Preparing for road trip

[RickLightning]

Looks like it took a few posts but its coming clear. I forgot about that Ford mobile power cord that came with an adapter that I used for a while to plug into a regular 120 volt outlet and also a 240 volt outlet which I believe is what you just called the Ford charge station pro. I'll look in the frunk later and edit my post # 56 above. Not sure if there is a printout somewhere that Identifies each port, each pin in the port, and all the other charging info.

On the other hand, maybe I'm part of a dying breed as a new lightning owner and a future reference doesn't matter.

No.

The Ford mobile power cord is called the Ford Mobile Charger.
The Ford Connected Charge station is a 48amp hardwired charger.
The Ford Charge Station Pro is an 80amp hardwired charger.

Why the need to understand what each pin does? I have had EVs for 4.5 years and I haven't a clue, nor the need to know. You need to know that J1772 is AC charging, CCS is DC charging, and that to use a Tesla charging cord you need one adapter for level 2 (240v) charging and a different adapter for a Tesla SuperCharger. That's all you need to know. You may WANT to know more, but there's no reason to.

Sponsored

 

[bc1]

No.

The Ford mobile power cord is called the Ford Mobile Charger.
The Ford Connected Charge station is a 48amp hardwired charger.
The Ford Charge Station Pro is an 80amp hardwired charger.

Why the need to understand what each pin does? I have had EVs for 4.5 years and I haven't a clue, nor the need to know. You need to know that J1772 is AC charging, CCS is DC charging, and that to use a Tesla charging cord you need one adapter for level 2 (240v) charging and a different adapter for a Tesla SuperCharger. That's all you need to know. You may WANT to know more, but there's no reason to.

Sorry. One of my anal, technical, analytical, qualities about myself and ultimate DIYer type of person that I like to know how things work and perhaps can be reverse engineered. Just an inquiring and inquisitive mind I guess. When I write something down it becomes more clear. Please forgive me in my old age.

 

[PJnc284]

Per the all knowing, never-wrong chatgpt...

J1772 (AC charging – North America)

Pins & what they do

J1772 has 5 pins total and is AC-only.

Pin	Name	What it does
L1	Line 1	AC power
L2 / N	Line 2 or Neutral	AC power return
PE	Protective Earth	Ground / safety
CP	Control Pilot	Digital + PWM signaling (charge rate, state)
PP	Proximity Pilot	Detects plug presence & latch state

Key points

• No DC capability
• Control Pilot uses a 1 kHz PWM signal to tell the car how much current it can draw
• Very robust safety interlocks (ground check, latch detection)
• Used for Level 1 & Level 2 charging

------------------------------------------------
CCS (Combined Charging System – Combo 1 in North America)

Pins & what they do

CCS is basically J1772 + two big DC pins.

Upper section (same as J1772)

Pin	Name	Function
L1	AC Line 1	AC charging
L2 / N	AC Line 2 / Neutral	AC charging
PE	Ground	Safety ground
CP	Control Pilot	Communication
PP	Proximity Pilot	Latch detection

Lower section (DC fast charging)

Pin	Name	Function
DC+	DC Positive	High-power DC
DC−	DC Negative	High-power DC

Key points

• AC and DC in one port
• Uses PLC (Power Line Communication) over CP for DC fast charging
• AC pins are inactive during DC charging
• Bulky connector, but electrically very flexible

----------------------------------------

NACS (Tesla / North American Charging Standard)

Pins & what they do

NACS does everything with just 5 pins, which is the magic trick.

Pin	Name	Function
DC+/L1	Power	AC Line 1 or DC+
DC−/L2	Power	AC Line 2 or DC−
PE	Ground	Protective earth
CP	Control Pilot	Communication & signaling
PP	Proximity Pilot	Latch & cable detection

Key points

• Same two pins carry AC and DC
• Smaller, lighter connector than CCS
• DC fast charging still uses PLC, similar to CCS
• Power pins are software-defined as AC or DC
• Connector rated for very high current despite size

 

[B177y]

Per the all knowing, never-wrong chatgpt...

J1772 (AC charging – North America)

Pins & what they do

J1772 has 5 pins total and is AC-only.

Pin	Name	What it does
L1	Line 1	AC power
L2 / N	Line 2 or Neutral	AC power return
PE	Protective Earth	Ground / safety
CP	Control Pilot	Digital + PWM signaling (charge rate, state)
PP	Proximity Pilot	Detects plug presence & latch state

Key points

• No DC capability
• Control Pilot uses a 1 kHz PWM signal to tell the car how much current it can draw
• Very robust safety interlocks (ground check, latch detection)
• Used for Level 1 & Level 2 charging

------------------------------------------------
CCS (Combined Charging System – Combo 1 in North America)

Pins & what they do

CCS is basically J1772 + two big DC pins.

Upper section (same as J1772)

Pin	Name	Function
L1	AC Line 1	AC charging
L2 / N	AC Line 2 / Neutral	AC charging
PE	Ground	Safety ground
CP	Control Pilot	Communication
PP	Proximity Pilot	Latch detection

Lower section (DC fast charging)

Pin	Name	Function
DC+	DC Positive	High-power DC
DC−	DC Negative	High-power DC

Key points

• AC and DC in one port
• Uses PLC (Power Line Communication) over CP for DC fast charging
• AC pins are inactive during DC charging
• Bulky connector, but electrically very flexible

----------------------------------------

NACS (Tesla / North American Charging Standard)

Pins & what they do

NACS does everything with just 5 pins, which is the magic trick.

Pin	Name	Function
DC+/L1	Power	AC Line 1 or DC+
DC−/L2	Power	AC Line 2 or DC−
PE	Ground	Protective earth
CP	Control Pilot	Communication & signaling
PP	Proximity Pilot	Latch & cable detection

Key points

• Same two pins carry AC and DC
• Smaller, lighter connector than CCS
• DC fast charging still uses PLC, similar to CCS
• Power pins are software-defined as AC or DC
• Connector rated for very high current despite size

Your middle pinout pic shows AC and DC in the J1772 pins. I believe that is incorrect or an AI hallucination.

 

[PJnc284]

You take that back. AI is never wrong or hallucinates!

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

The ai hallucination is misleading.


Here is the J1772 connector pinout (from wikipedia, confirmed via the standards documentation):

The CCS1 connector pinout (from wikipedia, confirmed via the standards documentation):
Note that the top part of CCS1 is identical to the J1772 connector. The bottom part of the CCS1 is for DC power input/output. CCS1 and J1772 share communications pins.

J3400 (NACS) pinout (from wikipedia, confirmed via the standards document):
Note that DC shares pins with AC. CCS1 and J3400 share communications protocols.

The NACS DC pins are reversed in position relative to the CCS1 DC pins so every NACS-CCS1 adapter has busbars that cross inside the adapter.

Automated switching between NACS to either CCS1 AC or CCS1 DC is practically impossible to have in an all-in-one adapter. I don’t think it’s technically impossible, but it would require separately-powered relays as well as a communications board built into the adapter. The total cost would probably be 5x or more than two separate adapters, it would have a limited lifetime because of the relays, and if the relays ever failed while charging, damage could occur to both the EVSE/Charger and the vehicle.

You can distinguish between the DCFC NACS—CCS1 and L1/L2 AC NACS—J1772 adapters by looking at the vehicle-facing plug of the adapter. The DCFC CCS1 adapter will have both the top rounded plug with 5 pins as well as the bottom DC pins. The AC J1772 adapter will only have the top rounded plug with five pins.

 

[bc1]

Thanks. I got one ordered and coming. I'm bookmarking these posts. Didn't mean to get to technical here or start a ruckus. Sometimes I eat apples and oranges and it's always nice to know how to tell the difference before I pick one up out of the bowl on the kitchen table in the dark and take a bite.

Going on a road trip on Thursday. Have to go to the VA hospital on Wednesday in Wichita for a bilateral radiofrequency nerve ablation down in my lower spine in a couple different places and then off to Kansas City. On Thursday the wife is having an Atrial Fibrillation Ablation procedure on her heart in Overland Park Regional Med Center so I'm looking for a motel in the area with a free ev connection up there for a couple days or so.

 

[Bushwood CC]

We’re on to the next long road trip. This time from MN (where it’s currently well below 0) to Arizona. Looking at the route and temps along the way, it looks like it will be colder than normal with head winds. Other than my last road trip that started this thread, I’ve never fast charged. From reading other threads on the forum I know that preconditioning the battery will speed up fast charging, but I don’t know how to do that. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pod]

Ha, neither does Ford

 

[TaxmanHog]

I’ve never fast charged. From reading other threads on the forum I know that preconditioning the battery will speed up fast charging, but I don’t know how to do that. Thanks in advance.

Only way is to point the Ford Nav in the direction of a DCFC.

BTW, what year Flash do you have? Either should work as designed, while my 2022 Won't precondition enroute to a DCFC @Ford Motor Company

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/account/account-details

 

[K6CCC]

This year will be our fourth trip to SPI with the Lightning. Truck is still great.

Is South Padre Island that great a vacation spot or do you like watching Starship launches?

 

[Rayden]

Is South Padre Island that great a vacation spot or do you like watching Starship launches?

I have not personally been, but I know for those of us that are kiteboarders, it's a great spot. Decent amount of reliable wind down there.

 

[Sherm]

Is South Padre Island that great a vacation spot or do you like watching Starship launches?

We love it. Staying for 5 weeks. Hope to do some fishing this year and drive on the beach. Lots of Midwest Snow Birds. Lots of Busch Lights.
GREAT FOOD! We did see a launch. It was postponed but launch did happen the night before we left. Frick-n amazing. You can feel it.

 

[K6CCC]

We love it. Staying for 5 weeks. Hope to do some fishing this year and drive on the beach. Lots of Midwest Snow Birds. Lots of Busch Lights.
GREAT FOOD! We did see a launch. It was postponed but launch did happen the night before we left. Frick-n amazing. You can feel it.

Never knew about the place until SpaceX built the launch facility there. I've seen two launches from Vandenberg here in California. You are right about the "you can feel it" part. Impressive.

Sponsored