Effecta AX-P1 whit USB2.0 typ B COM port

[tiimsvk]

Hi, I would like some advice. I have a solar inverter: Effecta AX-P1
It has a USB2.0 type B data port that can be connected directly to a USB PC and I can monitor the data using the WachPower program.

How would I connect it via ESP32 and esphome?

Well thank you.

[tiimsvk]

This is comunication board.

is it possible to use the white connector for communication via uart?

[syssi]

Could you provide some more photos (top and bottom side of the PCB). I'm looking for some labels and connections between the different components.

[tiimsvk]

i have already started the pin mapping. When I have it, at least from the white connector, I will send it

[tiimsvk]

so far on paper. mapped to optocouplers

[syssi]

Do you have access to a logic analyzer?

[tiimsvk]

What do you mean? that I can get inside the inverter? or analyze the digital output because I have a handheld oscilloscope.

[tiimsvk]

Just for interest, I tested solar-assistant and it works without problems.

[tiimsvk]

today there was a failure of the connection between the USB and the solar assistant. So it made me look for another solution again.
I am looking for a similar board for communication with my converter, see:
https://powerforum.co.za/topic/2359-axpert-5kva-pc-board-burned/

And I also found a similar scheme:
https://forums.aeva.asn.au/viewtopic.php?p=66395#p66395

I tried one more thing, namely communication on Pine1 TX and pine 2 RX. If USB is connected, both of them show communication using the oscillator. As soon as I disconnect both lines are silent. But I would expect the Sender pin to still be up and running.

It looks like some kind of communication between them must take place at the beginning for the converter to start sending something. Does it work the same for other converters with RS232 communication port?

Would it be enough to connect the isolation of the RX TX line (pin 1 and 2) to the esphome through the opoto? Or is it more complicated than that?

[syssi]

Would it be enough to connect the isolation of the RX TX line (pin 1 and 2) to the esphome through the opoto? Or is it more complicated than that?

No. That's all! You could enable the debug mode of the uart component to dump all traffic and start with a single pin (RX).

[tiimsvk]

Hello. I'm back to testing again today.
So far I have been working via solar-assitant and USB port, but the reliability of the connection fluctuates and I can't imagine adding more peripherals to the RPI zero2. That's why it made me try esphome again.

Here is the result:
I physically connected 4 wires to the output connector of the converter.
From the mountain:
Pin1 RX -> AI -> AO -> TX
Pin2 TX -> BO -> BI -> RX
Pin3 VCC 5V -> V2 -> V1 -> 3V3
Pin4 GND -> G2 -> G1 -> GND
Pin5 NC
Pin6 NC

Subsequently, I tried different types of TTL=RS232
In the end I stuck with this one, which is also an optical isolator and works:
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005643287661.html

But I have a problem. Output values go to uart debug:

[06:55:42][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QPIRI\xF8T\r"
[06:55:42][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QPIRI with length 5
[06:55:43][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(230.0 13.0 230.0 50.0 13.0 3000 3000 24.0 24.0 21.7 29.0 27.6 2 20 030 0 2 1 1 01 0 0 28.0 0 1\x13\x05\r"
[06:55:43][D][pipsolar:860]: checking crc on incoming message
[06:55:43][D][pipsolar:870]: CRC NOK expected: 6F A6 but got: 13 5
[06:55:43][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QPIGS\xB7\xA9\r"
[06:55:43][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QPIGS with length 5
[06:55:44][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(246.2 49.9 230.0 49.9 0322 0224 010 368 26.02 002 100 0050 0002 084.5 25.96 00005 00110110 00 00 00073 010\xB6\x05\r"
[06:55:44][D][pipsolar:860]: checking crc on incoming message
[06:55:44][D][pipsolar:870]: CRC NOK expected: 99 DB but got: B6 5
[06:55:44][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QPIGS2h-\r"
[06:55:44][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QPIGS2 with length 6
[06:55:44][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(NAKss\r"
[06:55:49][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QPIGS2
[06:55:49][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QMODI\xC1\r"
[06:55:49][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QMOD with length 4
[06:55:49][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(B\xE7\xC9\r"
[06:55:54][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QMOD
[06:55:54][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QFLAG\x98t\r"
[06:55:54][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QFLAG with length 5
[06:55:55][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(EbkyDajuvxz\xAB\x80\r"
[06:55:59][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QFLAG
[06:55:59][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QPIWS\xB4\xDA\r"
[06:55:59][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QPIWS with length 5
[06:56:00][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(00000000000000000100000000000000E\x18\r"
[06:56:04][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QPIWS
[06:56:04][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QT\'\xFF\r"
[06:56:04][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QT with length 2
[06:56:05][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(NAKss\r"
[06:56:09][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QT
[06:56:09][D][uart_debug:158]: >>> "QMN\xBBd\r"
[06:56:09][D][pipsolar:926]: Sending polling command : QMN with length 3
[06:56:10][D][uart_debug:158]: <<< "(VM-3000b\xCB\r"
[06:56:14][D][pipsolar:843]: timeout command to poll: QMN

But they are not sent to esphome and HA, can you advise?

Here is the yaml:

esphome:
  name: energy-solar
  friendly_name: energy-solar

esp32:
  board: esp32dev
  framework:
    type: esp-idf
    version: recommended

external_components:
  - source: github://syssi/esphome-pipsolar@pip8048
    refresh: 0s

logger:
api:
ota:

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  manual_ip:
    static_ip: 192.168.31.210
    gateway:   192.168.31.1
    subnet:    255.255.255.0
  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
  ap:
    ssid: "Energy-Solar Fallback Hotspot"
    password: "passenergysolar"

captive_portal:
    
uart:
  - id: uart_bus
    tx_pin: GPIO18
    rx_pin: GPIO19
    # most devices use 2400 as baud_rate
    baud_rate: 2400

    debug:
      direction: BOTH
      dummy_receiver: true
      after:
        delimiter: "\r"
      sequence:
        - lambda: UARTDebug::log_string(direction, bytes);

pipsolar:
  - uart_id: uart_bus
    id: inverter0

# Example configuration entry
sensor:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    grid_rating_voltage:
      name: "${name} grid_rating_voltage"
    grid_voltage:
      name: "${name} grid_voltage"
    grid_frequency:
      name: "${name} grid_frequency"
    ac_output_voltage:
      name: "${name} ac_output_voltage"
    ac_output_frequency:
      name: "${name} ac_output_frequency"
    ac_output_apparent_power:
      name: "${name} ac_output_apparent_power"
    ac_output_active_power:
      name: "${name} ac_output_active_power"
    output_load_percent:
      name: "${name} output_load_percent"
    bus_voltage:
      name: "${name} bus_voltage"
    battery_voltage:
      name: "${name} battery_voltage"
    battery_charging_current:
      name: "${name} battery_charging_current"
    battery_capacity_percent:
      name: "${name} battery_capacity_percent"
    inverter_heat_sink_temperature:
      name: "${name} inverter_heat_sink_temperature"
    pv1_input_current:
      name: "${name} pv1_input_current"
    pv1_input_voltage:
      name: "${name} pv1_input_voltage"
    pv2_input_current:
      name: "${name} pv2_input_current"
    pv2_input_voltage:
      name: "${name} pv2_input_voltage"
    battery_voltage_scc:
      name: "${name} battery_voltage_scc"
    battery_discharge_current:
      name: "${name} battery_discharge_current"
    battery_voltage_offset_for_fans_on:
      name: "${name} battery_voltage_offset_for_fans_on"
#    eeprom_version:
#      name: "${name} eeprom_version"
    pv1_charging_power:
      name: "${name} pv1_charging_power"
    pv2_charging_power:
      name: "${name} pv2_charging_power"


# Example configuration entry
binary_sensor:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    add_sbu_priority_version:
      id: inverter0_add_sbu_priority_version
      name: inverter0_add_sbu_priority_version
    configuration_status:
      id: inverter0_configuration_status
      name: inverter0_configuration_status

# Example configuration entry
text_sensor:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    device_mode:
      id: inverter0_device_mode
      name: inverter0_device_mode
    last_qpigs:
      id: inverter0_last_qpigs
      name: inverter0_last_qpigs
    last_qpiri:
      name: inverter0_last_qpiri
    last_qmod:
      name: inverter0_last_qmod
    last_qflag: 
      name: inverter0_last_qflag
    last_qpiws:
      name: inverter0_last_qpiws
    last_qt:
      name: inverter0_last_qt
    last_qmn:
      name: inverter0_last_qmn

# Example configuration entry
switch:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    output_source_priority_utility:
      name: inverter0_output_source_priority_utility
    output_source_priority_solar:
      name: inverter0_output_source_priority_solar
    output_source_priority_battery:
      name: inverter0_output_source_priority_battery
    input_voltage_range:
      name: inverter0_input_voltage_range
    pv_ok_condition_for_parallel:
      name: inverter0_pv_ok_condition_for_parallel
    pv_power_balance:
      name: inverter0_pv_power_balance

# Example configuration entry
output:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    battery_recharge_voltage:
      id: inverter0_battery_recharge_voltage_out

select:
  - platform: pipsolar
    pipsolar_id: inverter0
    output_source_priority:
      id: inverter0_output_source_priority_select
      name: inverter0_output_source_priority_select
      optionsmap:
        "Utility first": "POP00"
        "Solar only": "POP01"
        "Solar Battery Utility": "POP02"
      statusmap:
        "0": "Utility first"
        "1": "Solar only"
        "2": "Solar Battery Utility"

What is wrong?

I think the problem is
CRC check. There may be a problem with an unreliable connection (for now I have it through the terminals)
Something similar here: #89

EDIT: i noticed that sometimes the crc check passes. about once an hour. The problem is the last two values in the string.
The QPIRI value is always at the end of \x13\x05\r
CRC NOK expected: 6F A6 but got: 13 5

The second QPIGS value, the last two values are always different

[tiimsvk]

Haha half a day behind me and this nonsense.
just set the uart to
dummy_receiver: false
And the CRC check is ok.
Tahnks for topic: #42 (comment)