Raspberry Pi Victron CCGX firmware with Victron VE Direct to USB Cable

[hagensieker]

Since I'm teleworking (cough, cough) I decided to build a Raspberry Pi 3 with the Victron CCGX software following the directions from here:

raspberrypi install venus image

Victron Energy Unix/Linux OS. Contribute to victronenergy/venus development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Works like a champ. Have it hooked to my BMV-712 Battery Monitor only. Going to get another cable for my 100/50 MPPT controller. Also going to add a 12v to 5v, 3amp converter so I'm not always tying up a USB slot on my board to power the Pi.

Also I need to figure out how to reconfigure the screen so I don't have a bunch of empty fields. That's next, but it can wait until I see what it looks like after the SCC is hooked up.

 

[hagensieker]

Made a quick blog that is a bit more descriptive.

Raspberry Pi's and Solar and Stuff

Problem: My Victron Solar Charge Controller and Victron Battery Monitor are bluetooth only. This makes it very difficult to observe the status of my solar power system while I am away from home. How I deal with this is to take a laptop and run VictronConnect software on it and then I can VPN […]

www.hagensieker.com

 

[freds]

Interesting I went with an actual CCGX as my Tesla SimpBMS outputs CAN status messages.

However if you have mostly Victron equipment this looks like a great area to economize.

Also since your Raspberry Pi has more memory than the color CCGX you could look at also installing Node Red into the configuration.

https://github.com/victronenergy/node-red-contrib-victron
https://github.com/victronenergy/node-red-contrib-victron/wiki/Example-Flows
https://community.victronenergy.com...al-node-red-on-ubuntu-connecting-to-ccgx.html

If you have this running I image you have also stumbled across this link: https://github.com/victronenergy/venus/wiki/ccgx-customization

 

[Delta-9]

Question: I don't have a victron CC in my solar shed, but if I bought the (Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor) would I be able to do the battery and load monitoring via a Raspberry Pi (I'm very familiar with these as I have one in my attic doing ADS-B stuff) with my renogy CC. I realize that I would likely not get any details about the panel input, but this would be a step towards upgrading to the Victron CC.

I'm guessing the RaspPi gets data from the Victron CC via the "VE Direct" port on victron models. This is what I would be missing with my current setup, but I would gain the ability to see what is happening with my battery (which I am lacking now).

EDIT: Looking at this blog post, I am wondering how the battery monitor connects to the RasPi. Thinking I might not be able to do this without the Victron CC.

 

[Darkstar]

Be aware that RPI 4 does not appear to be compatible with this firmware. The developer mailing list mentions a beta of an RPI 4 firmware but it would not work for me. Kept throwing an "start.elf is incompatible" error that I could not figure out. Here is the list of compatible hardware from the developers mailing list:

• Raspberry Pi Zero: not supported
• Raspberry Pi Zero W & WH: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 1 A+: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 1 B: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 2: supported
• Raspberry Pi 3 B: supported, including on-board WiFi, but without bluetooth (or so we've heard, please try)
• Raspberry Pi 3 B+: supported. Same notes as the Rpi3 B.
• Raspberry Pi 4: not supported; but a (seemingly working-) image has been made with a request to be tested; see Venus OS developer mailinglist.

Edit: So I just ordered an RPI 3B+ from Amazon. (Fingers crossed) Would really like to get this working with my BMV-700 without the financial burden of another Venus or a CCGX.

 

[jwu_cc]

Question: I don't have a victron CC in my solar shed, but if I bought the (Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor) would I be able to do the battery and load monitoring via a Raspberry Pi (I'm very familiar with these as I have one in my attic doing ADS-B stuff) with my renogy CC. I realize that I would likely not get any details about the panel input, but this would be a step towards upgrading to the Victron CC.

I'm guessing the RaspPi gets data from the Victron CC via the "VE Direct" port on victron models. This is what I would be missing with my current setup, but I would gain the ability to see what is happening with my battery (which I am lacking now).

Yes, you can connect a BMV to Raspberry Pi via VE direct and monitor battery and load in VRM. If you don’t need the display that comes with a BMV, you can get a SmartShunt instead and save a bit.

 

[Delta-9]

If you don’t need the display that comes with a BMV, you can get a SmartShunt instead and save a bit.

Fantastic. Yeah. I don't really need the full blown BMV. I also found a YouTube video where it looks like I can build my own VEDirect cables from these items:

Amazon.com: LATTECH 15 Sets JST PH 2.0MM 4 Pin Female Single Connector with Flat Wires 100MM 1007 26AWG : Electronics

Buy LATTECH 15 Sets JST PH 2.0MM 4 Pin Female Single Connector with Flat Wires 100MM 1007 26AWG: Connectors & Adapters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com

Need to read up on the smart shunt, now.

 

[Delta-9]

So comparing the two:

SmartShunt: Has built-in Bluetooth and much more compact, clean install, No "relay" functionality
BMV-700/2: No built-in Bluetooth, however it retains the "relay" functionality

As far as $$ goes, they are both around the same price, on eBay and other places. The SS appears to be limited availability likely due to how new of a product it is.

I am leaning towards the SS for the simplicity of the install and the BT functionality.

 

[Delta-9]

Be aware that RPI 4 does not appear to be compatible with this firmware.

Thanks for the update. What I'll probably do is buy a RP4, put in in place of my RP3B. Then use that one, my oldest, in my solar shed.

 

[Johnmahon]

Hey Everyone!

I did something similar and have had tremendous luck with the set up. I remotely monitor my system via the Victron APP or the VRM site all the time. This is still up and running perfectly (knock on wood) without any issues at all. Hopefully it will give you all something to try:

 

[Delta-9]

@Johnmahon hey.. thanks for the reply recently on your YT channel. I kinda realized you were here and there but asked a similar question.

Later this week or early next week I should be receiving in the mail, my third Raspberry Pi (decided to just buy another one) and my Victron SmartShunt. The comments here made me consider the SmartShunt as an option instead of the BMV-7xx. So I'll be hooking that all up here in the next week or so. One thing I did that was a little different is I ordered some DIY parts to make my own VE.Direct to USB cables ... The parts I ordered for that are in the screenshot below, found these based on some guy's YT video.

 

[curiouscarbon]

@Delta-9 Lookin good! Any way to get the same functionality without the Victron Tax sounds rad.

Something that popped into my head, be careful about electrical isolation, faintly remember reading that some of the victron interface adaptors have optoisolation built in. Just a random thought.

Planning on trying out the software on raspberry pi 4, even though it's not supported. If that doesn't work, there's a 3B+ around too. The CGX is so expensive!

 

[Delta-9]

This YouTube link takes you 1:15 into the video where the guy shows how to wire the cable.

Buried in the comments is a link to this schematic, but I like the one in the YT video better.

Based on the comments and the lack of connecting the +5V, I think it should be safe. I need to see once the amazon delivery arrives, but the photos for the USB adapter I ordered appears to match the wire colors in his video.

If this works, I'll have 3 VE.Direct cables and I'll likely only need two. The 2nd will be for my Vicron MPPT CC to replace my Renogy PWM. But I am taking this slowly, but I figured I would try the DIY cable route and hope that I get a "3 for < 1" price on the cable.

 

[CliveS]

This YouTube link takes you 1:15 into the video where the guy shows how to wire the cable.

Buried in the comments is a link to this schematic, but I like the one in the YT video better.

Based on the comments and the lack of connecting the +5V, I think it should be safe. I need to see once the amazon delivery arrives, but the photos for the USB adapter I ordered appears to match the wire colors in his video.

If this works, I'll have 3 VE.Direct cables and I'll likely only need two. The 2nd will be for my Vicron MPPT CC to replace my Renogy PWM. But I am taking this slowly, but I figured I would try the DIY cable route and hope that I get a "3 for < 1" price on the cable.

Just bought a Pi3B+ and got 3 USB cables and 4 pin connectors on order from Amazon, question is how many USB cables will the software support as I would like to see 2 x MPPT and 1 x Smartshunt on the display.

 

[jwu_cc]

Just bought a Pi3B+ and got 3 USB cables and 4 pin connectors on order from Amazon, question is how many USB cables will the software support as I would like to see 2 x MPPT and 1 x Smartshunt on the display.

I have a setup with 3 VE direct devices connected to a Pi so your setup should work fine.

 

[Hovanic]

Can you connect a screen to the RBP? Maybe even a touch screen?

 

[jwu_cc]

Can you connect a screen to the RBP? Maybe even a touch screen?

Apparently that's doable: https://github.com/victronenergy/ve...l-Touch-Screen-(MPI3501--ILI9486-320x480-LCD)

 

[Delta-9]

TAYVFT

Theres
A
YouTube
Video
For
That - using the regular RasPi touchscreen

This is his 2nd video, which is a little better

 

[Darkstar]

Be aware that RPI 4 does not appear to be compatible with this firmware. The developer mailing list mentions a beta of an RPI 4 firmware but it would not work for me. Kept throwing an "start.elf is incompatible" error that I could not figure out. Here is the list of compatible hardware from the developers mailing list:

• Raspberry Pi Zero: not supported
• Raspberry Pi Zero W & WH: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 1 A+: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 1 B: not supported
• Raspberry Pi 2: supported
• Raspberry Pi 3 B: supported, including on-board WiFi, but without bluetooth (or so we've heard, please try)
• Raspberry Pi 3 B+: supported. Same notes as the Rpi3 B.
• Raspberry Pi 4: not supported; but a (seemingly working-) image has been made with a request to be tested; see Venus OS developer mailinglist.

Edit: So I just ordered an RPI 3B+ from Amazon. (Fingers crossed) Would really like to get this working with my BMV-700 without the financial burden of another Venus or a CCGX.

Got the firmware running on the PI 3, also on a PI 4 2gb version that has not been eeprom updated since new. For some reason I could not get the firmware to boot on my PI 4 8GB that has the latest updates applied,

 

[Delta-9]

Got the firmware running on the PI 3, also on a PI 4 2gb version that has not been eeprom updated since new.

Do you have it connected to your Victron gear as well? My new Pi arrives over the weekend, shunt should be here on Monday, unless USPS holds it captive like they have been doing lately.