I just bought my 4th Tracer A and i now have both 10a, 20a, 30a and now also the 40a with a wifi box. I bought it from Aliexpress, from a seller i believe is official reseller and with some instructions on value on the shipment to the helpful customer support i didnt pay custom tax on any of them. I referred them to this video and told them they could thank Adams videos on the Tracer A series and accessories for my purchases. GreAT work Adam. I cant wait to get my Wifi box running Solar Station monitor on my pc. I wish that there was a virtuel driver, like on pc, for android so i could run solar Station Monitor instead of the android app which requires me to switch wifi each time, but running it on pc with wifi is a big improvement.
+Resist Dk Glad to be of service. I still think these controllers offer great value for money. The software side needs a bit of improvement (definitely the android app) but it's fairly comprehensive now. Thanks for the kind comments. I'll be looking at some more EPEver kit before long - although I'm not going to say any more than that!
Hey guy's. Its still possible to use station mode. As you alredy figured out, they have just changed the content of the mode select dropdown. To enable station mode, just save the "Mode Setting" webside to your local disc. You will find a file called "select_cn.html". Edit it with np++ or else. Just add the "STA Mode " below the "AP Mode " line and change "var w_wmode = 'AP';" to "var w_wmode = 'STA';". Make sure, the form action link refers to your epever wifi box IP.... action="11.11.11.254/do_cmd_cn.shtml Save the file, and run the edited "select_cn.html" in your browser. Now just select "STA Mode", save, reset and enjoy.
Hey St!CK3L, I done everything according to your instruction but once choosing STA Mode and click save, connection with eBox is lost and I have to manually reload the unit. Any idea why? I did setup my home network and password in STA setup first. Is there a chance to bring back "STA + AP Mode" aswell?
@Adam Welch St!CK3L's workaround really does work. ruclips.net/video/YWnzTsFeh3g/видео.html Set the station mode with your WiFi and password before hand then it will automatically login. Here download the file called "select_cn.html" from the link below. drive.google.com/open?id=1Dws8rZFEvh9VYnFLt_fLlCRhzzxgPGBQ But use it at your own risk. My eBox has a reset button inside, if yours doesn't there's a chance you could brick the eBox. I also added a power supply to my eBox as the ethernet cable I'm using is 30m long.
Work perfectly, had to reboot the dongle 2-3 times but it connected to my wifi in the end. worth nothing to add your wifi details to the STA page before applying the change to STA.
Hi, it seems EPEVER use now Javascript for the website of Ebox-Wifi, because what I download now is a site called settings.html and it hasn´t the parameters you described. Is there any change to modify the javascript html to have STA mode enabled? Here the link of the file drive.google.com/open?id=1Yf1B1bxeY41a8nFSHUGWDDcpwPbruZjs
Just an FYI. Epever has released new firmware on DEC 5th 2019 that now allows STA mode again. Also in order to connect without issues please make sure NVT enabled, and Externel NVT commands ARE NOT enabled in the HW virtual serial port software.
@@AdamWelchUK absolutely. Scroll down to the bottom of the document and the file is there. support.epsolarpv.com/support/solutions/articles/48000975781-how-to-update-my-ebox-wifi-01-web-firmware-to-latest-version-to-enable-the-sta-mode-
Just got this running, and am able to monitor my EPEVER from my Windows 10 laptop by directly connecting to the ebox wifi and using the virtual comport. Solar station monitor now reliably connects and stays connected. Two things I found, on the ebox, make the TCP timeout for port 8088 to 600 as per this video, also on the virtual comport, make sure External NVT commands port is not checked. Under settings also uncheck NVT enabled. Close and re-open Solar Station each time a comport is changed or adjusted. Proceeded to change it into STAtion mode, bricked it and then got it reset, then got it to connect properly in STAtion mode and now accessible on my WiFi Lan.
7 лет назад+1
the newest firmware have the ip-address webpage in english :D I had a fault one and ordered a new and it was english this times, just fantastic.
In fact you just gave me a better idea... I have the same epsolar setup with wifi and will try and forward the port through http so that I could connect remotely to my home ip address from work and see what's happening in my off grid field. All routers have a port forwarding feature so that you can forward the wifi box port number to an http protocol. Just the same as you would forward a NAS port.... I'll get busy on this next week and come back with a video response if successful.
I just got one, they updated the firmware. Modes are AP only. Does have the station section, have not been able to get it to link up yet. Maybe I can downgrade the firmware. I emailed support, lets see if they respond
I purchased on the recent models which did not allow you to change into STA mode. I do not understand why they tried to block this, as being able to monitor over the LAN with their inexpensive wifi adapter makes their products much more attractive. Try opening the appropriate tab in Firefox, Inspecting the code, modifying the http code in your browser and clicking save button on the web page.
Hi Adam. Great stuff. What I would like to do is set up a tablet to monitor and log the tracer. I made your cheapo cable up, works fine, and went on to get a wifi box... but, it doesn't monitor as far as I can tell. As this is being set up in a mobile home, the last thing I need is a laptop running full steam in order to record the various currents. Is there a way to get the solar monitoring on a tablet or will I have to build a Pi3 running stripped down w10? I have a Pi zero, and have not yet learned how to use it, but it would mean writing a program for the monitoring function. I'm planning a 600w setup, hoping to run 60amp aircon offgrid, so it is pretty vital that I really am on top of it! I'm good with electronics, but not brilliant at network protocols :-/ Thanks.
Hi Bjorn - thanks for the positive comments. The eBox-Wifi can be used to replace the RS485 cable (either mine of the real one) but it doesn't log anything itself and as you say you need to run another machine 24/7 to collect the information. There are a few people who have made logging systems for the raspberry pi using the cheap USB RS485 adapters you've already got. Although I own a few pi's I've not implemented any of these myself as yet so it's hard to comment on how well they work. Here's a good place to start though... solarpoweredhome.co.uk/ I have however got another option for you - can't give too much away today but keep tuned. I'll have something for you to consider in the coming week or so.
HiThanks for the swift reply. ought to have asked before buying the wifi box. Kind of useless now! :-)I'll look forward to your next development then. As you're pi familiar, am I right in thinking that I'll have to go pi3 to run the solar station logging software? Again, many thanks. Chinese instructions need dedicated translators, in this case hat would be you :-) Also, seems victron rebrand some of this ever stuff... are you familiar with particulars? We get folk advising to go victron, which seems very costly when it strikes me that epever are well up to the task.
W10 Core works on the pi 2 and the pi 3 according to this microsoft site - developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/getstarted but I'm not exactly sure how easy it would be to install the EPEver Solar Station Monitor on the IOT Core OS. Perhaps I'll try that one day. EPSolar do seem to sell OEM and allow some rebrands - and I'm guessing Victron do it officially. There are also some clones out there which have feature reductions (HQST for example). Someone did tell me that those companies with a proper relationship can adjust the software on their version of the product - but I'm not sure they would ever be all that different. I have been told that the victron PWM Pro and the EPEver MT50 aren't compatible though - you have to buy the victron rebranded MT50. The major difference with rebrands is going to be the after sales service in my opinion. Speaking to someone in victron might be easier than speaking to someone at EPSolar - however I have contacted them a few times and found their responses were fairly quick.
So do you think that it is possible to fullfill a website server directly.Like this it becomes possible to look at the collection of data, independantly from the quality connection.It could be great to.An account, a password or a board, to the scada way.... let us dream ....
Hi Adam....thanks for the video on connecting the station monitor software over WiFi to the epever charge controller. Now I have been trying to connect it to the internet for remote monitoring. kindly share suggestions of ways to achieving this if you have...thanks
+Chukwuma Achiobu It comes down to your router and your internet provider. You'll need to NAT a port externally to the ebox wifi port internally (8088 if memory serves). Then if you haven't a fixed IP on your internet connection you might need to look at dynamic DNS services so you can reliably get in from your remote site. Can't give exact instructions as each router is different.
+Grizzbee Uno Yes as I mentioned in the description the firmware has been updated to remove this feature - which is a shame. I plan to make a video about alternative products to do the same thing soon.
Adam Welch ... Many Thanks, What is the date code on your wifi box ? It is on the box. This will help me so that if I buy one I can have some idea as to it being able to select station mode.
Anybody know if it's possible to connect directly to your Android phone with a regular RJ45 cables to USB-C network adapter? I tried but the Android App does not see the device and none of the network lights turn on.
pre-purchase research for me, looks great but I probably couldn't replicate this setup in my application: campervan. Its looking like I will go with the Victron controller instead of the Epever, though I really did prefer the wifi over the victrons bluetooth connectivity. Maybe if I install the pi as suggested below I can..hmmm
Hi Adam, it would be great to have your review of the new EPEVER WiFi 2.4g RJ45 A(Upgrade version), seem to be problems using the EPEver Cloud service. I have bought a module and will try it out next week.
Cannot get unifi to give this an IP address, it connects to the wireless but then no IP I guess because the forced IP conflicts with that the DHCP is trying to issue :(
But in the setup, I found the problem-ebox wifi 01 only works in AP mode, why? Early versions worked both in the combined AP and STA mode, I need STA mode, CTG TO DO ???
Is it possible to chance its ip adress or in other ways use more than one wifi box on your regular network, wifi or via net login? I have 3 tracer a now, 10,20 and 30 amp and it would be great if i could acces them all from within the house or maybe even when im away from home? A way to connect one box for all 3 tracers a would be great but at least maybe one box på tracer and then manage the controller settings separately as i have a different small battery bank connected to each controller
+Resist Dk Yes you can. Once you put them in client mode they can connect to your normal wifi and get an IP address from your router. So there's no issue having two or more on the same network.
Do you think theres a way you could connect several Tracers A's rj45 directly to a switch, then connect the wifi box to same network and then share one wifi box for several Tracers by assigning them separate ips and connecting to them individually?
+Resist Dk You couldn't use a typical network switch as the wiring and protocol would be completely wrong but there is no reason why you couldn't use a two pole switch to switch between multiple tracers. You'd need to use the positive from one controller (to ensure it doesn't reboot every time you switch) and common all the negatives together I'd expect. The more difficult bit that I can think of is how you would control the software to get the right info for the right controller at the right time. The eBox-Wifi has come down to less than $20 now so perhaps this is a lot of work compared to the cost of a few units. If you're handy with a soldering iron and fancy a project search for 'Colin Hickey ESP8266' on here. You can build his home made version for a little over $10 I think.
thank for the info Adam :) Yes ive seen Colins videos also and it looks good but despite im ok with a soldering iron i think its beyond my patience to make them myself from scratch. I think ill just wait until next payday and grab some more Wifi units. Tnx again :)
Now i'm sure i tried this virtual com port software but for some reason only the battery max and min voltage and status showed up when i tested it with my homebrew version. Shame as it's far easier to install and configure.
No your sorted with working with yours. Would you believe it after 3 mins of tinkering I've gotten it working. If i disable NVT in the settings it works great. I think i'll do a follow up video on mine. I also tried tinkering with esp-link last night but the DHCP scope seems hardcoded so would require some tinkering and a recompile of the firmware to get the app to work i think. Will do some testing this evening and see how it works on my DIY version.
+Colin Hickey (Lets make stuff!) Great news. I did have a play with some options perhaps I changed that. What is NVT? Looking forward to your update video. I did try com2com but it kept throwing errors on my aging w10 laptop.
I'll double check I've linked to the correct version of com2com as i found one specific version which worked and had the correct driver signings etc. NVT seems to be a protocol/format when it's doing the serial data and as port 23 is meant to be telnet i think it was tinkering with the tcp stream and trying to be too clever.
Yes you can record longer, as long you keep the pc running and the Solar Station connected to a com port. It will disconnect if pc goes to sleep too long time.
I can connect with my laptop, to the ebox, if I connect wifi, directly to the ebox, and got the HWVSP to connect and use solar monitor. But I am unable to get the ebox, to connect to my network, the settings confuse me. When I set to STA, the ebox disappears from the possible connections, luckily there is the reload button. Any tips or advice would be really appreciated. I always seem to be in catchup mode. Thanks for great videos.
+Michael Breslin Thanks for the kind comments. I'd put your eBox into AP+STA mode to start with. That way you can adjust the STAtion settings without losing access the the Access Point it provides. On the main menu tab of the eBox you should be able to see the IP address it's been given by your network router - which you'll need to setup the com port software. Once it's all up and running I'd suggest turning off the AP or at the very least giving it a password. Theory has it it should connect to your normal wifi quite happily when you search and select the SSID and pop in your password in the STA menu tab. Once you have it connected to your normal wifi then go into the HW VSP software and click on the settings tab and deselect the NVT Enabled tick box. Now on the Virtual Serial Port tab enter the IP of your eBox and the default port is 8088. Select your comm Port number and hit create Comm. Add that comm Port to your solar station monitor software and you should be ready to monitor.
Thanks Adam. The crucial part I think I was messing up on was APSTA setting, I kept putting it on STA. And giving the device a little more time to make changes, and since the options after a save were in chinese, I opted for the left ones this time. So maybe several of these things. But just that liitle pointer from yourself was enough to get me to have another look, and getting it working. And a quick reply too, helped before I put it all away for another day. Clear skies.
I'm considering building this setup in my full size van. Because it's portable, I can't have my laptop running all the time to collect data. Does the WiFi adapter save historical data that can be viewed and downloaded once I connect? Or do I need to create something to collect and safe the data on an SD card for download periodically? Curious if you've solved this issue already. I believe I heard you mention something about it in a previous video.
+John Crumrine Unfortunately the wifi adapter doesn't store any historical information. I did plan to create something yes but was beaten to it. There's a couple of options people have created using raspberry pis. Still needs to run all the time, but a fair bit more economical than a pc or laptop. Here's one of the guides I've come across... www.solarpoweredhome.co.uk The bigger and more expensive epsolar charge controllers hold data. I think both the iTracer and eTracer models hold six months or something similar.
Its a bit of a kludge, but you could set your home network to use the (absurd) 11.11.11.x network band, and then the Android app would work from anywhere on your network again. I think...
You could I guess but 11.11.11.x is a routable public IP address - decent routers might not even let you do it. It's own by the US Department of Defense! :-/
Agreed that it's a ridiculous workaround, but I just tested it on an old crappy Netgear and a router running DD-WRT and they both accepted the 11.11.11.x network range. But of course, so silly that it's even required. I'm still having problems with my 4210a charge controller dropping communication with my Pi. Worked great for a few days and now it's been non responsive for 4 days.
What i ended up doing is using a port server and virtual com port connected to my network. You can find wireless ones on Ebay for about the same as this one.
Have you any idea of how we could do to collect the information to a database on internet.Like this, no need for the DMZ to pass through the firewall and be able to connect to the station from work office.I think if there was a solution for using it like this, it could be great
Hi Adam, l do have the Bluetooth version of this epever converter, which to date have not been able to link to my android phone, have you had any dealings with this device?
Hi Adam, I tried to follow your instructions, but for some reason after apply the new AP + STA setup, my ebox-wifi does not connect to my local wifi network, and the default adhoc network is not available. So, I have no way to enter it at the device config to reset it. I tried with the swtich hole, in the side, but it does not works. Do you know some way to fix that, restoring the default config of wifi module? Thanks in advance.
+Carlos Portillo Sanchez You have to hold the reset button for far longer than you think is neccasary. I've done it myself. It may be worth holding the reset button in while powering up the device too. It's easier to hold the reset switch if you open up the case too. Best of luck.
7 лет назад+2
both of my devices will not reset. i have tryed for hours.. had to order a new when i tryed to put it in ap+sta and would not connect after and not reset.. the new also will not reset even if its original and default settings.
+Reidar Årstad Sorry - have you seen the instructions to do a reset by bridging two points inside the unit? I'm yet to test it myself but I have some instructions I can send you if you want them?
7 лет назад+1
Yes I have tryed to short the microswitch contact points on the pcb and traced them to the chip and shorted there.. but no luck. Yes if you have some instructions it may help :)
+Reidar Årstad I do - it's definitely worth a try. If you go onto my about page there is an email address for me. Send me an email and I'll send you the PDF.
just recieved email from epsolar regarding my dead wifi box ( i linked to this video)with an pdf guide om how to restore the box. Havent triet it yet though. WiFi module restore method Dear Customer, Firstly, thank you for buying our eBox-WIFI module. Recently, we received many customer complaints that the module will be dead once customer change the inside mode of eBox (from AP to AP+STA) according to the video on the RUclips to realize monitoring the controller by computer. But the function has not been disclosure by our company because some of defective. So we don’t allow customer to change the inside mode of eBox, it is only used for APP. But in order to help you to restore the eBox, we provide a method to restore it, as below: Step 1: Open the shell of eBox, and find the forth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7, as below: Step 2: Power on the controller and WiFi module (The WiFi module power is supplied by controller) Step 3: Short circuit between the forth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7 through tweezers, as below: Step 4: Push the reset button immediately and hold on for 5 seconds or more after releasing the tweezers, as below: Step 5: Releasing the button and short circuit between the fourth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7 through tweezers immediately. If the link light flash once (Asfollow figure ③), the WiFi module restoressuccessfully, then release the tweezers. In addition, in order to meet the many your needs which want to monitor the controller via the PC, we will shoot the video to guide you to monitor the controller via PC ASAP. And we will shoot the video which help you restore the ebox in a couple of days. Please attention our Facebook and RUclips. Facebook Account: 3183532107@qq.com RUclips Account: epeverchris@gmail.com Sorry for any inconvenience! Beijing Epsolar Technology Co., Ltd. 27/5/2017
Thank you so much for this valueable information,! I tried to set mine to AP&STA and after confirming I immediately lost wifi connection, after following these steps I was able to restore it again and it's now working! Please, if you could upload the PDF and share the link to help others, and Adam Welch, if you could post the link in the description I'd appreciate it. Thank you.
A lot of us newer buyers are stuck with newer firmware v1.00 with no Mode Switch, from AP to STAtion. I suggested that the code is still in there, EPSOLAR just edited the HTML or whatever drop-down options. A google search turns up no alternate firmware. If someone could share a solution, that would be awesome. Might there be a way to extract the older firmware and share?
I’ve done another video about alternatives to this ebox-01. Some commercial, others home brew. All will allow you to access remotely if you setup NAT traversal on your router. Hope that helps.
Hi there,Quick question: Have you tried retrieving values from it by using HTTP requests ?The goal is to integrate it with my Jeedom setup.I am going to order an ebox today and hopefully i will be able to switch it to station mode.If not, i am planning on using a wifi access point and setup ports/routes forwarding (NAT if i need) in order to be able to communicate with the ebox from my home network.But that would be useless if there are no ways to send HTTP requests to the Ebox web server.Thx
been following along once I have Fixed the one I bought, though they say twice the load current as the spec they don't mention about using a inverter as the load. so IRFS7530 fet on order....lol
Just connected to mine and logged in. Tried to change the station mode to station as per the video and there is no option. There is only one option for me to select. It would appear that the newer firmware has removed the option for station mode. My version is V1.00_50007. Hopefully someone has an option to get around this
I got confirmation today that the feature has indeed been removed. This hack is no longer viable. I have requested that it be added back in. I urge everyone else to request the same. It make it a much better system overall having this feature
+Resist Dk I read today that the module that the ebox is based around can be updated over air. It would be nice if we could convince epsolar that they'd be better off selling these with more functionality - not less and they'd release an update.
Ya’ll talking about getting this box to work remotely and here I am struggling to get it to work as intended on ios15 with no luck! Phone connects to its local wifi, signal good in the house but cant get the EP 01 app to connect to it! Feels like wasted money, my inverter/mppt hybrid is upower 3000 series.
You can use the solar station monitor software on a remote pc if you setup your router to forward the port to the internet. However if you want to see the info in a web browser you’ll need to use some third party software. Search for Colin Hickeys video about grafana and the EPEver tracer. That’s a good start.
Great video Adam! I am trying to get the EP solar Wifi box to work with the pc software. I can connect to the device on the network and can get activity on the tx/rx counter in the HWVSP but i get an error from Solar Station Monitor when trying to communicate. Any ideas on how i can resolve this?
Thanks for the great videos Adam. I was able to get the WiFi box to work with the itracer by re-terminating the RJ45 cable to 3.81 4P connector. So now I am using the android app but my challenge is that I have to manually refresh to get real time data unlike the mt50 that displays real time data. Do you know a way I can make the app auto-refresh say like every 4s ? or is there a way to make the PC station monitor work on android tab? regards. Chuks(Nigeria)
+Chukwuma Achiobu Hello Chuks. Unfortunately I don't know how to make the android app auto refresh and the only way I could imagine getting the solar station monitor software on android is to have it running on a pc and use a Remote Desktop or VNC type connection to the pc. Probably not the answer you wanted I'm afraid.
I too have the newer version of software on the ebox so could not change the ap to station setting. Bummer. I have got around that though. This issue i am now having is the virtual serial software wont stay connected and the epever software says timeout The logs of the virtual serial port software show "read setting of remote port failed" and " write settings of remote port failed" They shows it has tried the correct settings, e.g. baud ,data and stop bits but just closes the connection the says write failed. Any ideas community? The HW group help is terrible! Thanks in advance
Hi! I got the ebox wifi 01. Do you think its posible to connect it to my wifi router at my cabin, and then get in contact with it thru the web using the android app? Runar.
+Runar Glamsland Not using the android app no - I believe the app tries to contact a specific IP address. Unless there's been an update I'm not aware of you couldn't change the IP address the app used to connect to the eBox. I do exactly this but with the PC software. I monitor my shed remotely 24/7.
Thanks for reply. That specific ip adress should be able to see in the ebox? I dont know, i will check it up.. Personal i think the app is more easy to use than the pc software.. Would be great to make the app work online on the web.
I contacted epsolar, and they gave me info about this: eBox-TCP-01 Wide Area Network(WAN) . A small box ,same size as the wifi box Its just what i'm looking for. Cinnect it to the charge controller and to the router, and then the cc is reacheable from all over the world... Its now on its way to my postoffice...
+Runar Glamsland it's interesting that they are releasing another product. I'm doing exactly this with my eBox WIFI-01. You can enable this in the web user interface. It works very reliably you'll be glad to know.
They will probably re release the wifi box with Adams Tweaks and call it Wifi Wan box ;) Great work Adam. I just received my Wifi box from Aliexpress and im messing with it as we speak :)
can you connect from work to ebox wifi, for example? I managed to connect with my laptop to ebox and now I want to connect from work to see the parameters in real time. Do you think it's possible? Thank you
Yes you can. You just need to setup the router your eBox is connected through to do port forwarding. Then you can run some virtual com port software at your work and connect straight to your eBox. I do this. The only issue is that the eBox uses a funny port (8088) which might be blocked at work. If so you might need to translate that port in your port forwarding rule to ensure you can access it - but this depends on how your firewall is setup at work.
Adam Welch Thanks Adam, it would be interesting a video on it. I think other people would be interested, including me. Keep it that way with the videos that are really interesting. Thanks in advance
I also have a new version which does not allow station mode. But I found a solution how to get the tcp server into my network. This is still still under development but the first tests are successful. I have connected the ebox-wifi-01 to my tracer A as normal and I have secured the AP with a WPA2 key. Next step was to setup a Raspberry PI (Raspbian or Archlinux) and installed a USB Wifi dongle. The raspberry is connected to my network by ethernet (Example: IP 192.168.0.10, Netmask 255.255.255.0, Gateway 192.168.0.1). The wifi connection has been configured using wpa_supplicant and with a static IP without default gateway (Example: IP 11.11.11.2, Netmask 255.255.255.0). Using this configuration the rPI is connected to the ebox AP and my network. You can verify the connection by ping to the ebox (ping 11.11.11.254) from the rPI. There are multiple solutions available to forward ports (iptables, socat, tcp balancer). In my first test I use socat. Example: socat tcp-listen:80,fork tcp:11.11.11.254:80 & socat tcp-listen:8088,fork tcp:11.11.11.254:8088 & the & sends the command in the background. Now the raspberry pi is listening on port 80 and 8088 and the connections will be forwarded to the ebox network. In this way you can access the ports in your network and you can monitor the Tracer using the virtual port and solar monitor software. As this is a bit complicated I have already another idea which I will give it a try in the next days. The idea is to use a small openwrt router (GL-Inet AR150 for example). The idea is to connect the Wifi as client to the ebox. Disable the dhcp and connect the lan port to my network. Hope this helps to get around the limitation of the new ebox version.
+toxm5 That's a reasonable solution I guess. Bridging the networks effectively but it's a shame we're having to do this. I've been looking at alternative off the shelf products as alternatives to the ebox-wifi. Video to come before long fingers crossed.
Adam Welch I have installed now the second solution based on the small openwrt router. Much simpler and stable then the rPI solution. Using a static route in my main router I can access the 11.11.11.254 from all machines in my network. You are absolutely right that it is pretty stupid that we have to do this. EPsolar could simply use an esp8266 in their ebox and station Mode would work.
I love this video, I would like to setup remote monitoring for my MPPT Renogy Rover 40amp, currently it has USB to RS-232, is there anyway to convert that type to wifi? Thanks
+Chris Solomon That's right and it would require you to cut a cable and make something up but it should work. It will be a lot easier if Renogy document the RS232 pin outs in their manual or website - do they do this? Actually I've bought one to connect to my EPEver tracer (after I found the link for you) and I'll have to make a cable which goes from an RJ45 to bare ends for the RS485 protocol. I'll also try and connect to something via serial and make a video about it if I can - might be a couple of months though I'm afraid.
hello Adam. ive successfully replicated Colin's device rs-wifi with a esp201 first and then with a esp01. I would like if you or someone who has the eBOX can make a firmware dump. im curious of this so called tcp server, seems very much like an esp config setup here to me. i will try the config from the ebox to one of my esp in the meantime. Thanks in advance. Regards.
Hello Adam. When I try to change some options under the load confiigurations sector im getting this error: Device doesn't contain the register which is requested to read(COM9)
Salve, qualcuno saprebbe dirmi come fare per farlo funzionare anche in 4g con lo smartphone??? A me funziona solo in Wi-Fi e se mi connetto con l'ebox il CELL non si connette più alla rete.
In a future video can you give some of us new boys a run down explanation of some of the changeable parameters with descriptions and what they all mean.
Hi Adam... thanks for making this video :) I hope you can help me... I changed the mode from AP to AP+STA (only that), I clicked the leftmost option of what I think is a confirmation page (in Chinese)... now I don't see the SSID of the ebox :'( I tried the reload button and disconnect/reconnect many times, still nothing. I contacted epever helpdesk, they say it is irrecoverable :'( Please help me. Thanks.
I doubt it is unrecoverable. Try holding the reset button down (it's easier of you open the case actually) for longer than you really think you should. If that doesn't reset it then try unplug it entirely - leave it for thirty seconds then hold down the rest button whilst plugging in the power. Again - hold it for longer than you feel it should really need. After which it should use it's default 11.11.11.254 address and should show the standard SSID. I've reset mine once or twice because I messed up the config (as you say it's hard sometimes as it is in Chinese) and it has always come back after a few reset attempts.
thanks for the quick reply... great tip on opening the case for easier reset button hold down -- I used a clothespin to keep it pressed for loooong durations :) I tried 30sec/1min/5min cycles of: 1. reset-while-connected -- nothing happened, lights don't even blink (is this normal?) 2. disconnect-and-wait-then-reconnect-while-reset-is-pressed -- still nothing :( but I am now seeing an SSID of eBox-WIFI-01_B8919F when I plug it in (reset is not held down) while my phone is scanning for wifi -- shows for a few seconds (10secs approx.) and then it is gone... I am not sure if this is new or it has already been there before. tried to make a connection on my laptop to connect to the ssid even if it was not broadcasting, still no go. you mentioned "after a few reset attempts", you mean that it doesn't always reset when you press the reload button? are there certain conditions for it to reset?thanks again :)
I must try that some more tomorrow because i did exactly as Alexander described and i cant find it now on network and i tried reset button both when running and also when plugging it in again but with no response so far :(
my wifi chip label also looks a little different than in Adams video and it has a writting saying v1.1 so maybe the reload function is different or the boks we left clicked is different from his. im leaving it unplugget over night and try agin later. if it doesnt help im also afraid that a reflash is the only answer :(
Any people here that are able to modify the IP-address in the app?? I found it - in classes.dex line 19662, but I have no experience in tampering with apps. public static String WIFI_ADRESS = "11.11.11.254";
The new wifi box i recieved ( still havent been able to unbrik the first one) only have AP mode ( not STA mode. But Epever released a video on how to acces the controller via the wifi box on pc, and it works fine ruclips.net/video/mADOZUlAg1I/видео.html . I googled the USR VCOM serial port server but i think the one Adam is using will work also. This works fine for the newer wifi units but of course you then cant connect it to own wifi net and assign own ip in order to use it for multiple units, but in this way you cant atleast acces your controller wireless from pc.
+Resist Dk I’ve been researching alternatives to the eBox WiFi because for me it seems silly having to swap WiFi networks. Some people have got around the issue by using a wired connection to their normal network and a wireless connection to the eBox but it still seems a bit unnecessary. Hopefully a video on that in the next couple of weeks.
I agree and it sounds great what you write. The ebox has much potential but its executed in an wrong fashion. I would prefer a solution where i have a permanent connection to my several controllers and can easy read information on each of them on my pc instead of having to mess around for a lot for just beeing able to read the info for one of them :(
Just be careful - the latest software doesn't seem to be compatible with this method. I've got a video coming up (once a new version arrives) to compare the differences and highlight the issue.
+Rick UK I've got some instructions to fix this. Send me your email and I'll get them over to you. If you go on my about page there's an email address for me.
Hi mr. Adam, I tried this but unfortunately I have some faulties in my firmware, I think. First I do not have optinos to select AP+STA mode, neither STA. Second STA doesn have MAC address.In another video, ruclips.net/video/RrEumwFHfJ4/видео.html which advice me to ask you. I got an answer that newer e-boxes comes without that options. So, can I somehow get a firmware copy of your ebox? I couldn't find old firmware to download from Internet. Every help will be appriciate.
Adam, I have accomplished this using a usb Server utility called virtualHere running on a raspberry pi, and the client unending on the PC. It works great. Please see my video.
that's too much of a hack for this person... he believes he is hacking the pentagone by entering a device's web server port (default web server port btw) and finding out he can modify its configuration
If you got a box that can't be mod go to this RUclips video ruclips.net/video/mADOZUlAg1I/видео.html and for the USR-vcom software go here www.usriot.com/usr-vcom-virtual-serial-software/ Thanks Adam Welch I have enjoyed you videos
Cheers - I'll compare these with mine and let you know. The EPSolar product page specifically states 'One-key restore the factory settings' - if this isn't working then the unit must be classed by them as faulty, surely? www.epsolarpv.com/en/index.php/Product/pro_content/id/731/am_id/139
I just bought my 4th Tracer A and i now have both 10a, 20a, 30a and now also the 40a with a wifi box.
I bought it from Aliexpress, from a seller i believe is official reseller and with some instructions on value on the shipment to the helpful customer support i didnt pay custom tax on any of them.
I referred them to this video and told them they could thank Adams videos on the Tracer A series and accessories for my purchases.
GreAT work Adam.
I cant wait to get my Wifi box running Solar Station monitor on my pc.
I wish that there was a virtuel driver, like on pc, for android so i could run solar Station Monitor instead of the android app which requires me to switch wifi each time, but running it on pc with wifi is a big improvement.
+Resist Dk Glad to be of service. I still think these controllers offer great value for money. The software side needs a bit of improvement (definitely the android app) but it's fairly comprehensive now. Thanks for the kind comments. I'll be looking at some more EPEver kit before long - although I'm not going to say any more than that!
Hey guy's. Its still possible to use station mode.
As you alredy figured out, they have just changed the content of the mode select dropdown.
To enable station mode, just save the "Mode Setting" webside to your local disc.
You will find a file called "select_cn.html".
Edit it with np++ or else.
Just add the "STA Mode " below the "AP Mode " line and
change "var w_wmode = 'AP';" to "var w_wmode = 'STA';".
Make sure, the form action link refers to your epever wifi box IP.... action="11.11.11.254/do_cmd_cn.shtml
Save the file, and run the edited "select_cn.html" in your browser.
Now just select "STA Mode", save, reset and enjoy.
Hey St!CK3L, I done everything according to your instruction but once choosing STA Mode and click save, connection with eBox is lost and I have to manually reload the unit. Any idea why? I did setup my home network and password in STA setup first. Is there a chance to bring back "STA + AP Mode" aswell?
Works perfect, Thank You!!
@Adam Welch
St!CK3L's workaround really does work.
ruclips.net/video/YWnzTsFeh3g/видео.html
Set the station mode with your WiFi and password before hand then it will automatically login.
Here download the file called "select_cn.html" from the link below.
drive.google.com/open?id=1Dws8rZFEvh9VYnFLt_fLlCRhzzxgPGBQ
But use it at your own risk.
My eBox has a reset button inside, if yours doesn't there's a chance you could brick the eBox.
I also added a power supply to my eBox as the ethernet cable I'm using is 30m long.
Work perfectly, had to reboot the dongle 2-3 times but it connected to my wifi in the end. worth nothing to add your wifi details to the STA page before applying the change to STA.
Hi, it seems EPEVER use now Javascript for the website of Ebox-Wifi, because what I download now is a site called settings.html and it hasn´t the parameters you described.
Is there any change to modify the javascript html to have STA mode enabled?
Here the link of the file drive.google.com/open?id=1Yf1B1bxeY41a8nFSHUGWDDcpwPbruZjs
Just an FYI. Epever has released new firmware on DEC 5th 2019 that now allows STA mode again. Also in order to connect without issues please make sure NVT enabled, and Externel NVT commands ARE NOT enabled in the HW virtual serial port software.
That’s interesting. I can’t seem to find it. Have you got a link? Thanks.
@@AdamWelchUK absolutely. Scroll down to the bottom of the document and the file is there. support.epsolarpv.com/support/solutions/articles/48000975781-how-to-update-my-ebox-wifi-01-web-firmware-to-latest-version-to-enable-the-sta-mode-
Is this correct? I am unable to find the firmware download anywhere. Please can you share a link? Many thanks
A sorry for the late reply and thank you for this - I’ll try it out. :)
@@grembling22 sorry - just seen link! thanks
Please give a complete step by step info there are people like me who are new to this solar stuff but keen to learn
This has Audino and Raspberry Pi written all over it 😀 good videos as always Adam!
Just got this running, and am able to monitor my EPEVER from my Windows 10 laptop by directly connecting to the ebox wifi and using the virtual comport. Solar station monitor now reliably connects and stays connected. Two things I found, on the ebox, make the TCP timeout for port 8088 to 600 as per this video, also on the virtual comport, make sure External NVT commands port is not checked. Under settings also uncheck NVT enabled. Close and re-open Solar Station each time a comport is changed or adjusted.
Proceeded to change it into STAtion mode, bricked it and then got it reset, then got it to connect properly in STAtion mode and now accessible on my WiFi Lan.
the newest firmware have the ip-address webpage in english :D I had a fault one and ordered a new and it was english this times, just fantastic.
I suspect Adam that Reload pin of the wifi module is perhaps pulled high and a low will do a reset?
In fact you just gave me a better idea... I have the same epsolar setup with wifi and will try and forward the port through http so that I could connect remotely to my home ip address from work and see what's happening in my off grid field. All routers have a port forwarding feature so that you can forward the wifi box port number to an http protocol. Just the same as you would forward a NAS port.... I'll get busy on this next week and come back with a video response if successful.
+billywhizzy Now why didn't I think of that? Great plan Billy. :-)
I do it and it works great, even better with a DuckDNS account
Ian Hutchinson If it works you can help me with some steps or video can I do this too? It is very interesting and useful for me. Thank you
Ian Hutchinson How you did?Can you tell us?
It's pretty basic to do port forwarding. You need to look it up for your router though as each brand of router is different configurations.
So could you connect the MT50 as well as the charge controller many thanks
If I install this device can I monitoring my solar charger controller on my smartphone far from home sir?
great video, i had to remove "TCP SERVER" from settings to work Virtual port. And WIFI adapter is luckily all in english
reset procedure of pin4 and c7 no longer seems to work ( recent purchase march 2022 )
I just got one, they updated the firmware. Modes are AP only. Does have the station section, have not been able to get it to link up yet. Maybe I can downgrade the firmware. I emailed support, lets see if they respond
I purchased on the recent models which did not allow you to change into STA mode. I do not understand why they tried to block this, as being able to monitor over the LAN with their inexpensive wifi adapter makes their products much more attractive. Try opening the appropriate tab in Firefox, Inspecting the code, modifying the http code in your browser and clicking save button on the web page.
Hi Adam.
Great stuff.
What I would like to do is set up a tablet to monitor and log the tracer. I made your cheapo cable up, works fine, and went on to get a wifi box... but, it doesn't monitor as far as I can tell. As this is being set up in a mobile home, the last thing I need is a laptop running full steam in order to record the various currents.
Is there a way to get the solar monitoring on a tablet or will I have to build a Pi3 running stripped down w10? I have a Pi zero, and have not yet learned how to use it, but it would mean writing a program for the monitoring function.
I'm planning a 600w setup, hoping to run 60amp aircon offgrid, so it is pretty vital that I really am on top of it!
I'm good with electronics, but not brilliant at network protocols :-/
Thanks.
Hi Bjorn - thanks for the positive comments.
The eBox-Wifi can be used to replace the RS485 cable (either mine of the real one) but it doesn't log anything itself and as you say you need to run another machine 24/7 to collect the information. There are a few people who have made logging systems for the raspberry pi using the cheap USB RS485 adapters you've already got. Although I own a few pi's I've not implemented any of these myself as yet so it's hard to comment on how well they work. Here's a good place to start though... solarpoweredhome.co.uk/
I have however got another option for you - can't give too much away today but keep tuned. I'll have something for you to consider in the coming week or so.
HiThanks for the swift reply. ought to have asked before buying the wifi box. Kind of useless now! :-)I'll look forward to your next development then. As you're pi familiar, am I right in thinking that I'll have to go pi3 to run the solar station logging software?
Again, many thanks. Chinese instructions need dedicated translators, in this case hat would be you :-)
Also, seems victron rebrand some of this ever stuff... are you familiar with particulars? We get folk advising to go victron, which seems very costly when it strikes me that epever are well up to the task.
W10 Core works on the pi 2 and the pi 3 according to this microsoft site - developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/getstarted but I'm not exactly sure how easy it would be to install the EPEver Solar Station Monitor on the IOT Core OS. Perhaps I'll try that one day.
EPSolar do seem to sell OEM and allow some rebrands - and I'm guessing Victron do it officially. There are also some clones out there which have feature reductions (HQST for example). Someone did tell me that those companies with a proper relationship can adjust the software on their version of the product - but I'm not sure they would ever be all that different. I have been told that the victron PWM Pro and the EPEver MT50 aren't compatible though - you have to buy the victron rebranded MT50.
The major difference with rebrands is going to be the after sales service in my opinion. Speaking to someone in victron might be easier than speaking to someone at EPSolar - however I have contacted them a few times and found their responses were fairly quick.
Do you know if this would work with everexceed t30 solar charger?
So do you think that it is possible to fullfill a website server directly.Like this it becomes possible to look at the collection of data, independantly from the quality connection.It could be great to.An account, a password or a board, to the scada way.... let us dream ....
Hi Adam....thanks for the video on connecting the station monitor software over WiFi to the epever charge controller. Now I have been trying to connect it to the internet for remote monitoring. kindly share suggestions of ways to achieving this if you have...thanks
+Chukwuma Achiobu It comes down to your router and your internet provider. You'll need to NAT a port externally to the ebox wifi port internally (8088 if memory serves). Then if you haven't a fixed IP on your internet connection you might need to look at dynamic DNS services so you can reliably get in from your remote site.
Can't give exact instructions as each router is different.
Thanks...will try this suggestion when I get the router i ordered.
I have a new wifi box that will does not show a station mode ? They must have changed the firmware ?
+Grizzbee Uno Yes as I mentioned in the description the firmware has been updated to remove this feature - which is a shame. I plan to make a video about alternative products to do the same thing soon.
Adam Welch ... Many Thanks, What is the date code on your wifi box ? It is on the box. This will help me so that if I buy one I can have some idea as to it being able to select station mode.
Anybody know if it's possible to connect directly to your Android phone with a regular RJ45 cables to USB-C network adapter? I tried but the Android App does not see the device and none of the network lights turn on.
pre-purchase research for me, looks great but I probably couldn't replicate this setup in my application: campervan.
Its looking like I will go with the Victron controller instead of the Epever, though I really did prefer the wifi over the victrons bluetooth connectivity. Maybe if I install the pi as suggested below I can..hmmm
do you have a firmware file to update my model? i'm not able to do your trick. it worked only one time
Wonder if you can ssh to the eBox?
Hi Adam, it would be great to have your review of the new EPEVER WiFi 2.4g RJ45 A(Upgrade version), seem to be problems using the EPEver Cloud service.
I have bought a module and will try it out next week.
Cannot get unifi to give this an IP address, it connects to the wireless but then no IP I guess because the forced IP conflicts with that the DHCP is trying to issue :(
But in the setup, I found the problem-ebox wifi 01 only works in AP mode, why? Early versions worked both in the combined AP and STA mode, I need STA mode, CTG TO DO ???
Is it possible to chance its ip adress or in other ways use more than one wifi box on your regular network, wifi or via net login?
I have 3 tracer a now, 10,20 and 30 amp and it would be great if i could acces them all from within the house or maybe even when im away from home?
A way to connect one box for all 3 tracers a would be great but at least maybe one box på tracer and then manage the controller settings separately as i have a different small battery bank connected to each controller
+Resist Dk Yes you can. Once you put them in client mode they can connect to your normal wifi and get an IP address from your router. So there's no issue having two or more on the same network.
Thank you for fast reply.
Ill get one soon and start messing with it :)
Do you think theres a way you could connect several Tracers A's rj45 directly to a switch, then connect the wifi box to same network and then share one wifi box for several Tracers by assigning them separate ips and connecting to them individually?
+Resist Dk You couldn't use a typical network switch as the wiring and protocol would be completely wrong but there is no reason why you couldn't use a two pole switch to switch between multiple tracers. You'd need to use the positive from one controller (to ensure it doesn't reboot every time you switch) and common all the negatives together I'd expect. The more difficult bit that I can think of is how you would control the software to get the right info for the right controller at the right time.
The eBox-Wifi has come down to less than $20 now so perhaps this is a lot of work compared to the cost of a few units.
If you're handy with a soldering iron and fancy a project search for 'Colin Hickey ESP8266' on here. You can build his home made version for a little over $10 I think.
thank for the info Adam :)
Yes ive seen Colins videos also and it looks good but despite im ok with a soldering iron i think its beyond my patience to make them myself from scratch.
I think ill just wait until next payday and grab some more Wifi units.
Tnx again :)
Are there any virtual com ports apps for Android? If so perhaps the non WiFi app will work.
Can I also communicate via RS485 with devices from other companies with this method?
Excellent! Thanks a lot for the information, gave me a lot of new ideas :)
Now i'm sure i tried this virtual com port software but for some reason only the battery max and min voltage and status showed up when i tested it with my homebrew version. Shame as it's far easier to install and configure.
+Colin Hickey (Lets make stuff!) Do I need a ymmv asterisks?
No your sorted with working with yours. Would you believe it after 3 mins of tinkering I've gotten it working. If i disable NVT in the settings it works great. I think i'll do a follow up video on mine. I also tried tinkering with esp-link last night but the DHCP scope seems hardcoded so would require some tinkering and a recompile of the firmware to get the app to work i think. Will do some testing this evening and see how it works on my DIY version.
+Colin Hickey (Lets make stuff!) Great news. I did have a play with some options perhaps I changed that. What is NVT?
Looking forward to your update video. I did try com2com but it kept throwing errors on my aging w10 laptop.
I'll double check I've linked to the correct version of com2com as i found one specific version which worked and had the correct driver signings etc. NVT seems to be a protocol/format when it's doing the serial data and as port 23 is meant to be telnet i think it was tinkering with the tcp stream and trying to be too clever.
+Colin Hickey (Lets make stuff!) Yeah I just got one from sourceforge. Glad to hear we're both making leaps forward.
Have you had any luck reading the data externally, I would like to dump the data in real-time to a DB for example, any thoughts? Thanks btw!!
I did. I use a raspberry pi with node red and influxdb to grab and store the data... ruclips.net/video/V21DxV9H6vE/видео.html
Hi, Can it record daily data log?
Yes you can record longer, as long you keep the pc running and the Solar Station connected to a com port.
It will disconnect if pc goes to sleep too long time.
@@miguelhurtado3873 thank you very much for your answer.
@@ngocehgayabebas2118 you welcome.
tell me if you can monitor more than 24 hours.
@@ngocehgayabebas2118 I have it like this... ruclips.net/video/RrEumwFHfJ4/видео.html
@@miguelhurtado3873 I think I should find another device so that I dont have to left my computer on 24/7.
I can connect with my laptop, to the ebox, if I connect wifi, directly to the ebox, and got the HWVSP to connect and use solar monitor.
But I am unable to get the ebox, to connect to my network, the settings confuse me.
When I set to STA, the ebox disappears from the possible connections, luckily there is the reload button. Any tips or advice would be really appreciated.
I always seem to be in catchup mode. Thanks for great videos.
+Michael Breslin Thanks for the kind comments.
I'd put your eBox into AP+STA mode to start with. That way you can adjust the STAtion settings without losing access the the Access Point it provides. On the main menu tab of the eBox you should be able to see the IP address it's been given by your network router - which you'll need to setup the com port software. Once it's all up and running I'd suggest turning off the AP or at the very least giving it a password.
Theory has it it should connect to your normal wifi quite happily when you search and select the SSID and pop in your password in the STA menu tab.
Once you have it connected to your normal wifi then go into the HW VSP software and click on the settings tab and deselect the NVT Enabled tick box.
Now on the Virtual Serial Port tab enter the IP of your eBox and the default port is 8088. Select your comm Port number and hit create Comm.
Add that comm Port to your solar station monitor software and you should be ready to monitor.
Thanks Adam. The crucial part I think I was messing up on was APSTA setting, I kept putting it on STA. And giving the device a little more time to make changes, and since the options after a save were in chinese, I opted for the left ones this time. So maybe several of these things. But just that liitle pointer from yourself was enough to get me to have another look, and getting it working. And a quick reply too, helped before I put it all away for another day.
Clear skies.
+Michael Breslin Glad to hear I helped. Have fun!
Adam Welch thank you man thank you
I'm considering building this setup in my full size van. Because it's portable, I can't have my laptop running all the time to collect data. Does the WiFi adapter save historical data that can be viewed and downloaded once I connect? Or do I need to create something to collect and safe the data on an SD card for download periodically? Curious if you've solved this issue already. I believe I heard you mention something about it in a previous video.
+John Crumrine Unfortunately the wifi adapter doesn't store any historical information. I did plan to create something yes but was beaten to it. There's a couple of options people have created using raspberry pis. Still needs to run all the time, but a fair bit more economical than a pc or laptop. Here's one of the guides I've come across... www.solarpoweredhome.co.uk The bigger and more expensive epsolar charge controllers hold data. I think both the iTracer and eTracer models hold six months or something similar.
Its a bit of a kludge, but you could set your home network to use the (absurd) 11.11.11.x network band, and then the Android app would work from anywhere on your network again. I think...
You could I guess but 11.11.11.x is a routable public IP address - decent routers might not even let you do it. It's own by the US Department of Defense! :-/
Agreed that it's a ridiculous workaround, but I just tested it on an old crappy Netgear and a router running DD-WRT and they both accepted the 11.11.11.x network range. But of course, so silly that it's even required.
I'm still having problems with my 4210a charge controller dropping communication with my Pi. Worked great for a few days and now it's been non responsive for 4 days.
What i ended up doing is using a port server and virtual com port connected to my network. You can find wireless ones on Ebay for about the same as this one.
+Joe Smith Yes I’ve been investigating this recently. I have a video coming soon as the ebox WiFi can no longer be used in this way sadly.
Have you any idea of how we could do to collect the information to a database on internet.Like this, no need for the DMZ to pass through the firewall and be able to connect to the station from work office.I think if there was a solution for using it like this, it could be great
Hi Adam, l do have the Bluetooth version of this epever converter, which to date have not been able to link to my android phone, have you had any dealings with this device?
Hi Adam,
I tried to follow your instructions, but for some reason after apply the new AP + STA setup, my ebox-wifi does not connect to my local wifi network, and the default adhoc network is not available. So, I have no way to enter it at the device config to reset it.
I tried with the swtich hole, in the side, but it does not works.
Do you know some way to fix that, restoring the default config of wifi module?
Thanks in advance.
+Carlos Portillo Sanchez You have to hold the reset button for far longer than you think is neccasary. I've done it myself. It may be worth holding the reset button in while powering up the device too. It's easier to hold the reset switch if you open up the case too. Best of luck.
both of my devices will not reset. i have tryed for hours.. had to order a new when i tryed to put it in ap+sta and would not connect after and not reset.. the new also will not reset even if its original and default settings.
+Reidar Årstad Sorry - have you seen the instructions to do a reset by bridging two points inside the unit? I'm yet to test it myself but I have some instructions I can send you if you want them?
Yes I have tryed to short the microswitch contact points on the pcb and traced them to the chip and shorted there.. but no luck. Yes if you have some instructions it may help :)
+Reidar Årstad I do - it's definitely worth a try. If you go onto my about page there is an email address for me. Send me an email and I'll send you the PDF.
just recieved email from epsolar regarding my dead wifi box ( i linked to this video)with an pdf guide om how to restore the box.
Havent triet it yet though.
WiFi module restore method
Dear Customer,
Firstly, thank you for buying our eBox-WIFI module.
Recently, we received many customer complaints that the module will be dead once customer
change the inside mode of eBox (from AP to AP+STA) according to the video on the RUclips to
realize monitoring the controller by computer. But the function has not been disclosure by our
company because some of defective. So we don’t allow customer to change the inside mode of
eBox, it is only used for APP.
But in order to help you to restore the eBox, we provide a method to restore it, as below:
Step 1:
Open the shell of eBox, and find the forth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7, as below:
Step 2:
Power on the controller and WiFi module (The WiFi module power is supplied by controller)
Step 3:
Short circuit between the forth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7 through tweezers, as below:
Step 4:
Push the reset button immediately and hold on for 5 seconds or more after releasing the
tweezers, as below:
Step 5:
Releasing the button and short circuit between the fourth pin of WiFi chip and the right pin of C7
through tweezers immediately.
If the link light flash once (Asfollow figure ③), the WiFi module restoressuccessfully, then release
the tweezers.
In addition, in order to meet the many your needs which want to monitor the controller via the PC,
we will shoot the video to guide you to monitor the controller via PC ASAP. And we will shoot the
video which help you restore the ebox in a couple of days. Please attention our Facebook and
RUclips.
Facebook Account: 3183532107@qq.com
RUclips Account: epeverchris@gmail.com
Sorry for any inconvenience!
Beijing Epsolar Technology Co., Ltd.
27/5/2017
+Resist Dk Thats great - thank you. Does the PDF have images then? I'd be very grateful if you could send it to me.
on my way out but I'll send it to you both when I get back in a few hours
I have just forwarded the email with attachment i received from Epsolar support to Adam and Alexander.
thanks! will check later.
Thank you so much for this valueable information,! I tried to set mine to AP&STA and after confirming I immediately lost wifi connection, after following these steps I was able to restore it again and it's now working!
Please, if you could upload the PDF and share the link to help others, and Adam Welch, if you could post the link in the description I'd appreciate it.
Thank you.
A lot of us newer buyers are stuck with newer firmware v1.00 with no Mode Switch, from AP to STAtion. I suggested that the code is still in there, EPSOLAR just edited the HTML or whatever drop-down options. A google search turns up no alternate firmware. If someone could share a solution, that would be awesome. Might there be a way to extract the older firmware and share?
I’ve done another video about alternatives to this ebox-01. Some commercial, others home brew. All will allow you to access remotely if you setup NAT traversal on your router. Hope that helps.
Is the dual mode perhaps to set a WAN IP? I would love to check the stats remotely if it possible.
Hi there,Quick question: Have you tried retrieving values from it by using HTTP requests ?The goal is to integrate it with my Jeedom setup.I am going to order an ebox today and hopefully i will be able to switch it to station mode.If not, i am planning on using a wifi access point and setup ports/routes forwarding (NAT if i need) in order to be able to communicate with the ebox from my home network.But that would be useless if there are no ways to send HTTP requests to the Ebox web server.Thx
got my wifi box, what a night mare for a stroke survivor! wish it had an english cheat sheet
been following along once I have Fixed the one I bought, though they say twice the load current as the spec they don't mention about using a inverter as the load. so IRFS7530 fet on order....lol
Just connected to mine and logged in. Tried to change the station mode to station as per the video and there is no option. There is only one option for me to select. It would appear that the newer firmware has removed the option for station mode. My version is V1.00_50007.
Hopefully someone has an option to get around this
Shame. I've just ordered a new one today to see how much has changed when I pop them side by side. Thanks for the info.
I got confirmation today that the feature has indeed been removed. This hack is no longer viable. I have requested that it be added back in. I urge everyone else to request the same. It make it a much better system overall having this feature
Ive written several times direct to Epsolar but still not got a response back :(
Seems like the answer is to flash it with the software version thats in Adams unit.
The problem is how to do that though...
+Resist Dk I read today that the module that the ebox is based around can be updated over air. It would be nice if we could convince epsolar that they'd be better off selling these with more functionality - not less and they'd release an update.
Ya’ll talking about getting this box to work remotely and here I am struggling to get it to work as intended on ios15 with no luck! Phone connects to its local wifi, signal good in the house but cant get the EP 01 app to connect to it! Feels like wasted money, my inverter/mppt hybrid is upower 3000 series.
Do you know if we can connect the charge controller to the internet so see the settings and batt info remotely?
You can use the solar station monitor software on a remote pc if you setup your router to forward the port to the internet. However if you want to see the info in a web browser you’ll need to use some third party software. Search for Colin Hickeys video about grafana and the EPEver tracer. That’s a good start.
Adam Welch thank you
Great video Adam! I am trying to get the EP solar Wifi box to work with the pc software. I can connect to the device on the network and can get activity on the tx/rx counter in the HWVSP but i get an error from Solar Station Monitor when trying to communicate. Any ideas on how i can resolve this?
No worries, found the solution in Colins Video, You must disable the NVT, Thanks
Thanks for the great videos Adam. I was able to get the WiFi box to work with the itracer by re-terminating the RJ45 cable to 3.81 4P connector. So now I am using the android app but my challenge is that I have to manually refresh to get real time data unlike the mt50 that displays real time data. Do you know a way I can make the app auto-refresh say like every 4s ? or is there a way to make the PC station monitor work on android tab?
regards.
Chuks(Nigeria)
+Chukwuma Achiobu Hello Chuks. Unfortunately I don't know how to make the android app auto refresh and the only way I could imagine getting the solar station monitor software on android is to have it running on a pc and use a Remote Desktop or VNC type connection to the pc. Probably not the answer you wanted I'm afraid.
I too have the newer version of software on the ebox so could not change the ap to station setting. Bummer. I have got around that though.
This issue i am now having is the virtual serial software wont stay connected and the epever software says timeout
The logs of the virtual serial port software show "read setting of remote port failed" and " write settings of remote port failed"
They shows it has tried the correct settings, e.g. baud ,data and stop bits but just closes the connection the says write failed.
Any ideas community? The HW group help is terrible!
Thanks in advance
Well what do you know, 5 seconds after posting i found the setting to make it work. i disabled NVT under settings.
All good.
Thx community!
Yeah NVT is better off. Thanks. I plan to do a video about this updated version very soon. When you say you got around that - what have you done?
I am lucky that the pc i am using has a built in WiFi as well as Ethernet so i can be connected to the ebox and my network without issue.
+paul Haynes I see. Split network. Should have guessed. Thanks for clarifying Paul.
Thank you wery much. Your method works. My regards and best wishes.
Anything that results in the last posts? Did you get connected from work?
Hi!
I got the ebox wifi 01. Do you think its posible to connect it to my wifi router at my cabin, and then get in contact with it thru the web using the android app? Runar.
+Runar Glamsland Not using the android app no - I believe the app tries to contact a specific IP address. Unless there's been an update I'm not aware of you couldn't change the IP address the app used to connect to the eBox.
I do exactly this but with the PC software. I monitor my shed remotely 24/7.
Thanks for reply. That specific ip adress should be able to see in the ebox? I dont know, i will check it up.. Personal i think the app is more easy to use than the pc software.. Would be great to make the app work online on the web.
I contacted epsolar, and they gave me info about this:
eBox-TCP-01 Wide Area Network(WAN) .
A small box ,same size as the wifi box
Its just what i'm looking for.
Cinnect it to the charge controller and to the router, and then the cc is reacheable from all over the world...
Its now on its way to my postoffice...
+Runar Glamsland it's interesting that they are releasing another product. I'm doing exactly this with my eBox WIFI-01. You can enable this in the web user interface. It works very reliably you'll be glad to know.
They will probably re release the wifi box with Adams Tweaks and call it Wifi Wan box ;)
Great work Adam.
I just received my Wifi box from Aliexpress and im messing with it as we speak :)
can you connect from work to ebox wifi, for example? I managed to connect with my laptop to ebox and now I want to connect from work to see the parameters in real time. Do you think it's possible? Thank you
Yes you can. You just need to setup the router your eBox is connected through to do port forwarding. Then you can run some virtual com port software at your work and connect straight to your eBox. I do this. The only issue is that the eBox uses a funny port (8088) which might be blocked at work. If so you might need to translate that port in your port forwarding rule to ensure you can access it - but this depends on how your firewall is setup at work.
Adam Welch Thanks Adam, it would be interesting a video on it. I think other people would be interested, including me. Keep it that way with the videos that are really interesting. Thanks in advance
I also have a new version which does not allow station mode. But I found a solution how to get the tcp server into my network. This is still still under development but the first tests are successful. I have connected the ebox-wifi-01 to my tracer A as normal and I have secured the AP with a WPA2 key. Next step was to setup a Raspberry PI (Raspbian or Archlinux) and installed a USB Wifi dongle. The raspberry is connected to my network by ethernet (Example: IP 192.168.0.10, Netmask 255.255.255.0, Gateway 192.168.0.1). The wifi connection has been configured using wpa_supplicant and with a static IP without default gateway (Example: IP 11.11.11.2, Netmask 255.255.255.0). Using this configuration the rPI is connected to the ebox AP and my network. You can verify the connection by ping to the ebox (ping 11.11.11.254) from the rPI. There are multiple solutions available to forward ports (iptables, socat, tcp balancer). In my first test I use socat.
Example:
socat tcp-listen:80,fork tcp:11.11.11.254:80 &
socat tcp-listen:8088,fork tcp:11.11.11.254:8088 &
the & sends the command in the background. Now the raspberry pi is listening on port 80 and 8088 and the connections will be forwarded to the ebox network. In this way you can access the ports in your network and you can monitor the Tracer using the virtual port and solar monitor software.
As this is a bit complicated I have already another idea which I will give it a try in the next days. The idea is to use a small openwrt router (GL-Inet AR150 for example). The idea is to connect the Wifi as client to the ebox. Disable the dhcp and connect the lan port to my network.
Hope this helps to get around the limitation of the new ebox version.
+toxm5 That's a reasonable solution I guess. Bridging the networks effectively but it's a shame we're having to do this. I've been looking at alternative off the shelf products as alternatives to the ebox-wifi. Video to come before long fingers crossed.
Adam Welch I have installed now the second solution based on the small openwrt router. Much simpler and stable then the rPI solution. Using a static route in my main router I can access the 11.11.11.254 from all machines in my network. You are absolutely right that it is pretty stupid that we have to do this. EPsolar could simply use an esp8266 in their ebox and station Mode would work.
I love this video, I would like to setup remote monitoring for my MPPT Renogy Rover 40amp, currently it has USB to RS-232, is there anyway to convert that type to wifi? Thanks
+Chris Solomon Wireless RS232 adapters are available... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172370059863 It should do what you want - although I've not tried them.
I seen those serial ports, this port is an RJ11 port to USB is what I was given, trying to wirelessly connect this up with some sort of mobile app
+Chris Solomon That's right and it would require you to cut a cable and make something up but it should work. It will be a lot easier if Renogy document the RS232 pin outs in their manual or website - do they do this?
Actually I've bought one to connect to my EPEver tracer (after I found the link for you) and I'll have to make a cable which goes from an RJ45 to bare ends for the RS485 protocol. I'll also try and connect to something via serial and make a video about it if I can - might be a couple of months though I'm afraid.
best video ever.. äääh.. epever!
hello Adam. ive successfully replicated Colin's device rs-wifi with a esp201 first and then with a esp01. I would like if you or someone who has the eBOX can make a firmware dump. im curious of this so called tcp server, seems very much like an esp config setup here to me. i will try the config from the ebox to one of my esp in the meantime.
Thanks in advance. Regards.
Hello how i this Software for this Produkt Web Version V1.00*****
Have you download link for this Web Version?
Very thanks
The software is held within the firmware of the device - there is no download that I am aware of.
Hello, how did you get access to the wifi module?
admin?
my brain just melted.
I buy one eBox Wifi and logged in wit Admin but i only habe AP Mode :-( I Cannot selct any orther mode :-(
Cn you helpme ?
+Michael Iller I'm sorry. As I said in the description they have changed the software and this method is no longer an option :-(
Excellent work!
now to get someone to do english translations heh
it's starting to look like it might be worth having.
thx very much - that´s my solution.
So what exacly you've hacked here? :DDD
‘Found an undocumented ‘feature’ of which the manufacture didn’t plan for anyone to use’ didn’t reap the search results I was after :-)
Hello Adam.
When I try to change some options under the load confiigurations sector im getting this error:
Device doesn't contain the register which is requested to read(COM9)
+Vamire Is the software getting any information back from the controller and if not is the virtual comm port software reporting any issues?
Adam Welch Adam Welch yes is connected as your video. So I can get a lot of info but can't change the load settings.
Try changing the app with an apk editor
This is great!
Salve, qualcuno saprebbe dirmi come fare per farlo funzionare anche in 4g con lo smartphone??? A me funziona solo in Wi-Fi e se mi connetto con l'ebox il CELL non si connette più alla rete.
In a future video can you give some of us new boys a run down explanation of some of the changeable parameters with descriptions and what they all mean.
Amazing.Thank you
Hi Adam... thanks for making this video :)
I hope you can help me... I changed the mode from AP to AP+STA (only that), I clicked the leftmost option of what I think is a confirmation page (in Chinese)... now I don't see the SSID of the ebox :'(
I tried the reload button and disconnect/reconnect many times, still nothing.
I contacted epever helpdesk, they say it is irrecoverable :'(
Please help me.
Thanks.
I doubt it is unrecoverable. Try holding the reset button down (it's easier of you open the case actually) for longer than you really think you should. If that doesn't reset it then try unplug it entirely - leave it for thirty seconds then hold down the rest button whilst plugging in the power. Again - hold it for longer than you feel it should really need.
After which it should use it's default 11.11.11.254 address and should show the standard SSID. I've reset mine once or twice because I messed up the config (as you say it's hard sometimes as it is in Chinese) and it has always come back after a few reset attempts.
thanks for the quick reply... great tip on opening the case for easier reset button hold down -- I used a clothespin to keep it pressed for loooong durations :)
I tried 30sec/1min/5min cycles of:
1. reset-while-connected -- nothing happened, lights don't even blink (is this normal?)
2. disconnect-and-wait-then-reconnect-while-reset-is-pressed -- still nothing :(
but I am now seeing an SSID of eBox-WIFI-01_B8919F when I plug it in (reset is not held down) while my phone is scanning for wifi -- shows for a few seconds (10secs approx.) and then it is gone... I am not sure if this is new or it has already been there before. tried to make a connection on my laptop to connect to the ssid even if it was not broadcasting, still no go.
you mentioned "after a few reset attempts", you mean that it doesn't always reset when you press the reload button? are there certain conditions for it to reset?thanks again :)
I must try that some more tomorrow because i did exactly as Alexander described and i cant find it now on network and i tried reset button both when running and also when plugging it in again but with no response so far :(
still no go here :'(
i hope somebody finds a solution for this... a reflash perhaps?
my wifi chip label also looks a little different than in Adams video and it has a writting saying v1.1 so maybe the reload function is different or the boks we left clicked is different from his. im leaving it unplugget over night and try agin later. if it doesnt help im also afraid that a reflash is the only answer :(
Any people here that are able to modify the IP-address in the app??
I found it - in classes.dex line 19662, but I have no experience in tampering with apps.
public static String WIFI_ADRESS = "11.11.11.254";
Requires a user name and password
+Detlef Rinke Hello. I did mention this in the video - I believe it is admin and admin.
The new wifi box i recieved ( still havent been able to unbrik the first one) only have AP mode ( not STA mode.
But Epever released a video on how to acces the controller via the wifi box on pc, and it works fine ruclips.net/video/mADOZUlAg1I/видео.html .
I googled the USR VCOM serial port server but i think the one Adam is using will work also.
This works fine for the newer wifi units but of course you then cant connect it to own wifi net and assign own ip in order to use it for multiple units, but in this way you cant atleast acces your controller wireless from pc.
+Resist Dk I’ve been researching alternatives to the eBox WiFi because for me it seems silly having to swap WiFi networks. Some people have got around the issue by using a wired connection to their normal network and a wireless connection to the eBox but it still seems a bit unnecessary. Hopefully a video on that in the next couple of weeks.
I agree and it sounds great what you write.
The ebox has much potential but its executed in an wrong fashion.
I would prefer a solution where i have a permanent connection to my several controllers and can easy read information on each of them on my pc instead of having to mess around for a lot for just beeing able to read the info for one of them :(
awesome
Just be careful - the latest software doesn't seem to be compatible with this method. I've got a video coming up (once a new version arrives) to compare the differences and highlight the issue.
👍
Bugger i managed to brick mine with in 10 minutes reset will not work
+Rick UK I've got some instructions to fix this. Send me your email and I'll get them over to you. If you go on my about page there's an email address for me.
sent :D
Hi mr. Adam,
I tried this but unfortunately I have some faulties in my firmware, I think.
First I do not have optinos to select AP+STA mode, neither STA.
Second STA doesn have MAC address.In another video, ruclips.net/video/RrEumwFHfJ4/видео.html
which advice me to ask you.
I got an answer that newer e-boxes comes without that options.
So, can I somehow get a firmware copy of your ebox?
I couldn't find old firmware to download from Internet.
Every help will be appriciate.
Adam, I have accomplished this using a usb Server utility called virtualHere running on a raspberry pi, and the client unending on the PC. It works great. Please see my video.
Не гони волну родной нет там такой функции для выбора пораметров только функция ap активна и ни чего более
public static String WIFI_ADRESS = "11.11.11.254";
That's in the code of the Android app ;)
IP + 地址 = IP + Adress
子网 + 掩码 = subnet + mask
网关 + 地址 = gateway + adress
Did you try to just change it in the app? :)
I also found it - in classes.dex line 19662, but I have no experience in tampering with apps.
that's too much of a hack for this person... he believes he is hacking the pentagone by entering a device's web server port (default web server port btw) and finding out he can modify its configuration
"supposed to be"
If you got a box that can't be mod go to this RUclips video ruclips.net/video/mADOZUlAg1I/видео.html and for the USR-vcom software go here www.usriot.com/usr-vcom-virtual-serial-software/ Thanks Adam Welch I have enjoyed you videos
My unit looks like this:
Front:
imgur.com/zlvs45J
Back:
imgur.com/6uW8U5Y
Cheers - I'll compare these with mine and let you know. The EPSolar product page specifically states 'One-key restore the factory settings' - if this isn't working then the unit must be classed by them as faulty, surely? www.epsolarpv.com/en/index.php/Product/pro_content/id/731/am_id/139
+Resist Dk Sorry for the delay - closer image of mine... goo.gl/photos/waFLmGtVQkJ2g7zo6 Web software version V1.00_10054
i just recieved email from epsolar. see above
Sorry but this isn't a 'hack'
I dont have the option of AP and Station mode, I only have either or. What did I do wrong?