Force EAsun SMR II 5.5Kw to change between utility and PUL modes.

[Sunexa]

EAsun SMR II can not be programmed over RS232. Software like Watchpower, Solar Assistant and ICC-PI are not able to send settings to SMR II. Probably because the manufacturer (Sorotec?), has used a lousy firmware that can not be upgraded.

What I would like to do is to be able to change the running mode from for example PUL or Sbu over to Utility power+charging at any given moment. The reason for this is that I want to catch hours when the power is cheap on the grid. There are ways to do this with most Solar inverters/chargers but not mine. I have 6pcs of SMR II running 3-phase (2 SMR for each phase). One unit is the master, and when changing mode via the LCD display/buttons, the 5 slaves will change too.

Problem is how to do this. Does anybody know a way? Could the change be forced by some relay? If You have any idea how to do this, then please let me know! As mentioned, this is the EAsun SMR II 5.5Kw off grid hybrid inverter. It is different from other EAsun models and other MPP clones.

Regards

Sebastian



EDIT:
Does it work to use a high current 48VDC 3-phase charger on the same busbars as used by my six inverters and the battery stack? My batteries are 200Ah Lifepo4 51.2V. I have five of them in parallel. How will all the other equipment react if another charger apart from those in the SMR II inverters came online? Could that be done? I have a source who builds chargers to custom made to work optimal with a specific battery.

Im thinking this could be a way to charge from the grid during the cheap hours (here normaly 00-04). But what will happen if I do this? What mode should the SMR II be set to operate in? Will my house blow up?

 

[Watchout]

Hi Sebastian,

We have 10 identical inverters, with exactly the same problem, and EASUN "technical support" is like trying to get answers out of a black hole, questions go in, but nothing comes out.

But to answer your second question: Yes you can add additional external chargers, no problem there.

I have here apart from 3 EASUN 5.5KW Ver II inverters on a 430Ah battery bank, an installation with a primary grid connected 3 phase inverter, which of course sells power back to the grid, when the PV system produce more power than we use, so I have implemented a cheap DC current measurement of the incoming PV current to this inverter to control 3 external chargers that use the excess power from this primary inverter to start more and more chargers (one 250W, one 500W and one 1KW) to dynamically charge between 0 and 1.75KW into the bank.

I made this as an interim, untill we got the Setting via RS232 of the EASUN inverters to work, but from what I understand now, it seems we won't be able to control them ever ?!?

This leaves us with another problem as you also mention, namely that of changing mode of operation between Utillity power and SBU power, which of course we need to control to optimise the system.

During night for instance we only use power on 1 phase for lights, refrigerator, freezer, circulation pumps etc., So in order to save the standby power consumption of these inverters (=70Watts continous) we want the two other inverters to run in Utility mode.

Also when you want to charge from the surplus AC power from the primary Grid connected inverter during daytime, you need to switch to Utility mode and control the AC charge current.

So at this point EASUN has given us false statements, that the inverter can control the settings via the documented commands over RS232.

I found same problem with TechFine 5KW inverter, but at least sales support there were honest about it before we placed orders with them

Best regards
Watch-out

 

[Dave21]

Hi Sebastian,

We have 10 identical inverters, with exactly the same problem, and EASUN "technical support" is like trying to get answers out of a black hole, questions go in, but nothing comes out.

But to answer your second question: Yes you can add additional external chargers, no problem there.

I have here apart from 3 EASUN 5.5KW Ver II inverters on a 430Ah battery bank, an installation with a primary grid connected 3 phase inverter, which of course sells power back to the grid, when the PV system produce more power than we use, so I have implemented a cheap DC current measurement of the incoming PV current to this inverter to control 3 external chargers that use the excess power from this primary inverter to start more and more chargers (one 250W, one 500W and one 1KW) to dynamically charge between 0 and 1.75KW into the bank.

I made this as an interim, untill we got the Setting via RS232 of the EASUN inverters to work, but from what I understand now, it seems we won't be able to control them ever ?!?

This leaves us with another problem as you also mention, namely that of changing mode of operation between Utillity power and SBU power, which of course we need to control to optimise the system.

During night for instance we only use power on 1 phase for lights, refrigerator, freezer, circulation pumps etc., So in order to save the standby power consumption of these inverters (=70Watts continous) we want the two other inverters to run in Utility mode.

Also when you want to charge from the surplus AC power from the primary Grid connected inverter during daytime, you need to switch to Utility mode and control the AC charge current.

So at this point EASUN has given us false statements, that the inverter can control the settings via the documented commands over RS232.

I found same problem with TechFine 5KW inverter, but at least sales support there were honest about it before we placed orders with them

Best regards
Watch-out

Which EASUN 5.5kW inverter do you have? I have EASUN iGrid VE II 5.5k inverters, the ones with graphical displays. I did reverse engineering of this version and it is possible to control all parameters via RS232. From my solar control system, I'm dynamically changing modes, charging currents, automatically configure time, etc. I don't know about any shared standard used by all inverter vendors. WatchPower software is using just one specific communication protocol compatible with limited set of inverters. If you have the same version as mine, I can help you. I have using multiple inverters but all are these types as I have them configured in parallel.

 

[Watchout]

Hi' very interesting post you made there.

I am not sure about the display you are writing about. I would call our displays pseudo graphics, as the are monochrome and with fixed icons for solar, battery and load. So I would not call them real graphic displays.

Is there any chance you can hack that version also ?

Best regards
Watch Out

 

[Watchout]

Which EASUN 5.5kW inverter do you have? I have EASUN iGrid VE II 5.5k inverters, the ones with graphical displays. I did reverse engineering of this version and it is possible to control all parameters via RS232. From my solar control system, I'm dynamically changing modes, charging currents, automatically configure time, etc. I don't know about any shared standard used by all inverter vendors. WatchPower software is using just one specific communication protocol compatible with limited set of inverters. If you have the same version as mine, I can help you. I have using multiple inverters but all are these types as I have them configured in parallel.

This is the ones we bought 10 of, on false pretence, as the documentation they sent indicated we could control them over serial input.

 

[Watchout]

This is the ones we bought 10 of, on false pretence, as the documentation they sent indicated we could control them over serial input.

I am very interested in hearing more about your hack ??

 

[Watchout]

Which EASUN 5.5kW inverter do you have? I have EASUN iGrid VE II 5.5k inverters, the ones with graphical displays. I did reverse engineering of this version and it is possible to control all parameters via RS232. From my solar control system, I'm dynamically changing modes, charging currents, automatically configure time, etc. I don't know about any shared standard used by all inverter vendors. WatchPower software is using just one specific communication protocol compatible with limited set of inverters. If you have the same version as mine, I can help you. I have using multiple inverters but all are these types as I have them configured in parallel.

Hello Sebastian,

You never came back with info about your ability to hack our version of the EADUN inverters ?

 

[Dave21]

I hacked EASUNs with this full graphical display (their serial port is internally connected to the processor board behind this display and then there are connections to all other places inside):

 

[komprez]

Could You put here some command's or tutorial ? I see that is correct in Powmr or Easun there is an communication from PCB controller board to Pcb port and LCD. I saw an microusb port on comunication board but there is a missing resistor on pcb (mayby to enable it)

 

[vmyrik]

I hacked EASUNs with this full graphical display (their serial port is internally connected to the processor board behind this display and then there are connections to all other places inside):

View attachment 120585

Hi, I have the same inverter and would like to adjust some behavior via RS232. Could you please share your knowledge?

 

[nfuse]

i would also be very interested to know how to send commands to my Easun Revo II 5500 (same as yours) so i can control it properly and not with my ac hack (sonoff elite) to switch ac power to charge in the cheap hours.

 

[renmen62]

Ho hackerato gli EASUN con questo display grafico completo (la loro porta seriale è collegata internamente alla scheda del processore dietro questo display e quindi ci sono connessioni a tutti gli altri posti all'interno):

View attachment 120585

Ciao Davide, mi insegni ad hacherare revo II 5.5kw-48 (con questo display) per operare con la porta seriale. Grazie anticipato

 

[Flankerzo]

i have quick testet it with Revo II 5.5KW, its comunicating, its not mine project. you can add it to Home Assistant, or any Mqtt...
https://github.com/amishv/voltronic_ESP8266_MQTT
Enjoy
anyone know about PowMr 5.5kw control?

 

[slakom]

Good day. I have a solar inverter REVO VM II 5.5KW and the remote control of the modes via USB does not work. I use Solarassistant and I cannot change the parameters of the inverter. I use two inverters in parallel. Can you please help me with communication with the converters. well thank you

 

[Watchout]

Hi' there, to the best of my knowledge neither the. REVO II or the similar EASUN accepts serial commands to change the operation, they only react to status read commands, no write commands.

That's why we changed into using a completely different Inverter manufacturer, who proved tonus before we placed our order for the first 10 units, that they worked also with write commands.

Best regards and
Watch-Out

 

[Sunexa]

Hi' there, to the best of my knowledge neither the. REVO II or the similar EASUN accepts serial commands to change the operation, they only react to status read commands, no write commands.

That's why we changed into using a completely different Inverter manufacturer, who proved tonus before we placed our order for the first 10 units, that they worked also with write commands.

Best regards and
Watch-Out

I had to do the same. Took down my six pcs of Easun SMRII 5.5Kw and replaced them with Growatt SPF5000ES. The difference in everything is amazing. Everything now works as it should. I dont know about Easuns newer inverters, but the old models like SMRII are hopeless.

 

[FMode]

I hacked EASUNs with this full graphical display (their serial port is internally connected to the processor board behind this display and then there are connections to all other places inside):

View attachment 120585

CN5 is CAN (to communication board)
CN15 is connected to the communicaton board with the USB, RS485 and RS232
CN2 is just power
CN11 ???
CN13 is a serial connection to the mppt board you intercept and manipulate (???)
when you save a setting in the menu the display board is sending this new setting to the MPPT board (???)
so I just should trace here with a logic analyser?
(this serial connection is over these 2 PC817 optocoplers just under CN13)

Thanks

 

[cyd]

I have the easun ISolar SML 5kva with RS232.
I used an TCPIP to rs232 adapter on the easun so I can connect my laptop across my LAN and control it. (Cool because it can handle eight tcpip clients connecting at the same time) .baud rate is 2400. Attached is the Easun communication protocol.

Easun use a checksum called CRC-16/XMODEM on their serial comms link. A total pain to compute. So I used a data sniffer to figure out the hex strings being sent from the Watchpower program (hint: Watchpower calculates the checksum. Send any parameter change command to the easun and capture it on the data sniffer. save it for coding onto an arduino)

I made an arduino controller that hooks onto the inverter via LAN as a TCPIP client. It has a built in daily sunrise/sunset lookup table that slams the easun into solar mode at dawn, then back to UPS mode at sunset.

edit: It also turns on hot water heating during off-peak electricity hours. During the day it diverts excess power to the hot tank.

But looking at the picture with the two PC817 opto-isolators.

U12 is probably the RS232 receive circuit & U14 the RS232 transmit circuit. Baud rate is probably 2400.

Check if U12 has a resistor on pin 1 or 2. If no then connect a 100R resistor between it and the TX pin of your homebrewed arduino(?)

U14 pin 4 is ground & pin 3 is open collector. Check if there is a resistor connected to pin 3.

If not then:
Put a 1k resistor to Vdd of your controller board
connect the other side of the resistor to pin 3 of U14
RX of your controller goes to U14 pin 3

Or another idea would be to wire optocouplers across the buttons on the control panel. Program an arduino with the correct sequence to access the menu option(s) you need to toggle.

 

[Keith C]

Or another idea would be to wire optocouplers across the buttons on the control panel. Program an arduino with the correct sequence to access the menu option(s) you need to toggle.

Ah cyd I was just going to suggest this. It is by far the easiest method. Back in the day in Silicon Valley I did that to automate a wafer die saw and it worked like a charm. I'll probably have to do it to my 5048s.

 

[Itschi]

Hm, you don't need these workarounds as you can set working modes etc. using the RS232 interface exposed by the inverter. At leased that works for my REVO II 5.5k. The trick is not to send <CR> at the end of the PSET command.