Charger OCPP messages
The dashboard allows for viewing OCPP messages to provide visibility into charger operations and enable efficient troubleshooting of charger issues.
Overview of key OCPP messages
OCPP messages often include information about the charger, configuration settings, availability status and charging session details.
For this reason, OCPP messages are critical for effective and efficient troubleshooting issues related to charger reliability, such as:
- Why did a particular charging session fail to start? Why did a session stop?
- Is something on the charger broken?
- Is the charger communicating your dashboard's back-end at all?
- What is the allowed amperage last set on the charger?
View OCPP messages in the dashboard
The Charger detail page has a tab for viewing a stream of OCPP messages.
How it works
- Charger OCPP messages are listed in reverse chronological order.
- Each row contains the timestamp, type (incoming/outgoing) and message JSON.
- Filter date/time range
- Search charger messages, including a dropdown selection from common OCPP message types and custom text entry.
- Users can copy content to the clipboard by clicking on individual messages or download a .csv file that contains results of the specified search
Reading OCPP messages
Your charger management system uses the Open charge point protocol - Open Charge Alliance to communicate with networked chargers for all aspects of the experience (authorizing drivers for charging sessions, tracking energy dispensed, load management, etc.). See below for a high-level guide to reading messages:
Basic OCPP messages
BootNotification: Sent when the charger boots up, contains info such as FW version, vendor/model, serial number, etc.
Heartbeat: Informs that the charger is still “alive”
DiagnosticStatusNotification: Indicates current diagnostics upload status
FirmwareStatusNotification: Indicates current firmware version upload status
GetConfiguration: Read the contents of the configuration items
ChangeConfiguration: Used to change the configuration of a charger (if they’re not read-only)
UpdateFirmware: Performs a firmware upgrade on the charger, contains a link to a firmware file's location (usually FTP) and a date to indicate when the upgrade package should be downloaded. Also contains optional fields, such as retry count and retry interval
TriggerMessage: Used to trigger a charger to send messages, e.g. BootNotification, DiagnosticsStatusNotification, Heartbeat, etc.
Reset: Used to reboot a charger
DataTransfer: Vendor-specific custom messages
Authorize: Check the authorization status of an idTag
SetChargingProfile: Send a charging profile to a charger
RemoteStartTransaction: Used to start a session remotely
StartTransaction: Sent at the start of a transaction
RemoteStopTransaction: Used to end a session remotely
StopTransaction: Sent at the end of a transaction
MeterValues: Informs about the charging status and contains info about the charging session, e.g. watt hours dispensed
StatusNotification: Informs about a status change or an error. See below.
Investigating errors: charger status notification
The StatusNotification message contains several values that can be used to understand troublesome charger behaviour. This message may include:
- connectorId: The ID of the connector reporting the status
- errorCode: Contains the error code reported by the charger. See below:
Error Codes
ConnectorLockFailure: Failure to lock or unlock connector.
EVCommunicationError: Communication failure with the vehicle. This will put the charger into a SuspendedEVSE status.
GroundFailure: Ground fault circuit interrupter has been activated.
HighTemperature: Temperature inside charger is too high.
InternalError: Error in internal hardware or software component.
LocalListConflict: The authorization information received conflicts with the local authorization list.
NoError: No error to report.
OtherError: More information in vendorErrorCode value.
OverCurrentFailure: Over current protection device has tripped
OverVoltage: Voltage has risen above an acceptable level.
PowerMeterFailure: Failure to read power meter.
PowerSwitchFailure: Failure to control power switch.
ReaderFailure: Failure with idTag reader.
ResetFailure: Unable to perform a reset
UnderVoltage: Voltage has dropped below an acceptable level.
WeakSignal: Wireless communication device reports a weak signal.
- info (optional): May contain additional information about the error
- status: The current status of the charger. See below:
Status messages
Available: A connector is available for a new user.
Preparing: A connector becomes no longer available for a new user but no charging session is active. Usually appears before a charging session is initiated.
Charging: A vehicle is charging.
SuspendedEVSE: The connection reopens upon request of the EVSE due to some limiting behaviour.
SuspendedEV: The EVSE is ready to deliver energy but the EV is not closing the connection.
Finishing: A charging session has stopped, but the connector is not yet available for a new user.
Charging: A vehicle is charging.
Reserved: A connector becomes reserved as a result of a Reserve Now command
Unavailable: A connector is unavailable as the result of a Change Availability command or an event upon which the charger transitions to unavailable.
Faulted: A charger or connector has reported an error and is not available for energy delivery .
- timestamp (optional): The time at which the status is reported.
- vendorId (optional): This is the self-reported code of the vendor.
- vendorErrorCode (optional): This contains the vendor-specific error code. Details can often be found in the charger's Admin Guide for the specific model.
For a video walkthrough of this feature, click here.