DIY Battery via Smart shunt to inverter integration (Solis etc)

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

Just for grins, Ill try and flash another esp32 and take some screenshots. See if I get the same results

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

Well I give up. Tired in a windows machine and took the exact steps you did with raw clone from GitHub. There is no WiFi AP to connect to via WiFi from computer or phone. Only way for me to config WiFi is in code then flash but don’t get those cool screens you showed.

My 3rd esp32 is the same.

 

[ChrisG]

@ScrotusGobbleBottom
Please confirm if these steps are the same as yours:

1. Download and install Visual Studio Code
2. Clone this repository in VS Code: https://github.com/sijones/VE.DirectMQTTCANBUS
3. Once dependancies are downloaded, flash by clicking build then upload in VS Code (no tweaks to code at all, just flash)
   1. 
4. Builds, uploads, resets ESP
5. Then you see that WiFI SSID???? - this is what I don't see

I've done this on three ESPs at this point, can't figure out why there is a difference. It's controlling the inverter just fine so I'm not worried but is frustrating I can't replicate what you're seeing.

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

@ScrotusGobbleBottom
Please confirm if these steps are the same as yours:

1. Download and install Visual Studio Code
2. Clone this repository in VS Code: https://github.com/sijones/VE.DirectMQTTCANBUS
3. Once dependancies are downloaded, flash by clicking build then upload in VS Code (no tweaks to code at all, just flash)
   1. View attachment 207756
4. Builds, uploads, resets ESP
5. Then you see that WiFI SSID???? - this is what I don't see

I've done this on three ESPs at this point, can't figure out why there is a difference. It's controlling the inverter just fine so I'm not worried but is frustrating I can't replicate what you're seeing.

I followed the instructions on the wiki. https://github.com/sijones/VE.DirectMQTTCANBUS/wiki/Install-for-testing-branch


I did everything as per the wiki.
I didnt hit build at all/

Just
"Run Task and you need to complete 2 tasks, the first is to flash the firmware, second is to flash the webpage data in to the LittleFS partition.The 2 tasks are called platformIO: Upload([device chosen])PlatformIO: Upload Filesystem Image([device chosen])"

I bet this is the issue

 

[ChrisG]

I followed the instructions on the wiki. https://github.com/sijones/VE.DirectMQTTCANBUS/wiki/Install-for-testing-branch


I did everything as per the wiki.
I didnt hit build at all/

Just
"Run Task and you need to complete 2 tasks, the first is to flash the firmware, second is to flash the webpage data in to the LittleFS partition.The 2 tasks are calledlatformIO: Upload([device chosen])PlatformIO: Upload Filesystem Image([device chosen])"

lol. Well shit, that’s why. You used the testing branch with the Web UI. Doing that now on my spare ESP32.

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

lol. Well shit, that’s why. You used the testing branch with the Web UI. Doing that now on my spare ESP32.

I have no idea what Im doing lol. I didnt know that was significant.

 

[SeaGal]

What is the issue you have? @ChrisG / @ScrotusGobbleBottom... Trying to understand what problem you are discussing.

I added some code to Simon's original that creates a user web interface to monitor / control the system - is that what you need?

Late pm here, so might not get back until Monday

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

What is the issue you have? @ChrisG / @ScrotusGobbleBottom... Trying to understand what problem you are discussing.

I added some code to Simon's original that creates a user web interface to monitor / control the system - is that what you need?

Late pm here, so might not get back until Monday

I think we figured it out. Thanks for chiming in tho.

I unknowingly used the testing branch and Chris was wondering how I got the web UI

Thank you for adding that!!

 

[ChrisG]

So two things. First, you can’t flash that test branch on a Mac. One of the modules simply won’t compile. Second, using an old PC takes forever to compile this, but works. Going to mess with this branch a little more this week, still have original code base going for weeks with shunt and inverter.

 

[ChrisG]

Ok, finally got it via standalone setup. Going to replace ESP32 chip in my current setup and see how this works. Had to do a ESP clean reset on chip to get it to work. This is truly awesome.

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

Had to do a ESP clean reset on chip to get it to work.

Interesting.

Good to hear!

 

[ChrisG]

Interesting.

Good to hear!

What i really like is this page. I had to manually update code, build, deploy before to change the allowed charging rate based on SOC (wanted more time for batteries to balance). This makes it SO MUCH EASIER by using divider in UI.

 

[EZPZ]

Hi everyone. Nice work @sijones2010
This is exactly what I am looking for now if you could package it all together in a nice pretty box so I can just plug it in….something to consider…if not I might ask my nephew to build it, but kids these days….
My days of Microsoft are long gone and only run Linux and try not to switch my pc on more than once a year now. Let’s just say I am IT worn out. 30 years in the industry and happily retired now and prefer to watch grass grow.

 

[ChrisG]

Hi everyone. Nice work @sijones2010
This is exactly what I am looking for now if you could package it all together in a nice pretty box so I can just plug it in….something to consider…if not I might ask my nephew to build it, but kids these days….
My days of Microsoft are long gone and only run Linux and try not to switch my pc on more than once a year now. Let’s just say I am IT worn out. 30 years in the industry and happily retired now and prefer to watch grass grow.

You can download VS Code for Linux for this project.

 

[sijones2010]

@ChrisG @ScrotusGobbleBottom
Glad you have worked things out, am sorry that I've not been around, I had some illness and life that took over for quite a while.

As well as the web GUI the code also runs on Core and Core2 M5Stacks (https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-core2-esp32-iot-development-kit?variant=35960244109476) and has implemented the display as well.

There is much more that I want to implement, these were just some of the features that made it so far.

Please note I can't confirm how stable the testing branch code is, it's not the version I run so please be careful, happy to get feedback from you.

The error "received data not correct" means data from the Victron is corrupt and is usually caused by the resistor divider circuit being used when not required, basically the signal voltage is dropped below the minimum logic level for high.

 

[ChrisG]

@ChrisG @ScrotusGobbleBottom
Glad you have worked things out, am sorry that I've not been around, I had some illness and life that took over for quite a while.

As well as the web GUI the code also runs on Core and Core2 M5Stacks (https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-core2-esp32-iot-development-kit?variant=35960244109476) and has implemented the display as well.

There is much more that I want to implement, these were just some of the features that made it so far.

Please note I can't confirm how stable the testing branch code is, it's not the version I run so please be careful, happy to get feedback from you.

The error "received data not correct" means data from the Victron is corrupt and is usually caused by the resistor divider circuit being used when not required, basically the signal voltage is dropped below the minimum logic level for high.

Thanks @sijones2010. I’m sticking with the non-testing branch. It has worked well for over a month for me.

@ScrotusGobbleBottom and I are discussing separately the voltage/SOC drift that comes out of the shunt as once the inverter sees 100% it disables charging and I’m not getting balancing time/voltage. It’s not a code/project thing, just drift.

 

[sijones2010]

@ScrotusGobbleBottom and I are discussing separately the voltage/SOC drift that comes out of the shunt as once the inverter sees 100% it disables charging and I’m not getting balancing time/voltage. It’s not a code/project thing, just drift.

The shunt drift should be loss, I.e. soc reports lower than actual.

You need to tweak your shunt to reset to 100% on the following

Battery voltage over xx.x
Current under xx
For time of say 15/20 mins.

Along with the current divider you should be able to pretty much get this working well.

The only other thing is I use esphome with ha to monitor all cells, if a cell hits 3.65 I disable charging to allow for the balancer to get them back in line and then restart when it goes under 3.4.

 

[ChrisG]

The shunt drift should be loss, I.e. soc reports lower than actual.

You need to tweak your shunt to reset to 100% on the following

Battery voltage over xx.x
Current under xx
For time of say 15/20 mins.

Along with the current divider you should be able to pretty much get this working well.

The only other thing is I use esphome with ha to monitor all cells, if a cell hits 3.65 I disable charging to allow for the balancer to get them back in line and then restart when it goes under 3.4.

My charge voltage is 55.6v but SOC is hitting 100% before that so balancing doesn’t occur (luckily my pack is balanced to .005v).

 

[sijones2010]

My charge voltage is 55.6v but SOC is hitting 100% before that so balancing doesn’t occur (luckily my pack is balanced to .005v).

What's your charge efficiency set in the battery part of the shunt?

 

[ChrisG]

What's your charge efficiency set in the battery part of the shunt?

Not at my cabin right now but believe it is 99%