question

Michelle Konzack avatar image
Michelle Konzack asked

Generator with MultiPlus-II or GX Device

Good day,


since I have a Military Burn-Everything Generator which has a Remote Control which does not work with the Relais from the MultiPlus-II I need to build my own electronic to do this, including automatic switch between 2 tanks (Winterdiesel and Kitchenoil).


However, I have simulated everythng with an AEG A200 Digital Direct Control and want to implement the whole thing using an Orange PI Zero.


My ultimate question is now:


Is it possibel, to use the MultiPlus-II or the GX to switch on the Generator via VE.Direct?


My idea is, to put into the VE.Direct infos also the level of the two tanks, air filter errors, overheating sensor, oil temperature sensor, Voltage and Current at the generator.


Since the two potentiometers for the Voltage (470 Ohm) and Current (100 Ohm) can be easily accessed, I would even build a hardware, where I can set the Voltage range (26-32V) and the Current (10-68A) using a Digital-Potentiometer. If I can not get a Digital-Potentiometer with the required watts, I would simply build a platine using small Reed-Relays and a resistor array.


Or should I use the VE.Bus/VE.Can protocol?


Thanks in advance

Michelle

cerbo gxVE.DirectVE.BusVE.Canstarting generator
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2 Answers
Matthias Lange - DE avatar image
Matthias Lange - DE answered ·

VE.Bus, VE.Can and VE.Direct are internal Victron protocols, you can't use them to control external non-Victron products.

I moved your question to the modification space.

@Michelle Konzack

1 comment
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Michelle Konzack avatar image Michelle Konzack commented ·
Since Victron has the VE.xxx protocols published, it is a question of implementation.



However, what is, if I write a driver for Venus OS?
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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image
mvader (Victron Energy) answered ·

Hey Michelle,

the protocol we use (will use) to talk to generator start/stop systems is Modbus.

Either ModbusTCP or ModbusRTU. Both are implemented in the same driver.

Start reading here:

https://github.com/victronenergy/venus/issues/1055

And here:

https://github.com/victronenergy/dbus-modbus-client/commits/izak/comap


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