Home Assistant

[Paulatthornwood5]

I trying to get my Foxx inverter setup on home assistant. using the HACS istallation.

I have Vonets wifi bridge set up in the LAN socket and its IP shows up on my network.

However when trying to intergate the inverter using the IP then get this message.


FoxESS - Modbus
Set up your adapter by following the instructions at https://github.com/nathanmarlor/foxess_ ... o-Inverter.

Unable to connect to your inverter. Make sure the connection details are correct and try again. Details: Connection to (192.168.0.96, 502) failed: [Errno 111] Connection refused; Connection to (192.168.0.96, 502) failed: [Errno 111] Connection refused
Inverter hostname / IP address
192.168.0.96
Inverter slave ID
247
This can be set from Settings -> Communication in the inverter menu

[Dave Foster]

Can you check your inverter firmware versions, the latest version disables the ethernet port and the only way to connect is via an RS485 converter.

You can see you firmware versions in the app, or at the inverter panel, in About, Inv Ver

Assuming the firmware you have works with ethernet, have you enabled the ethernet port, Settings, Feature, Ethernet (set to DHCP), the first time you do that it will restart and update it’s IP address and when it has started you’ll be able to see it’s IP address in About, IP Addr - this is the IP address you use in the Foxess modbus integration.

[Paulatthornwood5]

Thanks appriciate the reply

According to my app
Master Version 1.63
Slave Version 1.02
Manager Version 1.41

I had read the version that diabled the Ethernet port was launched in December'22, my inverter was installed November'22 and unaware any firmware has been updated. Also read something on some site about this but then read that the newest firmware reverse the the disabling of the Ethernet Port.

Really like to not rely on the app as find it lags far too much, or the site is down just when I need it. Although the app It still usefull when not at home so nice to keep with but with Home Assistant working.

Will have a look at the settings to see if i can get to an IP address.

Any other suggestion or advice would be good.

[Dave Foster]

You should be ok with those versions, the ethernet port was removed in 1.52 and re-instated around 1.56 but it has been removed again in 1.70 and Foxess have confirmed it won’t be re-instated (the RS485 will be the only supported interface from 1.70 on).

There have been some issues reported with inverters freezing when using ethernet which is why it was removed, but many people have been using it without issues - as long as you can get your ethernet enabled and showing an IP address in the panel - enter that IP address in the integration and you should be good to go.

[Paulatthornwood5]

Thanks for the help and the information on the versions. I will keep plugging away at it now that I am certain it should be possible. I did see a video interview with some guy from Fox saying that when the updated app is launch there will be a feature to udate the firmware to the latest version but as far as i am concerned if I get this work then nothing will need fixing.
Hopefully by time I do need a firmware update they will make the app more responsive and stable. Obviously the promissed 60second refresh will be a big help.
But at least the current app being so poor has spark my interest in intergrations with home assistant, and as I have so much other cloud based smart things it has wetted my apitite for getting it all working on one dashboard.

If you could point me to any info on what i need and how to install the RS485 hardware i would be grateful. Seems plenty of tutorisals on getting it set up on home assistant but little on what hardware and how to wire into inverter and get signal to router..

Cheers

[Dave Foster]

If you get the RS485 version working, you will have almost complete local control of the inverter - setting charge perios, minsocs, work mode as well as many near real-time sensors.
This is the home assistant integration for it, and i’ve linked you to the wiki page that covers the various types of hardware you can use and how you go about installing it. https://github.com/nathanmarlor/foxess_modbus/wiki

[Paulatthornwood5]

thanks, seen a few options and I assume a usb to RS485 device would be best as would want to take power from the inverter as no power socket near the location, but seen nothing that tells me what i wire into this device. Obviously the male USB goes in the inverter but what do i wire into the other end, seems to be a block connector at opposite end for 3 wire to be wired in. cant find example of what connects to this.

[Paulatthornwood5]

looked at Ethernet IP and it seems to be 000.000.000.000 but not sure if its wanting me to put some value in this, submask is set to 255.255.255.0 or 225.225.225.0 cant remember which. so no further forward on that.

[Paulatthornwood5]

SUCCESS!

I did not realise I had to add the mac and and assign a static IP to my router. once I did that then entered the IP into my inverter it connected and populated the energy dashboard

Apriciate all the help. Thanks

[calum]

thanks, seen a few options and I assume a usb to RS485 device would be best as would want to take power from the inverter as no power socket near the location, but seen nothing that tells me what i wire into this device. Obviously the male USB goes in the inverter but what do i wire into the other end, seems to be a block connector at opposite end for 3 wire to be wired in. cant find example of what connects to this.

Other way around - the USB plugs into the computer, the terminals are used to connect to one end of a cable that is in turn connected to the RS485 terminals of your inverter.

See https://github.com/nathanmarlor/foxess_ ... ring-Guide for (lots!) more details.

[Paulatthornwood5]

Ah so that wouls mean hard wired to a pc so not a viable option.

I did get it working on the Lan for about 8hours but its seemed to have become unavailabe at about 8am this morning and not connected to HA since. Checke inverter and all the ip setting still in there and still seton DHCP reserved list on router.

Just when ithought i had got it working.

[Paulatthornwood5]

looks like while it was connected the Manager Version have changed to 1.7 does this mean its stuffed??

[Dave Foster]

looks like while it was connected the Manager Version have changed to 1.7 does this mean its stuffed??

Hmmm… it sounds like your installer has pushed out a firmware upgrade, if it’s now on 1.7 so yes it’s stuffed, sadly a lot of people have fallen down this black hole - the better news is you can now set force discharge in the app.

If you get yourself a raspberry pi 4 or win NUC off ebay, install home assistant and connect by RS485 you’ll be back on.

[Paulatthornwood5]

I was already able to set the two forced charge periods by the app. Obviously when the server is not down or the connection is not down. Not sure my installer would have upgrade the firmware as they were not that switched on. Installing wrong breakers, CT clamps on wrong way round and left me without any power in the house the next day. If they did know what they were doing I may have invited them to get the modbus intergration up and running.

I assume because it became connected to wifi then fox upgrade the firmware. Is there a way to block anf future firmwar upgrades?

Just a little annoying as had bought a usb-wifi bridge and spent 3 or 4 evenings just getting it intergrated and finally working.

I guess its reinforce the need to have this run on home assistant and not at the mercy of Fox Ess to their arbitary stuff to when the system works fine without consent. Guess they need to remember this is the UK and not China so should not force alterations to systems people have bought and paid. for and are perfectly happy with.

I have ordered RS485-Wifi device so will start the process again.

[calum]

Is there a way to block anf future firmwar upgrades?

You can disconnect the dongle from the inverter (or just block it from the Wifi). This will stop the website / app from working, which you may or may not care about.

its reinforce the need to have this run on home assistant and not at the mercy of Fox Ess to their arbitary stuff to when the system works fine

If Fox go out of business / get bought up / some sort of internet dispute between China and RoW stops you accessing their servers, you'll be glad you've got it under local control. Other than firmware updates, I don't use any of the Fox tools at all. They are trying reasonably hard to develop ther firmware to keep up with the likes of GivEnergy though, so I think it's worth retaining the ability to update your firmware if you need to, though.

a little annoying as had bought a usb-wifi bridge and spent 3 or 4 evenings just getting it intergrated and finally working

A lot of that work is not wasted, as the same data will be available over the RS485 connection. Also - it's just more stable and more capable, so in the long run it's the right decision, but I appreciate how your experience up to now will have been frustrating.

[Paulatthornwood5]

Just recieved my RS584 to wifi link (Elfin-EW11A). No instruction came with the unit but have managed to dig around the internet and have got my wifi network set up on it,. But not sure if correct. Should it be set up as STA, AP or AP+STA?

[Dave Foster]

Just recieved my RS584 to wifi link (Elfin-EW11A). No instruction came with the unit but have managed to dig around the internet and have got my wifi network set up on it,. But not sure if correct. Should it be set up as STA, AP or AP+STA?

Have a look on the integration page in the Wiki, lots of information there - this is the Elfin page https://github.com/nathanmarlor/foxess_ ... Elfin-EW11

[Paulatthornwood5]

Thanks. Now I recall seeing that but must have sorgotten while I was waiting for the device to arrive. That most helpful and should be now set up just waiting for a chance over xmas to get it connected.