question

Les Mulder avatar image
Les Mulder asked

forcing smartsolar float mode from modbusTCP?

Hi all,

I have an off grid system comprising 4 x 250/85 smartsolar MPPTs with 1000AH 48V NiFe battery bank and a Cerbo GX (plus a bunch of other stuff that isn't relevant to this question)

Because my batteries are weird, the MPPTs generally never go into absorption or float mode unless I turn them off for half an hour once the batteries are full (before 10am most days...).

I've written some code using the python pymodbus libraries that successfully reads and writes register 774 on the MPPTs to turn the controllers off when I see 100% charge state and 64.7V on the batteries, then turn them on again half an hour later, but this is crude, crude, crude...

Register 775 (the charge state) is read only, so I can't just change the state to "absorption" or "float".

Does anyone know of any programmatic way that I can give the controllers a kicking and force them into float mode?

thanks in advance,

Les


MPPT SmartSolarModbus TCPfloat
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Les Mulder avatar image Les Mulder commented ·

Bump

No clues anyone???

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1 Answer
Mike Dorsett avatar image
Mike Dorsett answered ·

You would need to write the code to talk directly to the MPPT over the VEdirect connection using Hex protocol. Then you will be able to fully control the MPPT - this register is 0x201 for the state, and 0x2015 for the charge current limit. (Read the dos from Victron for full details. However, the Cerbo GX is going to be using the VE direct interface (?) so you would need to turn on the dynamic current limiting, and use the dBus signals to limit the charge current or voltage set points. For a look at how the dbus signals from the BMS to the Venus OS work, have a look at Louis Van der Walt's serial battery project.

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Related Resources

MPPT product page

VictronConnect manual

PWM or MPPT

MPPT calculator

MPPT codes

Additional resources still need to be added for this topic

Modbus TCP Basics