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SAE J1772 Plug Pinout and Charging Communication

sae j1772 ev charging electric vehicle charging connector pin diagram

This page describes the SAE J1772 plug, a common connector used for charging Electric Vehicles (EVs). We’ll cover the pin diagram and the signaling circuit involved in this essential EV charging standard.

Introduction

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) J1772 is a conductive charge coupler employed as a single-phase AC charger connector for electric vehicles. The US and Japan have largely converged on the J1772 plug for EVs. It’s used by major automakers, including GM, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Tesla, Toyota, and Renault-Nissan.

SAE J1772 Plug Pin Diagram

SAE J1772 Plug

Figure-1: J1772 Plug

The figure above illustrates the J1772 plug pin diagram. Let’s break down the function of each pin:

Table 1: J1772 Plug Pin Descriptions

Pin Number	Signal	Description
1	AC Line-1
2	AC Line-2
3	Ground
4	Control Pilot	A 1 kHz square wave at +/-12V is generated by the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) on the pilot pin. This detects the presence of the vehicle, communicates the maximum allowable charging current, and controls charging.
5	Proximity Detection	Used to prevent the car from moving while connected to the charger (EVSE or charging station).

There are primarily two EV-side connector types: Type-1 and Type-2.

Type-1 Connector (J1772): This consists of 5 pins. It supports charging voltages up to 250V and charging currents up to 32A, allowing for AC charging power up to 7 kW.
Type-2 Connector: Initially proposed by Mennekes, it supports both single-phase and three-phase charging with charging voltages up to 500V and charging currents up to 63A. Three-phase 400V charging at 32A provides a charging power of 22 kW.