Hey Guys,

First time I'm posting, but thought I would share since I haven't seen any post regarding the pin of the RS232 port on the Ecco HIN3500. A while back I contacted ECCO and requested the pin out or a compatible wifi dongle and they made up a cable for me that works with the SmartESS and Dessmonitor PC interface. It's pins are different as far as I know from the standard 5500 which you can get the dongle for, and for the newer 60A version. I have the previous version of the HIN3500 100A MPPT that looks like this.

 

So, if it helps anyone, here we go.

 

 

And the Dessmonitor screen that I get running off that cable with the wifi dongle they supplied:

 

Also, I think I may have tracked down the manufacturer of most the inverters we have here in SA, Found mine there, Lux Power, Axpert, Kodak well what look like versions of them.

www.anenji.cn

Genuine Axpert, Kodak, RCT, Mecer etc are designed by Voltronic Power in Taiwan and manufactured in mainland China by a Voltronic owned factory.

There are unfortunately msny clone manufacturers that make convincing looking clones, but the quality of the parts is totally unknown, and often much worse than the genuine product that they "copy". Anenji appears to be a clone manufacturer, although there is a small chance that they are a legitimate reseller. 

Edited December 18, 20232 yr by Coulomb

Ah, thanks for that Coulomb, I learnt something new then.

Reason I found anenji interesting as well was because of this statement on their site.

 

But this seems to be a false hope. I'm starting to feel the inadequacy of my 3.5. And it's been a reliable stable unit, so would hate to have to get rid of it, so was hoping to parallel it some how. Pretty sure if they provided us the parallel card that the 5.5Kw Pro has it would work fine, but doubt we would be so lucky.

The pin out on the RJ45 of your cable is the same as the Voltronic , Axpert cable to a remote display they sell. You can also do settings on this panel. Pin 4 and 8 is the power supply to the remote display. Pin1 and 2 for coms. So it might be linked to voltronic. Do you have the cable DB9 to RJ45 to connect inverter to a standalone PC .

Edited December 18, 20232 yr by Chris Louw

I have been meaning to play around there and try link it up to home assistant, but have been busy with work and other projects. Work finishes up today so I'll be playing around very soon. Right now it's connected up to the Wifi Pro dongle and I have been monitoring power usage etc via the dessmonitor, but find it a bit lacking. Still a lot I have to learn with this, so excuse my noobness.

That interface is pretty much identical to mine, except for a minor difference in the icons, but the rest looks the same. But I'm pretty sure you are spot on with the pins though, typically with a DB9 the 5th pin (Green here) is ground, which goes to 8 on the RJ45, and pin9 is typically not used, but can be used for the Ringer function on older modems, so more than likely the 5V on pin 4 of the Rj45 (Black). To be honest, it looks more like a USB Serial with the + data data - layout.

I recently purchased the newer version of this inverter, hoping to find a way to parallel them. Have ordered a generic dongle for the normal 5500 and 3500 60A version, so will be interesting to see the difference in pins. But have a feeling this will need to go into the workshop as a separate unit.

Oh, in case you meant the printer type usb connector a lot of the units come with, this unit doesn't have that port. It only has the RJ45 RS232. Nothing else, though the controller card internally does have the functionality for it, it's just unpopulated.

Edited December 18, 20232 yr by ShaunCro

I'll note that a lot of the smaller Axperts can't be paralleled; they use cheaper and smaller DSP chips that don't have the flash space, and possibly the computer horsepower, to support paralleled operation.

3.5 kW isn't a standard Axpert power rating, so these almost certainly aren't rebranded Axperts. Presumably, if the paralleling card is present and there is support for it in the settings (Axperts have  setting 28 output mode, which can be set to SNG, PAL, 3P1-3P3 for single inverter, parallel, or three=phase operation).

Yeah, it's in the dessmonitor web front end but not in the actual options of the inverter, which means it would need a flash to support the option. And well, if I can't even find the hardware, I doubt the firmware will be any easier.

But, I'm not one to give up easily, I'll keep up the hunt for the hell of it. 😄 Besides, I like a challenge.

The previous versions were Axpert clones, before my original unit, and I have found versions of my version on Ali, but clone after clone after clone, so it's like a never ending rabbit hole.

The marketing that was pretty much everywhere for this device is very misleading to. I see solar warehouse changed their write up for it as well, but this is what you typically read when looking through the specs.

 

 

3 hours ago, Coulomb said:

I'll note that a lot of the smaller Axperts can't be paralleled; they use cheaper and smaller DSP chips that don't have the flash space, and possibly the computer horsepower, to support paralleled operation.

3.5 kW isn't a standard Axpert power rating, so these almost certainly aren't rebranded Axperts. Presumably, if the paralleling card is present and there is support for it in the settings (Axperts have  setting 28 output mode, which can be set to SNG, PAL, 3P1-3P3 for single inverter, parallel, or three=phase operation).

So, looks like we have Texas Instruments as the main processor in the newer version of the inverter. TMS320

Not the greatest around, clocking in at 40Mhz, but hey we used 8 bit chips for years in 3D Printing, so who am I to judge.

• 80-ns Instruction Cycle Time
• 544 Words of On-Chip Data RAM
• 4K Words of On-Chip Secure Program EPROM (TMS320E25)
• 4K Words of On-Chip Program ROM (TMS320C25)
• 128K Words of Data/Program Space
• 32-Bit ALU/Accumulator
• 16 × 16-Bit Multiplier With a 32-Bit Product
• Block Moves for Data/Program Management
• Repeat Instructions for Efficient Use of Program Space
• Serial Port for Direct Codec Interface
• Synchronization Input for Synchronous Multiprocessor Configurations
• Wait States for Communication to Slow Off-Chip Memories/Peripherals
• On-Chip Timer for Control Operations
• Single 5-V Supply
• Packaging: 68-Pin PGA, PLCC, and CER-QUAD
• 68-to-28 Pin Conversion Adapter Socket for EPROM Programming
• Commercial and Military Versions Available
• NMOS Technology:
  TMS32020 . . . 200-ns cycle time
• CMOS Technology:
  TMS320C25 . . . 100-ns cycle time
  TMS320E25 . . . 100-ns cycle time
  TMS320C25-50 . . . 80-ns cycle time

Sorry, meant to be a pic of the RS232 Module, but too much in the way

 

Controller board, you'll see the unpopulated USB header to the left of the large amount of "I said stay there" on the one connector, then there we have a 256kb eeprom chip just to the left of that and a CN2 that is missing it all. And of course JTAG to the right.

Really battled to get a decent pic of the processor though, I hate the varnish they paint on, makes things difficult to photo.



The blotch isn't a burn out by the way, just the coating.


The EEPROM is an onsemni with a std i2c interface, never done it before, but always wanted to try, but lets see if I can pull the firmware off it in the morning. Then we can can see what is hiding away.

actually got the processor model wrong,

 

Not a bad little thing, from the piccolo range for controlling high end brusless motors

https://www.ti.com/product/TMS320F28034?keyMatch=TMS320F28034PNT&tisearch=search-everything&usecase=OPN-ALT#params

So, actually have a lot of the tools already to talk to it, makes life a little easier I guess.

Thanks for the info and getting me started.

I have the HIN3500 and would like to integrate it into my home automation system / logging server (via rs232 cable -> USB) but finding any technical info seems impossible.

I have attempted a few times contacted the manufacturer / distributor but so far haven't had any response, but I guess the question is, has anybody ever come across the technical information for this unit? All that would be needed is the correct BAUD and the protocol it uses, the rest will be written according to what is received via the serial line?

And boy have I jumped both feet into this rabbit hole, lol.

Hey 3Chord,

 

9600 on the baud rate, solar assistant should be able to speak to it, just the Rx and tx pins really, pin 8 is ground, pin 4 is 5v. But after playing around on the JTAG pins and not having any joy, I thought best leave it alone in case I break it. Bought a hoselect unit, also 3.5, but isn't affected by the float bug in user mode, and has all the parallel boards in place already. If you need anything else shout, I may have come across it.

Hi all,

Well I also had issue with my WiFi Plug Pro and had to get it removed to be able to re-register it, I also played with the serial connection but I can not find any software to talk to this ECCO 5.5Kw Solar Inverter I tried basically every free version I could find and really do not want to pay for something that might not work.

I wonder if there are anyone out there that might have found software that is supported for this ECCO inverters.

I can't even find the Serial commands to try talk to it via serial connection.

I really hope I can get this working as I do want to add it to my home assistant for monitoring.

@Wicard

I did a bit more digging around this, but I sold my unit to purchase Revo units which supported parallel mode natively. But, it's not necessarily using RS232 and could be using modbus. I know there was a setting for the modbus node ID under the settings of the inverter. Unfortunately not much more I can do with out a unit around. :-(

@ShaunCro

Yeah I have tried this, on the RS232 port as the modbus id for the WiFi Plug pro is set to 1 on setting 25 on inverter , I tried setup the software that could do modbus with same settings ID 1 etc... but no avail , I will try again another day as I'm waiting for ESP D1 Wemos and ttl (max3232) to see if I can do it that way. As far as I have it the RS232 does not need TTL when connecting strait to PC as the levels should be the same , the WiFi dongle have a MAX3232 as it does need to be ttl level , but yeah I have tried all the ways from strait RS232 , FTDI UART , FTDI TTL , even my own TTL level converter I've build for ESP communication..

I might have found a way to add my ECCO 5,5Kw to home assistance , there is a bit of work to do and also a lot of trial and error.

I bought a USB to RS485 converter and make use of an app om Windows called " Radzio Modbus Master Simulator " to get the addresses used for this ECCO Inverter, The only issue is to find out what each address does and or mean.

With many hours playing around I think I found 6 addresses ,  inserting the addresses into home assistant it gave me numbers and this numbers changed when I draw more power and or switched of the panels and grid.

Now it's time for more playing to find more data.

Just changing the subject a bit .

This ECCO inverter has one main issue and was wondering if any has a update software that has fixed this issue .

In battery type lithium the highest the setting soc back to utility can be set to is 50% so in SBU  mode if it switches to grid at 50% then only leaving 30% to 35% battery for load shedding or power failure this is not going to work .

It would work perfectly if I could set it to switch over at say 80% every night .

Hopefully someone has a patch to fix this  stupid problem that will make me dump this inverter and get something else . 

Not sure where to get the firmware to update this, I have not even tested my 5.5kw on battery as I'm in the process of searching for a Lithium but still not sure what to get.

I have been emailing eccosolar.co.za for info but 5 emails in and no reply yet.. PATHETIC , I'm looking for the Modbus Register mapping for this inverter.

 

But will keep my eyes and ears open..

I gave up on my earlier quest due to time and work issues. Nice to see @Wicard you have made some progress. I think this weekend I will pull everything out again and have another stab at it and see if I can assist in any way reversing what's coming out of these inverters?

I have tried support (even through some Chinese contacts directly through to the manufacturer without so much as a return email to date).

Starting again from scratch, but, have all the hardware to mess around still, let me get connecting.

@4ChordMonty , Yea I can't even find the manufacturer , all I get is South African info on this ECCO's , maybe if you still have the Chinese details I will also give it a go.
I have found with trial and error a few Modbus Register adresses but there should be a lot more, but we need the register mapping. I'm wondering if the 3.5Kw have the same addresses.

This is what I have found thus far. ( all marked green ) the others are calculation sensors, and the grid gets switched off until 16:00.

OK, here is 'n little gift for everyone that needs the info,

I finally got hold of someone at ECCO and he shared the details with me, the original is Chines and I have Google Translated the other file.

 

Enjoy.

ECCO Inverter Modbus Info_Translated.pdf ECCO Inverter Modbus Info_CH.pdf

On 2024/05/24 at 12:55 PM, Wicard said:

OK, here is 'n little gift for everyone that needs the info,

I finally got hold of someone at ECCO and he shared the details with me, the original is Chines and I have Google Translated the other file.

 

Enjoy.

ECCO Inverter Modbus Info_Translated.pdf 1.27 MB · 7 downloads ECCO Inverter Modbus Info_CH.pdf 763.95 kB · 4 downloads

Nice thank .

This ECCO inverter great apart from one issue that will make me replace this inverter with an luxpower . 

50% is to low leaving not much through the night for power failure or load shedding if you only have one lithium 

You guys are a-freaking-mazing.

 

I salute you for your time, efforts and ingeniuty!

I'm a total HA noob, and have not yet taught myself any python, but will doubtlessly return here to integrate my inverters better.

I now have:

Goodwe ES5048 as main, with ~6 kW PV (One string Longi, one CS) and ~30 kWh BYD

on one of the non-esential loads from the ES: an Ecco 5.5 with 5.2 kWh Ecco battery and ~2.2 kW CS PV

on another of the non-essential loads from the ES: a Rizzen 5 kW with 5 kWh Rizzen battery (I'll need for a ship to come in to add PV here, but that would probably allow me to address ~30 of the 40% of my electricity not covered by the ES)

I have installed an integration for the Goodwe on my HA, and it works OK (via network).

I'd like to do the same for the Rizzen and Ecco. The Rizzen looks suspiciosly similar to the Ecco, although the settings are slightly different. I think the Ecco is actually the more configurable of the two.

I was given the Ecco system, and I've not yet managed a way to get the wi-fi dongle/logger re-assigned to my own email address to be able to access anything via the ESS app, but the Rizzen one went quite smoothly.

Do you guys know if I would be able to access the smaller/cheaper inverters via their wi-fi connections, or would I need to lay cables? Sorry if this is a very un-educated question.

If you would rather point me at a place where I can properly educate myself first I'd also much appreciate it!

As to the dream I aspire to:

In the end it would be great to colate the inverters' data in HA, and build some logic in there that can swith things on and off to optimise energy harvested. I also have an Emporia on most of the main loads - so that information I would like to also use. The three solar geysers already have 'Tuya boards'.

Feeding back into the grid is definitely not woth it for me - I'd rather use excess energy to swith on borehole pumps, eventually automating the valves that use my booster pump to supply water to te house and use less municipal water when I have excess electricity, fill my pool, switch on aircons, extend or reduce pool pump running time (solar heating panels being the main reason to deviate from minimum hours - there is a 50mm diaphram valve ready to do duty on the heating system itself when I eventally get around to properly utilising HA) etc.

Cheers!

hello guys am new here and i have a pending issues i need your assistance with, i have the (Hybrid Inverter 24v 3.5 Kva 3500w MPPT 100A Inverter Pure Sine Wave - Ecco) and it has been displaying an error ( t l )

this error (t l) comes with a loud continues beeping sound, after checking out online help desks i found it means transformer load,

i need assistance on how to resolve this.

On 2025/07/17 at 9:49 AM, macelino said:

hello guys am new here and i have a pending issues i need your assistance with, i have the (Hybrid Inverter 24v 3.5 Kva 3500w MPPT 100A Inverter Pure Sine Wave - Ecco) and it has been displaying an error ( t l )

this error (t l) comes with a loud continues beeping sound, after checking out online help desks i found it means transformer load,

i need assistance on how to resolve this.

Hi, I don't have the 3.5Kw but this is what I found in AI , maybe you have found this too, but hope it can help.

The Ecco 3.5kW inverter error code "t l" typically indicates a low voltage issue, specifically with the battery. This could be due to the battery voltage being too low for the inverter to operate correctly.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Possible Causes:

Low Battery Voltage:

The battery may not be fully charged or may be unable to hold a sufficient charge.

Faulty Battery:

There could be a problem with the battery itself, such as a failing cell or a general defect.

Incorrect Battery Settings:

The inverter might be configured with incorrect voltage settings for the connected battery.

Wiring Issues:

Loose or faulty wiring connections between the battery and the inverter can also cause voltage drops.

Load Issues:

Excessive load on the inverter can also cause the battery voltage to drop below the required level.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Check the Battery:

Ensure the battery is properly connected and the terminals are clean and tight.

Use a multimeter to measure the battery voltage directly. If it's below the recommended level for your inverter, try charging the battery or consider replacing it if it's old or faulty.

2. Verify Inverter Settings:

Consult the inverter's manual to check the correct battery voltage settings for your specific model.

Make sure the inverter is configured to match the battery's voltage specifications.

3. Inspect Wiring:

Carefully examine the wiring connections between the battery and the inverter for any signs of damage or loose connections.

Ensure that the wiring is properly sized for the current and voltage requirements.

4. Reduce Load:

If you have a heavy load connected to the inverter, try disconnecting some appliances to see if the voltage stabilizes.

5. Consult a Professional:

If you're unable to resolve the issue, it's best to contact a qualified solar installer or electrician for assistance.

6. Reset the Inverter:

Try turning off the inverter, disconnecting the battery, and then reconnecting everything after a few minutes. This can sometimes clear minor errors.

Important Notes:

Always prioritize safety when working with electrical systems. If you're uncomfortable with any of the troubleshooting steps, consult a professional.

Refer to your specific inverter's manual for detailed instructions and error code explanations.