Victron ESS

[Guest]

I think we need a specific topic for discussing the Victron ESS functionality.Here is what it is all about: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ess:design-installation-manual
What is ESS?
An ESS (Energy Storage System) is a grid-tie installation, incorporating solar and battery-storage, which behaves as though it were an off-grid installation …thereby enjoying the best of both worlds. When it is able to produce more power than it can use and store, it sells the surplus to the grid; and when it has insufficient stored power, it buys electricity from the grid. This is available from using a combination of standard multipurpose Victron products, setup with an ESS configuration. In the system, there must at least be one inverter/charger and also a Venus-device:

• Color Control GX
• Venus GX
• RPi free version of the above software

 

Rules of this thread:

1. This is NOT a bitching place. 
2. We are here to share ideas to see if we can help Victron to make it easier. for newbies.
3. And we are sharing knowledge of this great software.
4. Google will pick up this thread, so that other newbies can learn here, and add ideas, from all over the world.
5. Share how you made things better, using ESS, on this thread.

 

Right, it is said CCGX / VenusGX and RPi software to run it all, is not for newbies. I firmly believe it can become easier to use for the newbie, that s[he] can get to a plug and play, as 99.9% of the stuff is there already, just very complicated and convoluted, to do it and get to it, to run a bare bones ESS setup.

If you want more help, then go to a Victron trained installer, same as with any product out there. This is for the noe-techie DIY person, to help them.

On top of this, one has once chance per newbie before they pick up and move on, system is working, to hear what they would like to see done easier and better.

 

Lets invite @PaulF007 and @plonkster and @Chris Hobson and @Jaco de Jongh for a start. Anyone else please fee free to jump in.

We can then invite Victron here to pick up on ideas, send a representative to answer on their behalf if they want ... lets see what is possible.

So, the first question:
What have you seen that you recon can change, software wise, on VenusGX / CCGX, for better easier faster setup?

Edited September 21, 2018 by Guest

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3 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

We can then invite Victron here to pick up on ideas, send a representative to answer on their behalf if they want ... lets see what is possible.

You do know that's a bit like SA farmers sending a representative to Toyota? I think the entire country is like 2% of the global bakkie market :-)

Nevertheless, that is one reason I'm on this forum. Sensible suggestions will make its way up.

Edited September 21, 2018 by plonkster

[Guest]

1 minute ago, plonkster said:

Sensible suggestions will make its way up.

Amen. And maybe this 2% market, changes the other 98%.

From what I have seen so far:
1) When you connect a VenusGX, and there are no Tank sensors, GPS, Fronius etc, automatically disable the features. It is confusing as can be the first time.
2) OR, give detailed instructions of where to disable the menus.

What I have learned so far on the VenusGX:
1) Use a powered USB hub. Some non-powered hubs may work, if not, get a powered one.
2) I used a old DLINK USB Wifi thingie. Worked first time, plugged into the powered USB hub.

Firmware upgrades: Need to be on the latest software for ESS to work, right?
1) If you plug in the MK2/3 cable, and follow the instructions for the upgrade, if done right, the inverter is "dead" as a door nail. Don't die 10 deaths. It is perfectly ok.
2) Once it is in that state promptly click the "Next" button. If you take too long, it does not work, start again.
Otherwise it is quite easy and safe.

Have sent both suggestions to Victron, to warn the user of the "deadness" and maybe add a timer on the upgrade software to indicate haste.

Manuals:
O my word, they need more information! Take the Multigrid manual, it misses Annexure A.
And give more detailed pictures of what plugs in where. A clear detailed picture is a 1000 words.

Long term suggestions:
1) Add VenusGX board to the inverter, inside the inverter. That way you have a instant view of it all, and not yet another add on.
2) Add a MK3 dongle as default inside the inverter, maybe part of the VenusGX board add-on ... for firmware upgrades as it is a NB part for new releases of inverter firmware, to match external upgrades and added features.

[___]

10 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

automatically disable the features

We've done that a few times (if there is no ESS assistant on the inverter, hide this and that function, if the firmware is too old, hide yet more stuff) and then we had customers complain about exactly the opposite situation.

 

12 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Manuals:

My favourite Dutchism is when they tell you to press a button "during 3 seconds". Yes, it's not perfect. I'm a saffer, I can like to be wearing a jean pant as you well know.

13 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Add VenusGX board to the inverter, inside the inverter

Done and halfway done already. Upper-end EasySolar models have a built-in ccgx. Venus has also been ported to the NanoPi and in future that might be used in some models.

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, plonkster said:

had customers complain about exactly the opposite situation.

Fair comment. That is then when you add it to a vote. Lets see what comes from here first.

I'm just opening the door.

2 minutes ago, plonkster said:

Done and halfway done already.

Sorted then! I have all in place now, even a MK3 cable.

 

Question: I see there are 2 UTP ports in the Multigrid. 
One is going to the VenusGX.
Can I use the other one to permanently connect the MK3?

 

VenusGX suggestions - software to get these options, none of this WinSCP thing to root and all that:
1) Option to discharge batteries between X and Y time, at max Z watts IF the min SOC setting has not been reached.
2) Option to limit the watts taken from the batteries the rest of the time so that one does not draw too much too fast, whilst system is grid tied. My batts got hit with -1445w yesterday.
3) Keep the settings, when auto upgrades take place. Currently that is a inconvenience.

[___]

1 hour ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Question: I see there are 2 UTP ports in the Multigrid. 
One is going to the VenusGX.
Can I use the other one to permanently connect the MK3? 

VE.Bus is RS485, but slow enough so no termination required. It has two sockets so you can daisy-chain to the next device, but internally they are simply connected together, so it's not really a separate "interface" per se. You can leave the mk3 permanently plugged in if you want to. Remember it is galvanically isolated, so the mk3 chip is powered from the vebus, while the USB-serial side is powered by your computer... so half of it remains "alive" when plugged in like this.

1 hour ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

1) Option to discharge batteries between X and Y time, at max Z watts IF the min SOC setting has not been reached.

Already discussed it with the powers that be. Risk of confusion outweighs the demand in the market (ie not enough people wants this to warrant the barrage of "why won't it power my loads!?" support questions). There are ways to do it with your own code, stop being lazy and DIY :-)

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

3) Keep the settings, when auto upgrades take place. Currently that is a inconvenience.

Huh? Settings is kept between updates (if you use the online update that is). If you reflash from sdcard it may be lost. That is by design: How else do you get it back to factory state?

What isn't kept is non-system-settings things you changed afterwards, like the root password (if you opted to root it). Again... not enough people want this to change it, and the bulk of CCGXes are not rooted. That's a techie thing. Those who need root access to a CCGX/Venus-GX are clever okes who will simply install their SSH key (which isn't lost during an upgrade). Also, yours truly added custom startup support way back in 2.12 :-)

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, plonkster said:

Risk of confusion outweighs the demand in the market (ie not enough people wants this to warrant the barrage of "why won't it power my loads!?" support questions). There are ways to do it with your own code, stop being lazy and DIY :-)

I hear you, but disagree completely. On the one side Victron says training!!! On the other side they says people won't understand ... where are the manuals, cautionary advice?

Calling the quick fix techie way to stop being lazy, you made my day!!1 (cwl)

Let me translate: So I must make the effort, after paying a premium for it all, and do even more effort, trawling though GitHub, learning this Linux thing, leaving support questions on the forums ... more work for someone else ... to find a answer after spending hours, days, looking for it on my own, the "jippo" way just not obvious or easy to do ...
VERSUS ...
Having the blerrie options in the VenusGX there for use by anyone who is not technical yet has 2 brain cells, clearly explaining what is going on? 

I have been there where I have told clients why XYZ is the way it is, cannot change, others wanted it, others will make mistakes, code cannot now change, support is a nightmare, no never will we do that, top brass (me) says no, here, lets teach you SQL queries, install Management Tools, login to your SQL database ... there you go ... the techie way, see all the power!

That went on and on till the one day I stepped back and started to actually listen. To think of where the person is coming from and why. To ask them: What is your end goal?

The ideas and solutions that then came out was like "Why did I not think of that!!!". Bit of pain here and there, and customers where ecstatic, we never got caught again in the loop of denials, defensiveness, cannot be done, boss says no ... here is a workaround ... 

Suddenly that which cost the most, i.e. support, dropped to a few phone calls a week ... manuals are better, workload is lower ... on ONE person supporting over 500 users, collecting premiums(!) ... and they can go to the shops whenever they need, T&C's applied.

Trust me when I say, problems, customers and support, that is my bread and butter. Poop Scooper is my job title. Reduce problems, reduce customer calls ... you do that by listening to the customer.

 

5 minutes ago, plonkster said:

Those who need root access to a CCGX/Venus-GX are clever okes who will simply install their SSH key (which isn't lost during an upgrade). Also, yours truly added custom startup support way back in 2.12 :-)

Again, we go back to techies that think end users are lazy if you don't have a higher degree in English to DIY that which could be done, with the EXACT SAME END RESULT, via a easy to user front end, because techies think end users want to do it the techie way? :-)

I call techies lazy for not giving the users what they need / want - for sometimes users know better than the techies. Actually, user do as most of the time they USE that what the techie developed, where the techie jippo's what they have developed by going in via the backdoor, not even using all that what they have developed. Vat so kwagga!

Note: Not taking one iota away from a techie and their intimate knowledge and hard earned stripes. 
Techies / Sales people are just are not the end users of their own work / the products they sell.

 

9 minutes ago, plonkster said:

Settings is kept between updates

If I was to root the device, being a newbie and all that, do it the techie way with my VenusGX set up to take pre-releases, all my settings will be lost each time there is a auto update till I am told there was an update, to put it all back again. Or when I am away for a week ... 

[___]

sdfsdf

[___]

37 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Calling the quick fix techie way to stop being lazy, you made my day!!1 (cwl)

You personally have the ability to do some of these things. The market in general don't ask for it  as much as you think they do. Remember us saffers have a particular way of looking at the world.

I do a lot of support. I hate it with a passion. Especially this French guy who keeps coming back with new questions every day and who I don't understand most of the time...

40 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

If I was to root the device, being a newbie and all that, do it the techie way with my VenusGX set up to take pre-releases, all my settings will be lost each time there is a auto update till I am told there was an update, to put it all back again. Or when I am away for a week ... 

You have to distinguish between settings and settings here.

There are settings related to the operation of the CCGX. Those are stored in an xml file on a separate partition that is never wiped. Settings are not lost during an upgrade. Full stop.

There are however other "settings". This system has a linux base. There are plenty of other settings and data bits stored in all sorts of other places. Some of them are in memory-mapped filesystems and are lost every time you reboot. A very large amount of them are in /etc (this is where all unix systems store settings), and they get trashed with every update. This is by design. This is an embedded piece of hardware, not a desktop computer. When you do a firmware update, you expect your old problems to go away, and that might involve things you did to files in /etc. Quite simply, a call is made as to what settings needs to be preserved, and which ones don't. The root password is not one that gets preserved. If you know what a root password is, you are sufficiently skilled to install an ssh key. Root passwords ought to be left unset too (it's a security thing, every desktop distro does it this way and use some other means to temporarily become root). This is a good thing, not a bad thing.

[Guest]

Ok, here is how I look at it all, for the uninitiated, some more explanations. 

 

MPPT's / BMV's:
You buy the cable, as there are more than one option for cables. VE.Direct to USB the most elegant option.
Next you install VictronConnect on your laptop / PC. 
Now you can tweak and program the MPPT / BMV as you wish. See data, awesome.
You need this to program the MPPT's for your particular bank.
Note: If you open VictronConnect, it auto updates the software and when you connect a device, and there is new firmware, it just happens. Pretty cool!
Suggestions: None, fall off a horse easy.

 

INVERTERS:
Here you need more software to download, as it is a total different animal than the BMV's / MPPT's.
Best option is a MK3 to USB cable. 
To configure the inverters, with all the options, ok, that is higher grade English, as they have a lot of functionality that one can use, a LOT, and you can blow stuff up - ok, not really, unless you do really stupid stuff, then you can fry your house in one go.
Note: You need the MK3 to upgrade the inverters firmware, as it is a wee bit more involved than the MPPT's.
Suggestion: Ideal here would be to say right, for ESS, here is the manual. Do jsut this, and nothing else like 1) upgrade the firmware, 2) downloard these assistants, 3) alter these values as per your setup ... exit and don't touch again, inverter is ready for ESS.

 

VenusGX: (VGX) (and also CCGX, RPi - the free software version)
This little thingy brings it all together, not only the inverters, but the controllers, BMV, Carlo Gavazzi - data, everything.
Can connect VGX via Wifi to the web or UTP cable to your router. Access all the devices then via your phone, PC direct into VGX or via Victron's website, back to your VGX.
Can also remotely auto upgrade all the devices firmware, bar the inverters, as they are more involved - as in the heart of your system. That is manually.
VGX gives you on the spot view of the entire system via a web page, on your phone or via Victron's portal.
And you have some programatability here for your system.
With a powered USB extender, you can connect all the VE.Direct to USB cables to the VGX.
Inverter connects with a stock standard UTP cable.
Note 1: VGX auto updates itself with new software, as and when it is released. Very cool!
Note 2: You cannot program the controllers from here, no, VictronDirect software for that. Same as the inverter.
Suggestion: This is where I suggest the software changes take place to have more control over the ESS and how it behaves.

Boils down to two requests from my side:
1) Simple instructions to set the inverter up for ESS.
2) More functionality on the VenusGX - as in previous posts.

Conclusion: With the above two in place, more non-technical users can start with ESS on their own.
And if they don't want to, with cables and Teamviewer any Victron support can assist, at a fee.
Or via Victron portal back to VenusGX.
Inverter software support can also be done via Teamviewer. 

[Guest]

Ok, so I experiment a bit, like charge the batts, change some settings, reading here and there ... and pressing some buttons ...

Boom ... 6 hours of data just gone. GONE!!!

VenusGX is not being seen by the Venus Portal ... why?

Turns out:
1) If you have a Ethernet and Wifi connection, if one fails, VGX will use the other one ... neat!
2) So clicking all over, I see that out of the blue data is being stored on the VGX, nogal 6 hours of it ... wow! THAT is very very neat seeing as we have tried to solve that exact same issue before - @Mark 
3) Turns out that if you change the IP address on the VGX, just fix it on the Victron portal too. ;-)

All 6 hours worth of data, back in play, and the data on the VGX, deleted as it has been uploaded, space again for the next whoepise.

I'm seriously impressed. Well done Techies. Well done. Respect!

 

Now I wonder, if you have a Wifi dongle and a Ethernet connection on the same VGX, using static IP addresses, must both be the identical?

[___]

1 minute ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

3) Turns out that if you change the IP address on the VGX, just fix it on the Victron portal too. ;-)

You must be using a different kind of software. Have never had to do anything of the kind. The local IP address does not matter, that would be ridiculous (seeing as DHCP servers don't always assign the same one).

Yes, it keeps local storage if it cannot log to the remote end for whatever reason. If you put in an sd-card it will even use the sd-card for additional storage (unless there is a firmware image on the sd-card, then it leaves it alone).

 

[Guest]

Just now, plonkster said:

You must be using a different kind of software.

On the web, the IP was like xxx.xxx.xxx.103; and also a xxx.xxx.xxx.111 - was testing with UTP and Wifi, as I lost connection from my phone last night.
On the VGX the IP was xxx.xxx.xxx.50, as I changed it, rebooted it a few times.
No data for 6 hours before I saw the issue.

[Guest]

Also got multiple devices showing on the portal. At first it was confusing, then I realised: Stop switching ports / cables and USB's. Now it makes a whole lot of sense that it must do that.

Cool think is you can see the device was not linked for a while on the portal, so just delete them. Nice and clean Portal view and VGX now.

Must decided what device goes where and keep it like that, mark it, for the widgets also get confused - also making perfect sense, as the ID's change.

[Antony]

22 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

2) I used a old DLINK USB Wifi thingie. Worked first time, plugged into the powered USB hub.

I have 6 of these "brand new" still in their boxes, on my store shelf, thought they were "old tech"... just goes to show...

[Guest]

On 2018/09/22 at 10:34 AM, Antony said:

I have 6 of these "brand new" still in their boxes, on my store shelf, thought they were "old tech"... just goes to show...

I removed it as it seems that I don't need it. The VGX seems to have a Wifi connection IF it is close to the Wifi router, as mine is.

Suspect that their was some issues as the DLink did lose connection, why, I did not bother to trace the cause. Victron does say others may work, but have not been tested, which is fair in my mind, that is, IF it was the Dlink Wifi thingie.

I prefer UTP connections in any event. Old school yes, but more secure. ;-)

[___]

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

I removed it as it seems that I don't need it. The VGX seems to have a Wifi connection IF it is close to the Wifi router, as mine is.

It has two built-in Wifi interfaces. One is used to run an access point (if you turn it on). The other one is for connecting to wifi networks. The range isn't huge but not bad either.

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

I prefer UTP connections in any event. Old school yes, but more secure. ;-)

Cable connections remain best. And hardcode the IP. Especially when there is a Fronius involved that you tie into the ESS system... I've had cases where the Fronius changed IP address (because the DHCP server decided to move it) and then the grid-feed-in limiter stopped working until the CCGX was told to rescan. Try to have as few points of failure as possible. That means static ip addresses and hardline cabling :-)

[Guest]

Don't know what I did, but this was posted in the wrong thread.

Have had a thought or two to ask a dealer, pay for it, but then, not all dealers are as jacked as I want them to be. 

The more I read the more I see the parts I need to focus on, so slowly but surely, as I knew would happen, the newbie ideas are not so new anymore.

Two things are becoming quite clear: 3000VA inverter ...
- Need the bank to match - mmmm.
- Need the panels to match - no problem with this!
- Have to sue some of the batteries - this is ok, but dang bro's, limit the watts allowed to be drawn at a time. ;-)
I don't do things the easy way, push the envelope first, with what you have, then add.

 

So I tried the option to keep the batteries fully charged, good idea for power failures ... but not good if you want to use all the power the panels can give. Ideal would have been to keep batts charged, with all power going into the house. But this is a hybrid system, so not the same as a grid tied inverter with no batteries, as the controllers are connected direct to the batteries.

Reverted back to a SOC of 90%, better draw from the array but it draws a lot from the batteries for short periods and being a small bank, they are getting some exercise. There was an option to limit the watts drawn from the batteries, Matthijs referred to it in a YouTube video, ignored when there is a AC-in failure, but it has been removed. Wonder why.

Next step is to get in via the backdoor, being half a techie I am (and not a Linux fan), to start setting one or things there ... just as you @plonkster , saw coming. :-)

Am of two minds to document it all here, from the inverter all the way to the AC output, the screens one must focus on for ESS, then send that to Victron explaining why it is a good idea to simplify it all for newbies, as ESS is a whole new game that Victron has entered into. I'm in a house, not a yacht. :-)

Edited September 24, 2018 by Guest

[Guest]

19 hours ago, plonkster said:

 So I hope you understand my reticence in having yet another place full of documentation :-) It's a nice idea... but we've had that idea already :-)

There is just one PowerForum with a lot of South Africans who may benefit from ESS. I can only focus on one forum.

@plonkster, let me ask you to the point: Am I farting against thunder here? Must I drop the Victron talk completely here on PF, and also stop this ESS thread?

Keeping in mind:
There was 2, then there was 4, one left, but happy on Victron.
There are a lot of Victron installers who may not know all the system can do in SA.
And the biggest one: People in SA who don't ANYTHING about ESS, which is also "new" for Victron with SA a prime candidate for ESS.
Are those site Victron have as active as PF? 

My hope was to share knowledge of ESS, with help, here on PF, that more people here can read about it, for they will not easily find the Victron sites unless they have a link, have already an interest. I have been on international forums, they are "different". Pf is comfortable, OUR people and like minded international people are here.

 

19 hours ago, plonkster said:

There is such an option already, but this option limits the inverter power rather than the battery portion.

Trouble is... if you're not a unix guy who thinks built-in scheduling in the OS is awesome, or if you have somewhat of a bent towards the windows way of doing things... there is no point in me even telling you about this 

Yes, I saw the option of the limiting, will go there if I have to ... and I have a BMV and lithium's have BMS software. Surely there must be a way seeing the shunt sits there, with or without a BMV?
You know I will use cron jobs ...
You can also have menu options on VGX for the cron jobs on the front end, or has that also been suggestion, tried and thrown out?
I will find out how to get inside the VGX if that is the only option left. Question is, will that be via this forum? :-)

Too many places / keep people happy ... : I pushed my luck before to make a point, then I nearly typed a similar thought on Saturday, along what  @PaulF007 said in bold below.

On: Now imagine what happens when someone sets the max discharge value (taking PV into account) to zero, and he doesn't get an actual zero? He wants to know why... he is upset that his battery bank is discharging when it should not :-)

15 hours ago, PaulF007 said:

One thing that I admired about the Victron kit as that they have opened up thier platform for public participation and by doing that they and receive their resources / ideas / code for free and have beta testers. Now I do remember a good friend once telling me that the biggest problem with software development is support but you now also have beta testers that  know what they are letting them selves into , testing .So why not look into adding some of these options into a beta test and see what the response is. From my point of view Victron is only now getting into the public solar world and there could still be plenty possibilities that could be tapped into. 

On: if you're not a unix guy who thinks built-in scheduling in the OS is awesome, or if you have somewhat of a bent towards the windows way of doing things... there is no point in me even telling you about this

15 hours ago, PaulF007 said:

I remember that you mentioned this before and I think the solution would be much simpler that binning the feature all together , just add a minimum allowable value. There is a lot of systems that I have come across that will have a minimum value that you can not set below and if I you ask why it will say RTFM ...  I also think that we are sometimes over "sensitive" to critique. It is like the gay that will play the piano at the kerk and then one of the tannies complains that he was too slow or too fast and then he has to stop the whole thing all together.  ...

 

 

4 hours ago, Erastus said:

Reading this (missing DC current sensors) I understand why the extra equipment is needed. The very first software I did was to understand the batt/usage/harvest relations. With out this you have no idea what is happening. Then if your system does not do this you have to have the correct lego brigs. I took it for granted that these fancy systems has it built in. After-all they are very expensive and not fancy. Got the picture. Tnx  Got the picture completely. 

Yes and no, the picture is a wee bit bigger, because it became complicated, with monies spent already. :-)

 

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Guest

[DDD]

1 hour ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Don't know what I did, but this was posted in the wrong thread.

Have had a thought or two to ask a dealer, pay for it, but then, not all dealers are as jacked as I want them to be. 

The more I read the more I see the parts I need to focus on, so slowly but surely, as I knew would happen, the newbie ideas are not so new anymore.

Two things are becoming quite clear: 3000VA inverter ...
- Need the bank to match - mmmm.
- Need the panels to match - no problem with this!
- Have to sue some of the batteries - this is ok, but dang bro's, limit the watts allowed to be drawn at a time. ;-)
I don't do things the easy way, push the envelope first, with what you have, then add.

 

So I tried the option to keep the batteries fully charged, good idea for power failures ... but not good if you want to use all the power the panels can give. Ideal would have been to keep batts charged, with all power going into the house. But this is a hybrid system, so not the same as a grid tied inverter with no batteries, as the controllers are connected direct to the batteries.

Reverted back to a SOC of 90%, better draw from the array but it draws a lot from the batteries for short periods and being a small bank, they are getting some exercise. There was an option to limit the watts drawn from the batteries, Matthijs referred to it in a YouTube video, ignored when there is a AC-in failure, but it has been removed. Wonder why.

Next step is to get in via the backdoor, being half a techie I am (and not a Linux fan), to start setting one or things there ... just as you @plonkster , saw coming. :-)

Am of two minds to document it all here, from the inverter all the way to the AC output, the screens one must focus on for ESS, then send that to Victron explaining why it is a good idea to simplify it all for newbies, as ESS is a whole new game that Victron has entered into. I'm in a house, not a yacht. :-)

I understand what you are referring to.

Not sure why one refers to Linux. The front end should be java platform independent system and in my case the controller runs in a real time environment. I sample every 100 micro seconds from where I get Voltage, Current in true rms  also VPmx, VPmin, that is per phase, and battery information. I have a small system with 16 analogs.  Linux is a pain to do this one battles to get the kernel, IPC & semaphores to work properly. It is very difficult to take control of the kernel. I went for a shared RAM system. One side RTOS other side Linux.  Then it is easy I can dumps adc at a set interval with out using cpu time. We could only manage a 250mili Second RTOS in linux then cpu power CPU is to small to do it @ .0001 of a second.  .0001 gives you a very accurate reading/calculations when you want to compare your true values to that of a meter like Landis & Gyrr. Doing it at .0001 seconds on small system the kernel will give you a very hard time in handling the IRQ. Linux never been good as an RTOS. When I did kernel dev we tried but stuck to an RTOS environment. I Love Linux it simply works and ....

If the RTOS is working well then you should be able to have both worlds. A grid tied working as a stand alone/hybrid.  That is actually very easy to achieve. When I get my equipment (hopefully this week) I can do my final software to do exactly that.  Then when the dev is done I will push for a 3 phase 10Kwatt system. If I have that design working then it was worth the effort.  Then I can string 10Kw 3 phase systems and say I can do solar. Know I am still learning.
 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Erastus

[___]

4 hours ago, Erastus said:

The front end should be java platform independent system

No. Java is a resource hog. Just the space required for a JVM installation is a problem. I know there are small JVMs used in all sorts of places, but this thing has all the critical stuff in C, and the less critical stuff in Python. Python is of course much slower than java in terms of runtime performance, but much less memory hungry.

None of the critical control loops are on the CCGX, so no need for an RTOS. Why Linux? Well... go ask all those router makers. Pretty much the same reason. Well understood, open source, and OpenEmbedded gives you a build system for free and already has a wide user base of people solving issues.

[GVC]

I am running my system on Ubuntu  and must say absolutely no problems......The software is loading to local server with no problems.

I have a license for a good Windows software program, but must say that it freezes after a few hours.....no such problems with Ubuntu....

[Ronnie_V]

All that I can add is that ESS does work, less stress on my batteries since ESS was installed and had no issues thus far. If I had to install it myself it would have taken forever to get it right. The info or manual is as clear as mud to me and I have a old school B Eng Sci . If it was not for this forum I would have still be struggling with my setup, TTT and Plonkster, you guys give so much info to other users. Keep it up! "Plonkster, jy is n blou yster!" 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Ronnie_V said:

If I had to install it myself it would have taken forever to get it right. The info or manual is as clear as mud to me and I have a old school B Eng Sci .

 - I want to change that ... or at least get to a point where everyone who has ESS or wants ESS, can copy paste ESS installations / changes with no fear or worries, knowing full well the impact ... in Newbie Language

 

6 hours ago, Erastus said:

That is actually very easy to achieve.

So I thought. :-) 

 

Still of two minds if I want to do it here or not ... the ESS South Africa "manual".

[Ronnie_V]

Agree, we need a "boer manual"  I can recommend going the ESS route. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Ronnie_V