OCPP configuration parameters
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Chargers are configured through OCPP configuration parameters. Some configuration parameters are defined by OCPP, others are specific to manufacturer. Even in mandatory OCPP parameters, the presentation of values may differ. OCPP is missing some really useful parameters, like Free Charging, so manufacturers have different approaches to solve that problem.
Why are OCPP parameters important?
- As an operator, you need to decide how you want your charger to behave in various situations.
- Decisions on how the chargers behave may incur costs or loss of profit
- Not all chargers support all configurations
Things to decide for charger parameters
| Situation | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| During normal operation of the charger, do people need to authenticate themselves | No auth / Free charging mode | Auth via app | Ad hoc payment |
| When charger has lost connection to the backend, can people still charge? | No charging is possible | Previously used tags can be used to charge | Anyone can charge (Free charging mode) |
| When free charging is enabled, should the transactions be collected under some tag for reporting | No, transactions will appear with no tag | Yes (also consider if the tag is the same for all chargers, or may differ) |
Recommended OCPP parameter values
| Situation | Config key | Recommended value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| App based, paid charging | AuthorizeRemoteTxRequests | false | Payment gateways will send payment ID as RFID and charging will fail. |
| Home / Private charging | AuthorizationCacheEnabled | true | Previously used tags can be used to charge |
| All contexts | AllowOfflineTxForUnknownId | false | If true anyone with an NFC tag can charge |
| All contexts | MeterValueSampleInterval | 60-180 | Power figures allow us to monitor transactions |
Updating OCPP configuration parameters through eMabler UI
1. Navigate to the charger you want to update. Click "Config" to access charger's OCPP parameter configurations.
2. To edit parameters click the "Edit" icon on the corresponding row. OCPP parameters are editable only when the charger is online, otherwise the "Edit" will be disabled.
3. After editing the value, you can either save the new configuration value or cancel.
