JK BMS CAN bus comms now possible for inverters that support Goodwe and Pylontech batteries
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hgg
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One of the options was the Growatt, but it has a huge 70 watt idle consumption,
so for me was out of the question because I have a small 3kW panel setup and
at a shallow angle.
I came across the Voltronic Power AXPERT MKS III 5K-48 which looks exactly the
same (!) as the Phocos, has almost the same functionality and even the user
manual is like a copy /paste version with some changes... It cannot mix though
grid power with solar.
so for me was out of the question because I have a small 3kW panel setup and
at a shallow angle.
I came across the Voltronic Power AXPERT MKS III 5K-48 which looks exactly the
same (!) as the Phocos, has almost the same functionality and even the user
manual is like a copy /paste version with some changes... It cannot mix though
grid power with solar.
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uksa007
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No that inverter does not support Pylon over CAN Bus.
Nor do any of the Voltronic.
CAN and RS485 are two completely different communication interfaces, electrically they are totally different.
Goodwe is less than 10W self consumption at night.
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hgg
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That GoodWe inverter looks very nice at least on paper.
I am not sure though how they are getting away with the fan-less design.
Microinverters that use a similar design (fanless with big heatsink), do not seem to last very long.
On the other hand its very efficient and this might play a role with less power converted to heat.
Do you have any first hand experience with that inverter?
I just saw the OGG video. Intriguing. Several questions.
#1 I have two earlier LV6548 in split phase(Voltronic) inverters. They have an option to select Pylontech batteries. Will your interface work with them and JK bms’s? If yes;
#2 I presently have Solar Assistant connected to the GPS port of bms. Can I split the gps output so both devices can work?
#3 Does it support multiple bms’s
#4 if so, how is it best networked? Hub, power hub?
#1 I have two earlier LV6548 in split phase(Voltronic) inverters. They have an option to select Pylontech batteries. Will your interface work with them and JK bms’s? If yes;
#2 I presently have Solar Assistant connected to the GPS port of bms. Can I split the gps output so both devices can work?
#3 Does it support multiple bms’s
#4 if so, how is it best networked? Hub, power hub?
Reecho
New Member
Just jumped onboard with your DCDC interface and have a JK BMS on order. My existing ZEVA BMS has been great but I'm wanting more info and HA integration is a must. Oh and I have a Goodwe 5000 S-BP as well. 
Sleeper85
Sunday handyman
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Hi Guys
just for my info, do you know if the open source / DIY via ESPhome version of this cool project is still supported
on github page it seems the ESPhome YAML files are no longer available
thanks
Davide
Unfortunately it seems that this is the end of the open source project. You can still find version 1.13.3 at the address below but the latest version 1.23 requires payment, either by becoming a beta tester or by purchasing a board.
GitHub - Uksa007/esphome-jk-bms-can at deprecated
ESPHome component to monitor a Jikong Battery Management System (JK-BMS) via RS485 or BLE, CAN bus Goodwe/Pylon - GitHub - Uksa007/esphome-jk-bms-can at deprecated
github.com
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Amazing Work.
Sleeper85
Sunday handyman
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Do you think that improving an open-source application developed by other people and then selling it at an exorbitant price as closed source is amazing ?
No, it really sucks!
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
I think that uksa007 has put a lot of his own time and effort into creating a product that solves a problem that I am not able to solve myself, for a fair price. I hope he continues with other BMS brands, to continue and expand this work. ( I see he has JK, JBD and Overkill BMS covered so far)
Sleeper85
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This project is based on that of syssi who also certainly spent a lot of time programming the part concerning the communication with JK-BMS but I think that syssi will not receive any $ earned by uksa007.
A project based on another open-source project must cite its sources.
uksa007 added the CAN part but without the components developed by syssi (and perhaps other people) these applications would be nothing.
So he takes the work that other people have offered to the community and then sells it.
What bothers me the most in this story is that at the beginning he starts the project in the philosophy of an open-source project with a diagram with the components to assemble etc. and then afterwards, without saying anything, he completely changes direction.
So regarding prices, a simple small board with an ESP32 and 5 components sells for more than a BMS!
I'm not the only one who finds this crazy.
uksa007 is not clear at all and doesn't get it right.
I use Solar Assistant which is a great application, I paid for a lifetime license for $50 and I receive upgrades with new features every month (beta tester program).
Do you really think that I will pay $50/month to become a beta tester of the uksa007 application?
Finally, I'm not against paying to support the work carried out but not under the current conditions.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
I can certainly sense your frustration.
You don't have to pay anything if you don't want to.
I too use SA and love it. It also cost money, and I am happy with the performance I got for the investment.
I am sorry I don't know any of the history behind this development or who syssi is or what they did, all I know is this finished useful product came about from some amount of work/effort and to me it appears to be a great step forward, unavailable without uksa007's contribution.
If he has or owes anyone else for a portion of the development I would expect that is between them to sort out.
This is what patent law and copywrite is all about; ask Robert Kearns, Rosalind Franklin, and Nikola Tesla.
You don't have to pay anything if you don't want to.
I too use SA and love it. It also cost money, and I am happy with the performance I got for the investment.
I am sorry I don't know any of the history behind this development or who syssi is or what they did, all I know is this finished useful product came about from some amount of work/effort and to me it appears to be a great step forward, unavailable without uksa007's contribution.
If he has or owes anyone else for a portion of the development I would expect that is between them to sort out.
This is what patent law and copywrite is all about; ask Robert Kearns, Rosalind Franklin, and Nikola Tesla.
Sleeper85
Sunday handyman
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Fortunately, the new firmware version v14.13 of the new JK BMS inverter is really good and provides everything we need.
Buying uksa007 boards is no longer of interest.
For example :
- Buying 2x new JK PB2A16S20P (without screen) costs $280 including delivery
- Buying 2x old JK B2A20S20P (without screen) $260 + 1x master and slave kit uksa007 boards $430 - total cost: $690
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First, I'd like to echo the same gratitude in regards to uksa007's original contribution(/improvement) as an open source solution. Open source is NOT at all about money, patents, or copyright. It's about contributing to an idea, bringing it to the next level, and sharing how it was done with the community. The next person does the same. Switching to a closed codebase is against the entire open source philosophy, and prevents community improvement as a whole.
Let's look at the statement, "...unavailable without uksa007's contribution". If syssi never released esphome-jk-bms (which by the way, handles the majority of jkbms comms and esphome integration), this fork likely would have never seen the light of day. While we're giving credit to uksa007, bear in mind it is entirely based on syssi's original contributions and framework (which relies on esphome, etc etc...). Go ahead, compare the git repos. If we're giving credit, let's give credit where credit is due.
As for my personal experience - I was about halfway done with my own JKBMS to CAN implementation before stumbling upon this, which did about 95% of what I needed. No need to re-invent the wheel. Is it perfect? Not by a long shot, but it gets the job done. However, due to the open source nature, I was able to fix a few bugs and add custom functionality I needed for my own setup. Now, in a closed environment, this will no longer be a consideration, I will seek other options moving forward.
As an open source supporter, I am quite disappointed with the direction of the project. However, I respect uksa007's decision, for whatever reason that may be, and am thankful this was provided openly at all. Supporting an open source project takes a lot of work, and at some point, it's a personal decision to figure out how to pay the bills.
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