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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image
mvader (Victron Energy) asked

Venus OS v2.90~5 available for testing

Good evening!

Next version of v2.90 to test.


Various small changes further adding to the significant ones announced yesterday in v2.90~3.

Plan for v2.90: there will be a few more betas, and testing time ofcourse, before this is released. But no other large changes; to try and keep the timeline to official release reasonable.


All the best and have a good evening, Matthijs


Change log (compared to v2.85)

v2.90~5:

  • HTML5 app: fix white screen issue on MFDs that do not support localStorage, eg. Simrad NSX 3007, 3009 & 3012. Thank you Gustav for reporting.
  • Venus OS Large: fix node-RED dashboard button missing from VRM portal. Thank you houser and others for reporting.
  • VRM: fixes for the Generator control, ESS controls and EV Charging station controls
  • EV Charging Station: stability fixes
  • Inverter/charger connections:
    • add new MultiPlus-II 48/15000/200-100.
    • Fix VE.Bus BMS error path issue
  • RV-C: Fix DC_SOURCE_STATUS_2 temperature field.


v2.90~3:

  • Prepare for remote configuration of Victron products connected using the VE.Can comms. port: up until now, Remote Configuration is only possible for products connected using VE.Direct, as well as our VE.Bus product range. And this change is the one making up for that missing piece. The corresponding VictronConnect version is also available as a beta, see here.
  • Add support for new Carlo Gavazzi EM530 and EM540 meter. Sub-Family X and PFC is supported, part numbers:
    • EM530DINAV53XS1X
    • EM530DINAV53XS1PFC
    • EM540DINAV23XS1X
    • EM540DINAV23XS1PFC
  • Add option to configure the UI to show all temperatures in Fahrenheit.
  • Fix main battery temperature missing, or wrong value shown, sometimes on the VRM Dashboard.
  • Add Venus OS Large to the standard build. To learn what Venus OS Large is about, read here.
    • Having this in the standard build is rather good news. It (a) removes the need for the large images to now and then be built manually. And (b) you can now, once v2.90~3 is installed, in the menu, select the large image and update to that, see Settings -> Firmware -> Online updates -> Image type (normal vs large). And (c) Venus OS Large can now be updated using the Online update system. However: there seems to be a bug in (b). More news about that later.
    • Note that node-red no longer runs as root.
  • Add various new VE.Bus models (Quattro-IIs and MultiPlus-IIs)
  • Prepare for (or possibly even finish, I'll confirm later) Generator control widget on the VRM Portal website. Note that this includes various underwater changes to clean some things up, which should not make any effect.
  • Add daily tracker history for Inverter RS and Multi RS, including transmission to VRM.
  • Add first implementation of RV-C support. Its mostly RV-C out, ie making information of the Victron system available on the RV-C network where RV systems can pick it up to show in their user interfaces. Detailed spec will be published later.


DVCC:

  • Force good settings for the FreedomWON eTower batteries: DVCC on, SVC and STS off.
  • Better handle BMS disconnection issues: in some cases the solar chargers would not start showing Error #67 when unplugging the BMS. Now they do.
  • Detect Dyness batteries, so they no longer show up under as a Pylon battery. Settings remain the same: DVCC force enabled on, SVS and STS force enabled off.
  • Inverter/chargers: show state as "Ext. control"; instead of Bulk or Absorption, when controlled by a BMS/DVCC. When controlled by a BMS the inverter/charger would never show float, which caused questions. Now it just shows externally controlled, simpler, and more accurate: there is no bulk -> absorption -> float charge algorithm when controlled by BMS.


Less relevant for most users:

  • GX LTE/GX GSM: prepare for allowing user configuration of PPP username and password, which some providers need. Note that this can't be used yet, gui change is pending.
  • Prepare for the new coming model of the VE.Bus BMS, aka VE.Bus BMS v2; including remote firmware updates of the BMS.
  • EV Charging station: add support for future models (AC22NS & AC22E) as well as some other preparations of features that can't be used yet until a future Venus OS beta version.
  • Prepare for Widgets, a feature coming in next version of VRM App for iOS and Android.
  • Update Linux kernel from 5.10.42 to 5.10.109, which updates to LTS for security issues and bug fixes, also adds support for Cerbo B1 and Ekrano, and adds ntfs support.
  • Update Open Embedded Dunfell branches: various fixes to low level systems and tools.
  • Various stability fixes to the xupd & xupc tools (which are part of remote firmware updates)
  • Transmit default gateway to VRM as well as CPU temperature; for debugging.
  • Add pre/post hooks to installation from USB stick: https://github.com/victronenergy/venus/issues/853
Venus OS
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Warwick Bruce Chapman avatar image Warwick Bruce Chapman commented ·
That’s a very exciting set of changes!


Looking forward to seeing the 15kVA MultiPlus-II and being able to remote configure via VE.Can.


What is the reason for adding the new CV meters?

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ Warwick Bruce Chapman commented ·

Hi Warwick, Carlo Gavazzi has stopped producing the EM24 model which is used with CTs: the model we don’t stock but reference in our documentation.


And at some point will stop with the other EM24s as well.


Also, these new EMs are faster. Data updates at 10Hz. Rather than 4Hz or 2Hz.


Feedback from @Markus about the new ones:

I like that new EM540 very much. It seems CG has addressed/resolved all issues that created most support cases on the EM24 so far:

.) much better data line connector terminals. those have been horrible on the EM24.

.) no more front lock selector switch. this had to be turned to position 1 or 2 on some EM24, for a short time to be recognised in Venus and then turned back to lock.

.) both phase sum calculation methods can be set up. (on the X models) Net sum energy being default. So only one meter for both methods needed.

.) much faster sample rate possible (100msec)

.) LED backlight (can be turned on or off)

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Warwick Bruce Chapman avatar image Warwick Bruce Chapman mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·
Sounds awesome. Will Victron start selling these now?
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Warwick Bruce Chapman avatar image Warwick Bruce Chapman commented ·

Is the bug with large that when I try to switch to Large and I press check again, there is nothing available:

1651914614929.png

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ Warwick Bruce Chapman commented ·

Maybe you have already installed the last large version by mistake? This would explain the message that no newer version is available.
You can check this by scrolling downs to the bottom of the settings menu and see if it shows the menu for Venus OS Large features.

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Warwick Bruce Chapman avatar image Warwick Bruce Chapman Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
Not large. Confirmed.
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Jaco Reinecke avatar image Jaco Reinecke commented ·

Not sure if this is a bug, but I think the 2nd Battery Measurements should show the Multiplus 12v/500va?

Version 2.90~5 on a Rpi.

1652100832987.png


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9 Answers
hrehm avatar image
hrehm answered ·

Am using Dyness B51100 Batteries on the Can-Bus.
They work just fine on 2.85 but when on 2.90-3 or -5, they don't charge. Inverter (Quattro 5000 on VE.Bus) and MPPT (2x MPPT200/100 on VE-Direct) are both going into Absorption and arent charging the Batteries at all.
DVCC 'On' and it doesnt matter whether or not ESS is used and in which mode.
Possible Bug on 2.90-x ?


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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·
Thank you we’ll check.
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daniel avatar image
daniel answered ·

Even in the latest version, this problem with solar radiation sensor Si-RS485TC is not solved.

"I have problem with solar radiation sensor Si-RS485TC. Sensor don't work with any 2.80 version Venus OS on RPi3 with USB-RS485 (FTDI). The sensor data is not even displayed, but in the version 2.70 sensor working properly."

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @Daniel thank you we’ll check.

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bathnm avatar image bathnm commented ·

@Daniel if you are running on an RPI, do you have access to the OS via something like SSH. If so would you care to share some log info. I too am having issues with an IMT on a PI3, however on a PI4 I have no issues!

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daniel avatar image daniel bathnm commented ·

Thank you for info. The problem has been solved since v2.90~10 (Thanks to Izak from victron L3 support).

Here is the description of this problem

"The trouble is simply that Venus tries six different "drivers" one after another until one of them detects the hardware. This means a lot of communication is sent to the sensor which it does not understand, by drivers that are meant for something else.

By the time the IMT driver is tried, there is still some transmitted response data left over from the previous attempt, and this causes the probe to fail. The fix was simply to wait half a second and then flush the serial buffer, before starting the hardware probe.

Specifically, the IMT driver is 3rd in the list. At bootup, it finds the correct driver after 3 attempts. If you switch the sensor off and back on, then since the cable is still plugged in, it will cycle through the rest too, which is why the behaviour here is different after a reboot compared to just turning the sensor off and on."

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bathnm avatar image bathnm daniel commented ·

@Daniel Glad it is sorted for you. Unfortunately with the update Izak supplied, did not address the issues on my PI3, and occasionally on my PI4. Almost Every other data request was failing. I last night solved the issue, and was not software but hardware and needed a pair of bias resistors to stabilise the signal wires. If you have further problems do a search for RS485 and bias resistors. Having installed I have had zero failed data requests and has been rock solid.

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pau1phi11ips avatar image
pau1phi11ips answered ·

The SOC value in the ESS > Scheduled Charging doesn't seem to work in 290~5

screenshot-20220508-213549.jpg

Usually charge to 95% weekdays and 65% weekends.


screenshot-20220508-213549.jpg (102.5 KiB)
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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·
solved in v2.90~10
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Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

SERVICES ARE NOT STARTING WHEN ADDED

If you add a service to /opt/victronenergy/service, it does not populate to /service and so the service does not start. A reboot is required, then the service directory appears in /service and the service runs.

I can manually copy the service directory to /service and the service starts

In v2.80, an overlay was added for /service because of the read-only root fs. In all versions of 2.8x, adding a service to /opt/victronenergy/service started the service immediately.

I looked at serial starter and it is copying services directly to /service. So is this the new mechanism? If the service needs to run at boot, does it need to be copied to both /opt/victronenergy/service and /service?

Same behavior on an RPI4 v1.2 and Cerbo.

Or is this a bug?

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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·

With Mark's help I think I've figured this out. So here's some help for others:

Short answer:

Make changes in BOTH /service and /opt/victronenergy/service if you want the service to change instantly and survive a reboot.

/opt/victronenergy/service is THE permanent storage for services.

Think of /service as temporary storage.

History / long answer:

Prior to v2.8x, you could manipulate /service directly and everything worked.

v2.8x introduced a read only root file system so /service could not be modified. The overlay used in v2.8x provided a one-way link between /opt/victronenergy/service and /service. However according to the note in overlay.sh and the commit for this change, behavior is not defined when changes occur after boot.

I discovered I needed to manipulate both /service and /opt/victronenergy/service because of the undefined behavior. Even with that, things were still sometimes flakey.

v2.9x changes things so that /service is bound to /run/overlays/service. But these are volatile and need to be loaded at boot from /opt/victronenergy/service.

As Mark says, the bind mount makes /service and /run/overlays/service always contain the same information. So it doesn't matter which directory is modified.

But both of these directories are volatile and DO NOT survive a reboot: /service is only a mount point so is empty before the mount is done; and /run is a ram disk which is empty after boot.

During boot (and only during boot), /opt/victronenergy/service is copied to /service (or /run/overlay/service)!

Hopefully, the new mechanism will be more stable.

Moving on to other things.

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bathnm avatar image
bathnm answered ·

@Kevin Windrem, while doing some RPI things I noticed this as well. Expecting something put in /opt/victronenergy/service to materialise in /service. It was a conscious change and if you look at the init scripts (/etc/init.d/overlays.sh) there is this note:

# note: this used to be an overlayfs, but modifying the lower layer of an
# overlayfs is undefined, and causes trouble when making the rootfs writable.
# The overlayfs cannot be unmounted since it is in use. So instead copy the
# stored files to a ramdisk, so deleting a file from the ramdisk and the storage
# is no longer undefined behaviour.


I have just got to remember to copy the file into both /opt/victronenergy/service and /services

I noticed this again when I installed the beta on my CerboGX and setuphelper had a few issues.

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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·

If I understand what's being said and what the code is doing, /opt/v*/service is only used at boot which explains why changes there don't propagate to /service.

With the rootfs changed to read/write, writing to /servce is possible and has worked since v2.80 and continues to work in v2.90. But of course, changes there don't survive a reboot.

The mount for /service HAS changed from an overlay in v2.85 to a tmpfs in v2.90~3.

Changes to /run/overelays/service DO propagate to /service. (They did in v2.85 as well.)

So is the correct answer to make changes in both /opt/v*/servce and /service

OR

is the correct answer to make changes to /opt/v*/service and /run/overlays/service as the last line of the comment hints at.

@mvader (Victron Energy) is there a document somewhere that explains the proper approach?

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bathnm avatar image bathnm Kevin Windrem commented ·

@Kevin Windrem as /service is a bind mount to run/overlays/service you can copy to either location.

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wynir avatar image
wynir answered ·

Venus large button is missing if updating from v2.85 to v2.90~5. I can't go back to v2.90~3.

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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·

v2.8x doesn't provide the large option in the Online update menu. You would need to update to v2.90~5 (non large) first. Or you can update to v2.90~5 large with the .swu file in the feeds directory: http://updates.victronenergy.com/feeds/venus/

Victron only keeps the latest release candidate version in the feeds.

Your system may have v2.90~3 in its Stored backups section of the Firmware menu.

Otherwise, you would need to keep copies of the .swu files on your computer to fall back on.

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wynir avatar image wynir commented ·

With upgrade from v2.90~5 to v2.90~6 the large button is now visible.

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Paul Test avatar image
Paul Test answered ·

Hi,

have run the v2.90~5 and can’t save the parameter in the ESS menue.

See picture

adc8945a-8ea0-4d00-90bd-69fbc8e7c861.png

11a447bc-e884-45b3-a625-edcf99fef88f.png


Go out with the arrow left and go back to the menue and :-(

d510d8bc-667f-4194-95b6-2e3306eb4207.png


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slapperia avatar image
slapperia answered ·

Cerbo with 2.90-6

Node Red programming button is missing in VRM mobile app. SIGNAL-K and Node Red dashboard is not working.

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slapperia avatar image slapperia commented ·
In pc web browser, signal k is working and node red is working. Node red dashboard is missing. Locally it is possible to view dashboard in browser.
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Mark avatar image
Mark answered ·

The grid current measurements are way out!,with CT connected to multiplus 2a156384b-fe2b-4eaf-997b-bf2959f1715f.jpeg


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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ commented ·
It's been like this a while, I opened a post in the main forum, thinking it is vrm.

Also wrong if no meter is used.

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Mark avatar image Mark nickdb ♦♦ commented ·
I swapped out a 3kva for 5kva using the same CT,didn’t have this issue originally!
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Related Resources

Victron Venus OS Open Source intro page

Venus OS GitHub (please do not post to this)