Monitor JK BMS with Solar Assistant?

[Redbeardbeer]

Hi all.

Can Solar Assistant with a Pi work with the JK BMS's RS485 protocol?
Looking for a way to remotely monitor my battery that has a JK BMS attached.

 

[elvis_asaftei]

Hi all.

Can Solar Assistant with a Pi work with the JK BMS's RS485 protocol?
Looking for a way to remotely monitor my battery that has a JK BMS attached.

I paid for the software, but not working on my EaSun Inverter or JK BMS so I want to find how to make ti work as the software creator is not able to offer a solution for it for 2 days and it seems there are many other people in the same situation.

I have the same JK BMS and many others as it is the most reliable and popular BMS with very good Active balancing capability of 2A and I want to be able to connect to it but no information can be found about how to connect it.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

This should be easy. I don't use solar assistant, but something based on a Pi anyway:

Off-grid Solar / Battery monitoring and control freeware

Im building a freeware realtime software/hardware monitoring solution that provides intimate details and decision making information about a solar system. I intend to be fully off grid in the near future and want to be self sufficient for power. My goal is complete control over every aspect of...

diysolarforum.com

I've written a driver for this BMS in the past myself and several other implementations are out there, like this one:

GitHub - jblance/mpp-solar: Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar)

Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar) - jblance/mpp-solar

github.com

And this one:

esphome-jk-bms/components/jk_bms at main · syssi/esphome-jk-bms

ESPHome component to monitor and control a Jikong Battery Management System (JK-BMS) via UART-TTL or BLE - syssi/esphome-jk-bms

github.com

Adding support to Solar Assistant should not be an issue. Did the author indicate he's working on this? I personally don't have that software and wouldn't have a use for it, but I could help out getting a driver working if the author is interested.

 

[elvis_asaftei]

This should be easy. I don't use solar assistant, but something based on a Pi anyway:

Off-grid Solar / Battery monitoring and control freeware

Im building a freeware realtime software/hardware monitoring solution that provides intimate details and decision making information about a solar system. I intend to be fully off grid in the near future and want to be self sufficient for power. My goal is complete control over every aspect of...

diysolarforum.com

I've written a driver for this BMS in the past myself and several other implementations are out there, like this one:

GitHub - jblance/mpp-solar: Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar)

Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar) - jblance/mpp-solar

github.com

And this one:

esphome-jk-bms/components/jk_bms at main · syssi/esphome-jk-bms

ESPHome component to monitor and control a Jikong Battery Management System (JK-BMS) via UART-TTL or BLE - syssi/esphome-jk-bms

github.com

Adding support to Solar Assistant should not be an issue.

I would like to sincerely tank you for sharing the functionality freely and not asking money for it. We all want to make it work with easun inverters.

I will try it and I recommend the creator of Solar Assistant to add support it as a priority because it is a very good 2A active equalizer bms .

1) I would add support for EaSun Inverters with cable at least . I have this model and it is not working to connect USB cable. The Inverter has WIFI dongle and works with wifi on all apps like SmartESS or WatchPower and I want to be able to use the same Wifi network as all the other 6 o 9 inverters without having 9 cables, right ?

2) I would want support for JK BMS that has 2A active balancing and is very popular and it is not supported by the software and is a major feature that is needed.

3) I would want Bluetooth connection to JK BMS (as i connect with JK BMS application with Bluetooth) and WIFI connection to Inverters because all apps use the wifi and apps work with the inverter.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I will try it and I recommend the creator of Solar Assistant to add support it as a priority because it is a very good 2A active equalizer bms .

And as I mention in the edit in my post, if he doesn't have the BMS and needs someone to test/help out/write it, I'm willing to do that. He just has to contact me here.

 

[elvis_asaftei]

And as I mention in the edit in my post, if he doesn't have the BMS and needs someone to test/help out/write it, I'm willing to do that. He just has to contact me here.

Yes, it would be very useful if he would ask for your support because you are very skilled and can help all of us benefit from the help you will provide.

Is it complicated to ass this feature to completly eliminate all cables and serial converters ?

3) I would want Bluetooth connection to JK BMS (as i connect with JK BMS application with Bluetooth) and WIFI connection to Inverters because all apps use the wifi and apps work with the inverter.

 

[elvis_asaftei]

This should be easy. I don't use solar assistant, but something based on a Pi anyway:

Off-grid Solar / Battery monitoring and control freeware

Im building a freeware realtime software/hardware monitoring solution that provides intimate details and decision making information about a solar system. I intend to be fully off grid in the near future and want to be self sufficient for power. My goal is complete control over every aspect of...

diysolarforum.com

I've written a driver for this BMS in the past myself and several other implementations are out there, like this one:

GitHub - jblance/mpp-solar: Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar)

Python package to communicate to MPP Solar PIP-4048MS inverters (and similar) - jblance/mpp-solar

github.com

And this one:

esphome-jk-bms/components/jk_bms at main · syssi/esphome-jk-bms

ESPHome component to monitor and control a Jikong Battery Management System (JK-BMS) via UART-TTL or BLE - syssi/esphome-jk-bms

github.com

Adding support to Solar Assistant should not be an issue. Did the author indicate he's working on this? I personally don't have that software and wouldn't have a use for it, but I could help out getting a driver working if the author is interested.

1) Because you wrote the driver for MPP Solar, you have a lot of experience with it, is it possible to connect directly to this wifi dongle of MPP Solar inverter directly and get the data via wifi and avoid cable madness ? It is a lot simplier to connect 9 inverters over wifi that with 9 cables to a single Rasbery Pi, am I right ?

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[elvis_asaftei]

And this one:

esphome-jk-bms/components/jk_bms at main · syssi/esphome-jk-bms

ESPHome component to monitor and control a Jikong Battery Management System (JK-BMS) via UART-TTL or BLE - syssi/esphome-jk-bms

github.com

Is it possible to add JK BMS support by using Bluetooth and not RS485 adapters that many cipsets are not working correctly and is always a problem as opposed to standardized Bluetooth protocol ?

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Yeah, the mpp-solar project has bluetooth support for JK already. Easy enough to add...

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Because you wrote the driver for MPP Solar, you have a lot of experience with it, is it possible to connect directly to this wifi dongle of MPP Solar inverter directly and get the data via wifi and avoid cable madness ? It is a lot simplier to connect 9 inverters over wifi that with 9 cables to a single Rasbery Pi, am I right ?

I wrote one of the drivers in the past, not the one that's with MPP Solar. Mine was for an older version with a different protocol. I didn't write anything in the MPP Solar project.

 

[elvis_asaftei]

Yeah, the mpp-solar project has bluetooth support for JK already. Easy enough to add...

so if the developer will add it, we will be able to use it... it is so much more convenient to use Bluetoth that is a standardized protocol instead of so many adapters with various cipsets and just one works and the others do not work ... i had spent 2 days and not working just because os various cipsets from adapters

 

[elvis_asaftei]

so if the developer will add it, we will be able to use it... it is so much more convenient to use Bluetoth that is a standardized protocol instead of so many adapters with various cipsets and just one works and the others do not work ... i had spent 2 days and not working just because os various cipsets from adapters

I want to connect Rasbery Pi to JK BMS using Bluetooth and not RS485, do you know how to do that ? (any links to documentation and steps to use my rasbery pi and JK BMS together)

Thank you

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I want to connect Rasbery Pi to JK BMS using Bluetooth and not RS485, do you know how to do that ? (any links to documentation and steps to use my rasbery pi and JK BMS together)

Thank you

Check the mpp-solar project - it has a jkbms tool to do that.

GitHub - jblance/jkbms: repo with attempts to test connectivity to JK-BMS via BLE

repo with attempts to test connectivity to JK-BMS via BLE - jblance/jkbms

github.com

 

[anas]

Solar Assistant released beta today, 'Basic support for JK BMS via RS485'.

 

[Huck]

This info is for a Jk BMS
JK-B2A24S20PH3.0S4.2.1

So I was able to take a usb to ttl cable ( this one
EVISWIY PL2303TA USB to TTL Serial Cable Debug Console Cable for Raspberry Pi 3 Pack
https://a.co/d/53rewfj ) with a 4 pin JST 1.25 mm plug, hooked up rx and tx and have it work using setting “Battery” “ USB to JBD RS485”. Please note: Although this setting is the only one my BMS will read info from, not all of the information is correct.
Here are screen shots so you can compare, notice time is the same. You can see that the battery capacity is different and SOC is too. But it is receiving data.



I also tried a ttl to rs485 adapter hooked to a rs485 to USB adapter, but for some reason that didn’t work. No mater what combination of adapters and wires I tried, I could not get any of them to work with “USB to JK RS485”

BIG NOTE: I instantly fried one of my ttl adapters connecting it to “VBAT” on the BMS. It supplied all of 54volts to the ttl adapter. Do not use!!! To make it work I connected Ground, RX, TX ONLY, not sure that you even need GRD. Thankfully I was smart enough to not have the USB side plugged into my RPi!

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

The VBAT on the BMS has full pack voltage, so yeah, don't connect that one

 

[Huck]

The VBAT on the BMS has full pack voltage, so yeah, don't connect that one

Makes sense given the name! ??

 

[Huck]

Has anyone else had success yet with wiring up Jk BMS to RPi and using the new Solar Assistant Beta?
I thought this would be huge news for a lot of us, but not seeing anything! ?‍

 

[Th3black]

Nope, to be honest didn`t manage to conect the bms to sollar assistant like you did with the TTL adapter i still get invalid data received.I have also the RS485 dongle from JK but no sucess. When i sent e-mail to solar assistant they pointed out this forum page and nothing else. They told me that they will make a help page soon. Waiting for it. ...

 

[oaky]

This info is for a Jk BMS
JK-B2A24S20PH3.0S4.2.1

So I was able to take a usb to ttl cable ( this one
EVISWIY PL2303TA USB to TTL Serial Cable Debug Console Cable for Raspberry Pi 3 Pack
https://a.co/d/53rewfj ) with a 4 pin JST 1.25 mm plug, hooked up rx and tx and have it work using setting “Battery” “ USB to JBD RS485”. Please note: Although this setting is the only one my BMS will read info from, not all of the information is correct.
Here are screen shots so you can compare, notice time is the same. You can see that the battery capacity is different and SOC is too. But it is receiving data.
View attachment 98507
View attachment 98508

I also tried a ttl to rs485 adapter hooked to a rs485 to USB adapter, but for some reason that didn’t work. No mater what combination of adapters and wires I tried, I could not get any of them to work with “USB to JK RS485”

BIG NOTE: I instantly fried one of my ttl adapters connecting it to “VBAT” on the BMS. It supplied all of 54volts to the ttl adapter. Do not use!!! To make it work I connected Ground, RX, TX ONLY, not sure that you even need GRD. Thankfully I was smart enough to not have the USB side plugged into my RPi!

Seems your the only one that manged to do it, maybe share some info on how you done it ?