Solar Assistant Reading from EG4 batteries and inverter while they remain in closed loop. Is it possible?

[cheekzilla]

I’m having a FlexBoss 21 and 30kwh of EG4 LL-S batteries installed in a couple weeks. I purchased a Raspberry Pi and plan on running Solar Assistant to read from the FlexBoss.

I have been reading there is additional data that can be collected if the SA box is connected to the batteries via RS485 to ISB. Now, is it data I would really care about? Unsure. It’s possible the inverter will give me all I care about.

Out of curiosity though, is it possible for the SA box to read from both the EG4 inverter AND LL-S batteries at the same time while allowing the inverter and batteries to communicate in closed loop?

I’ve read some other threads that mentioned the way the dip switches are configured for SA mean the inverter has to be set to User mode instead of EG4 mode to communicate with the batteries, which I assume isn’t closed loop.

Those topics were from 2023 and I wasn’t sure if there was new SA firmware released to allow this possibility

 

[cheekzilla]

I’ll add that I asked Solar Assistant support about this and maybe I didn’t ask correctly because to me it doesn’t seem they answered my high level question.

Here’s their response, my questions are bolded

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Subbed...
Recently setup up my parents EG4 8k inverter (Rebranded MegaRevo) on Solar Assistant via rs485 and was considering the same question since there's extra USB ports on the Raspberry Pi and we have the EG4 Lp4 v1 batteries which use Rs485 and the EG4 rs485 USB battery programming cable.

Please update us with any additional details you get from them.

Reference our post/thread here
.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Subbed...
Recently setup up my parents EG4 8k inverter (Rebranded MegaRevo) on Solar Assistant via rs485 and was considering the same question since there's extra USB ports on the Raspberry Pi and we have the EG4 Lp4 v1 batteries which use Rs485 and the EG4 rs485 USB battery programming cable.

Please update us with any additional details you get from them.

Reference our post/thread here
.

I currently have LifePower4 V1 batteries connected to both my EG4 6000ex inverter and SA. Used the EG4 Com Hub to connect to the inverter and connected SA to the last battery in the stack (number 6). It's been working great. Can read all battery information in SA and the inverter still communicates with the batteries. I just got a new V2 as a warranty replacement for one of the V1s and will have to work out a new method for connecting my batteries to SA.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

I currently have LifePower4 V1 batteries connected to both my EG4 6000ex inverter and SA. Used the EG4 Com Hub to connect to the inverter and connected SA to the last battery in the stack (number 6). It's been working great. Can read all battery information in SA and the inverter still communicates with the batteries. I just got a new V2 as a warranty replacement for one of the V1s and will have to work out a new method for connecting my batteries to SA.

Got any screenshots of what it looks like in SA?
What did you select for the battery configuration in SA?

 

[marionw]

The EG4 LifePower4 V1 batteries utilize two RS485 busses on its RJ45 jacks. Pins 1&2 at 9600 baud are used by the BMS to Inverter closed loop communications or Solar Assistant or the BMS_Test software. Only one can run/be connected at any time. Pins 7&8 are used by the "Master" for battery to battery communications and runs at 19200 baud.

The EG4 Communications Hub acts as the "Master" BMS. The Inverter connects to the Hub on a separate RJ45 jack. The Hub connected to the battery stack using pins 7&8 therefore freeing up the pins 1&2 RS485 bus. With the Hub you can have closed loop and then utilize the pins 1&2 RS485 bus on the batteries for either Solar Assistant or the BMS_Test software. For SA select the correct serial port and select "Narada" for the protocol. SA will individually display all the batteries in the stack.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Battery Data:




Configuration:

 

[CaySol]

I currently have LifePower4 V1 batteries connected to both my EG4 6000ex inverter and SA. Used the EG4 Com Hub to connect to the inverter and connected SA to the last battery in the stack (number 6). It's been working great. Can read all battery information in SA and the inverter still communicates with the batteries. I just got a new V2 as a warranty replacement for one of the V1s and will have to work out a new method for connecting my batteries to SA.

So you connected with a regular cat 5 Ethernet cable?

 

[wildbillpdx]

So you connected with a regular cat 5 Ethernet cable?

I don't understand the question. I have the battery/update cable from EG4 to connect SA to the battery, then the battery communication cables (which I believe are CAT5) between the batteries and then the battery communication cable from the inverter to the Communication Hub.

 

[marionw]

The Battery Update cable may be using pins 7&8 on the battery and not pins 1&2. SA needs to use pins 1&2 as pins 7&8 on the battery are used by the Hub to pull data from the batteries.

You can make your own cable:

M

Post in thread 'Help with Pace BMS Comms'

Dec 29, 2023

First, do you have the pinout of each RS485 port.
The EG4 Lifepower4 batteries for example use pins 1&2 as an RS485 bus as well as pins 7&8 as a second RS485 bus in the same RJ45 jack.
I purchased a RS485 to USB Converter:
RS485-USB-Converter

Using a spare cat5 cable, just cut off the RJ45 connector on one end, remove about 3 inches of the outer insulation then you can connect the correct pair of wires to the RS485 to USB Converter and plug the RJ45 connector on the other end to the correct port on the battery.
Look at the RJ45 connector on the cable (With my tired old eye I use a...

• marionw

• 

M

Post in thread 'query on SRNE reset times.'

Feb 6, 2024

I use a spare ethernet patch cable, cut the RJ45 connector off one end, strip two to three inches of the outer insulation and select the pair of wires I need depending on which pins of the Inverter or BMS I need to use.

For a normal cable pins 1 & 2 are the orange/white and orange. Pins 7 & 8 are the brown/white and brown. I even at times use several of the wire pairs in the same cable.

Holding the RJ45 connector with the pins up and facing you (the latch/lock is facing away from you) pin 1 will be on the left and pin 8 on the right.

I use these as you can never tell which two pins in a...

• marionw

• 

 

[wildbillpdx]

The Battery Update cable may be using pins 7&8 on the battery and not pins 1&2. SA needs to use pins 1&2 as pins 7&8 on the battery are used by the Hub to pull data from the batteries.

I've been using the update cable with SA on my Raspberry Pi since installation and it seems to work fine.

 

[CaySol]

I don't understand the question. I have the battery/update cable from EG4 to connect SA to the battery, then the battery communication cables (which I believe are CAT5) between the batteries and then the battery communication cable from the inverter to the Communication Hub.

Sorry. From the last battery to solar assistant. Regular cat 5 cable?

 

[wildbillpdx]

Regular cat 5 cable?

No...EG4 battery update cable. Needs the USB connector for SA.

 

[blrmaker]

Subd for future reference.