Actually my inverter is the
EG4 12kPV (major props to
Will), which has a wifi dongle. There is zero information on the connector for this dongle, but in the crude drawings it looks like some kind of D-connector, and I presume it's MPPT since the only other connector is RS-485. Inside the inverter there is an RJ-45 connector labelled "INV485", so that must be the RS-485 connection, although it's anyone's guess whether that would give the same level of control as the wifi connector.
I build concrete houses (
ICF) and wifi will never make it through the garage wall to the AP, so my preference is either ethernet or powerline communications. Chlicon sensibly uses powerline which I really like, but ther micros are geared to smaller panels.
I do not want the LAN (nor even just the inverter) connecting to EG4's or anyone else's 'cloud', not least due to the actions of other Chinese mfgrs cutting off inverters and/or spying LANs with them. I am not having the inverter connecting to their cloud except in the extremely limited instance to upgrade firmware. I will arrange my own remote monitoring (WireGuard/SA), thank you.
Unfortunately the only two official ways to update firmware is either through their friggin' app, or through The Internets and their Monitor Center, but I'll worry about that another day.
Does anyone have technical info on this friggin' wifi dongle?
Another question: In the Quick Start they say, "
When sizing strings for each MPPT, they MUST be the same model, brand and number per string (series and parallel)." Huh? I thought the whole point of MPPTs is for differing locations, angles, string lengths, etc. They will be the same model and size, but I can not size my two strings the same. I won't believe the two MPPTs correspond to the two split-phase legs.