Open source monitor for Morningstar

jepefe
jepefe Registered Users Posts: 3
Do not know if is the correct forum but I would like to introduce the solar production monitor that I have developed.

For now only works for Morningstar MPPT.

It is open source software and you can see it in action here:
http://www.jeperez.com/monitor-solar/

Source code and installation instructions:

http://www.jeperez.com/monitor-solar-instalacion-codigo-fuente/

Sorry, the website is in Spanish.

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar

    Welcome to the forum.

    I'm going to try this out in Solar Product Review & Opinions because it looks like you're asking for input, which is a good thing.

    There's at least a couple of forum members who live in Spain who may be able to read the web site in its native language.

    Best of luck for your product!

    :D

    I stickied this post for now to get more feedback on it
    -- Windsun
  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar

    Hi Jepefe, and welcome to the forum. As you already know, I think your software looks great, now I just need to find a router and the time to install it :)

    On the other forum you mentioned that you've added the ability to control wireless relays based on the values from the morningstar, could you tell us a bit more about that? Can everything be controlled from a single openwrt router without the need to use any additional servers/devices ?
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar

    I belive Solar Guppy has some MS monitor sw on his site too - http://www.solarguppy.com
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar
    mike90045 wrote: »
    I believe Solar Guppy has some MS monitor sw on his site too - http://www.solarguppy.com

    Looks like his web site is for sale. Too bad :(

    "solarguppy.com is For Sale for $499!"
  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar
    Looks like his web site is for sale. Too bad :(

    "solarguppy.com is For Sale for $499!"

    FRaQing Squatters !!!!
  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar

    His site is: http://www.solar-guppy.com/ and the software requires a full blown windows computer.
  • jepefe
    jepefe Registered Users Posts: 3
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar

    Hi!

    I know there are other monitors but I wanted to present the software I developed as I understand it might be interesting for some people.
    One advantage is that it is open source and you can modify to suit your needs.

    Stephen,
    do you know you can use the monitor connecting the TriStar directly to the Internet without OpenWRT router? Although I prefer to use the router to isolate the regulator d

    About what I said in another forum about the relays, is still under development. Tests have worked well but I'm redesigning to make it cheaper, I estimate it will cost to make 13 € for each slave and 10 € for the only master that must be connected to the router, now also has the advantage that the communication is bidirectional and can know the true state "wireless relay." It remains to be developed but the idea is you can check the weather forecast and act activating or deactivating consumption.

    It will be open hardware and open source.
  • jepefe
    jepefe Registered Users Posts: 3
    Re: Open source monitor for Morningstar
    Welcome to the forum.

    I'm going to try this out in Solar Product Review & Opinions because it looks like you're asking for input, which is a good thing.

    There's at least a couple of forum members who live in Spain who may be able to read the web site in its native language.

    Best of luck for your product!

    :D

    I stickied this post for now to get more feedback on it
    -- Windsun

    Hi Cariboocoot
    I had not read, thanks for stick the post!
  • hkalan
    hkalan Registered Users Posts: 1
    Hello,

    The biggest problem for me, is that I only have Apple computers.

    I have two TS-60 Mppt's that have a 1,200w 24v array to each MPPT. Two 600w 3-phase wind turbines rectified to 24v DC connected directly to the main battery bus bar to assure the turbines are always under load, and three TS-60 PWM's in diversion mode to assure my bank never over-charges in my single system. I am using the MeterBus hub's for the remote monitor, as well as four RSC-1 so I can connect all controllers from RS-232 to EIA-485 into one TS-60 MPPT to use the Ethernet.

    I simply want to see the battery bank SOC. All the solar charging amps coming in, and what is being diverted. In real time, and over time.

    It is so frustrating that I have all this kit, and I can only use a Microsoft Windows computer with MSview to see only one controller at a time, download files into a spreadsheet, and then see what happened... There has to be some easier and convenient way to monitor a system with more then one Morningstar controller. I am a DIY person (limited computer language knowledge), and can't see paying some company to remote monitor my system to get the accumulated data this is inside the hardware I already own !!

    Alan
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do you know the -60 MPPT's have a web server inside each ?  hook them to a wireless router, and you can use any browser to monitor their activity.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • PropTStar32
    PropTStar32 Registered Users Posts: 1
    edited December 2016 #12
    hkalan said:
    Hello,

    The biggest problem for me, is that I only have Apple computers.

    I have two TS-60 Mppt's that have a 1,200w 24v array to each MPPT. Two 600w 3-phase wind turbines rectified to 24v DC connected directly to the main battery bus bar to assure the turbines are always under load, and three TS-60 PWM's in diversion mode to assure my bank never over-charges in my single system. I am using the MeterBus hub's for the remote monitor, as well as four RSC-1 so I can connect all controllers from RS-232 to EIA-485 into one TS-60 MPPT to use the Ethernet.

    I simply want to see the battery bank SOC. All the solar charging amps coming in, and what is being diverted. In real time, and over time.

    It is so frustrating that I have all this kit, and I can only use a Microsoft Windows computer with MSview to see only one controller at a time, download files into a spreadsheet, and then see what happened... There has to be some easier and convenient way to monitor a system with more then one Morningstar controller. I am a DIY person (limited computer language knowledge), and can't see paying some company to remote monitor my system to get the accumulated data this is inside the hardware I already own !!

    Alan
    If you're a DIY person, there are a number of ways you can monitor multiple Morningstar Tristar TS-MPPT-60 units.  You can, as mentioned above, connect them to Ethernet, but you'll still have to log into two separate controllers.  However, if you have experience with Arduino/Basic Stamp/Microchip PIC/Parallax Propeller or any other related microprocessor platform, it's relatively trivial to wire up several RS-232 cables from the MPPT units to the microprocessor, have it read the MPPTs, and do pretty much anything you want with the resulting data.  It could send the data to your Mac via serial-to-USB converter, log it for storage, display it on a cheap LCD screen, etc. 

    Me personally, instead of buying a $100 Morningstar Tristar meter to see what was going on, I just made my own with a Parallax Propeller and VGA touchscreen...easy does it for about $30!  I am more than willing to share the "Spin" source code for the Propeller if anyone's interested in making their own display unit.  The TS-MPPT-60 uses the MODBUS communication protocol over RS-232 @ 9600bps (8 bits, 1 stop bit), which is standard, and a piece of cake for most microcontrollers to handle.  (Code in this screenshot not quite finished: solar temperature/percentage are placeholders.  Note that the MPPT does not update the "max power point sweep" registers if it's not in Bulk mode.  I still haven't figured out how output wattage can be higher than input wattage, though!)


  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You can use the web server in each MPPT-60, to monitor via a browser, on a computer.  You will need MS View for firmware updates.  But you can use MS view over the web interface to download the log files.   I have mine hooked into a wireless router, and from my office, I can monitor the battery state.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,