The SGA Solutions® department of our Inelbo subsidiary, partnered by the Intesisbrand, developed the innovative OCPP – Modbus gateways. They are designed for the integration of electric vehicle (EV) charging points into the building management system (BMS). Gateways are a unique solution. They adapt to all types of EV charging point control projects, allowing the company to integrate the gateways into the Modbus system or to work with an external central system, with the BMS able to access the control data. This innovative project received significant internal funding from the Eiffage Group for its development and implementation. This makes Inelbo the first non-French company in the Group to obtain Seed’Innov.
OCPP
The charging points for electric vehicles work with OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol). It is an open and standardised communication protocol for all electric vehicle chargers on the market. Until now, an external central system was required to manage and control all the chargers. This system did not give the BMS the possibility of accessing data form the charging points. 
Maintenance, control and monitoring
OCPP – Modbus gateways allow two-way communication. This enables the BMS to access all signals from the chargers in a simple way. The gateways allow two types of functionalities:
- BMS as central system: Integration of EV charging points into the Modbus system, making the BMS the central operating system.
- External OCPP Central System BRIDGE Mode: Management of the charging points through an external central system, allowing the BMS to monitor metering information and the status of the chargers
The gateways allow full control and monitoring of EV charging points
Features
The main features of OCPP-Modbus gateways are:
- Robust gateways
- Use of open and standardised protocols
- Compatible with Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP
- Common Modbus map for all makes and models
- Simple application for configuration
The devices are available in two versions, depending on the needs of each client. The simplest version is a gateway that can be connected to a charger with up to seven connectors for electric vehicles. The second version is a gateway with the capacity to connect up to 20 chargers with seven vehicle connectors each. They are now available for sale in the Eenergie-Shop, our Inelbo subsidiary’s online store, which specialises in the sale of materials and equipment for the industrial sector, control devices, automation, etc.
Quality assurance and innovation
This is not the first time that the Management and Automation Systems department, SGA Solutions®, has relied on Intesis for the development of technological innovations. The trademark, acquired by the HMS Networks group in 2016, is a pioneer in the design and manufacture of innovative solutions for systems integration. The combination of the two companies’ efforts and technologies has resulted in a completely new system that will facilitate the management of electric chargers in single-family homes, parking garages, Smart cities, buildings, businesses, etc.
