Detachable connectors can sometimes become locked in the charging station and a relatively common user request from an operator is to unlock them remotely. This can be done by heading to a station page and selecting a connector iconfrom the overview and selecting "Unlock connector". Alternatively it can be done from the top right status and actions menu under Sessions -> Unlock connector and choosing the connector ID.
Zaptec charging stations have a specific interpretation of the OCPP 1.6 password handling and users should be aware of this to enable easy onboarding.
Most charging station configuration software, and the Switch Platform, expects a normal "plain text string" to be entered for the password field. However, the Zaptec portal requires that users enter the password in a "Hex Encoded" format and that this must be 40 characters long, otherwise the Zaptec software will add on characters to make its length up to 40.
A simple solution to this is to always set your passwords for Zaptec charging stations in the Zaptec portal to "4141414141414141414141414141414141414141" and in Switch Platform to "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" (the hex decoded version of 414141...) which will ensure a connection. If you'd like a real custom password you can use an online tool like https://www.convertstring.com/EncodeDecode/HexEncode to create the Zaptec version of your password, just make sure that it's 40 characters long otherwise there may be connection issues.
Full details can be found in the "OCPP Authorization" section of this guide: https://zaptec.objects.frb.io/assets/PDFs/Integrating-with-Zaptec-charging-systems.pdf
Networks mean you can create segregated areas within the Platform while retaining a full view of all assets yourself. These can be used for sub-clients or for organising your own assets in a logical way for your business. As an account admin you can add a new Network here: https://app.switch-ev.com/account/networks and then switch between them using the network selector in the top left. Networks can be viewed and managed by admins through the same page.
If the station credentials are set up correctly, the Switch Platform and station will establish a websocket connection. Once this happens the station will move out of the “Pending” state and begin its booting process.
Station booting always involves the sending of a Boot Notification. This tells the Switch Platform the station make and model and some other details. The Switch Platform then requests more information from the station about its components and configuration options.
Once this is all complete the station is onboarded and available to use. You can interact with the station remotely and view its activity from the station details page.
Every station that connects to the Switch Platform either uses a protocol called OCPP 1.6 or OCPP 2.0.1.
OCPP 1.6 only offers the basic authentication described in the section above. This is simple but can be a security risk.
Stations with a version of OCPP 1.6 including the “Security Extension” and stations with OCPP 2.0.1 have additional connection options. This offers a much higher level of security.
We categorise these different security levels into tiered “Security Profiles”:
Profile 2 involves the station installing the Switch Platform certificate and connecting on a secure web socket connection. The URL will start with wss://. The Switch Platform will still authorise the station using its ID and password.
Profile 3 also involves the station installing the platform certificate and connecting on wss://. But the Switch Platform this time authorises the station using its certificate, not with its ID and password. This is the highest security level possible and significantly reduces security risks.
For OCPP 2.0.1 stations we offer the ability to upgrade security profiles from within the Switch Platform. Meaning you can connect quickly and then upgrade the security of your network remotely, at no cost.
Once you’ve successfully added your station to the Switch Platform, you need to update three key settings in order to fully connect.
The three key settings to update are:
If you want a higher level of secure connection, then you need to start also handling certificates (we’ll explain this in the next section).
Settings are usually updated using the manufacturer app. So if you’re unsure how to update your station settings it’s best to contact the manufacturer for support.
After the configuration is updated, the station will reboot and attempt to connect using the new credentials.
This involves the station requesting to connect to the Switch Platform where we validate whether the ID and password match what was previously entered.
Charger firmware is often updated from the manufacturer's system and can be managed through them. However the Switch Platform also supports firmware updates for charging stations.
Firmware files can be uploaded to the Switch Platform by heading to a station -> settings -> firmware -> manage firmware -> upload firmware. The files will then be securely stored in our firmware server. A charger can then be prompted to download this firmware from our server and upgrade itself by going to station -> settings -> firmware -> update firmware and selecting the relevant firmware file.
Head to the sessions tab, choose some filters at the top then select the download button in the top right to download the data to your computer. This data can also be accessed from our API using the /charging_station endpoints
If you have a charger stuck in pending after adding it to the Switch Platform and configuring the charger backend, this is likely due to the station not having the right information or credentials.
This means we cannot authorise it. The quickest way to resolve this is to contact us at support@switch-ev.com and we will get you up and running.
To restart a charger click the ‘Station’ tab in the left-hand menu. Scroll down the list and find the charger you wish to restart and click on it.
Click the ‘Remote actions’ button in the top right-hand corner. You will see several choices.
You can choose an immediate reset or a delayed reset once the current charging session has finished, and the exact component you wish to reset (either the full charging session or a single charging point).
Once you've decided on your action, click ‘Reset’. The reset action can then be seen in the station’s message logs.
To quickly update a charger station’s settings, click on the ‘Stations’ tab on the left-hand menu, then select the charger you want from the list.
This will open a page with more information on the station. Click the “Maintenance” tab at the top of the page and then click on either “Device model” or “Configuration keys” (depending on the charger protocol used).
This shows you a list of all the configuration keys. Click on them for further information. Anything that can be configured will be shown clearly marked in a box for you to edit.
Any issues with configurations, please contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com who will be happy to help.
There are several ways to tell if a charger has a fault.
First, check the ‘Charging status’ in the ‘Dashboard’ menu. This shows any faulty equipment and lets you see more detail by clicking on the component.
Second, check the ‘Stations’ page and look down the list to see if any of the equipment statuses are showing as red. Hover over the equipment with your cursor to show the error and click on it for more information.
If you have any more questions about charger statuses, contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com.
The message logs show the exchange of all messages between the charging station and the Switch Platform.
They are defined by the OCPP protocol the station uses and give granular detail on charging sessions, faults, and any other activity that occurs while the station is online.
Locations can be viewed and managed from the ‘Locations’ tab in the left-hand menu.
Creating a location
There are several ways to add a location but all take you to the same ‘Add a location’ page.
Each of these ways will take you to the ‘Create a location’ page where you can enter the location, name, country and use the address lookup.
Once details are added, click ‘Create location’. You will then be taken back to the ‘Locations’ page and the location will appear on the map at the top of the page and in the list view.
Editing a location
Scroll down the list and find the location you wish to edit. Click into the location and in the top right-hand corner, click the three dots and then press the ‘Edit location’ button.
This will allow you to update the location, name, and address of the location, as well as being able to update the coordinates of the location pin.
If you've edited anything, you can then click ‘Save’ and it will take you back to the Location page.
Deleting a location
Scroll down the list and find the location you wish to edit. Click into the location and in the top right-hand corner, click the three dots and then press the ‘Delete location’ button.
This will bring up a dialogue box if the location has chargers attached to it. You must first remove the chargers attached before you can delete the location.
The chargers attached to this location are shown on the Location page you have open. To remove them, click on each charger on this page and it will take you to the ‘Stations page’ where you can locate the charger and edit the location for the charger.
If you do not have any charges attached to this location or you have removed the chargers, the dialogue box that will pop up now will ask if you are sure you wish to delete the location. Click ‘OK’ and the location will be deleted.
You will then be taken back to the main list of locations.
To onboard a charger, select ‘Add charger’ from the dashboard or stations list pages.
Add a user-friendly name, then enter the ID and Password of the station.
Note: these are likely set within the charging station already. So check the manufacturer documentation on where to see what ID and password are used or how to change them.
Then click ‘Add station’.
Once this is done, the station goes into ‘pending’. This means we are waiting for it to connect. The connection URL will be displayed and this should be entered on the station. Consult the manufacturer for help on how to do this if you’re unsure.
Once the URL on the station is updated it should connect and, if the ID and password match, it will be accepted to the Switch Platform.
Note on security: We recommend connecting using secure websockets (using wss://) which requires the station to trust the Amazon Root Certificate found here. If the station does not allow this then we also allow connection over the unsecure ws:// protocol.
The difference between a pending charger and an on-boarded charger in the Switch Platform can be seen visually on the ‘Stations’ page of the Platform.
A pending charger has been added but not connected to the charger’s backend that you may be using.
This usually consists of taking the URL that the Switch Platform has generated and setting that in the charging station using the manufacturer's software. All of the pending chargers can be seen under the ‘Pending’ tab.
Onboarded chargers have been connected to the Switch Platform. They appear in the ‘Stations’ tab. Within here you can filter for a charger and export your charger data.
If for any reason you are having issues with connecting a charger contact
You can add any charge point to the Switch Platform that supports OCPP version 1.6 or 2.0.1.
We also work with a number of charging station manufacturers who are Switch Approved to be used with the Switch Platform for guaranteed seamless operation.
If you are a charging station manufacturer looking to become Switch Approved, please get in touch.
If you have a question about a specific charger, please contact support@switch-ev.com.
