incagarcilaso Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Not sure if this is a bug but I don't seem to be getting a separate reading for each of the inverter's PV inputs. Only "PV1" shows data (which is the total of both). However, the information on each inverter does show correctly separately in the "Cluster info" tab. Also "Battery Output Amps" fields don't seem to move from "0" either, when I know they are delivering power to the house. I know about the temperature probe issue for parallel inverters, which is running in another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 I will change the naming as is seems to confuse you. PV is MPPT 1 watts And PV 2 is MPPT 2 watts. If you want true battery readings . Buy a Victron battery monitor. I think i am done with the pi version as i cant keep on helping for hours and hours helping people to setup the pi. There is an image and if you dont know how to setup emon ect. There is also google.It is not fair to support people that use the app on trail basis and then at the end not even buying it.I will relase a windows version soon. Hopefully its easier to use.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrsa Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 @Manie the ICC-Pi works perfectly for me. If folks are using it on a trial basis, they surely are not entitled to any support. I for one hope that you will continue development or at least maintenanace of the Pi version as it works really well and is easy to install using the image. EmonCMS is a nice to have as all the important information is available on either the Pi with VNC viewer or the remote desktop. How does the Windows version connect the inverter to the Windows device? With the Pi it was so easy as I only needed a CAT5 ethernet cable to my LAN. Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I agree @ebrsa. ICC-Pi works great for me too. @Manie, you have done the hard work, to keep supporting it going forward, making maybe minor changes if anything pops up, should not be an issue. Yes, guys using it on trial basis are not entitled to any support. I would not even give them the latest version. It is something they download to have a look at what the program can do and what outputs are available. If they get it to work, great, if not, tough luck. If they like it, they can pay for the program and buy a license, they are then entitled to upgrades and support for a year. @ebrsa, the Windows version will connect with exactly the same USB port that is plugged into the Pi now. You will however need some Windows device to connect to, i.e. laptop or tablet, unless Manie can make it run on Window ioT on the Pi. Why I like the Pi is it is small, uses only 5w of power. It is a cheap dedicated device running ICC and logging data to Emoncms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrsa Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Thanks @Don for the information. Think I will continue to use ICC-Pi as I had trouble with reliability of a USB extender from the Axperts in my garage to my computer in my study on the first floor of our house which is were we live. We like the sea view so the ground floor are for bedrooms for occasional guests and garages. Also the Remote Dashboard gives me the information I need mostly on a Windows PC that runs 24/7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 6 minutes ago, ebrsa said: I had trouble with reliability of a USB extender from the Axperts in my garage How did you sort that out? I installed a 3kVa inverter in my mom's flat. I am running WatchPower on that setup, but keep losing connectivity to the inverter. Then I have to unplug the USB, reinsert it to get it up and running again. Then when I get there a day or 2 later, it has lost connectivity again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 14 hours ago, Manie said: I will change the naming as is seems to confuse you. PV is MPPT 1 watts And PV 2 is MPPT 2 watts. Hi. It wasn't the naming that confused me. I just wanted to point out that PV2 was not showing a the reading when there is input - the same as for PV1. Each inverter carries 12 panels and they usually have the same input. As you can see in the image I uploaded PV2 is not showing the output - I just wondered why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 14 hours ago, Manie said: I think i am done with the pi version as i cant keep on helping for hours and hours helping people to setup the pi. There is an image and if you dont know how to setup emon ect. There is also google. It is not fair to support people that use the app on trail basis and then at the end not even buying it. I will relase a windows version soon. Hopefully its easier to use. I can understand the frustration as I have done similar projects, but you have to appreciate the work that is done by early adopters by them trialling your software and taking the time to report in with glitches from their particular setup so that these can be taken into account in further development. This can take up a lot of time on the part of people willing to trial it and invariably that input is not rewarded. At the same time, this information is invaluable to developers in factoring in conditions that they otherwise may not have imagined. When software comes with no help file or any guidance in the configuration of basic parameters for putting it into service, you have to count on some questions. A small help file with an explanation of the exact syntax required for filling out the configuration fields in ICC and MQTT would save a lot of posting both for triallers (who put in quite a lot of work by providing feedback too) and for you. Many of these configurations are not "obvious" or guessable because every system has it's idiosycracies - the only way to solve this is with a small help file that spells out the syntax. I would be willing to contribute a help file of this kind if you wish. I understand that the help offered cannot extend to operating pi - that is where the line has to be drawn. I can assure you that I fully intend to purchase the software but cannot do so until I can be perfectly sure that it is going to work with the particular hardware and software configurations that I have in my installation - hence the trial. P.S. I purchased AICC Windows early on and a week later it became free to anyone to use and development stopped on it (that is not really "fair" for the end user either). I think it is always good to try and look at these things from all angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 1 hour ago, incagarcilaso said: Hi. It wasn't the naming that confused me. I just wanted to point out that PV2 was not showing a the reading when there is input - the same as for PV1. Each inverter carries 12 panels and they usually have the same input. As you can see in the image I uploaded PV2 is not showing the output - I just wondered why. Like I said above that Pv2 is for MPPT 2, The Axperts only have one Mppt per controller. The pip4084 inverters does have 2 Mppt charge controllers and is displaying in pv2 Yes , there need to be a help file for basic setup of the 2 apps. Emoncms and Pv Output and startup scripts , Reading sensors etc is not part of the app. People can't expect me to help them building dashboards and setting up feeds/Inputs. I can't display something from the inverter if it does not return the value. Like temperature on the cluster setup. I can only talk to the first one. If you have 6 inverters and the third one is running hot, you will not see it in ICC application. There is already a fault code that will send you a mail if there is a temp issue and will send you a mail This is the faults code a0 Reserved a1 Inverter fault Fault a2 Bus Over Fault a3 Bus Under Fault a4 Bus Soft Fail Fault a5 LINE_FAIL Warning a6 OPVShort Warning a7 Inverter voltage too low Fault a8 Inverter voltage too high Fault a9 Over temperature a10 Fan locked a11 Battery voltage high a12 Battery low alarm Warning a13 Reserved a14 Battery under shutdown Warning a15 Reserved Warning a16 Over load a17 Eeprom fault Warning a18 Inverter Over Current Fault a19 Inverter Soft Fail Fault a20 Self Test Fail Fault a21 OP DC Voltage Over Fault a22 Bat Open Fault a23 Current Sensor Fail Fault a24 Battery Short Fault a25 Power limit Warning a26 PV voltage high Warning a27 MPPT overload fault Warning a28 MPPT overload warning Warning a29 Battery too low to charge Warning a30 Reserved a31 Reserved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 1 hour ago, incagarcilaso said: P.S. I purchased AICC Windows early on and a week later it became free to anyone to use and development stopped on it (that is not really "fair" for the end user either). I think it is always good to try and look at these things from all angles. Yes i agree it is totally not fair at all !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 15 hours ago, Manie said: I will relase a windows version soon. Hopefully its easier to use. I didn't know there were plans for this. Will it be based on/developed from AICC or is it a completely new ICC for Windows based on the pi ICC? If there is both a pi and a Windows version, I think it will cover a broader base. pi is likely to be used by people who have some knowledge of Linux whereas the Windows version is likely to be used by those who like to just point and click. My thoughts at the moment on both: as an end user, pi feels less robust as a hardware platform (overheating and other issues) and I feel more confident running ICC on a Windows VM (or any conventioal PC) than on a pi box, especially in the hotter months if I am away from the installation for extended periods. This may be misguided on my part but it is the sensation I have right now. pi ICC offers the possibility of developing a "box" like the CCGX, if you build the pi with ICC preloaded and with a screen (with on-screen keyboard) - could have a lot of potential. pi energy savings for a 24/7 machine are clearly an advandate over running a PC 24/7. I like that the pi interfaces with BMV702, pvoutput, emoncms, MQTT and vnc. This makes it very versatile but I suppose the same can be done with a Windows version. Because of the difficulties that may be experienced by some end-users in adapting a pi to their installation (no one installation is the same as another) it might be worth considering making a more "plug and play" version by applying more configuration settings in the ICC/Jessie image. "Partial" cluster support should be clearly explained in the software description or it could be misleading. While pi ICC will work with inverter clusters it does not fully support them (cannot provide full information on all elements in the cluster). This is my understanding. By the way, if you'd like me to draft a help file for end-users configuring ICC and MQTT on a pi (from the perspective of an end-user), I will happily do that and you can make revisions to the final version. That way, any questions that come in and are covered in that file can simply be referred to it. With luck it would also mean that less questions would be raised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 4 minutes ago, incagarcilaso said: "Partial" cluster support should be clearly explained in the software description or it could be misleading. While pi ICC will work with inverter clusters it does not fully support them (cannot provide full information on all elements in the cluster). This is my understanding. By the way, if you'd like me to draft a help file for end-users configuring ICC and MQTT on a pi (from the perspective of an end-user), I will happily do that and you can make revisions to the final version. That way, any questions that come in and are covered in that file can simply be referred to it. With luck it would also mean that less questions would be raised. I will expand the the cluster tab a bit more, there is enough space !! Thanks that will be awesome out of a user perspective!!. I will appreciate it a lot . I did post some images of the ICC windows version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 1 minute ago, Manie said: I did post some images of the ICC windows version If you have a link I'll take a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 15 minutes ago, Manie said: I will expand the the cluster tab a bit more, there is enough space !! Yes, there is plenty of real estate on that tab. That would be very useful. Is it possible to pass this info on each inverter into the MQTT dashboard image. It would be very useful to see generation by each set of panels in the cluster on that image so that the user knows that generation is working properly on each set of panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Will have a look at it when the Windows one is released ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrsa Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 @incagarcilaso if you write a help file, you will have many grateful users. @Manie 's time is much more productively used with development. Like you I also bought AICC when became available as well as MQTT. I had to use a USB extender from the inverters to the Win10 PC running AICC and it stopped working often requiring me to unplug and replug it. I cannot understand why folks seems to find the Pi installation a problem. All you have to do is write the image to a micro SD card, insert it into the Pi, connect with USB to the inverter or one of them in a cluster, connect the Pi with an ethernet cable to your LAN or via a switch or your router if it has ports avaialble and you are good to go. To access the Pi desktop just install the free RealVNC viewer on your PC. There are free programs for writing firmware to an SD card, including instructions on the Internet. All jou need is to Google for it. So I cannot see how this is any more difficult than installing a Windows program for instance. I usually connect the Pi to a HDMI port on my PC and also plug in a keyboard and mouse after I installed a new ICC-Pi firmware just to check it runs reliably. So it really is as easy as pie (pun intended) with no knowledge of Linux required. @Don I too have been unable to get the USB connection to work reliably. Even tried to put a powered hub at both ends to no avail. I used CAT5 cable but did not try CAT6, maybe that will be more reliable. The cable length was about 8 meters. So maybe you should just bite the bullet and install a Pi at your mother's flat and rig up some internet access so you can monitor it remotely. If it is within line of sight, you could use Ubiquity equipment for a direct connection. We have found that totally reliable with our village CCTV system. Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 On 5/2/2017 at 9:47 AM, ebrsa said: @incagarcilaso if you write a help file, you will have many grateful users. @Manie 's time is much more productively used with development. Like you I also bought AICC when became available as well as MQTT. I had to use a USB extender from the inverters to the Win10 PC running AICC and it stopped working often requiring me to unplug and replug it. Often the help file is the last thing to be done, if it gets done at all, but it is one of the most important. The developer never has time to start it and then it's a catch 22 situation - they are inundated with questions and have to repeat the same instructions over and over, and so have even less time to get the help file written. It's happened to me more than once. I'll see if I have time to do it this coming weekend. On that @Manie how do you want to deploy the help? In the past I have used WinCHM, which I find very simple and the help file it produces can be embedded in the app. You can have a "Help" link in the menu bar and it will open a user-friendly help file in a browser tab - divided into chapters and sections and fully searchable. Might be good to use this for when this project grows. Let me if there are any particular restrictions from the ICC or MQTT apps. Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 I am not sure if it will work in Linux but from windows it is easy to execute the help file.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 4 minutes ago, Manie said: I am not sure if it will work in Linux but from windows it is easy to execute the help file. Yes, I'll check. It's also about the user's OS. For MQTT, for example, it'll be OK because that'll be running on Windows, I suppose. For ICC pi, the help file doesn't have to be run necessarily on the pi if it turns out it won't run in a browser in the Debian GUI (although I think it might). I'll check out all the options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Thank you so much. It will help a lot.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybertza Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 On 2/4/2017 at 0:02 PM, incagarcilaso said: As you can see in the image I uploaded PV2 is not showing the output - I just wondered why. Mine does the same, from the New version it seems that the problem has been fixed, will see when its released. But from the screenshot you can clearly see that the values are puling across there, This issue possibly stemmed from the fact that not all the hardware is available to the developer, in a working environment, From what i have noticed, it seemed that even thou the display wasn't correct the data as to totals seemed ok, i have migrated all my panels onto one inverter for now, as i like the stats, and my inverters are really just doubled up for load for the time being. Long story short, let see in the new version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 26 minutes ago, Cybertza said: As you can see in the image I uploaded PV2 is not showing the output - I just wondered why. As said before the Axperts only have one MPPT charge controller and not 2 like the pip inverters, therefore it will be 0. Even in the new app you will get 0, however i have change the naming to Mppt 1 and 2. The 3kw Infini only has one , therefore also 0 in MPPT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incagarcilaso Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 25 minutes ago, Cybertza said: But from the screenshot you can clearly see that the values are puling across there, This issue possibly stemmed from the fact that not all the hardware is available to the developer, in a working environment, Long story short, let see in the new version. Yes, must be difficult for @Manie for testing all the types of hardware - he is managing to do it though. As you say, totals are correct so I think it's just fine tuning and from what I see in the screenshots the new version has ironed these out - it looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 New version running now for 66 hours and seems stable. No error or whatsoever from my side @Don can give maybe feedback on the Cluster. I am testing the Infini 3kw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.