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As the global EV infrastructure races toward terawatt-hour scales, one variable remains non-negotiable: safety.
In the world of DC fast charging, where systems routinely handle up to 1000V, the Insulation Monitoring Device (IMD) is the silent guardian. It’s the critical line of defence against fire and electrical shock, ensuring that unearthed DC systems (IT systems) remain isolated and secure. But for too long, integrating these mission-critical components has been a complex, manual process for hardware manufacturers.
Today, that changes!
DOLD, the global specialist in relay modules, functional safety and electrical monitoring, has partnered with Pionix to bring proven industrial safety technology into the open-source EVerest ecosystem.
Together, the two companies are bridging the divide between rugged industrial hardware and modern EV charging software — helping power the future of mobility.
As part of this partnership, DOLD has contributed a native EVerest driver for its high-performance RN5893 insulation monitor. This means DOLD’s trusted safety device is now easier to integrate into any charger running the EVerest stack.
The DOLD RN5893 is purpose-built for the rigours of DC charging stations. It complies strictly with BS EN 61851-23, offering:
High voltage support: monitoring up to 1000V DC, with coupling device.
Speed: a reaction time of less than 1 second for fast fault detection.
Connectivity: a robust Modbus RTU interface.
Previously, integrating an IMD like this required writing custom firmware to interpret Modbus registers and map them to the charging logic.
The new EVerest driver handles this heavy lifting. It manages communication with the RN5893 via its Modbus RTU interface, allowing the EVerest Energy Manager and System Control modules to:
Read insulation resistance values in real time.
Monitor safety status in real time.
Handle alarms natively within the charging control logic.
For hardware manufacturers and OEMs, time-to-market pressure is intense. Traditionally, every new component — whether a power meter, card reader or IMD — has required a dedicated R&D sprint to write, test and validate custom drivers.
This is the ‘hidden tax’ of proprietary firmware.
The open-source model helps remove this tax. With a native driver in the EVerest repository, OEMs can:
Standardise integration: instead of reading 100-page Modbus manuals, developers can enable the module in the EVerest configuration file.
Focus on differentiation: engineers can spend less time on connectivity and more time on user experience, design and reliability.
Support reliability: the driver is tested against the actual hardware, helping reduce the risk of edge-case bugs in the field.
This partnership is about more than code. It aligns the precision of German engineering with the scalability of open-source software.
“At DOLD, safety is not just a feature — it is the foundation of our engineering DNA. Developed and manufactured in Germany, the RN5893 IMD brings proven DOLD engineering to safety-critical insulation monitoring in DC charging applications. For UK charger manufacturers and OEMs, this means access to specialist technology, supported by practical application guidance for safety-critical control solutions. By contributing a native driver to the EVerest ecosystem, DOLD is making proven insulation monitoring technology easier to integrate into open, flexible and scalable charging systems.”
Ian Holland, Managing Director, DOLD Industries Limited
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