Connecting Solar-Assistant to EG4/Megarevo 8kw

[Streeter]

Been dreading it but finally got my Solar-Assistant running on my EG4 (Megarevo) 8kw inverter. The worst part of getting this going on this inverter (to me anyway) was getting the Orange Pi 3 processor connected to the 4-pin port originally designed for the data stick logger. Ended up separating a stick logger and saw the parts just stab together internally. Just soldered the 2 RS485 wires coming from the Orange Pi to the internal pins that are used for pins 3 & 4 on the stick logger connection. I need to get another USB/RS485 adapter so I can connect the slave inverter to the PI since the slave data doesn't come through the master. Yeah, the connection looks unpolished for now but at least got it working.
These inverters have had some negative press before but so far they have been running fairly well through a rough Texas summer.

 

[Quattrohead]

Did you really have to rip the wireless module apart to find some RS485? I would have thought there would have been a signal on one of those 6 RJ45 ports you could have used.

 

[Streeter]

Well, it's like this. Where the stick logger goes is the normal RS45 communication port for data but usually to a different app called solar man. Of the 6 RJ45 ports in the inverter, only 2 of them use 485. The CAN/485 has to be used for the batteries using CAN. The other says 485/meter but isn't working in this application. Did the stick logger have to take apart? Short answer is no but it gives a more accessible way to get connected to the proper pins. Also, the stick logger can be re-assembled. There is a flat 4-pin connector further upstream that could be used but I didn't want to get under the main cover this particular evening. So far solar assistant can't seem to give me any definitive answer on communicating through any of the RJ45 ports. If anyone has any other methods of communicating, it will be great to hear about them.

 

[nunit]

I also connected to the 4 pin comm port. Rather than take the wifi logger apart, I simply used the female end of jumper wires that came with a TTL interface. They fit snugly over the pins on the comm port, and while it's not pretty, it's definitely good enough for now.

 

[robby]

Is this not one of the same Inverters that EG4 is saying your warranty will be void if you use Solar Assistant with it.
I think it's non sense crap to get out of warrantying the units but who knows.

 

[Crowz]

Is this not one of the same Inverters that EG4 is saying your warranty will be void if you use Solar Assistant with it.
I think it's non sense crap to get out of warrantying the units but who knows.

SS said this in that other thread :

He was trying to explain issues the 6ks or 6500s we had in the past with SA. In 1 case that he knew about a customer blew 3 6k displays. It happened everytime he plugged in the SA to the display. After the 3rd time the customer was told we would not be able to warranty another inverter if he plugged that SA back into the next replacement.

This is not a policy but we do not support using SA with the 6500 or 6k inverters because of all the RMAs we had in the past that somehow always had the SA involved.

So its the 6000 and 6500 ones.

 

[GABRIEL82S]

I need help setting up Solarman, logger connected created the account but it won't connect/communicate with inverter