VRM updates

[xsilvergs]

I've not seen anyone else mention this. Victron's VRM now has the Node-Red dashboard in the menu.

Allowing remote control of many items connected to your GX device.

If you should try Node-Red and get to the point where it asks for certificates, I selected Deny.

Victron may cover this on their webinar on the 15th December 2021.

 

[wildebus]

I noticed that. It looks like you can also get to the NodeRed Dashboard without a certificate via the link, but the setup part still won't work on any of my Android devices due to the certificate issue (which I won't go into here!).

But at least you can set things up on a computer initially and then use the dashboard on a mobile device which is handy.

 

[xsilvergs]

I noticed that. It looks like you can also get to the NodeRed Dashboard without a certificate via the link, but the setup part still won't work on any of my Android devices due to the certificate issue (which I won't go into here!).

But at least you can set things up on a computer initially and then use the dashboard on a mobile device which is handy.

Your big chance to get an answer.

Event - Recent VRM improvements - Open Webinar - Victron Professional

victronenergy.us13.list-manage.com

 

[st3v3]

It's not on mine, is that because I'm RPi?

 

[xsilvergs]

It's not on mine, is that because I'm RPi?

No. I use an RPi, you need to install the "Large Image" on your RPi to get Node-Red . Google Victron GX large image.

 

[wildebus]

No. I use an RPi, you need to install the "Large Image" on your RPi to get Node-Red . Google Victron GX large image.

And once you install the Large Image, you can switch between the Large and Normal versions quite easily.

Hopefully Victron will extend their Node Library so as well as being able to report on devices, you will be able to CONTROL more aspects of the devices (ideally being able to control parameters in a similar way that VE.Connect can).
Key Example .... LOAD output on the MPPT Controllers. You can via Node-Red monitor the LOAD current, but you are not able to enable or disable the LOAD output in any way via Node-Red (or VRM for that matter. You have to use a totally seperate interface - VE.Connect - still for that).

 

[xsilvergs]

And once you install the Large Image, you can switch between the Large and Normal versions quite easily.

Hopefully Victron will extend their Node Library so as well as being able to report on devices, you will be able to CONTROL more aspects of the devices (ideally being able to control parameters in a similar way that VE.Connect can).
Key Example .... LOAD output on the MPPT Controllers. You can via Node-Red monitor the LOAD current, but you are not able to enable or disable the LOAD output in any way via Node-Red (or VRM for that matter. You have to use a totally seperate interface - VE.Connect - still for that).

The fact you can't change many functions, like LOAD as you mention, via mqtt is a little annoying. Not being able to grab temperature from the Smart Battery Sense is another annoyance.

 

[wildebus]

The fact you can't change many functions, like LOAD as you mention, via mqtt is a little annoying. Not being able to grab temperature from the Smart Battery Sense is another annoyance.

Would you think that is a simple limitation of the Node Red module created and they (or someone else) could resolve this? or is it a product limitation?
Thoughts?

 

[xsilvergs]

Would you think that is a simple limitation of the Node Red module created and they (or someone else) could resolve this? or is it a product limitation?
Thoughts?

I think the limitation is the registers that Victron allow us the write to in their devices.

 

[PeteS]

It is annoying that you cannot see the networked temperature however I added two homemade temperature sensors to the RaspPi and it will display them on VRM, havent tried Node Red.
This got me round the VRMs inability to display internal temps so one is connected to the battery and the other to cabin air temp.

 

[xsilvergs]

It is annoying that you cannot see the networked temperature however I added two homemade temperature sensors to the RaspPi and it will display them on VRM, havent tried Node Red.
This got me round the VRMs inability to display internal temps so one is connected to the battery and the other to cabin air temp.

That's one way.

I have had all the ADC, Temp and Relays enabled on the RPi in the past. It all got s bit tight for space in my set up so removed it.

For a wire-free (almost) temperature monitoring I used a WeMos D1 mini with two temp sensors. The D1 communicated with Node-Red over mqtt WiFi and sent SMS and eMail alerts. Temperatures and alerts are visible in VRM.

 

[MarkJ]

Victron's VRM now has the Node-Red dashboard

Not on mine, it doesn't. Do you need to refresh in some way? I noticed VRM didn't work for a day, presumably while they were doing the update, but it looks the same now as before....

 

[wildebus]

It is annoying that you cannot see the networked temperature however I added two homemade temperature sensors to the RaspPi and it will display them on VRM, havent tried Node Red.
This got me round the VRMs inability to display internal temps so one is connected to the battery and the other to cabin air temp.

I am not sure the "VRMs inability to display internal temps" is quite accurate? It is more a limitation of not having the VE.SmartNetwork not being a part of the Venus OS system. The SBS is not a suitable unit when used in a Venus system as it is not just a matter of displaying information, it is actually using the information within the system. If you have SmartNetworking enabled you cannot use STS, SVS, or SCS.

 

[wildebus]

Not on mine, it doesn't. Do you need to refresh in some way? I noticed VRM didn't work for a day, presumably while they were doing the update, but it looks the same now as before....

You need to install the OS Large image on your Venus GX

See this - https://www.victronenergy.com/live/venus-os:large

 

[MarkJ]

Right. As it happens I'm already signed up to that Victron seminar. I can't see any changes at all to the guts of VRM so maybe the seminar is telling us what's going to happen.

 

[st3v3]

It is annoying that you cannot see the networked temperature however I added two homemade temperature sensors to the RaspPi and it will display them on VRM, havent tried Node Red.
This got me round the VRMs inability to display internal temps so one is connected to the battery and the other to cabin air temp.

Do you have an idiot proof "How to", or better still please take my money and post me things that work lol. I currently have the Pi set-up and working well monitoring BMV/Multiplus/MPPT

 

[wildebus]

Something that I *think* people need to be aware of when playing around with Node-Red ....

When you setup the various connections and "deploy" them, they are then live and active all the time the Venus OS device (Venus GX, Cerbo, RPi, etc) is running the OS Large firmware. So if you are experimenting with some settings and then close the Node-Red interface, those are still live, and your system may not be working as you expect.

I've recently found my Multiplus has been changing state by itself. Couldn't work out what was going on or why, but in the last couple of days, it twigged! I've had my batteries disconnected to do some testing on them (I like to periodically separate all the batteries in a parallel bank to individually check them, but that is a different topic), and in the process the Cerbo has inevitably rebooted a few times as power was lost.
I have a little setup in Node-Red to change the state of the Multiplus easily (instead of having to go through the Remote Console and drill down a few pages). Screenshot is below and I click the coloured box for the mode I want and the text below confirms the change

I forgot I had set a default Switch Position in the routine. As per the bottom line ... 'The initial value is sent to the device whenever the node is deployed.' So each time the Cerbo restarted, the Multiplus reverted to Inverter Only.

I also was playing around yesterday with a routine turning off the Multiplus once the Battery SOC hit a set value (doing a specific charge routine) and when that was enabled ('deployed'), I found I could not turn the Multiplus back on at all once the SOC was above the value. Whatever I did, this live routine would then override the setting and turn it off again.

So just a word of warning .... When you try Node-Red, nearly in the words of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movie .... "Remember where you parked", especially when things start working differently.

I need to go and update my question on the Victron Community asking why my Multiplus is changing state by itself

 

[xsilvergs]

For those interested in trying Node-Red, the flows are in tabs, individual tabs can be enabled or disabled by double clicking the tab (on my Chromebook) in question and selecting the radio button in the bottom left hand corner. The tab below "Battery_Temp" is Disabled. The same can be done with individual nodes. Don't forget to click Done and Deploy to save your changes.

 

[SquirrellCook]

There becomes a point when you are too clever for your own good. Keep it simple.

 

[xsilvergs]

There becomes a point when you are too clever for your own good. Keep it simple.

I am Simple , or they said I was at school . If I was clever I wouldn't start 90% of the things I do.

I guess what I was trying to say in my previous post was, if it doesn't work, don't despair, don't delete it, just Disable it and have a go another day.