Venus OS v2.80~17 available or testing

Question

replit

This site is now in read-only archive mode. Please move all discussion, and create a new account at the new Victron Community site.

question

mvader (Victron Energy) asked Sep 14, '21

Venus OS v2.80~17 available or testing

Good afternoon (or morning, night, evening... ) all,

A new version out for testing, v2.80~17.

In case you don't know what all this is about: this message is part of the Venus OS Beta test program. Read that link for more information.

Already, v2.80 is has some quite noticeable new features. For example the completely new AC Load monitoring, the improvement in the Total of all phases mode for ESS, the new DC metering function and still more. This new version mainly adds a few more minor improvements.

What to test?

The new features I mentioned just now. As well as, just like announced previously, basically everything: there are several major changes in v2.80, which can each make things break in unexpected places. The first change is that the used Python version has been updated from 2.7 to 3. Also the Open Embedded release was upgraded from Zeus to Dunfell, and lastly we changed to a read-only rootfs. All combined this means that (a) lots of tools and packages used will have changed to a newer version, and (b) lots of Victron code has been changed to be compatible with Python 3.

How to post an issue?

Preferably all issues are organised as answers to this question. One answer per issue. So first check the existing threads. If you have the same as someone else already reported, welcome to add a comment saying "me too". And preferably some more details. And in case its not listed yet, add a new Answer. Note that Answers and Comments are two different things here on community.

Lastly, if possible please revert to v2.73, to double check if the issue you're seeing was present there as well. Regressions require a different treatment than other issues and bugs, and one of the first things that needs doing in triaging a report is distinguishing between the two.

The plan with v2.80

Development and testing will continue for quite a while; I expect at least until late September; possible also into October this year. The main new feature that needs further completion is DC metering for both loads and production (alternator or hydro or wind for example).

Best regards,

Matthijs Vader

Changes since previous test version, which was v2.80~16:

Added time zone for Christmas Island.
Improve WiFi recovery from Failure status: still, after several improvements done in the past about this already, there were some situations where the WiFi status in the menu showed Failure - and basically the GX device had given up on re-connecting. This change prevents that. Do note that, especially for unattended systems, we always recommend to use the VRM auto-reboot feature.
Improve ET340 in combination with Zigbee link, when installed in a lossy/noisy environment.
Modbus-TCP: Fix definition of register 2710 (DVCC override charge voltage). Since the mistake rendered it largely useless, and this is a fairly new register, no new register is allocated.
Fix Inverter RS compatibility issue when used with DVCC (causing continuous appearing and disappearing data on the overview page)
Show "Recharge" in the overview if the system is charging because a CAN-BUS BMS battery requested the system to do so. Note that this requested charge is new, see previous post.
Force DVCC on, SVS off and STS off for BMZ batteries

Complete v2.80 change log, compared to v2.73:

I'll compile this later.

Venus OS

1

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 14, 2021 at 01:56 PM

I forgot a major one!

Look:

Its primary application is to reduce the amount of work for OEMs doing series production of hybrid generators, boats, cars, trucks and so forth.

And ofcourse a secondary use case could be to have a backup in case the GX device fails, and/or reduce the amount of work involved when upgrading from, say a CCGX to a Cerbo.

The new feature can be found at the bottom of the Settings menu.

Good to know is that while many settings can be imported and exported with this, there is also a list of settings that can't be - mostly because those settings are tied to a serial number of, for example, an Energy meter.

The restore option is restricted to access level installer. The backup option is not.

What doesn't work is:

PV inverters:
Energy meter settings (role and phase configuration, DeviceInstance number)
Ethernet EM24 meter and Smappee meter DeviceInstance, role and CustomName).
PV-inverter settings (position and phase configuration, DeviceInstance number). What does work for PV Inverters is copying over IP addresses and whether to scan for PV-inverters.
Ethernet configuration is not preserved
Wi-Fi configuration is not preserved
Allocated DeviceInstance numbers for VE.Can solar chargers
CustomNames for most devices (those are almost always bound to the serial number of the device if not stored on the device itself even.).
Marine MFD app integration: works as long as the Device Instances haven't changed.

EDIT: Lastly, be ware that the feature isn’t fully completed yet: there is an issue for offline (no internet) systems that don’t already have an sdcard or usb stick for datalogging inserted: as soon as you plugin the sdcard or usb in such system, the (max two days) of storage in the device will be transferred to that stick.

0 ·

1631627235875.png (22.7 KiB)

1631627244757.png (30.1 KiB)

Modifications Space

Node Red Space

Answer 1 · 2021-09-14T16:12:05Z

matthias-roetzer answered · Sep 14, 2021 at 04:12 PM

@mvader (Victron Energy) Hi Matthijs, glad to see that you are constantly improving your products! While having a look on your latest RC firmware, I've seen that you have been working on "AC loads" assignment option. Well, I've been thinking, If you are having that on agenda, wouldnt´t it be a nice idea to make the phase assignment of ET112 possible as well like it is eg for PV inverter data feed in? I think it would be more straight if the register assignment could be changed inside ET112 via Carlo Gavazzi software but as far as I know it is not possible. So doing such a maping on the GX device is definately not straight forward but it would be a nice to have feature instead of forcing ET112 to L1. Best regards, Matthias

4

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 14, 2021 at 06:47 PM

Hi Matthias, noted! that is a good idea. We'll look at that. Matthijs

0 ·

matthias-roetzer mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Jan 25, 2022 at 09:24 PM

@mvader (Victron Energy) Hi Matthijs, is there already any roadmap regarding this feature? Please let me know. Thanks, Matthias

0 ·

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ matthias-roetzer commented · Jan 25, 2022 at 11:00 PM

Hi, no sorry. Its not forgotten though.

0 ·

matthias-roetzer mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Jul 01, 2022 at 10:14 AM

HI @mvader (Victron Energy), please don't mind my asking here and then every few months. Please keep it on the agenda. Would be a really nice feature to have. :)

0 ·

Answer 2 · 2021-09-16T08:47:43Z

jeroend answered · Sep 16, 2021 at 08:47 AM

Downloaded the version and the large flavour (as I use NodeRed). After making my normal modification I do have two issues that I did not have on 2.72;
- The digital inputs are missing (all of them)

- The relays are missing (all of them)

Maybe an issue on my side: The backup option does not seem to find the USB stick (used to add the 'large' version)

I did notice the PageSettingsRelay.qml is slightly different so will focus on that first in trying to find the relays back.

Testing on a RaspberryPi 4

2

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 16, 2021 at 09:13 AM

Hi, fwiw: digital inputs and relays work fine on a Cerbo with v2.80~17. So probably the modification you're doing needs work. For more on that, please make a new question.

I want to try and keep the Venus OS beta threads to not be cluttered with Pi-specific things.

0 ·

jeroend mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 16, 2021 at 09:50 AM

Understood. It is the addition of 'large' that seems to break it. I'll try to find out more and enter a new question.

0 ·

Answer 3 · 2021-09-16T17:25:37Z

dirkmuc answered · Sep 16, 2021 at 05:25 PM

Hi @mvader (Victron Energy) ,

one little issue. When I try to change the CAN Bus settings Venus OS crashes. The change is made, after a reboot the settings a correct, but still a bit surprising.

This behaviour was also present in the version before. I use the large image on a RPi4 if this is an information you need.

Thanks for your great work!

Cheers

Dirk

4

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Kevin Windrem commented · Sep 16, 2021 at 07:53 PM

I've experienced this on occasion also. It isn't repeatable. Most of the time the change just works, but every once in a while the system crashes.

0 ·

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ Kevin Windrem commented · Sep 16, 2021 at 08:14 PM

Hi both. Thanks for the feedback.

I'd be very interested to hear if that happens on pi-s only, or someone also sees it on other GX devices.

And if it happens, what the log says. And what does crash mean exactly? That it auto-reboots?

0 ·

dirkmuc mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 17, 2021 at 06:24 AM

Good morning @mvader (Victron Energy) ,

the RPi is totally frozen (GUI and console), no auto reboot. Where can I find the logs? If needed feel free to log into my Pi.

Cheers

Dirk

0 ·

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ dirkmuc commented · Sep 17, 2021 at 06:51 AM

Hi, ok then probably Venus OS itself keeps running, but the gui gets stuck.

Changing the can-bus profile causes the gui to call a script to change the baudrate. This is the code:

void CanBusProfiles::changeCanBusBitRate(int bitrate)
{
    QProcess proc;

    qDebug() << "[CanBus] Bitrate change for" << mInterface << ":" << QString::number(bitrate);

    QStringList args = QStringList() << mInterface << QString::number(bitrate);
    proc.start("can-set-rate", args);
    proc.waitForFinished();
}

So my first thought is that the gui might get stuck for you when calling that script.

Here is the code for the can-set-rate script: https://github.com/victronenergy/meta-victronenergy/tree/master/meta-venus/recipes-connectivity/can-utils....

Logs: /data/logs/messages*

and /data/logs/gui/*, and in the commandline manual for Venus OS I've detailed how to easily look at those.

When gui is stuck, and logged in via commandline, run svc -t /service/gui to restart it; of which the doing will help confirm that indeed its the gui that is stuck.

All the best, Matthijs

Ps. what I'm hoping is that some savvy linux users from the community here help out on this wrt rpi. There are far more test systems out there with a GX then with a Pi, and no complaints from a GX: hence Pi.

0 ·

Answer 4 · 2021-09-17T05:30:38Z

n-dee answered · Sep 17, 2021 at 05:30 AM

Hi,

switched to beta and back to 2.73 because ESS works really bad in beta.
With new firmware we are buying 0,4kwh per hour from grid (setpoint -50)
with old one its not perfect but most of the time zero as you can see in the pic

(Whole house behind Multiplus (setup: 2x3 with BYD LVL) - no smartmeter used)

1631856557726.png (84.1 KiB)

2

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 17, 2021 at 05:58 AM

Hi, which ESS modes do you have configured? Preferably post a screenshot of the ess menu. Thanks

0 ·

n-dee mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 17, 2021 at 06:40 AM

ESS:

0 ·

1631860604795.png (213.1 KiB)

Answer 5 · 2021-09-21T16:52:50Z

matthias-roetzer answered · Sep 21, 2021 at 04:52 PM

@mvader (Victron Energy) Hi Matthijs, I think there is an issue with the web-dashboard. The recent RC 2.80~17 does not update the web dashboard in realtime properly. It often hangs and shows old and sometimes weird data. When I refresh the web application it shows current data for the fraction of a second and then reverts back to old data which is then shown for at least a few minutes without change. I wasn't patient enough to wait longer. When I boot the Octo GX with firmware 2.73 this issue disappears and comes imediately back when booting with 2.80~17. I think I have seen this issue as well with earlier 2.80~nn versions but didn't investigate it in detail at that time because of the announced v2.73 detour. Best regards, Matthias

6

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

gnagflow commented · Sep 21, 2021 at 05:45 PM

question

Venus OS v2.80~17 available or testing

Related Resources

question details

Modifications Space

Node Red Space

question

Venus OS v2.80~17 available or testing

Related Resources

question details

Related Questions

Modifications Space

Node Red Space