Hello all! Just joined, and was hoping someone has tried or can provide some insight as to whether this will work or not. I've got a GE solar inverter 5kw. Now, the person at GE originally claimed I could tie into the inverter using the ethernet port, which they since retracted upon and said not to do. I also learned this by reading up on the postings here, and actually took my asking them if they were certain about using the ethernet. Now, I've already got Cat5e line running to my inverter, and was hoping someone could tell me if I could do the following:

RS232 to USB coming out of inverter to USB to ETHERNET converter. Then I could plug in my ethernet setup. Would this work with SG View? The GT View from Xantrex's website would not load on my Windows Vista machines, but SG loaded up fine. If this setup will not work, what options are people using which do work? For me to run RS232 down to my garage where the inverter is, will be quite difficult to do. USB may be a possibility with a few couplers along the way, or convert the RJ45 back to USB back to RS232 up in my office. I'd prefer to plug into my wireless router so that I can monitor the inverter from my laptop and desktop computers. Is this supported at all??

Thank you all for your help in advance!

Matt

Since you have a cat5 cable, that can be made into a RS232 cable in about 10 minutes. Cut the both ends off the cat5 and solder on db9 connectors. Pins 2,3 & 5 are the only ones used. Also you can actually use the cat5 connection for both RS232 and enet as enet only uses 4 of the wires ... Google cat5 connector for details

On the PC, its very common to use usb to rs232 converters, newegg sells them for under 10 bucks

The GT5.0 ( or what ever GE calls them ) does not have enet, the RJ45 port is for Xanbus and had nothing in common with enet

I hope I'm understanding you correctly, as I'm only 3 weeks into this whole solar production thing. Took me a year to take the leap and lots of research, but hopefully I can start a trend out here on the East Coast and get more people on board!

Anyway, I've got the following setup currently for the cat5:

Cat5 line from router to Wall jack in office with line running to garage. Wall jack in garage. Then I have a cat5 line from the wall jack in garage going to the inverter. I'd rather not have to do any more cutting or soldering of wiring.

I guess I was looking for confirmation that going from RS232 to USB to Cat5 into my router would work with SG View software. I'm sure I could go from enet to USB in the office if plugging into the router won't work. I would just need another converter.

Maybe I'm just missing it....I did work today, so my mind isn't at 100% at this point.

RS232 and USB are protocols over a physical wire, CAT5 is just wire, typically used for ethernet but cat5 is just a class of twisted pair wires. You can't go from on to the other without converters and converts can have delays and packet stuffing that could make SG-View not work ( timing ).

The inverter is RS232 and that what you need to have talking to the computer. USB is limited to 3 meters unless you have repeaters, but its expensive and totally unessary when the inverter is RS232.

One solution is to have a cheap computer or laptop in the garage with the RS232 line to the inverter and its runs SG-View, then the PC can be networked using the cat5 as is and upload the data or remote desktop to that PC to monitor

IMHO, the simple solution is take a cat5 cable, cut it in half and solder on the 3 connection to the db9, pins 2,3,5. doesn't mater which three wires you use on the cat5 cable, just make it the same on both ends. Now you have PC/RS232 to the wall thru you new cable ... same thing on the garage end. About 20 minutes work

beware - if you have done this already - the Xanbus connector (RJ45) has a couple of power pins in it, and you can fry stuff, too easily in my opinion.

Thank you for your help! i will try the converts first, as that would be the easiest option at this point. If that doesn't work, I've got a long weekend to try the soldering thing, which may take the entire weekend for me! Hopefully I can get this up and running soon. To me, setting up a small cheap laptop in the garage to run the monitoring software, is a non-essential use of electricity. I wouldn't be doing constant monitoring of the system, atleast not that I foresee at this moment. Even if I leave my new quad-core desktop computer on, which ultimately uses very little electricity, it's still using some of the electricity I produce for monitoring purposes. However, it would be cool if I could figure out the FTP thing and get constant uploads to my comcast server to show people.

If I get it up and running and can get someone to help me figure out the FTP part, I'll post a link for others to view.

Had issues with the RS232 to USB converter and plugging into my laptop. Apparently VISTA won't take drivers that aren't digitally signed, and there were none for that particular adapter I bought. I may end up going to the store tonight and getting ripped off on one just to see what happens. Also, I can't use RS232 to my computer, because neither my laptop nor desktop have these ports on them anymore. I would have to plug USB into the computer to monitor. This does work, correct?

Install as Admin and over ride the warning ... you can install but Vista is a pain

unfortunately, VISTA wouldn't let me override that option. I'm set as an admin on the computer. I think I'll get a more well known brand that may state it's VISTA compatible and try it later...hopefully this will work this time.

I thought I had seen some troubleshooting hints before, but I couldn't find them. Anyway, I got my USB to Serial adapter installed on my computer as COM10. However, SG View continues to claim that it can't open the comm port. When I go in the settings, it only shows COM3 as an option. Any ideas??

Thanks!