OCPP 1.6 Series Overview and Introduction
This post kicks off a multi-part series on OCPP 1.6, the most widely deployed protocol in EV charging. We’ll explore its architecture, core message types, remote operations, firmware workflows, security, deployment best practices, and payment flow integration. Whether you're building chargers, backend systems, or managing networks, this series will give you a practical, engineer-friendly guide to mastering OCPP 1.6.
OCPP 1.6. A Practical Introduction for Engineers and Operators
The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is the backbone of modern EV charging infrastructure. Whether you're deploying public chargers, building backend systems, or designing firmware for harsh environments, OCPP is the interoperability layer that keeps everything talking.
This post kicks off a multi‑part series focused on OCPP 1.6, the most widely deployed version of the protocol worldwide. While OCPP 2.0.1 is gaining traction, 1.6 remains the workhorse of the industry. especially in commercial, fleet, and developing‑market deployments.
Why OCPP 1.6 Still Matters
- Stable, mature, and widely supported
- Lightweight WebSocket‑based communication
- JSON and SOAP support (JSON dominates modern deployments)
- Covers all essential EVSE operations
- Required by many utilities, tenders, and national programs
If you work with EV charging today, you will encounter OCPP 1.6. and likely for years to come.
What This Series Will Cover
1. OCPP 1.6 Architecture
- Charge Point ↔ Central System
- WebSocket lifecycle
- Heartbeats and status synchronization
2. Core Message Types
BootNotificationAuthorizeStartTransaction/StopTransactionMeterValuesStatusNotification
3. Remote Operations
RemoteStartTransactionRemoteStopTransactionUnlockConnectorChangeConfiguration
4. Firmware & Diagnostics
- Firmware update workflow
- Diagnostics uploads
- Handling failures safely
5. Security Considerations
- TLS support
- Certificate handling
- Common misconfigurations
6. Real‑World Deployment Best Practices
- Handling unstable networks
- Idempotency
- Resilience and watchdog strategies
- Logging and observability
7. JSON vs SOAP in 2026
- Why JSON dominates
- When SOAP still appears
- Migration considerations
8. Payment Flow in OCPP 1.6
A dedicated section exploring how payments actually work in OCPP 1.6. including authorization, metering, tariffs, roaming, and backend billing logic. (This will be expanded in a future post.)
Who This Series Is For
- EVSE firmware engineers
- Backend developers building CSMS platforms
- Reliability engineers
- Charging network operators
- Anyone wanting a clear, practical understanding of OCPP 1.6
What’s Next
The next post will break down the OCPP 1.6 architecture, including how a charge point connects, stays alive, and communicates with the central system.