TEST ENGINEERING. KNOWLEDGE
What changed in IEC 61851-23:2023 for DC charging station testing?
For DC charging station testing, IEC 61851-23:2023 reorganizes the DC EVSE requirements and revises electrical safety in Clauses 8 and 12. It adds methods in Clause 102, thermal-management provisions in 101.2 and a new artificial-load annex, EE. Bidirectional requirements are specified for system A; this edition does not define them for systems B and C.
Test area and results
| Change | Document location | Test-plan action |
|---|---|---|
| Document organization | Aligned with IEC 61851-1:2017 | Map old references to the selected new requirement. |
| Electrical safety | Revised Clauses 8 and 12 | Review the safety method and acceptance records. |
| Conformity methods | Additional methods in Clause 102 | Identify which method applies to the DUT. |
| Thermal management | Provisions in 101.2 | Include the applicable thermal conditions in the recipe. |
| Bidirectional transfer | Annex DD; system A scope | Separate the applicable system from an unsupported assumption. |
| Artificial test load | New Annex EE | Specify the load required by the selected method. |
| Touch-current guidance | Informative Annex HH | Keep informative guidance distinct from mandatory criteria. |
Use the requirement and applicable charging-system annex when migrating a test plan. The IEC publication summary identifies these revisions; the complete selected edition defines the method and decision limits. [1] IEC 61851-23:2023 publication summary
A repeatable test workflow
- Map the equipment to its system. Identify system A, B or C and the applicable annex. Record product operating modes, interfaces and the edition used for the previous release.
- Build a requirement migration table. For each relevant requirement, record the old reference, new reference, applicable method, equipment and acceptance records. Include a justified applicability decision.
- Review safety and test-load methods. Check the revised electrical-safety scope and general compliance-test provisions in the licensed standard. Confirm that fixtures and artificial load meet the selected method.
- Exercise applicable operating functions. Include the project thermal-management and communication/energy-transfer cases. Treat bidirectional scope according to the applicable system and edition.
- Execute and close the gaps. Run the applicable methods, store measured values and verdicts, and record unexecuted cases as open. Retain the migration table with the released firmware and library versions.
Define the acceptance records
| Check | Evidence for the verdict |
|---|---|
| Requirement traceability | Every executed case links to the applicable requirement, method and system annex. |
| Method suitability | The test load, fixtures and measuring equipment satisfy the selected test procedure. |
| Measured verdict | The report contains measured values, timing where relevant, limit source and verdict rather than only a pass label. |
| Edition coverage | Old-edition results are reused only where the migration review establishes that the method and requirement remain applicable. |
Fault examples and diagnostic checks
Old annex number reused
Check the revised structure and annex purpose. A matching label does not establish the same requirement.
One charging success treated as conformity
Map the electrical-safety and applicable method records separately from the normal charging sequence.
Unqualified load changes the result
Check load behaviour and fixture requirements against the selected method before attributing the deviation to the DUT.
Practical tip. Use a requirement-to-case matrix with an explicit “not applicable” rationale and an “open evidence” column. It makes the release gap visible without implying tests were executed.
Design a reproducible test case
Build a requirement migration map
Start from the edition used by the existing test plan and list the applicable requirements for the actual charging system. Link each entry to the previous case, the current method and the records needed to close the change. Give reused evidence an explicit rationale. Where a method or configuration changes, identify the required new execution instead of copying an earlier pass label. Keep open evidence visible with an owner and next action. This engineering migration map complements the normative document; it does not replace the full requirements, exact limits or an acceptance body's decision about the test programme.
Check the physical method before reusing a result
A matching requirement label does not establish an identical test setup. Review the load, fixtures, instrumentation, operating conditions and quantities required for the selected case. Record the configuration under which the earlier measurement was obtained and compare it with the planned execution. If the method depends on an electrical response, retain the measurement trace and decision rule rather than only the message log. Separate a gap in the product evidence from a gap in the laboratory setup. That distinction helps the team choose between repeating a case, updating equipment or resolving a requirement interpretation.
Use firmware changes to choose regression cases
Keep the edition migration and the product correction visible as two separate changes. Identify which charging states, protective responses or control functions a firmware update affects, then select the relevant repeat cases from the agreed matrix. Include an unchanged baseline to help detect unintended behaviour. Record the actual firmware and library versions in each test record, even when the test name remains the same. A report for the updated unit should show what was executed, what was reused and what remains outside the scope. Avoid using a newer edition name to imply that every required case has already been completed.
Example: review a result carried over from 2014
Consider an illustrative review of an earlier station test that the team hopes to reuse. Locate its original requirement, method, configuration and measured result. Compare those items with the agreed 2023-edition case. If the migration review supports reuse, retain that decision and the original records. If it does not, plan the new execution and keep the item open until new data is available. Do not invent a missing time trace or replace an older record's edition label. This example is a documentation workflow rather than a claim about a particular charger's compliance, and it supplies no universal test limit beyond the applicable normative method.
Questions about this test scope
Can I keep all results from the 2014 edition?
Review each applicable requirement and method against the 2023 edition. Retain a result only when the migration assessment supports its reuse.
Are all bidirectional systems covered equally?
The IEC published scope covers bidirectional requirements for system A; corresponding system B/C requirements are stated as under consideration in this edition.
Where do exact limits come from?
Use the applicable clause and test method in the agreed edition, together with the project decision rule. The public catalog summary is not the complete standard.
What does an edition-migration report need to show?
Link each applicable requirement to its test method, executed or reused result, configuration and reuse rationale. Keep unexecuted items and missing observations visible. The reviewer should be able to distinguish a completed case from a planned one and an original finding from a new execution.
Can an unchanged charger need additional test results?
An edition or acceptance-plan change can require evidence that was not recorded previously. Review the actual requirement and method before deciding what to repeat. This is a documentation assessment; the absence of a new report alone does not establish that the unchanged charger passes or fails the requirement.
Sources and further reading
Technical content: comemso. Updated .