Cheers Adam i'm really happy with it and it's been pretty reliable so far. I struggled with the video editing though as it ended up being a long process to build/setup software, need to work on my editing skills! On the hardware i need to look at running the UART at 3.3v again as the RS485->UART will be giving 5v signals to the 8266 which is too high really so might shorten the life. Could just thrown in a level adapter.
I think the ESP8266 is tolerant to slightly higher voltages to 3.3. Andreas Spiess was recently using them at 3.6 volts on LiFePo4's - perhaps that little additional voltage would help the RS485 to UART be more reliable? I've got a few MAX485s in my modules box (think I got five for just over £1) I might try to get one of those working first - a shared ground will probably help with the communication as I think you pointed out. I've almost stopped filming me building things - I just stop every so often and talk a little about where I've got to. Seems to make the video flow a little better and the editing a lot easier! Do your own thing though - I enjoyed all three videos.
I'll try the stopping every so often method as doing it the other way seems to lengthen things out a lot as you feel the need to narrate and try to keep things in shot. Going for a midpoint voltage wise could be a good idea, i saw andreas video too, could use the variable DC-DC adapter and drop the 5v to 3.6 and power both the RS485 to uart and ESP8266. I'd be interested to see how you get on with the MAX485, i could have done it with an arduino i think as you'd have to do software RS232/Serial but i choose the quick/easy option of the ESP-link firmware and the slightly more expensive RS485->UART adaptor but it was far simpler with zero coding too :-)
@Chickey Hello! I'm tring to connect RS485-to-WiFi to my Solar Inverter Must but without success. Could you please explain, in this first video you 06:05 minutes you said that without GND connection to Epever you construction (USB-TTL + TTL-RS485) doesnt work ? If so, how could be working your USB-RS485 stick that has only A/B pins ? Where USB-RS485 converter took GND for work, from USB ? Then GND from USB and GND rom Epeve should be the same ?
I have a couple of these, I have a A and a AN , 30amp tracer A, and 40 amp tracer AN . I like them, but either need a few more, or a higher current controller, for about 3-4kw total, keeping the ones I have in service, it seems the 30 amp are priced cheaper per amp, I got the 40 amp at a deal kinda pre sale, I'm thinking about 4 more 30 or 40 amp, or a few 60 amp controllers,
Very cool project. I did something similar in my camper with my Tracer 4210a, I made the cable using the USB to RS485 and connected that to a Raspberry Pi, and made a little Python script that reads the data from the charge controller and makes it available on my network. It works great, and it lets me switch my camper's refrigerator over to electric power when the battery is fully charged and the sun is out, which has saved me a lot of propane. But I've found that the Tracer 4210a randomly stops responding over modbus for hours at a time. I haven't been able to find a pattern to it, but I've now tried two different 4210a units, and two different cables (different ethernet cables and different RS485 adaptors), and same issue. It's maddening, and is nearly a dealbreaker. Have you noticed any issue like that in your project?
Really sorry for the long delay, missed a lot of comments on some of my earlier video's. I've been lucky in that both my charge controllers are responding ok consistently for the RS485 connections, i've been logging a lot from them lately and they have been pretty reliable. Are you still experiencing the issue?
Nope, all fixed now. The secret was 1) ground the Tracer to my Pi, and also to ground my inverter. Since doing that 100% reliable, phew. And my fridge is happily running off solar for about half the day.
Hi! can i charge lithium batteries with this charger? i have some batteries lipo 3.7v per cell 3S15AH, 6S22AH, and 4 batteries lifepo4 33AH , 4S 3.2v per cell
I'm using the charge controller for lithium cells in a 7s configuration. It shall however not take into account the voltage of each cell etc so it's not ideally suited.
@@Chickey lol....I also make sure pcb should be accurately cut for my diy projects and that takes lots of unnecessary time but I heard it is Obsessive-compulsive disorder
I have heard mixed results, i know Adam Welch had no luck but others have messaged to say it worked for them. Sorry i don't have an AN device to test with.
I found the only way to get my esp8266 into bootloader mode was to short GPIO to ground as you power it up and not after. I used one of these to program it with the orientation of the esp with the antenna towards the usb plug. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191874511536?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Also the wiring for the esp to the TTL to RS485 converter is Rx to Rx, Tx to Tx and not Rx to Tx and vice versa.
Yup i do the same regarding the grounding, i use a small programming board and short GPIO0 then perform a power reset and release the short on GPIO0 after it has powered up.
Aye thanks It just wasn't that obvious at first and I incorrectly connected Rx to Tx so couldn't get it working for a while. All good now though so thanks for your vids.
I'll definitely be building one of these. Thanks for the detailed explanation... On to part 2 now for me.
Cheers Adam i'm really happy with it and it's been pretty reliable so far. I struggled with the video editing though as it ended up being a long process to build/setup software, need to work on my editing skills! On the hardware i need to look at running the UART at 3.3v again as the RS485->UART will be giving 5v signals to the 8266 which is too high really so might shorten the life. Could just thrown in a level adapter.
I think the ESP8266 is tolerant to slightly higher voltages to 3.3. Andreas Spiess was recently using them at 3.6 volts on LiFePo4's - perhaps that little additional voltage would help the RS485 to UART be more reliable?
I've got a few MAX485s in my modules box (think I got five for just over £1) I might try to get one of those working first - a shared ground will probably help with the communication as I think you pointed out.
I've almost stopped filming me building things - I just stop every so often and talk a little about where I've got to. Seems to make the video flow a little better and the editing a lot easier! Do your own thing though - I enjoyed all three videos.
I'll try the stopping every so often method as doing it the other way seems to lengthen things out a lot as you feel the need to narrate and try to keep things in shot. Going for a midpoint voltage wise could be a good idea, i saw andreas video too, could use the variable DC-DC adapter and drop the 5v to 3.6 and power both the RS485 to uart and ESP8266. I'd be interested to see how you get on with the MAX485, i could have done it with an arduino i think as you'd have to do software RS232/Serial but i choose the quick/easy option of the ESP-link firmware and the slightly more expensive RS485->UART adaptor but it was far simpler with zero coding too :-)
@Chickey
Hello!
I'm tring to connect RS485-to-WiFi to my Solar Inverter Must but without success.
Could you please explain, in this first video you 06:05 minutes you said that without GND connection to Epever you construction (USB-TTL + TTL-RS485) doesnt work ?
If so, how could be working your USB-RS485 stick that has only A/B pins ? Where USB-RS485 converter took GND for work, from USB ? Then GND from USB and GND rom Epeve should be the same ?
Hi, can it communicate avec Home Assistant ? With ESPhome ? I have an Esmart3 and I would like to integrate datas, do you know how can i do ?
Hi sorry i have not used esmart3
wiring diagram?
Do you have a Paypal page so I can buy you a beer? Just finished building mine... such a simple design and works really work! Thanks for sharing
Really great to hear it's working for others :-) Appreciate the beer offer but knowing it's working for you is enough :-)
I have a couple of these, I have a A and a AN , 30amp tracer A, and 40 amp tracer AN . I like them, but either need a few more, or a higher current controller, for about 3-4kw total, keeping the ones I have in service, it seems the 30 amp are priced cheaper per amp, I got the 40 amp at a deal kinda pre sale, I'm thinking about 4 more 30 or 40 amp, or a few 60 amp controllers,
I have now also flashed an esp8266 without any problems but after that no wifi access point appears. Any idea of what went wrong?
Very cool project. I did something similar in my camper with my Tracer 4210a, I made the cable using the USB to RS485 and connected that to a Raspberry Pi, and made a little Python script that reads the data from the charge controller and makes it available on my network. It works great, and it lets me switch my camper's refrigerator over to electric power when the battery is fully charged and the sun is out, which has saved me a lot of propane. But I've found that the Tracer 4210a randomly stops responding over modbus for hours at a time. I haven't been able to find a pattern to it, but I've now tried two different 4210a units, and two different cables (different ethernet cables and different RS485 adaptors), and same issue. It's maddening, and is nearly a dealbreaker.
Have you noticed any issue like that in your project?
Really sorry for the long delay, missed a lot of comments on some of my earlier video's. I've been lucky in that both my charge controllers are responding ok consistently for the RS485 connections, i've been logging a lot from them lately and they have been pretty reliable. Are you still experiencing the issue?
Nope, all fixed now. The secret was 1) ground the Tracer to my Pi, and also to ground my inverter. Since doing that 100% reliable, phew. And my fridge is happily running off solar for about half the day.
Hi! can i charge lithium batteries with this charger? i have some batteries lipo 3.7v per cell 3S15AH, 6S22AH, and 4 batteries lifepo4 33AH , 4S 3.2v per cell
I'm using the charge controller for lithium cells in a 7s configuration. It shall however not take into account the voltage of each cell etc so it's not ideally suited.
That clean cut is actually a kind of psychological disorder
No idea what you mean but thanks for watching one of my earlier videos.
@@Chickey lol....I also make sure pcb should be accurately cut for my diy projects and that takes lots of unnecessary time but I heard it is Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Does this work with the AN series?? Some say the old mt5p doesn't work with the an series... so I am assuming this won't work with it?
I have heard mixed results, i know Adam Welch had no luck but others have messaged to say it worked for them. Sorry i don't have an AN device to test with.
will this work with the latest esplink v 3.0.1 software ?
Hi, which folder under github.com/nodemcu/nodemcu-fi... can I get bin files? Thank you.
hi Ken, i would use the ESP-Link as that is what i ended up using in the video.
Didnt work
I found the only way to get my esp8266 into bootloader mode was to short GPIO to ground as you power it up and not after. I used one of these to program it with the orientation of the esp with the antenna towards the usb plug.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191874511536?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Also the wiring for the esp to the TTL to RS485 converter is Rx to Rx, Tx to Tx and not Rx to Tx and vice versa.
Yup i do the same regarding the grounding, i use a small programming board and short GPIO0 then perform a power reset and release the short on GPIO0 after it has powered up.
Aye thanks It just wasn't that obvious at first and I incorrectly connected Rx to Tx so couldn't get it working for a while. All good now though so thanks for your vids.
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