi-Fi, BLE, CAN, and TFT display support. This not only allows users to see the charging status in real time but also opens the doors for NFC payment using secure touch support. Finally, the display-supported design also includes improved isolation, preventing end users from encountering hazardous faults.
Solution diagram of the three-phase AC commercial EV charger reference design with OCPP and a display.
An Easy In for New Automotive Features
While EVs are constantly changing, Microchip’s reference designs may be useful in simple startup systems that need new features. In these use cases, Microchip solutions may improve the time to market without sacrificing key features such as efficiency, power transfer, or safety.
All images used courtesy of Microchip.
