Vector and AST International partner on DC charging stations

This ensures the compatibility of the communication protocols of the Vector vSECC charging controller and the AST DC Meter. For charging station manufacturers, this results in a convenient plug-and-play solution that shortens development times and enables full integration.

The integration of energy meters requires a combination of different communication protocols and often presents charging station manufacturers with high development and integration costs. To speed up these development processes, the vSECC controllers from Vector now offer a plug-and-play solution with the AST DC Meters (direct current energy meters) for transmitting the energy values via Ethernet and/or RS-485 interface. Bidirectional charging processes are also recorded in compliance with calibration law and transmitted from the AST DC Meter to the payment system.

The vSECC Controllers (Supply Equipment Communication Controller) from Vector control the charging communication between electric vehicles, charging station components and backend systems. The common charging standards such as CCS (Combined Charging System), NACS (North American Charging Standard), CHAdeMO (Japanese Charging Consortium) and, most recently, MCS (Megawatt Charging System) are supported. The product family certified for worldwide use currently comprises the following variants: the vSECC for fast charging stations with two charging points and pantographs, the compact vSECC.single for slim single charging points and the space-saving vSECC.single board for the development of intelligent wall boxes. The basis in each variant is the Linux-based vSECC software, which is pre-installed on all vSECC controllers.

For the continuously precise measurement of charging power, AST International offers product variants for fast charging stations up to 780 A, Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) up to 1500 A and DC wallboxes up to 200 A, thus scaling compatibility to all areas of the DC charging infrastructure. Certified in accordance with German calibration law, the requirements of the European Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) and French calibration law, the AST DC Meters can be used in all countries. For use in North America, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification based on the safety requirements of UL 61010 has also been successfully completed.

The collaboration between Vector and AST simplifies the integration of fundamental DC charging station hardware and helps manufacturers get the most out of its performance. “The partnership with AST simplifies the development processes of our customers, as they can rely on aligned communication between the vSECC charging communication controllers and AST DC Meters,” says Rebekka Jentzsch, Product Manager vSECC Controller (Vector).

“Fast development processes for new and more powerful charging stations are crucial for the expansion of the charging infrastructure. With the plug-and-play solution between Vector's vSECC controllers and our AST DC Meters, the integration effort for calibration-compliant communication is reduced to a minimum for charging station manufacturers. We are particularly proud to have found a partner in Vector in our region, the heart of the German automotive industry, to further drive the expansion of the charging infrastructure in Germany, Europe and internationally,” adds Marvin Stoll, Key Account Manager at AST International.