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OCPP 1.6 Error Codes: A Category Is Not a Diagnosis

The 16 standard values help a CSMS classify what a charging station reported. They do not replace the exact vendor code, event context, product manual or qualified diagnosis.

7 min read

OPERATOR PAIN POINT

A screen code, vehicle warning and OCPP category are copied into one ticket as if they came from the same code system.

BETTER RESPONSE

Record the source first, read status and errorCode together, preserve the optional vendor fields, and assign safe escalation without guessing a component.

What OCPP 1.6 actually reports.

Open Charge Alliance explains that OCPP 1.6 uses StatusNotification to report the charging station or connector state. The message carries a status and an errorCode, with optional free-format info and vendorErrorCode fields that can be vendor-specific. A standard category therefore narrows the reporting class; it does not prove one physical root cause.

The standard category set is: ConnectorLockFailure, EVCommunicationError, GroundFailure, HighTemperature, InternalError, LocalListConflict, NoError, OtherError, OverCurrentFailure, OverVoltage, PowerMeterFailure, PowerSwitchFailure, ReaderFailure, ResetFailure, UnderVoltage and WeakSignal.

Use five operational groups, while keeping the exact category.

  • Electrical and supply: GroundFailure, OverCurrentFailure, OverVoltage and UnderVoltage. Stop repeated retries and assign qualified electrical or charger service.
  • EV and connector interface: EVCommunicationError and ConnectorLockFailure. Capture vehicle, connector, session and external condition; the category alone does not identify which physical part failed.
  • Charger hardware or thermal: HighTemperature, PowerMeterFailure and PowerSwitchFailure. Preserve measurements and vendor context; do not open an energized cabinet.
  • Authorization, reset and network: LocalListConflict, ReaderFailure, ResetFailure and WeakSignal. Check the responsible data, reader, command and communication path without exposing credentials or payment-card data.
  • Generic reporting: InternalError, OtherError and NoError. Retain the vendor fields and logs. NoError does not certify that the entire vehicle, charging chain or site is healthy.

Read status and errorCode together.

Available, Preparing, Charging, SuspendedEVSE, SuspendedEV, Finishing, Reserved, Unavailable and Faulted describe the reported state. Unavailable or Faulted may indicate downtime, but a connected WebSocket alone does not prove the complete charging application is functional.

OCA also notes a limitation: OCPP 1.6 does not represent multiple simultaneous errors cleanly or selectively clear one while another remains. Keep the chronological message history instead of treating the latest line as the complete incident.

Do not translate other code systems into OCPP 1.6 by appearance.

  1. Charger screen or app: may show a manufacturer-specific code or customer message.
  2. Vehicle warning or DTC: requires the exact make, model, year and market documentation.
  3. vendorErrorCode: is a vendor field, not one of the 16 standard errorCode values.
  4. OCPP 2.0.1: its StatusNotification no longer carries the OCPP 1.6 errorCode field; device-model event reporting such as NotifyEvent uses different evidence.
  5. Regional error lists: may be carried in vendor or technical fields and must be identified by their own source and version.

Minimum evidence before escalation.

  • Exact code and source, without paraphrasing
  • OCPP version, status, errorCode, info, vendorId and vendorErrorCode when present
  • Timestamp and time zone, station ID, connector ID and transaction or session reference
  • Charger model, firmware, CSMS build and relevant event history
  • Vehicle make/model/year, connector type, state of charge and external conditions
  • Whether the fault is first-time, recurring or present across multiple vehicles or connectors

Do not include card numbers, security codes, passwords, access tokens, personal IDs or VINs in a shared support record.

Safety boundary.

For smoke, fire, arcing, burning smell, abnormal heat, exposed conductors, collision damage or water ingress, keep people away and contact the operator and local emergency services. Remove damaged equipment from service. Do not repeatedly reset protective trips, bypass protection or locks, change protection settings, open an energized cabinet or perform live electrical testing. Electrical testing belongs to qualified personnel using the exact service information and correctly rated equipment.

Use the OCPP 1.6 category reference.

Select the confirmed code source, standard category, reported state and recurrence. The browser tool produces a conservative explanation, ownership cue and evidence checklist; it is not a universal fault-code decoder or repair approval.

Open Tool 08 ↗

Primary sources.

Rechecked September 11, 2026. The exact charger, vehicle, CSMS and local safety requirements control final action.

COMMERCIAL PROJECT REVIEW

Define the OCPP evidence path before commissioning.

Agree which station, CSMS, payment and service records each party owns, and how a fault becomes a verified corrective action.

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