question

Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image
Lionel SEYDOUX asked

irradiance monitoring

Any way to combine irradiance data to VRM?

Which sensor?

remote console
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6 Answers
tilo avatar image
tilo answered ·

I heard that Victron is going to offer an irradiation sensor, but I don´t know when it will be available. If you need it more urgently, there are some examples here in the forum how to improvise on a radiation sensor, but that is on your own risk, because you can damage a device. If you are not familiar with electronics, I suggest to wait for the Victron sensor.

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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image Lionel SEYDOUX commented ·

Following Victron's guidance, i connected a sensor (SI-RS485from Ingenieru Büro) with ccgx via a victron 5m RS485 to USB cable and a 12m usb 2 active repeater cable (usb powered). All contacts checked. But no response on ccgx or VRM after 30 minutes.

? May I have a picture of what i should receive?
? Is any app/driver necessary?
? Would some system (with a raspberry?) be able so send the information to ccgx without these long cables?

Thanks for tips

Lionel

NOTE: 2kW panels on roof SSE slope 8/100, 30kWh lead batteries, blue solar mppt chargers, multiplus/24/5000/230, CCGX, communication through 3 or 4G, AND a generator, just in case!



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bathnm avatar image bathnm Lionel SEYDOUX commented ·
@nebulight Are you saying that you get data out of the IMT for 30 minutes and then it stops? If you unplug and re-plug what happens?
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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image Lionel SEYDOUX bathnm commented ·
I did not get any response.

Too long cables?


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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image
Lionel SEYDOUX answered ·

Thanks Tilo,

Presently I log (EL-USB-1) the voltage at the ends of a high level resistor fed by an old panel at the same orientation and tilt as my production panels. Works pretty well. But this logger has to be read offline, would be better to merge the data automatically into VRM.

Thanks and Bye

Lionel

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ossi avatar image
ossi answered ·

IMT Solar Irradiance, temperature for VenusOS 2.4 -34 (BETA TESTER only)

https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/31299/venus-os-v24034-available-for-testing.html

(please move to Mods if the thread should be moved)


Hi Guys,

i tried to integrate the irradiation sensor with a tested RS485 Converter today:

IMT SI-RS485-TC-MB

https://www.imt-solar.com/fileadmin/docs/en/products/Si-Sensor_E.pdf


even though i could connect to the sensor directly via the Tool and read the correct values, it seems the VenusOs doesn't automatically detect or display the new device.

I am not sure where in the settings the configuration of the sensor should be done.


tested Sensor settings:

Baudrate: 9600 & 38400

ModbusID/adress: 2

Dataformat 8N1 10bit


91W/m² and 36° Cell Temperture:


After connecting it to VenusGX AND a Raspi with VenusOS, no irrdation sensor was recognized within the main menu of the VenusOS with both devices.

(System restart, Power On/Off and Sensor disconnect were tested).


I am not sure which serial settings the testes IMT Sensor had?

@mvader (Victron Energy Staff) perhaps you can specify the used serial settings for the Sensor?


THX


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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @Ossi, settings for tty are in here: https://github.com/victronenergy/dbus-imt-si-rs485tc/blob/master/config.py. They’re the standard settings: you shouldnt have to change anything to get this working.

you could try a different slave address aka unitid, I see its one in the code. But sometimes there is a difference in definition of those.

And. are you running the v2.40 beta? You need to run that.

And dont connect venusgx and raspi at same time, nor any other tool. I hope this helps! Matthijs

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ossi avatar image ossi mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Hji,


thx for the support and the link, to the subpage of github.


Of course only on of the devices (Raspi/VenusGX) is allowed to be connected.

Of course both of the VenusOS was updated to FW 2.4~34 (BETA) before connecting the sensor via USB Converter.


Since the settings for the UID is preset in the code of the VenusOS, I have to adapt the settings of the UnitID of the Sensor from 2 to 1

Baudrate is fixed to 9600

according to git hub:


The Sensor i got didn't have standard settings (factory settings) but was pre-set for a different project. (Unit ID=3 and Baudrate 35800).

I will give additional feedback if tested successfully


BR



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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ ossi commented ·

ok good! And sorry for the obvious questions, but it needs doing/confirming :-).


I'll also make sure that we document the required settings. Those screenshots you shared, are they from the tool made available by IMT? If so, do you mind sharing one with the working settings? Then I'll add that in to the manual.


Looking forward to you results, Matthijs

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ossi avatar image
ossi answered ·

CURRENTLY ONLY AVAILABLE FOR TESTER of VENUSOS 2.4-34 BETA

Sensor used: Si-RS485TC Series


Works perfect and is automatically displayed:

Normally the Sensor should work with a converter RS485 out of the box, if you have problems with the recognition after connecting it to your VenusOS device:


Download Tool from supplier software:

https://www.ib-mut.de/fileadmin/docs/de/produkte/Si-MODBUS-Configurator_0.15.zip

Settings required and fixed by VenusOS:

(THX @mvader (Victron Energy Staff))

Settings in the Tool of Tegtmeyer linked above, are now correect:

marked in violet: settings of the Sensor active on the RS485 Bus, settings in the middle of the menue for the RS485 Converter.


If you need a How To or more screen shots how to set it in the Tool, if you do not have the standard settings (my sensor was pre set for a differnt project)

Changing Baudrate from 34800 to 9600:


Changing the Address of the Sensor from UnitID 2 to UnitID 1

(remember that Rs485 Converter settings mustn't be 2 and/or 1, but 3 or else!)



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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image
Lionel SEYDOUX answered ·

@mvader (Victron Energy Staff)

Thanks for these info. Will purchase a si-RS485-2T-MB plus RS485 to Venus converter (does Victron sells these?). But mounting only when snow melts in my mountain (April?)! Questions asked for somewhere else in this Forum (.../questions/31299/Venus-0s...):

- How does VRM recognizes these types of data? Or is it the device that tells it?

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @Lionel SEYDOUX, yes we sell such converter.

Sorry, but I dont understand your last question?

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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image Lionel SEYDOUX mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

@mvader (Victron Energy Staff), @Ossi.

I was wondering whether VRM shows automatically the origin and variables values/names or should I do some programming/setting. Well I think the answer is by Ossi.

I suppose VenusOs 2.4-34 will be the normal version by March. Until the I stand by

Thank for these details

Lionel


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Lionel SEYDOUX avatar image
Lionel SEYDOUX answered ·

Hi everybody,

Back to that irradiation sensor after 2 years blackout.

at the time, I was looking for a Si-RS485TC_2t-MB. Any new information about these devices?

Thanks


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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Ps welcome back :-)

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