question

cdstaley avatar image
cdstaley asked

Newbie needs help understanding Pi's ability to interface with external devices

Before I spend 50 hours reading items that may not apply I thought someone could help point me in the right direction.

With Venus on a Pi and targeting and RV how do I interface with external devices. I'll have...

  • Mppt
  • lithium bats
  • inverters
  • house bat
  • lights (may need to access code for this)
  • gen
  • line power
  • solar panels

My basic understanding is the PI has a usb and people use dongles to convert to can.* but I have not can.*. Just stuff, some serial, some just voltages and currents etc. Are the GPIO's accessible on the PI through some drivers code on the Venus? Do you have to roll your own display info, DB, data storage, etc. or is the venus just defaulting to what the manf put together for their equipment.

If someone could clear it up in a couple of sentences I'd appreciate it. It will save me lots of time as I have the basic work to do on the RV.


Thanks

cds


Raspberry Pi
1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

shaneyake avatar image shaneyake commented ·

Honestly I would just get a Victron Cerbo, You can then install the large firmware.
https://www.victronenergy.com/live/venus-os:large

And use NodeRed to do any of the custom functions you would like to do.
By the time you have all the USB to VE.Bus, VE.Direct, VE.CAN adapters you might as well buy a Cerbo and save the hassle of getting it all to work.

Just my 2 cents.

0 Likes 0 ·
3 Answers
Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

You need USB to VE.Direct and VE.Bus adapters. The PI has digital input and outputs but would need to be buffered/relays. There are USB to CANbus adapters if you need that. There are serial "hat" boards that work with Venus although I never looked into it.

I ran a Raspberry PI with the "official 7" Raspberry PI Touchscreen" with USB adapters for a couple of years but ended up with Cerbo and a Touch 70.

The adapters can add up to the point a Cerbo with an inexpensive HDMI touchscreen may make sense. It is certainly more plug and play.

Rob Duthie on this forum is working on "Stetson", an adapter board that provides many of the needed interfaces including digital and analog inputs and relay outputs, 2 VE.Direct ports, a CANbus port and a power supply. It's currently on hold due to some software issues but looks really good.

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image
mvader (Victron Energy) answered ·

And when staying with the pi, start by reading the docs: https://github.com/victronenergy/venus/wiki/raspberrypi-install-venus-image

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Mike Dorsett avatar image
Mike Dorsett answered ·
  • Mppt =- use ve direct / usb dongle
  • lithium bats = use bms serial or spi interface
  • inverters = use Mk2 or Mk3 to USB interface
  • house bat = ? covered by lithium battery / bms above.
  • lights (may need to access code for this) = gpio with relay buffers, but custom code to drive / display.
  • gen = covered through ac in of inverter
  • line power = covered through ac in of inverter
  • solar panels = covered through MPPt connection

Hope this helps.

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.