Gambit

Which RS485 transceiver module are you using? Is it 5v or 3v? 5v module is not intended for the esp32 which uses 3.3v logic. I highly recommend getting one of these when they back in stock https://smarthomeintegrations.co.za/product/smartdeyedonglev4-intl-shipment/

That doesn't sound right. does it fluctuate at all while the esphome is checking the sensors?

If you have a multimeter handy, try putting the probes on the RS485 A and B pins on the transceiver module. I think it uses a differential signal so while the esp32 is idle it should be < 1v but when it is polling the inverters registers it should have fluctuating voltages over 1.5v. Also make 100% sure that the inverter settings really are set to modbus id = 01. I know you said it was but just incase you changed it while debugging.

All looks good. Which port are you plugging it into in the inverter?

Your configs look the same as mine. So I'm guessing probably some sort of hardware issue. Maybe the RS485 tranceiver is faulty or wired incorrectly to the BMS port. Maybe post some pics of the esp32 + transceiver and inverter connection. Is your sunsynk dongle reporting correct sensor data to www.sunsynk.net?

It is highly possible that my installer didn't fit them as they made so many other mistakes that we are no longer on speaking terms. I had to get another company to fix basic things like the neutral earth bonding etc. I'll probably speak to that company and see what they have to say.

I didn't get the ferrite rings with my 8Kw SunSynk inverter 2 years ago. I wonder if they will help with all the noise I get on my HF radio. It will be difficult to test as i don't think the installer left a lot of slack in the battery cables.

Welcome to the forum. Do you already have a solar setup or are looking to get into solar?

@BobTheDinosaur have you tried turning off your inverter for a couple of minutes and turning it back on again?

I remember it being recommended that you should try not to oversize the aircon for a room as the compressor would be switching on and off a lot more frequently when cycling which causes more wear and tear on the unit and uses more inrush current when it starts up. I guess this is no longer the case if the aircon is an inverter type as it can ramp up and down the compressor to meet demand

Your graph is displaying the data using your local time SAST (GMT+2) and the exported CSV is in UTC (GMT+0) timezone. It is common for data to be stored in UTC and your user interface to display in local time.

The port on https://www.communica.co.za/products/wvs-rs485-3-3v-breakout-module is an RJ11 not an RJ45you find on network cables. I would rather just use the screw down terminals unless you want to hack up an old phone cable.

I think that is the board that you need to remove the R7 termination resistor, otherwise you can get bad readings. Also that board uses the max485 chip which is 5v logic and the ESP32's runs at 3.3v. So technically they are not compatible when directly connected to each other. If you do plan to buy a new transceiver have a look at the video in the first post of this thread. It shows this shield which is really nice https://smarthomeintegrations.co.za/product/smartdeyedonglev4-intl-shipment/ or something like this with the SP3485 chip which is 3.3v https://www.communica.co.za/products/wvs-rs485-3-3v-breakout-module

What rs485 transceiver are you using? Some of them require that you remove a termination resistor, otherwise they give incorrect data.

@BobTheDinosaur are you using the rs485 shield mentioned on this thread or another transceiver board?

That is strange. I also bought one from him and it was a devkit c board with 4MB flash. How are you flashing it? Are you using the web tool https://web.esphome.io/ ?

@iiznh I was also wanting to buy another one. Do you have an ETA?

Sounds like your esp32 dev board only has 2MB flash chip. Do you have a product link where you purchased it? Usually the ESP32 dev boards have at least 4MB flash

This looks like a great project. My only concern is you would lose inverter firmware updates functionality

Did Sunsynk support provide any register documentation for their batteries?

You have to setup an automation to get new data. alias: Solcast_update description: New API call Solcast trigger: - platform: time_pattern hours: /4 condition: - condition: sun before: sunset after: sunrise action: - service: solcast_solar.update_forecasts data: {} mode: single

You have to setup an automation to get new data. alias: Solcast_update description: New API call Solcast trigger: - platform: time_pattern hours: /4 condition: - condition: sun before: sunset after: sunrise action: - service: solcast_solar.update_forecasts data: {} mode: single

Thanks @slipx I'll probably add the TZ env vars to my docker compose file to circumvent further issues.

Yeah, mine is set correctly. My automations would have issues if it wasn't. The ESPHome time component uses the timezone from the ESPHome server not Home Assistant.

My Home Assistant server is set to the correct time zone, I did assume it would use that however according to the ESPHome Time Component documentation it will use the ESPHome server timezone. I guess it uses this at the firmware compile time to set the device timezone if it hasn't been specified in the YAML. My ESPHome is running in docker and I haven't modified the TZ environment variable so it is just defaulting to UTC. I guess the ESPHome log web interface gets the correct time offset from the browser when it displays the logs.