How to Design Next-Gen European Standard AC EV Chargers: Compliance with ISO 15118-20 & V2G

Traditional PWM communication is being phased out in favor of GreenPHY Power Line Communication (PLC), featuring mandatory Plug and Charge (PnC) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capabilities.

1. Hardware Foundations: GreenPHY Communication & Core Boards

Reliable hardware is the cornerstone of any compliant charging solution. Utilizing high-performance core boards (such as the MYC-YF13X) integrated with GreenPHY PLC chips (e.g., MSE102x) is essential. Developers can choose between two field-proven hardware interface modes based on product structure:

• RMII Interface Solution: Direct connection via the ETH1 controller for MAC layer communication, ideal for high-speed network stability.
• SPI Interface Solution: A flexible option for layouts with space constraints, offering reliable driver support through optimized clock rates and interrupt pin definitions.

2. Core Protocols: ISO 15118-20 and Smart Charging Once GreenPHY communication is established, the focus shifts to the software protocol stack:

• Plug and Charge (PnC): This feature relies on TLS certificates and Secure Elements (SE). Modern hardware platforms support secure storage and hardware security modules (HSM) to automate the full process—from plugging in to authentication and billing.
• V2G Development: Bidirectional energy flow (V2G) allows chargers to execute grid commands for charging and discharging. A stable PLC driver layer enables developers to focus on higher-level scheduling strategies and value-added services like frequency regulation.

Comparison Dimension	Traditional Self-R&D Path	Integrated One-Stop Solution Nexway
Hardware Platform	Requires self-selection of processors, carrier board design, and peripheral driver debugging. This results in long development cycles and high technical risks.	Provides mature, industrial-grade core boards and SECC hardware reference designs with verified stability.
GreenPHY Communication	Developers must select chips independently and write low-level drivers to solve hardware issues like signal integrity.	Offers two mature interface solutions (RMII/SPI) for MSE102x chips with complete driver configurations for immediate communication readiness.
Protocol Stack Foundation	Requires sourcing and porting ISO 15118 protocol stacks and integrating OCPP clients, leading to heavy workloads and complex testing.	Provides verified GreenPHY drivers and pre-ported MicroOcpp clients, including full guidance from compilation to server interfacing.
Development Focus	Significant energy and time are consumed by foundational hardware and communication debugging.	Enables engineers to focus on product differentiation and high-level business logic, such as customized UI, billing strategies, or V2G scheduling algorithms.
Compliance Path	All technical risks are self-borne, making the certification timeline unpredictable and difficult to control.	Core modules and communication solutions strictly align with European standards, providing a clear and reliable foundation for final product consistency testing and certification.

3. Seamless Connectivity: Lightweight OCPP Integration Connectivity to a Charge Point Management System (CPMS) is mandatory. Lightweight protocol stacks like MicroOcpp (optimized for embedded Linux) are ideal for this task.

• Protocol Advantages: These stacks support OCPP 1.6 and are compatible with 2.0.1, ensuring low resource consumption and modular compilation.
• Deployment & Validation: By using Docker to deploy open-source servers (like SteVe), developers can quickly verify the entire communication link—from hardware GPIO status to cloud-based reporting.

Conclusion: Turning Regulatory Challenges into Competitive Advantages

The value of an integrated "Hardware + Driver + Protocol Stack" solution lies in transforming the uncertainty of new EU regulations into executable tasks.

By simplifying hardware selection and low-level debugging, engineering teams can focus on product differentiation—such as optimizing user interfaces, developing unique V2G algorithms, or building proprietary operation strategies. Meeting the 2027 market access challenge is not just about compliance; it's about building core competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.