Voltronic RS232 Inverter USB Cable for Solar Assistant

FrankieG3011 · Jan 4, 2024

Good Day,

I am considering purchasing the Rasberry pi kit for Solar Assistant. However, I notice that they offer a Voltronic RS232 Inverter USB Cable for connecting to the Inverter.

I have the EG4 6500EX that I am currently using, and this is listed as an Inverter under the Voltronic category. I have a cable that came with the EG4 6500EX. Is this the correct cable that can be used with the kit and Solar Assistant? Will it work?

Grateful for your input. Thanks

Adam De Lay · Jan 4, 2024

FrankieG3011 said:
Good Day,

I am considering purchasing the Rasberry pi kit for Solar Assistant. However, I notice that they offer a Voltronic RS232 Inverter USB Cable for connecting to the Inverter.

I have the EG4 6500EX that I am currently using, and this is listed as an Inverter under the Voltronic category. I have a cable that came with the EG4 6500EX. Is this the correct cable that can be used with the kit and Solar Assistant? Will it work?

Grateful for your input. Thanks

I believe that is the correct cable, yes. Looks like the new firmware cable that SS started supplying with the 6500s.

marionw · Jan 4, 2024

Your manual indicates on page 60 the Pin Assignment for BMS Communication Port:

PIN 1 RS232TX
PIN 2 RS232RX
PIN 3 RS485B
PIN 4 NC
PIN 5 RS485A
PIN 6 CANH
PIN 7 CANL
PIN 8 GND

I could not find the pinout for the adjacent port but EG4 normally wires tyhen the same
In the picture you provided it appears pins 1 & 2 (the two left most pins) are the ones is use which it appears would make it an RS232 to USB cable.

Solar Assistant can also use an RS485 to USB cable which is what I use to connect Solar Assistant to the batteries. Solar Assistant can communicate with the inverter and each battery in your battery stack using two separate cables. Not sure what batteries you have but for EG4 Lifepower4 batteries the RS485 cable must use pins 1&2 to connect your battery stack to Solar Assistant.

Adam De Lay · Jan 4, 2024

marionw said:
Your manual indicates on page 60 the Pin Assignment for BMS Communication Port:

PIN 1 RS232TX
PIN 2 RS232RX
PIN 3 RS485B
PIN 4 NC
PIN 5 RS485A
PIN 6 CANH
PIN 7 CANL
PIN 8 GND

I could not find the pinout for the adjacent port but EG4 normally wires tyhen the same
In the picture you provided it appears pins 1 & 2 (the two left most pins) are the ones is use which it appears would make it an RS232 to USB cable.

Solar Assistant can also use an RS485 to USB cable which is what I use to connect Solar Assistant to the batteries. Solar Assistant can communicate with the inverter and each battery in your battery stack using two separate cables. Not sure what batteries you have but for EG4 Lifepower4 batteries the RS485 cable must use pins 1&2 to connect your battery stack to Solar Assistant.

The cable is different for inverter communication or battery communication. The same one will not work for both. This bit me in the beginning because I kept trying to use the battery cable to connect the inverter to SA and it wouldn’t work.

RickRoades · Tuesday at 1:15 PM

I’m sorry folks. After many posts read, 5 USB cables, 2 cables matching the one in the original post, SA shows nothing, and doesn’t see the inverter. I started SA with the 6500-ex and 1 battery in January and it worked fine. Mine is just set up to be power outage back up for now, no solar. I shut it down for 2-3 months, then added 2 more batteries, and since SA doesn’t work at all. I’m just lost.

I’m using a raspberry pi 3b, it connects to WiFi fine, can someone just describe the set up in a straightforward manner?

Adam De Lay · Tuesday at 1:23 PM

RickRoades said:
I’m sorry folks. After many posts read, 5 USB cables, 2 cables matching the one in the original post, SA shows nothing, and doesn’t see the inverter. I started SA with the 6500-ex and 1 battery in January and it worked fine. Mine is just set up to be power outage back up for now, no solar. I shut it down for 2-3 months, then added 2 more batteries, and since SA doesn’t work at all. I’m just lost.

I’m using a raspberry pi 3b, it connects to WiFi fine, can someone just describe the set up in a straightforward manner?

Can you share a closeup of your inverter connections under the display? Don't know of any reason why all the sudden it would stop working.

RickRoades · Tuesday at 1:44 PM

Sure. Thanks for replying so quickly. This USB cable is the first I used in January that worked.

Adam De Lay · Tuesday at 1:57 PM

Unfortunately I've had those micro-usb cables die for no reason whatsoever.

I started with the micro-usb cable but didn't like how it sent power to the display after I turned off the inverter. I ended up buying this cable from Watts247: https://watts247.com/product/solar-assistant-remote-monitoring-mpp-solar-rs232/

RickRoades · Tuesday at 2:15 PM

Thanks, Adam. I’ve checked the cables from computers and each sees ext devices/drives. I’ve rotated the ports on the Pi.

But cable ordered. {sigh}

Skypower · Tuesday at 2:30 PM

Adam De Lay said:
Unfortunately I've had those micro-usb cables die for no reason whatsoever.

I started with the micro-usb cable but didn't like how it sent power to the display after I turned off the inverter. I ended up buying this cable from Watts247: https://watts247.com/product/solar-assistant-remote-monitoring-mpp-solar-rs232/

Yes this and same here.

Skypower · Tuesday at 2:35 PM

The ones from Watt247 work. Some micro usb cables can cause one inverter to “hang” and not shut down after pushing the off button. Power back feeding from the pi keeping the logic board on?

Voltronic RS232 Inverter USB Cable for Solar Assistant

FrankieG3011

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Adam De Lay

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marionw

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Adam De Lay

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Adam De Lay

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RickRoades

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Adam De Lay

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RickRoades

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