Recommendation for Serial Server over TCP/IP via wifi

[rsockanc]

Checklist

• I made sure that there are no existing issues or discussions - open issues,closed issues,open discussion, closed discussion - which may answer my question or that I could contribute my information to.
• I have read the Known Issues Wiki Page and my question / issue is not listed.
• I have provided the version of the software and the operating system in my post.
• If I have an issue with genmon not communicating with the controller, I have read and followed the serial troubleshooting guide.
• I have included the generator make and model in my submission.

Version

V1.19.05

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I have not submitted logs

What is/are your question(s)?

Looking for a recommendation for a Serial Server over TCP/IP via wifi. Would this work? https://www.amazon.com/PUSR-Converter-Ethernet-Support-USR-W610/dp/B0BX3MP7SF?ref_=ast_sto_dp If not, what specs should I be looking for? Any recommendation on how to power a device like this, should I just hardwire directly to the battery or add an inline fuse of some sort? Prior to this connection idea, I had it working fine with a Pi that was inside my house and I had a 30-foot cat5 cable acting as a long rs232 connection. Worked fine until there was a lightning strike close by that killed my controller:) I need to keep the pi inside as its running other tasks.

Additional information

No response

[jgyates]

@rsockanc

the USR-610 will work fine. There is some info in the wiki on setting this up with a MEBAY controller:

https://github.com/jgyates/genmon/wiki/Appendix-R---MEBAY-Controller-with-RS-485

More info here:

https://github.com/jgyates/genmon/wiki/Appendix-F----Serial-over-IP

If you are using with Generac Evolution then you would just use 9600, N,8,1

[rsockanc]

Thanks, I purchased a USR-W610 and will power it directly to the battery with
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NCOKZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and link the SAE connection to the DC jack for each removal with a https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CJRG9Q3V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[rsockanc]

My USR-W610 arrived and I finally got the software set up and connected to my wifi. To connect to my Evolution 2, I plan to connect the green/green White (see first image with viper connectors) to the RS485 AB screw posts interface to the USR. See any issue with that? Just checking as I am 5,000 miles away from the generator and want to make sure I don't need any other parts before I travel to install it.

[jgyates]

For general residential units the address should be 9d, not 9b. Use -a 9d

No other addresses will work.

You can unplug the rs232 connector from the generator and connect the transmit and receive pins together. Then run socket test to do a loopback over TCP and rs232. That will validate everything from the pie over the TCP connection through the w610. Once you validate that then move on to modbusdump.

[rsockanc]

I just made it back onsite after a fun 32 hour flight and confirmed my W160 settings are just like your in a prior post. I also brought a new Pi5 with a fresh install of Bookworm and Genmon so " Use Modbus..." as seen above is currently disabled. Loopback passed all the way to the end of the molex sent by pintsize and his kit and run power off batery. I am stuck at:

Wifi is solid and is just a few feet away.

[jgyates]

There are two options for serial over Wifi with genmon. One is using the Modbus TCP protocol (i.e. the "Use Modbus TCP protocol" setting) and the other is just taking modbus serial (Modbus RTU) and encapsulating that in a TCP packet. The W610, when setup with the above settings uses Modbus RTU over TCP. you should not enable the "Use Modbus TCP protocol" setting unless you converter supports the modbus TCP protcol. Some controllers support Modbus TCP directly but evolution and nexus models support Modbus RTU and the converter just wraps that in a TCP packet.

[rsockanc]

Yes, "Use Modbus TCP protocol" is not checked ; loop back test passed, still no data. Not sure how to troubleshoot next.

[jgyates]

Question: did you run the loopback by connecting the serial tx and rx together on the W610?

Maybe a picture of your connections my help. The orientation on the molex plug can be confusing.

[rsockanc]

Yes, here is the setup:
note the molex was the one from the pintsize kit and the black serial cable is a straight through.

[jgyates]

Is your controller a 4.5L Liquid Cooled model? If so you may need to set the data rate on the converter to 115200. See this on the known issues wiki:

https://github.com/jgyates/genmon/wiki/Appendix-D-Known-Issues#18-liquid-cooled-45l-model-serial-data-rate

Let me know if that fixes your issue.

[rsockanc]

Problem solved, I now have TX and RX blinking rapidly. After following the traces on the pint size, I realize the problem. The pin size appears to output RX and TX in a manner I was not planning for. Please review photos to check my math, but it is now working with the custom pigtail setup up. I should've brought a straight and crossover serial cable to eliminate this challenge and making testing a lot easier. Luckily, I had a leftover Molex pigtail that I cut off an old Mobile link box that allowed me to properly trace everything and not use the hideous and embarrassing viper clamps that I provided in some previous photos.

For other people who have purchased the same wireless device, the settings that I have posted above are correct. One thing to note is that I had to physically reset the power on the unit one time before the RX and TX started to function, a software reset was not effective until I had the wire configuration, correct.

[jgyates]

I am glad it is working and thanks for sharing your findings.

[rsockanc]

No, thank you and the others for all your work!!

[skipfire]

I'm glad you have it working, I suspect you may have gotten a crossover serial cable which would result in them seeming flipped. I've sold about 20 of these and test every single unit prior to packing with the directional loopback tester but I don't use a serial cable in my testing. I'll look at the next revision having the ability to flip between straight and crossed on the PCB to handle such a scenario in the future.

[rsockanc]

Yes, that is completely possible. Additionally, I also was going to recommend that exact ability for the pintsize unit for simple re-configuration options in a scenario like this.