Problems Setting up a Cerbo GX on a Raspberry Pi with MacBook Pro laptop

[featherlite]

Problems Setting up a Cerbo GX on a Raspberry Pi

In a separate thread captioned “How Do I pair my iPhone with my GX Raspberry Pi Running Victron Venus?”, I asked for help about my iPhone.

Now, I am having a completely separate set of problems setting up that same Cerbo GX on a Raspberry Pi using my MacBook pro laptop.

The problem now is that, on my laptop, after connecting to the Victron VRM web page, I cannot see any data generated by my Victron Smart Shunt. The Smart Shunt is the only device I currently have plugged into the Pi, using an OEM “Victron VE Direct to USB Interface” cable.

Using the Victron Connect app on my laptop, I can see the Cerbo GX Pi icon on the device list. When I click on the Cerbo GX Pi icon, I can click on the VRM button (shown in the photo below) and then get connected to the VRM web page.




When I first connected to the VRM web page using the Cerbo GX pi, I registered and installed the Cerbo GX as instructed per the menus.
However, I can see no data being uploaded from the Smart Shunt via the Cerbo GX to the VRM web page, where, I think, data is supposed to be shown.

Here is a sample photo of what I see on the VRM web page (my Pi is named"rfsraspberrypi1" as shown below):





I am connecting my laptop to the VRM web page using the same WiFi address that I have set up on the Pi.

I know there are many steps I went through to get to this point that I have omitted in order to not clog up this initial post. I hope that your further questions will flush out more helpful information, including me posting more photos if that would help.

I have started this separate thread so as to avoid mixing up different problems.

I am very grateful for all the help I have received so far concerning my problems.
Thank you!

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Please screencap the "device list" page.

Are the following fully updated to the latest software/firmware:

VenusOS to 3.12
VictronConnect app
Smartshunt

EDIT: Confirm the shunt is connected to a battery...

 

[featherlite]

Please screencap the "device list" page.

Are the following fully updated to the latest software/firmware:

Yes, all software up to date:

VenusOS to v3.12
VictronConnect app to v5.99
Smartshunt to v4.14

Confirm the shunt is connected to a battery

Yes (also see device list)

Sunshine,
Thank you for your help. I am grateful!

 

[sunshine_eggo]

View attachment 178078

Yes, all software up to date:

VenusOS to v3.12
VictronConnect app to v5.99
Smartshunt to v4.14


Yes (also see device list)

Sunshine,
Thank you for your help. I am grateful!

Device list in VRM.

 

[featherlite]

Device list in VRM.

When I click on the VRM Device list button you circled in red, this screen pops up:


When I click on the Gateway icon, this screen pops up:


Again, thank you for your help!

 

[Adam De Lay]

Your raspberry pi hasn't sent data to the VRM for the last 10 days. That's probably why you're not seeing any smart shunt connected.

 

[featherlite]

Your raspberry pi hasn't sent data to the VRM for the last 10 days

Yes, that appears to be the root problem i am trying to solve. I cannot see any data generated by my Victron Smart Shunt.
I do not think the Pi has ever sent any data to VRM.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Are you using a WiFi connection or a hard-wired ethernet connection for your internet on the raspberry pi? Obviously it connected to the VRM at some point, but it doesn't seem like you've have any internet connection on the pi for the last 10 days.

 

[featherlite]

When I click on the VRM "Remote Console" button below:




The following error screen appears:





My understanding is that, after I click Remote Console, I should see something like the following screen (but I do not, I get the Remote Console error message shown above):

I remain stumped!

 

[Adam De Lay]

When I click on the "Remote Console" button below:


View attachment 178117

The following error screen appears:



View attachment 178118

My understanding is that, after I click Remote Console, I should see something like the following screen (but I do not, I get the Remote Console error message shown above):
View attachment 178120
I remain stumped!

You'll only be able to access the Remote Console from the VRM if your pi is connected to the VRM over the internet. It's not opening up your local Remote Console.

Until you get the pi back on the Internet, you won't be able to use the VRM for anything.

 

[featherlite]

Until you get the pi back on the Internet, you won't be able to use the VRM for anything.

Yes, that is the problem I am trying to solve.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Yes, that is the problem I am trying to solve.

Wifi or hardwired internet?

 

[featherlite]

Are you using a WiFi connection or a hard-wired ethernet connection

I am using WiFi.

Until you get the pi back on the Internet, you won't be able to use the VRM for anything.

Agreed.

I went to my network settings on my laptop, but the Pi, loaded with the Venus software, does not show up as a WiFi address on my laptop.

So, I removed the Venus SD card and installed the Raspberry Pi 4 SD card back into the Pi. Now, with the Raspberry Pi software, I can see the Pi connected to the same WiFi network that is connected to my laptop. In other words, the laptop and Pi are using the same WiFi connection.

However, even with the Raspberry pi SD card loaded on the Pi, my laptop does not show the Pi as an available WiFi connection.

My WiFi network connection is named CXNK00886F2D and shows up on both my laptop and the Pi.

So, I removed the Venus SD card from the Pi.

Now, with the Raspberry Pi SD card running the Pi, below is a photo of what I see on the external monitor connected to the Pi:

As you can see, running the Raspberry Pi software, the Pi is connected to the WiFi connection named CXNK00886F2D, and I can serf the web using the Pi.

But still, the VRM is not connecting to the Pi via internet.

 

[Adam De Lay]

The different SD cards running the different operating systems contain all the configuration parameters for the device. You cannot configure the wifi while running the Raspberry Pi OS and have it stay connected when you switch to the Venus OS. You have to configure the Wifi in the Venus OS.

The easiest way to do this is to take your raspberry pi (with the Venus OS SD card) and plug it directly in to your router. That will give you access to venus.local and then you can configure the wifi from there in the Venus OS. Once you have a successful Wifi connection, you can unplug the raspberry pi from the router and plug your smart shunt back in.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Once you can access from venus.local, go to Settings -> Wifi -> Wifi Networks to connect to your wireless network.

 

[featherlite]

take your raspberry pi (with the Venus OS SD card) and plug it directly in to your router.

Thanks Adam!

Here is a photo of the router mounted low on the wall in a room on the other side of the house.



On the underside of the box on the left, are some ethernet ports, as shown below. I had to use a mirror to get a view of the underside so the photo is a reverse image with reverse text.



The two grey ports on the left say"phone". The four yellow ports say "ethernet".
Are you saying that I need to plug one end of an ethernet cord into one of the yellow ports and the other end into the Pi?
If so, does it make a difference which yellow port the ethernet cable is plugged into?

 

[Samsonite801]

Once you can access from venus.local, go to Settings -> Wifi -> Wifi Networks to connect to your wireless network.

I think if I remember right, I just used the Victron Connect app, connected via bluetooth to the Venus OS on the RPi, and then set the WiFi connection from there, then it shows an IP after that.. Like here:

https://community.victronenergy.com...n-os-on-raspberry-pi-be-configured-for-w.html (Read the accepted Answer)

 

[Adam De Lay]

Thanks Adam!

Here is a photo of the router mounted low on the wall in a room on the other side of the house.

View attachment 178124

On the underside of the box on the left, are some ethernet ports, as shown below. I had to use a mirror to get a view of the underside so the photo is a reverse image with reverse text.

View attachment 178125

The two grey ports on the left say"phone". The four yellow ports say "ethernet".
Are you saying that I need to plug one end of an ethernet cord into one of the yellow ports and the other end into the Pi?
If so, does it make a difference which yellow port the ethernet cable is plugged into?

Correct. Just plug one ethernet cable into any yellow port and the other end into the raspberry pi. That should give you your internet connection.

 

[featherlite]

Read the accepted Answer

Darn!
Later on in the article, the "accepted answer" was found not to be correct. I read the article three times and am unable to understand if a solution was ever had, apart from Python programming via Terminal, which i do not understand.
Thanks for the article!

.

 

[featherlite]

That should give you your internet connection.

Ok, I will need to go to a store and buy an ethernet cable to do that.
I shall return!

Again, I cannot thank all of you guys enough for all of your help and patience!