Reworking EVCC Boards With LIN for Vehicle-to-Grid Capabilities

• Adam MacNair, Electrical Engineering, University of Delaware

• Willett Kempton, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware
• Rodney McGee, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware

Electric Vehicle Communication Controller (EVCC) boards help enable important communication between electric vehicles (EVs), charging cables, and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), including support for advanced functions such as Vehicle‑to‑Grid (V2G). Currently, older versions of EVCC boards are not in use. These can be reworked with new hardware and software to match the capabilities of the newest board versions. To update these boards, an additional printed circuit board (PCB) is soldered on to add LIN, along with other small tweaks to the hardware on the old boards. The goal is to allow older versions of the board to be able to communicate using LIN, which is critical. After completing the rework, the boards underwent testing to make sure they were properly functioning. These tests were conducted by swapping in the reworked board to a test charging station that could be connected to a test box acting like an EV car. Iterative debugging addressed intermittent hardware disruptions, requiring detailed board reviews and corrective modifications. Sometimes there were disruptions in the PCB where certain components were causing the board not to function correctly, ultimately leading to a review of the board and its components before making changes and testing it again. The LIN rework was successful and shows promising results for utilizing older versions of the VSL boards, allowing the project to move on to more rigorous testing and development.