Auto-detection of DC cable assemblies

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a cable assembly, a charging apparatus and methods for DC charging of electric vehicles. The cable assembly comprises an embedded identification circuitry configured to produce a digitally modulated output signal into a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly. The digitally modulated output signal determines a token that determines at least one characteristic of the charging assembly. The charging apparatus is configured to decode the digitally modulated signal to obtain the token and to determine at least one characteristic of the cable assembly based on the token. Based on the at least one characteristic of the cable assembly, the charging apparatus is configured to determine at least one setting of the charging dispenser to be applied for DC charging using the cable assembly.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to cable assemblies, and particularly to cable assemblies for charging electric vehicles. The present disclosure further concerns circuitry and methods to automatically determine operation parameters of a cable assembly. BACKGROUND In this context, a cable assembly refers to an assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug suitable for charging an electric vehicle, EV. Typically, cable assemblies are provided at the market as readily integrated entities, thus ensuring that the charging plug and the charging cable have mutually equal current load capacities. In this context, a charging dispenser, in short dispenser, refers to the device to which the cable assembly is installed to enable a user to charge an EV. The dispenser may be a stand-alone device or a part of a charging system. In this context, a charging controller refers to one or more processors configured to control a charging event of the EV using the dispenser. The charging controller may be implemented as a single, integrated controller provided for example in the charging dispenser or the charging controller may be distributed among two or more entities of the charging system. For example, if the charging system comprises a central power unit that provides charging power to a plurality of charging dispensers, functionalities of the charging controller may be distributed between the central power unit and charging dispenser(s). Typical home EV charging points use AC EV connectors. In AC EV connectors, there are various standards, which determine specific pins. For example, J1772 (Type 1) EV connector used in North America and Japan, and Mennekes (type 2) EV connector used in EU and many other countries, have two specific pins for communication between the EV and charging equipment: a proximity pilot (PP) pin and a control pilot (CP) pin. The PP pin is used for indicating presence of the cable at the plug socket of the EV, and this is used for example by the EV's to prevent it from moving while being plugged in. The CP pin provides bidirectional communications between the electric vehicle and charging system. A PE pin is for earth, grounded on the charging dispenser side. In some connector types, such as Mennekes Type 2 EV connector a further, standardized functionality is provided: the PP conductor is further used to indicate current load capacity of an AC charging cable. The current load capacity is coded in a voltage detectable at the PP conductor. The term PP conductor refers to the cable coupled between the cable interface of the dispenser and the PP pin in the charging plug. Nowadays, DC EV connectors are typically available at services and within fleet EV chargers, possibly providing high charging rates with high charging power. There are several standards for DC EV charging plugs, such as Combined Charging System (CCS) Combo 1 (CCS1), NACS, CCS Combo 2 (CCS2), or CHAdeMO depending on intended market segment and / or geographical area. Many of the plug sockets in EV'S comprise pin contacts for both DC and AC charging. However, cable assemblies are typically configured to support either DC charging or AC charging, but not both. If the charging plug is designed to support both DC ad AC charging, but the cable assembly is configured for just one of these, unused pins are not connected to any conductors of the cable. Typically the charging cable only comprises conductors for its intended use only. DC charging pins of the charging plug are not coupled to a power source when AC charging is applied, and a charging controller recognizes the charging cable type used for AC charging based on the PP pin voltage for determining the maximum allowed load current. When DC charging is applied, the PP pin is not used for anything by the charging dispenser, even though it is still used by the EV for detecting that the charging plug is coupled to the EV's plug socket. This can be implemented without having any PP conductor in the charging cable, by coupling the PP pin to the PE pin within the charging plug. Eichrecht is a German calibration law that requires all components involved in collection and processing of energy to operate in a trustworthy and transparent way to protect electricity customers. Rapid charging of electric vehicles (EV) is one field in which Eichrecht is applied. Solutions compliant with Eichrect can be approved for public charging of EVs in applicable markets. An Eichrecht approval of a charging system requires that field installations as well as replacements are made using cable models which are compliant with product certifications. Manual configuration and assembly are prone to errors. Various solutions are known to ensure that only conformant cables are used. For example, extra wires and connectors may be added to the cables and to the coupled dispensers. Extra hardware, such as RFID tags, may be added to cable assemblies, and the dispenser is provided with an RFID reader for identifying a model of the cable assembly. A controller may be integrated to the cable assembly. A solution is needed that provides auto-detection functionality for DC cable assemblies without requiring additional dedicated hardware in the dispenser. Document US10160324B2 discloses a magnetic or RFID tag that is recognized by a sensor or RFID reader in the charging dispenser for determining type of cable and thus maximum allowed load current. BRIEF DESCRIPTION An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cable assembly and a charging apparatus, as well as methods performed in a cable assembly and in a charging apparatus so as to solve the above problem. The object of the disclosure is achieved by a cable assembly, a charging apparatus and methods which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Some embodiments of the disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims. The disclosure is based on the idea of utilizing the pre-existing PP connection for auto-detecting DC cable assembly by adding a microcontroller in the cable assembly that produces a token by digitally modulating a DC voltage fed to the PP signal path. In this context, digitally modulating does not require the resulting modulated signal to necessarily correspond to a digital signal that can be fed as such into an input of a digital component, but it refers to a signal that has two mutually distinguishable voltage levels. These two voltage levels may be suitable to be used as such as an input signal for a digital component, such as the charging controller, configured to decode the signal into a token, or the digitally modulated signal may need to be converted into a digital signal by a detection circuit before decoding the token. In this context, the term PP signal path refers to electrically conducting parts configured to carry the PP signal between the charging system and the EV. The PP signal path of the cable assembly comprises at least the PP conductor of the charging cable and the PP pin in the charging plug and optional electrical connections and / or interfaces therebetween. The PP signal path continues outside the cable assembly in other parts of the charging system, such as the charging cable interface of the charging dispenser and a plug socket of the EV. The PP signal path may further comprise a signal conductor arranged between the charging dispenser and a central power unit to carry the PP signal. According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a cable assembly for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, is provided. The cable assembly comprises a charging cable and a charging plug. The cable assembly comprises an embedded identification circuitry comprising a microcontroller configured to produce a digitally modulated output signal into a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly by controlling a switch, a variable resistor or a digital-to-analog converter. The digitally modulated output signal determines a token determining at least one characteristic of the charging assembly. According to some embodiments, the cable assembly further comprises a circuit for buffering a DC operating voltage received via the PP signal path from a cable interface of a charging dispenser for operating the controller. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one identifier is selected from a list comprising: a serial number, a product type, a product number, a unique product identifier, a manufacturer name, a model identification, a type of a sensor embedded or integrated in the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly. According to dome embodiments, the at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly selected from a list comprising: a maximum allowed current, one or more overdrive specifications, an additional functionality provided by the cable assembly, calibration data, length of the charging cable, a compensation factor for cable losses, commissioning date, reading of an embedded or integrated sensor. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a method for indicating at least one characteristic of a cable assembly for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, is provided. The cable assembly comprises a charging cable and a charging plug. The cable assembly comprises an embedded identification circuitry, and the method comprises producing, by the embedded identification circuitry, a digitally modulated output signal into a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly. The digitally modulated output signal determines a token determining at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises buffering a DC voltage received from a cable interface of a charging dispenser via the PP signal path for providing an operating voltage for the embedded identification circuitry. According to a third aspect of the disclosure, a charging apparatus comprising a charging dispenser configured to determine at least one setting for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, using a cable assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug. The charging dispenser comprises a DC voltage source configured to feed a DC voltage to a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly coupled to a cable interface of the charging dispenser. The charging apparatus further comprises optionally a signal conditioning and buffering circuit configured to condition and / or buffer a digitally modulated signal received from the PP signal path and / or optionally a detection circuit configured process the digitally modulated signal. The charging apparatus comprises a processor configured to decode the digitally modulated and optionally conditioned, buffered and / or processed signal to obtain a token. The token determines at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. The charging apparatus comprises a charging controller configured to determine at least one setting of the charging dispenser based on the at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. The at least one setting is to be applied for DC charging using the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the charging apparatus further comprises communication means operationally coupled to the charging controller and configured to send the at least one identifier to a data storage, and to receive, in response to sending the at least one identifier, at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the charging apparatus is further configured to determine that the cable assembly is not functional based on not detecting the digitally modulated signal and / or not being able to decode the digitally modulated signal. According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, a method for determining at least one setting of a charging dispenser for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, using a cable assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug. The method comprises feeding a DC voltage to a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly coupled to a cable interface of the charging dispenser, optionally conditioning and / or buffering a digitally modulated signal received from the PP signal path, and / or optionally processing the digitally modulated signal. The method comprises decoding the digitally modulated and optionally conditioned, buffered and / or processed signal to obtain a token. The token determines at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. The method comprises determining at least one setting of the charging dispenser to be applied for DC charging using the cable assembly based on the at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the at least one characteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly, and the method further comprises sending the at least one identifier to a data storage, and in response to sending the identifier to the data storage, receiving at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly. According to some embodiments, the method comprises communicating at least one characteristic of the cable assembly to a remote data service, and maintaining, by the remote data service, a record for confirming compliance of charging dispensers and associated cable assemblies. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises determining that the cable assembly is not functional based on not detecting the digitally modulated signal and / or not being able to decode the digitally modulated signal. An advantage of the DC cable assembly auto-detection is that compliance and certification of both first-installed cable assemblies and replacement cable assemblies can be automatically ensured, and possibly risky human errors can be avoided. No additional hardware is necessary for the charging dispenser, since the cable interface of the charging dispenser that is configured to autodetect a voltage at the PP signal path, such as the PP conductor for determining the maximum allowed load current in AC charging can be reused. Reprogramming the charging dispenser enables auto-detection of the DC cable assembly. Required reprogramming of the charging dispenser may usually be implemented with a straightforward software update. In addition to ensuring mere compliance, the disclosed solution further enables providing various pieces of data concerning the cable assembly and capabilities thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following the disclosure will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a charging system comprising a charging dispenser. Figure 2 illustrates a charging system comprising a power unit and charging dispensers. Figure 3 illustrates circuitry for detection of maximum allowed charge current in AC charging. Figure 4 illustrates circuitry for auto-detecting a DC cable assembly in DC charging. Figure 5 illustrates another circuitry for auto-detecting a DC cable assembly in DC charging. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for enabling auto-detection of DC cable assembly that is intended to be used for charging electric vehicles, EV. Figure 1 illustrates a charging system comprising a charging dispenser 10. The charging dispenser 10 is provided with one or more cable assemblies 20, each comprising a charging cable 21 and a charging plug 22. The charging plug conforms with one of the standards determined for charging plugs for charging electric vehicles, EV. Examples of currently applicable standards of charging plugs are Combined Charging System (CCS) Combo 1 (CCS1), NACS, CCS Combo 2 (CCS2), and CHAdeMO. Selection of the charging plug type depends on intended market segment and / or geographical area. The charging dispenser is provided with an interface circuitry 120 for each cable assembly 20. The interface circuitry facilitates communication between a charging controller 100 and the EV that is being charged. The interface circuitry may further comprise arrangements involved in controlling charging power in AC and / or DC charging under control of the charging controller 100. The charging controller 100 controls operation of the interface circuitry 120 over a control interface 25. According to some embodiments, the charging controller 100 and the interface circuitry 120 may be integrated in a single device. The charging controller is preferably provided with a communication interface 27 over which the charging controller is able to communicate for example over the Internet 28 with remote data processing services, for example for remote supervision, remote control of the charging dispenser 10 and / or data services. The charging dispenser 10 is provided with an electrical power connection 11, preferably a grid connection. Charging power control and related connections within the charging dispenser 10 are not shown in the illustration, because these are as such not relevant for understanding the invention. Figure 2 illustrates schematically another charging system comprising a power unit 15 and a plurality of charging dispensers 10. Just two charging dispensers 10 are shown, but any integer number is applicable. Charging dispensers 10 in the charging system may have mutually similar capabilities, or they may be different from each other. Each charging dispenser 10 may comprise one or more cable assemblies 20. Like in the example of the Figure 1, charging dispensers may be provided with any of the known types of charging plugs, such as Combined Charging System (CCS) Combo 1 (CCS1), CCS Combo 2 (CCS2), or CHAdeMO depending on intended market segment and / or geographical area. Each cable assembly is provided by interface circuitry 120. In this exemplary charging system, functionalities of the charging controller 100 are distributed among charging dispensers 10 and the power unit 15, but a centralized charging controller 100 is also possible, preferably placed in the power unit 15. The power unit 15 is coupled to grid 11 for electricity, and power connections 12 are provided between the power unit and the charging dispensers 10. Also data connections 26 are provided between the power unit 15 and the one or more charging dispensers 10. When the charging controller 100 is distributed, a data connection 26 is provided between the distributed parts of the charging controller 100. If a PP signal would be needed at the charging controller 100 in the power unit 15, the data connection 26 may comprise portions of the PP signal path. Alternatively, a centralized charging controller 100 in the power unit 15 is provided with a control interface towards interface circuitries in the charging dispensers. The charging controller is preferably provided with a data communication interface 27 over which the charging controller is able to communicate for example over the Internet 28 with remote data processing services, for example for remote supervision, remote control and / or data services. Again, charging power control and related connections within the charging dispenser 10 are omitted in the illustration, because these are as such not relevant for understanding the invention. Figure 3 illustrates a circuitry for detection of maximum allowed charge current in AC charging as known in the field. The current load capacity is coded by means of a cable resistor 31: different sizes of cable resistors 31 cause a different reference voltage at a PP conductor interface 33 of the PP conductor 30 and thus in the PP signal path. Applicable cable resistor's 31 resistance values are standardized so that charging cables can be used in charging dispensers of different manufacturers. Each standardized cable resistor resistance causes a distinctive reference voltage at the PP conductor 30, each reference voltage indicating a predetermined current load capacity of the charging cable. The dispenser provides a DC operating voltage VCC to the PP conductor through a first resistor 32. The first resistor 32 and the cable resistor 31 coupled at its other end to the ground, form a resistive voltage divider, and the PP conductor interface 33 towards an interface circuitry 120 of the dispenser that is configured to detect the resulting, divided DC voltage level in the PP conductor 30 and in the PP conductor interface 33. In this example, an exemplary signal conditioning and buffering circuit 35 is provided in the interface circuitry 120 before reference voltage signal fed into the analog-to-digital converter 36, or any other suitable circuitry which produces a digital signal 38 representing the detected reference voltage value towards the charging controller. For example, a comparator may be used. The charging controller determines the maximum allowed load current on basis of the determined value of the PP conductor reference voltage. The charging controller uses this determined maximum allowed load current as a limit value when determining current to be fed via the AC charging cable assembly to an EV at any time. Amplification of the reference voltage by the signal conditioning and buffering circuit 35 is optional, so that optionally the entire signal conditioning and buffering circuit 35 may be omitted. Interface circuitry 120 may further comprise circuitry for providing and / or controlling provision of charging power (not shown) to relevant charging conductors. Figure 4 illustrates a circuitry for auto-detecting a cable assembly that can be used for DC charging. An embedded identification circuitry 200 is provided in the cable assembly, preferably assembled at either end of the charging cable of the cable assembly. Instead of either end of the charging cable, the embedded identification circuitry 200 be located at an intermediate point of the charging cable, or at any suitable place in the charging plug as long as it is electrically connected to the PP signal path and thus also to the PP conductor. In this non-limiting example, the embedded identification circuitry 200 is coupled to the PP conductor via the PP conductor interface 33 and to the PE conductor of the charging cable is coupled to earth provided at the dispenser via the earthing interface 34. Beneficially, physical interface circuitry provided in the charging dispenser is not changed, but software update is needed to enable the DC cable assembly auto-detection as will be described. The embedded identification circuitry 200 comprises an energy harvester 41, which buffers supply voltage VCC received via the PP conductor 30 of the charging cable from a cable interface of a charging dispenser. For example, the energy harvester 41 may comprise a capacitor, which buffers electrical energy received via the PP conductor that is used for powering operations while the same PP conductor 30 is used for data communication. This type of energy buffering is used for example in some single wire devices known in the art. Only relatively small data rates are available with such single-wire system, but auto-detection of the cable assembly is not a time critical function. Slow data rates also ensure that the solution has low power consumption. The energy harvester 41 provides operating voltage to operate a microcontroller 40, which controls operation of a modulating switch 45, implemented for example as a transistor switch. Opening and closing the modulating switch 45 causes the PP signal path voltage in the PP conductor interface 33 to change between two distinctive voltage values, determined by resistors 32 and 46, and optionally a bias resistor 31, thus producing a simple, digital modulation, which can be used for communicating data from the cable assembly via the PP conductor interface 33 towards the charging dispenser. The microcontroller 40 is preferably pre-programmed to repeat a modulation pattern that represents a predefined token. Instead of a switch 45, digital modulation of the token may be implemented by controlling, by the microcontroller 40, a variable resistor 47 as shown in the figure 5. According to a further alternative (not shown), the microcontroller 40 may control a digital-to-analog converter that produces a digital output signal to the PP signal path to cause digital modulation of the voltage in the PP conductor 30. The energy harvester 41 is not necessary to enable providing the token digitally modulated in the PP signal path. Alternatively, a dedicated power supply may be provided in the cable interface of the charging dispenser. Such dedicated power supply solution likely requires additional hardware to be assembled to the charging dispenser, which makes retrofitting the functionality in previously installed charging dispenser a bit more laborious and expensive. The existing interface circuitry 120 of the charging dispenser and / or the charging controller can be reprogrammed to enable obtaining the coded token from the PP conductor interface. In comparison to detecting the reference voltage used in AC charging, the analog-to-digital converter, ADC, 36 may need to use higher sampling frequency to sample the digitally coded signal received via the PP conductor interface, depending on the applied data rate. The charging controller is reprogrammed to enable detecting the token coded by the modulation, instead of simply determining the reference voltage. For example, the sample frequency may be about 10 times the modulation frequency to ensure that the modulated pattern (the token) can be reliably captured. According to an alternative embodiment, the digitally modulated signal at the PP signal path, i.e. the PP conductor, can be detected using a comparator 56 as illustrated in figure 5, that detects the digitally modulated voltage levels in the PP signal path by indicating whether the voltage level in the PP signal path is above or below a predetermined reference voltage VREF, providing at its output a digital signal. According to a further alternative, the embedded identification circuitry 200 may be designed so that voltage levels of the two digitally modulated produced in the PP signal path can be directly coupled into an input of a digital circuit comprised in the interface circuitry 120 or in the charging controller 100. Since the charging dispenser is readily configured to determine a reference voltage for determining the maximum allowed charge current in AC charging as explained in connection to figure 3, the disclosed method to determine at least characteristic of the cable assembly for DC charging can be easily implemented as a retrofit update. A software update in the charging dispenser's charging controller is typically sufficient. The solution further enables detecting, by the charging controller, based on not being able to decode any digitally modulated signal from the PP signal path, that the charging cable is not functional. When the embedded identification circuitry is located on the side of the cable assembly that is electrically separated from the charging dispenser, it can be determined that the electrical connection between the embedded identification circuitry and the charging dispenser is not functional and thus it can be determined that the cable assembly is not functional. Such situation may be caused for example if the charging cable has been cut or otherwise separated from the charging plug. In response to detecting, that no digitally modulated signal is available and / or no token can be decoded, the charging controller may be configured to disable feeding any electrical power to the cable assembly, thus improving security at the charging station. According to some embodiments, the interface circuit 120 of the charging dispenser comprises a signal conditioning and buffering circuit, such as the signal conditioning and buffering circuit 35 illustrated in the figure 3. As understood by a skilled person, implementation of the interface circuit 120 and the embedded identification circuitry 200 are as such independent from each other. Thus, any combination of the disclosed types of the interface circuit 120 and the embedded identification circuitry 200 is applicable, as long as these are designed to be compatible with each other: the digitally modulated signal determines mutually distinguishable voltage levels as generated with the embedded identification circuitry 200, and these need to be detected by the interface circuit 120 for enabling decoding the token carried by the digitally modulated signal. The token determines at least one characteristic of the cable assembly. The at least one characteristic may be an identifier associated with the cable assembly or an operational characteristic of the able assembly. The token may comprise one or more identifiers, one or more operational characteristics or any combination of these. The at least one identifier can be any one of a serial number, a product type, a product number, a unique product identifier, a manufacturer name and a model identification. The at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly may determine any one of a maximum allowed current, at least one overdrive specification, an additional functionality provided by the cable assembly, type of a sensor provided in the cable assembly, calibration data, length of the charging cable, a compensation factor for cable losses, commissioning date, to name a few. One or more sensors may be embedded or integrated in the charging plug or in the charging cable, and information about existence thereof can be provided to the charging controller by means of the token. Examples of an additional functionality of a cable assembly may be for example one or more of a position, humidity, or an additional temperature sensor provided in the charging plug. The charging controller may adjust settings of the charging dispenser to enable obtaining sensor data from the one or more sensors, which can be used, for example, for optimization purposes during ongoing charging events. Sensor data may be obtainable via the cable interface, or over a short-range wireless interface provided between the sensor(s) and the charging dispenser. According to some embodiments, sensor data, such as temperature data, humidity data or position data may be encoded in the token. The token may be a minimal size token that comprises just an identifier of the cable assembly, for example a product number. The token may also be a full set of configuration data, comprising a wide selection of relevant data items, such as manufacturer name, model number, product number, maximum allowable current, overdrive specifications, additional functionality provided by the cable assembly and so on. Cable assemblies may even be identified individually, in which case each cable assembly is provided with a unique token, such as a serial number. The token may also comprise a dynamic portion that enables communication of sensor data. If the token comprises one or more identifiers, the charging controller may be configured to obtain operational characteristics of the cable assembly based on one or more of the identifiers. The charging controller may be provided with a dedicated database or a memory that comprises operational characteristics of charging cables associated with different identifiers, or the charging controller may be configured to send a request comprising at least one of the obtained identifiers to an external database or service, which returns the respective operational characteristics of the cable assembly in response to the request. The charging controller uses the obtained one or more operational characteristics of the cable assembly for determining settings of the charging dispenser and / or controlling charging events in which the respective cable assembly is used to ensure that settings of the charging dispenser are correct and safe for each cable assembly. For example, the identifier may identify a cable type, and the charging controller obtains at least an operational characteristic that determines maximum allowed current for this cable type, and uses this maximum allowed current as a threshold when determining current for any charging event. A further possible use of the token is remote detectability, which enables for example detecting need for maintenance: if the charging controller is not capable of detecting the token, it may be determined that there is something wrong with the cable assembly, and a maintenance visit by service personnel is needed. Upon determining, that no token can be obtained from the cable assembly, the charging dispenser may be temporarily disabled. Another possible use of the token is ensuring conformance of cable assembly and the charging dispenser. For example, a charging dispenser may have a plurality of cable interfaces, but different cable interfaces of the charging dispenser may be designed to be used with different charging plugs, according to any one of the applicable standards. Thus, coupling a wrong type of cable assembly to a cable interface may cause a safety hazard, for example overheating or even melting of the charging cable due to exceeding its maximum allowed current limits. By identifying the type and / or operational characteristics of each cable assembly assembled on any individual cable interface of a charging dispenser, such misfit assemblies can be immediately recognized. Preferably any misfit assemblies can be disabled. For example, the charging controller may determine a misfit between a cable assembly and a specific cable interface and disable use thereof. If obtained characteristic of the cable assembly is sent by the charging controller to a remote data service, such misfit may further be communicated and an immediate alert of a need to correct the misfit can be provided to operation control or maintenance personnel. On the other hand, the cable interface of the charging dispenser is designed to be adjustable, its settings can be determined upon determining type and / or operational characteristics of the associated cable assembly. Furthermore, by collecting identification and / or operational characteristics of 5 the cable assemblies provided by means of tokens, compliance data of all charging dispensers and associated cable assemblies can be collected and recorded in a trustworthy and transparent way.

Claims

1. A cable assembly for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, the cable assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug, the cable assembly comprising an embedded identification circuitry comprising:5             a microcontroller configured to produce a digitally modulated outputsignal into a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly by controlling a switch, a variable resistor, or a digital-to-analog converter, wherein the digitally modulated output signal determines a token determining at least one characteristic of the cable assembly.0      2. The cable assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:- a circuit for buffering a DC operating voltage received via the PP signal path from a cable interface of a charging dispenser for operating the controller.

3. The cable assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one 5          characteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cableassembly.

4. The cable assembly according to claim 3, wherein the at least one identifier is selected from a list comprising: a serial number, a product type, a product number, a unique product identifier, a manufacturer name, a 20           model identification, a type of a sensor embedded or integrated in the cableassembly.

5. The cable assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly.25      6. The cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein the at least oneoperational characteristic of the cable assembly selected from a list comprising:  a maximum allowed current, one or more overdrivespecifications, an additional functionality provided by the cable assembly, calibration data, length of the charging cable, a compensation factor for2024430835  08 Jun 2026cable losses, commissioning date, reading of an embedded or integrated sensor.

7. A method for indicating at least one characteristic of a cable assembly for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, wherein the cable assembly 5          comprises a charging cable and a charging plug wherein the the cableassembly comprises an embedded identification circuitry, and the method comprises:producing, by the embedded identification circuitry, a digitally modulated output signal into a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the 0             cable assembly, wherein the digitally modulated output signaldetermines a token determining at least one characteristic of the cable assembly.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:- buffering a DC voltage received from a cable interface of a charging 5                 dispenser via the PP signal path for providing an operating voltagefor the embedded identification circuitry.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly.20      10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the at least onecharacteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly.

11. A charging apparatus comprising a charging dispenser configured to determine at least one setting for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, 25          using a cable assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug,the charging dispenser comprising:- a DC voltage source configured to feed a DC voltage to a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable assembly coupled to a cable interface of the charging dispenser,30             wherein the charging apparatus further comprises:2024430835  08 Jun 2026- a PP conductor interface configured to receive a digitally modulated signal from the PP signal path,- a processor configured to decode the digitally modulated signal to obtain a token, wherein the token determines at least one 5                 characteristic of the cable assembly, and- a charging controller configured to determine at least one setting of the charging dispenser based on the at least one characteristic of the cable assembly to be applied for DC charging using the cable assembly.0      12. The charging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least onecharacteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly.

13. The charging apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:- communication means operationally coupled to the charging5                 controller and configured to send the at least one identifier to a datastorage, and to receive, in response to sending the at least one identifier, at least one operational characteristic of the cableassembly.

14. The charging apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein0          the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operationalcharacteristic of the cable assembly.

15. The charging apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, whereinthe charging apparatus is further configured to determine that the cableassembly is not functional based on not detecting the digitally modulated 25           signal and / or not being able to decode the digitally modulated signal.

16. A method for determining at least one setting of a charging dispenser for DC charging of an electric vehicle, EV, using a cable assembly comprising a charging cable and a charging plug, the method comprising:- feeding a DC voltage to a proximity pilot, PP, signal path of the cable30                assembly coupled to a cable interface of the charging dispenser,2024430835  08 Jun 2026-  receiving a digitally modulated signal from the PP signal path,-  decoding the digitally modulated signal to obtain a token, whereinthe token determines at least one characteristic of the cable assembly, and5              - based on the at least one characteristic of the cable assembly,determining at least one setting of the charging dispenser to be applied for DC charging using the cable assembly.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly.0      18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the at least onecharacteristic comprises at least one identifier associated with the cable assembly, and the method further comprises:- sending the at least one identifier to a data storage, and- in response to sending the identifier to the data storage, receiving5                 at least one operational characteristic of the cable assembly.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, the method comprising:- communicating at least one characteristic of the cable assembly to a remote data service, and0              - maintaining, by the remote data service, a record for confirmingcompliance of charging dispensers and associated cable assemblies.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, further comprising:- determining that the cable assembly is not functional based on not detecting the digitally modulated signal and / or not being able to25                 decode the digitally modulated signal.

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