question

Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image

How can I change MPPT settings remotely?

Hi,

UPDATE - This feature is dependant on beta testing schedules, it may or may not be available at any given time. Check the beta link below for realtime information

Victron is testing a new feature of VictronConnect that allows for remote monitoring, configuration and firmware updating for VE.Direct products connected to a GX device

Betas are available here: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/victronconnect:beta

Please use this post to ask questions, post your experiences, or help others with how to use this feature.

I will post some more information here shortly (if someone else doesn't get there first :)

VictronConnect
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crilando avatar image crilando commented ·

Hi,

i have installed 5.17 on Android and also on Windows. In Venus GX i had also checked "VRM two-way-communication" and also both "MQTT". But in VeConnnect under Device i see only my Venus GX. No tab for Local/Remote so the Smart-MPPTs, or BMV is only seen with Bluetooth.

All Firmware is actual (MMPT 1.47 ex.). A Multiplus II has 469.


Any idea what i did wrong?


Chris

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ crilando commented ·


Hi Crilando,

remote settings via VRM (MQTT) has been disabled in the new release of VC 5.17 and probably needs further development in upcoming betas.

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crilando avatar image crilando Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi Stefanie,

Thank you.

But it seems strange. I am using VC 5.17 (Windows) and also on Android. If i select Remote (local internal IP) i can go to Settings/System and Set MQTT für LAN SSL and Text. It is the only Device that i could pick up from the list in VC. And then i have only the possibility to choose VRM or Remote (local). Andoid is connected in local LAN (without Bluetooth) and Widnows is connected to ethernet. Both in the same local address space of the Venus GX.

As i understand i could change Settings also without bluetooth connections. What are the parameters to setm, so i could do that?


Venus GX has v1.42


Chris

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ crilando commented ·

Chris,

it is what it was like before. You can change settings for your bluetooth devices only via bluetooth via VC - unless they are connected via VE.Direct cable to your GX. There is no other way.

So remote monitoring, configuration and firmware updating only for VE.Direct products connected to a GX device via VE.Direct cable.

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crilando avatar image crilando Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi, Stefanie,


yes, everything is of course connected to the VENUS GX via VE.Direct. The Venus has firmware 2.42. The Multiplus II (firmware 469) is connected to the Venus GX with VE.Bus and the MPPT and BMV with Ve.Direct. Everything has the latest firmware (no Beta).


But I cannot see any of the devices connected with VE.Direct in the VictronConnect 5.17. Only if I activate Bluetooth I can see them. But since all devices are displayed in the VRM, all units on Venus are connected correctly.


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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ crilando commented ·

Ok, I may have misunderstood you.

Since I don't have the official 5.17 release yet to check (apple App Store takes a little longer), I can't help you further.

Maybe an Victron official like @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) will take over.

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

Hi both. VictronConnect v5.17 was released *without* the remote settings feature.


that is not ready to be used yet. So, we’ll continue testing and working on that in v5.18.


see the victronconnect changelog for details.


thanks

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ crilando commented ·

It is a beta test feature, and was not released in 5.17, but is now being tested in 5.18.

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

My 5.17 beta auto-updated to the real 5.17 and lost the functionality. How can we get 5.18?

As an aside, 5.17 actually provides the real URL of my GX, whereas VRM's Device List doesn't. That's been borked for a while now..


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

Wait a few days for v5.18 beta to come out.


wrt the borked thing, I’ll pass it on, thanks!

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crilando avatar image crilando Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Perfect, that sounds very good. I can't wait for v5.18 to be finalized. It would be even nicer if the Multiplus II could be managed via this system and if so ... then of course also with firmware updates. As a goody, it would be an advantage if it would automatically make a backup before the flash and then automatically import it after the update.


Chris

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5 Answers
JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi Guy. Mppt 'configuration' is of interest to me.

So I downloaded the latest beta. All good. But I see no change to VRM. It appears as it always has.

Where would I look to find this new feature? Win10, no phone..

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markus avatar image markus ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @JohnC,

have a look at the VRM Tab inside VictronConnect App.

Hit sign in to VRM and enter you credentials.

MQTT and VRM 2 way communication has to be enabled on the GX device and all connected devices should be on latest firmware.

Have fun.

Markus

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ markus ♦♦ commented ·

Did all that. Just defaults to my old account after seeing the Connect screens and selecting VRM.

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markus avatar image markus ♦♦ JohnC ♦ commented ·

this should happen, when you click "sign in to VRM":



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markus avatar image markus ♦♦ commented ·

Do you maybe have several Versions of VC on your computer or just only the last beta?

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ markus ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks @Markus for your handholding with this.

But doh, it turns out I only have 5.16 loaded. It was late last night here so my checking was lax.

Now a new day, but can't actually find a way to load the beta. I've scratched around for hours now but it eludes me.

Just plain-ole Win 10 pc. Can someone set me straight?..

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ JohnC ♦ commented ·

Hi @JohnC,

The latest links are provided at the top of the beta page here - https://www.victronenergy.com/live/victronconnect:beta

Here is the specific link to Windows - but it will surely be out of date very soon, so you should refer to the list at the top of that beta page :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1bzopchqx1l5n24/VictronConnectInstaller.exe?dl=1

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager).

The first link is the one that didn't go where it should, just to 5.16.

The second worked though, and now successfully running as described on 5.17.

Good stuff. Thank you Victron. & all the helpers..

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ttbb avatar image
ttbb answered ·

I can get it working on windows but no luck on mac.

On mac i authorise but it does not sign in / show up on the VC app.

Problems i encountered on windows. After a while it lost the settings function in the MPPTs. Only battery showed up, going into that didn't show any of the current settings so i figure it was just showing up but non functioning .

Very likely could have been caused by me going in and out of the MPPT too fast, back and forth, I did a reboot via remote console and that reset it. I didn't see if i could break it again as i went to try the mac again.

Having to reboot via remote console made me think, it would be useful to have a
reboot button next to devices.... (borrowed Markus' image).



This functionality is just what i have wanted.


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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @TTbb,

I am having the same issue on my Mac, I have reported it to the developer. Hopefully we get a fix in the next beta.

Also another thing, it doesn't help in this case, but good procedural hygiene. Make sure you only have one copy of VictronConnect on your Mac, the beta version, and that it is installed in the /Applications folder.

Once signed in (in the pop up), click the refresh arrow in VictronConnect.

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nebulight answered ·

On my iOS device (iPhone Xs) I can log into the VRM portal just fine and can select my device. However once I'm there, it just wants to take me to the VRM portal and doesn't display the options for any in app configuration. I get one page with the Venus and I can swipe right but that page is just empty:



And after swiping right:



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jperez (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image jperez (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Please check that MQTT is enabled in your Venus GX (Settings -> Services) and that you have full control permission for that installation.

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dunnp avatar image
dunnp answered ·

Just a comment on the 'flow' in VC 5.17 Beta 3 - when looking at devices via the VRM view - eg looking at my BMV, when you hit the back arrow to look at another device in the system (eg MPPT), it skips back to the Overview page instead of back one step to the Devices list. It would be more logical to just go back to the previous page than the present 2-steps-back-1-step-forward to get where you want to go.

No big deal, just worth floating.

Really love the remote access to the VC pages.

Phil

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pau1phi11ips avatar image
pau1phi11ips answered ·

Any update on this feature?

It worked so well that I bought a BlueSolar charger instead of a SmartSolar when I upgraded capacity. I'm regretting the decision now you have removed the remote connection ability.

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

Its a feature in beta. I expect to be able to release it within a month. But if we hit some issue that important enough to block release, then it can take longer.

I’m sorry, and understand your predicament, but thats how it is in development.


you could try the VictronConnect beta page linked in above answer by Guy to see if there is a new beta available already.


AND BE CAREFULL (sorry for the caps): its called beta for a reason. If we were confident in its functionality under all circumstances and for normal day to day usage, it would have been released already. We’re really keen on releasing it as we see its value too. Its a really cool soon coming feature.

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pau1phi11ips avatar image pau1phi11ips mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

I thought I already had the beta version on my phone but I think the live version must've overwritten it. Got the Beta version running and can connect remotely again.

Thanks for the help!

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jackson-miller avatar image jackson-miller mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi, has this been finished and pushed as a feature? I was looking through the change logs but could not find it specifically mentioned. I would really like to use this feature as well. Thank you!

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