Victron Energy VEDirect Bluetooth

Feature Requests
85

I have the following (Using Olimex’s PoE esp32):

esphome:
  name: vrs_olmx_esp32eth_a
  platform: ESP32
  board: esp32-poe

ethernet:
  type: LAN8720
  mdc_pin: GPIO23
  mdio_pin: GPIO18
  clk_mode: GPIO17_OUT
  phy_addr: 0
  power_pin: GPIO12


# Enable logging
logger:
  level: VERBOSE #makes UART stream available in esphome logstream
  baud_rate: 0 #disable logging over UART channel but not over NW/USB

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:

ota:

#fall back AP
#ap
  #ssid:
  #password:
#Sensors

binary_sensor:

  - platform: gpio
    name: "vrs_olmx_esp32eth_a_MAU_DrlInd"
    #device_class: light
#    icon: "mdi-car-parking-lights"
    pin:
      number: GPIO35
      #inverted: True
      mode: INPUT_PULLDOWN
#------------------------------------------------------------------


switch:

  - platform: gpio
    name: "vrs_olmx_esp32eth_a_SpkrCbn_ArdSysSEL"
    id: G13
    icon: "mdi:apple-keyboard-option"
    interlock: [G16]
    interlock_wait_time: 350ms
    restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF
    pin:
      number: GPIO13
86

Thanks! My gpio pins were incorrect, and was using the wrong platform. Thanks for the help!

87

Is there a way instead of using WiFi for the data transfer to HA, to use Zigbee or Bluetooth on the ESP? I have yet to work with these devices. I am trying to set this up in my camper and would like something that is not relying on WiFi as I don’t always have it turned on.

88

Hi @KinDR
Many thanks for this - it’s really awesome!

I currently have a Smart Shunt Hooked up to my ESP32 and getting great data- Thanks!
I purchased the additional battery temperature sensor which connects into the Smart Shunt via the AUX input and was wondering if you could assist in getting this data into HA?

89

Has anyone got this working via the Bluetooth build into the Vitron?

SO Ble dongle in the pie / host and then connect directly using BLE?

1 Like
90

Hello has anyone been able to get this running on ESP32 with ethernet such as WT32-ETH01? I would really like to have ethernet instead of WiFI. It looks like it will take some tweaking to the code. I was able to get everything working on an ESP8266 with a Victrorn MPPT 75/10! I have been working on small solar systems where where every W/h matters. I already have an ethernet switch in the system so I would like to avoid adding WiFi.

91

now with the latest home assistant and esp32 bluetooth proxy i would like to know is it possible to read Victron energy solar chargers via bluetooth into home assistant? I have towers with solar powered lights and security cameras and i would love to monitor the charge controller somehow via BT remotely.

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92

I tried with a VE Direct Dongle and couldn’t pick anything up. I have a couple of Victron devices coming in the post for a new job with the built in Bluetooth, see if that works.

I do currently successfully monitor the devices via the esp solution and HA or just enable the webserver on the esp and monitor via http on teltonikas 4g RMS portal

93

my charge controllers have Bluetooth but my sites are further away from home assistant, however i could use ESP32 Bluetooth proxy. I wonder once i see the device in Home Assistant via Bluetooth proxy can i actually read the values? Or does it need some pairing to HA? If anyone made it work with Bluetooth proxy please share the setup here. It would be awesome use case for the latest Bluetooth proxy addon to HA. How to turn an ESP32 board into a Bluetooth proxy for Home Assistant | ESPHome Bluetooth Proxies - YouTube

94

Hello
I have managed to get the esp32 board to work with @KinDR add on. Thank You for this . It will allow me to do many automations. I will be buying you some coffee :slight_smile: .

Quick question is there a way we could use the VEdirect to USB cable with this ? I realise you wont have the wireless capability but for someone that is doing a mobile home I can imagine there will be some cases were wifi is not needed. Link for cable below

Ve Direct to USB cable

95

If you have esp32 then most likely you are already using WiFi.
I am going to test the WT32-ETH01 module (which connects with Ethernet cable) with this also targeting to have no-WiFi environment.
So, if the target it to avoid WiFi this will be the solution to use.

The VEdirect to USB cable can also help but as much as I understand the solution, you would have to connect it to your “main” machine (Raspberry or whatever you have) and have software on it to work via USB - which is not the case here…

96

My Pie is very close to my Victron equipment its in the same panel.

1 Like
97

I’m wondering if anyone has tried to get this to work with the TBD-SmartShunt (Amazon.com). Apparently it was available for $60 a couple of weeks ago on Amazon ($83 currently), so I’m waiting for the price to drop again. (Also might be available here at some point: https://www.tumblevd.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=55)

I read somewhere that someone contacted the manufacturer about the “UART.Connect” (same as VE.Direct?) port and they said it isn’t being used currently, but I haven’t seen anyone actually confirm this. I’m also wondering if the TBD-SmartShunt could be loaded with the latest Victron SmartShunt firmware (assuming it isn’t already) since they look identical. Supposedly the TBD-SmartShunt is recognized by the Victron Connect app. The Bluetooth range of the TBD-SmartShunt is better than the Victron SmartShunt according to some videos on YouTube.

Secondly, I’m wondering what would be involved in changing the esphome code to use mqtt instead of the esphome api. I am looking at an installation in my camper which is not at my house (where my home assistant is) but it does have wifi access. I’m guessing the esphome api would not work from a remote location.

For my particular use case I am looking for a way to monitor battery percentage remotely and also toggle on (or hold off) charging of my progressive dynamics lithium charger (PD9145ALV) using the remote pendant which has the ability to force charge or idle (could connect to gpio on an esp8266 to accomplish this). All this to ensure I keep my battery below 70 percent charge when not in use for a while (to help battery aging) and then start the battery charging a few hours before heading out on a trip. I already have the renogy 500a shunt battery monitor and it works well, but would need more serious hacking to get data off of it over and over wifi.

Thanks,
Jason

98

Thanks for all the work so far.
Did somebody already try to tap into the BT GATT with esphome as BT client?

99

While waiting for esphome to implement BLE bonding, I hooked up my SmartShunt via cable.

Apparently my SmartShunt has the following Pins:


┌─── ─────── ────┐
│                │
│ O   O   O    O │
|VCC  TX  RX GND │
└────────────────┘

@KinDR thanks for the work!

100

@rlm ello why did you connected also the D8, on Esp8266? What appen if you disconnect the D8? thank you

101

is this possible to run two victron mppt and the bmv all at same time from a esp32?

i have already got the esp32 to run my two mppt 250/85 and 250/75 at the same time, all im intested in is just watts and amps and volts other sensors i have no interest in.

is it possible to set up a 3rd uart and run the bmv712 off the same esp32 as my mppt’s

thanks

102

Yesterday connected ESP8266 to MPPT 100 30 and it worked perfect from the very first time!
Connected only Tx from Victron to ESP D& GPIO (however ESPHome forced me to use GPIO13 in the yaml file instead of D7 - maybe this is new version requirement…). Since my ESP8266 is powered from the battery charged by Victron I only connected Tx wire.
So thank you very much @KinDR - I owe you a cofee (of few) - how can I do it ?

Also one question if the “external_components:” in yaml file needs to be there all the time or only for firts time instalation (or updates) ?

Thank you one more time !

103

Hi, I’m very happy to hear that. if you want to contribute to the development, currently only via paypal user jiri.betunak(at)gmail.com or click below to buy me some coffee Thanks

1 Like
104

Hi , yes it is possible connect original cable to raspberry pi or other HA server and use this integrationhttps://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/serial/