A Forum run by Enthusiasts of MidNite Solar

The Open Source software/hardware corner => Arduino => Topic started by: WillEert on November 02, 2020, 10:24:35 PM

Title: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: WillEert on November 02, 2020, 10:24:35 PM
I spent my summer building a building and then installing another 6KW of panels on it's roof.  2.4Kw go to a hybrid air source mini split heat pump and 3.6Kw come into the house. The charge controller for the house array is a Classic 200. I got the power room wiring finished today and had the 3.6 producing power to the system.  Yay!! So I tried to get an Arduino RX and TX to the 200. This should not be a problem I thought. But it is. The Arduino does not talk to the 200. The setup will talk to the other two Classic 150's but not to the 200. Maybe Midnite has changed the pinouts?? or maybe I am just missing something...... All  ideas welcome.
Thanks.
Will
Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: ClassicCrazy on November 02, 2020, 10:50:39 PM
It isn't a Classic SL model is it ?
Although I think those still  have serial interfaces.
Does that Classic 200 have an MNGP ? if it does and you move it to the other jack and it works then it has to have serial output right ?

Larry
Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: WillEert on November 03, 2020, 09:45:45 AM
Hi Larry,

Thank you for this reply. After reading your reply I tried plugging the MNGP into the centre RJ11 port. It worked just fine. The Classic is not a model with the fewer functions. I don't buy so many that for the few $ saved I would rather have a fullblown model.

Last night I stayed up and tried various combinations of everything I could think of. What I learned is that although I assumed the new arduino setup could "talk" to both my 150's that is not the case. It only talks to one of them. Each of the 150's are however talking to their separate arduinos very nicely. I woke up last night wondering if this could be a grounding issue of some kind..... I am uncertain how one would attempt to diagnose that.  I was powering the new arduino  with my laptop usb so tried a different power supply but no go.

Nothing is easy. However being old and retired I learned that quite a while ago.

Will
Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: ClassicCrazy on November 03, 2020, 01:59:49 PM
Will - take a look at this post - someone was trying to use Classic 200 SL serial and I tried using Grahams modbus simulator too just to play along.
Graham  was guiding me through all the serial tests and some tools to use to diagnose.
Look though this = might help you out
http://midniteftp.com/forum/index.php?topic=4880.0

Larry
Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: boB on November 03, 2020, 11:51:53 PM
So Will...

What jack did you try first that didn't work for you on the 200 ?

Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: WillEert on November 04, 2020, 10:04:36 PM
I am happy to say that I am now able to RX/TX with the Classic 200 with my arduino. I am not happy to say however what the cause was. Through a process of elimination I ended up with one set of known working hardware and two "sketches" that when loaded into the arduino would RX/TX with one of the Classic 150's but not the other. I had identified the Classic 150's as 10 and 11. The new  Classic 200 I had named 12.  Comparing the two sketches it became apparent that in the Modbus Master configuration, when the packets are configured in setup, that the Classic identifier was entered into the configuration. Once I changed the identifier to "12" communication was established with the 200. So a self induced software problem brought on by not doing any coding for two years or so and forgetting how the code I wrote actually worked. I am still happy however!!! ::) Now to integrate the new Classic into the system.
Will
Title: Re: Classic 200 Pinout? woes
Post by: ClassicCrazy on November 04, 2020, 10:18:41 PM
At least it was an easy problem to fix ! ( but maybe not to find !)

Larry