Hello,

I am getting my system installed in the next couple of weeks, and I am trying to get everything ready before the system comes online.

I will have 3 Xantrex GT units installed in my basement. And I will be using 3 copies of sg-view to monitor the units.

I need to know if the holes at the bottom of the unit where the rs-232 plugs are located are 33mm(1 5/16 in) or more in diameter as this is the size of the db-9 connector? Otherwise, I will need to decide how I want to do the RJ-45 conversion. (any suggestions)

Thanks!

Only pins #2,#3 and #5 are used in the RS232 cable and a standard shell won't fit thru the openings. I have always used cat5 wire ( roll from Home Depot ) and just soldered on db9 connectors as its so few wires

I too, have just used a simple DB-9 connector soldered onto the wire. I use a short piece of heat shrink tube over each pin. My cable was a shielded twisted pair. With no backshell, it fit thru the knockout of the inverter. Inside the inverter, there is a clear plastic shield to separate the high voltage area from the data lines.

Running several inverters, you may want to peek at this style of connector interface: http://yost.com/computers/RJ45-serial/ You may benefit from using the db9-RJ45 adapters, but would :
1) adapt the wires to the GT pinout
2) never connect to the Xanbus RJ connector (which has voltage in it)

Actually, I think it's a bad idea to use RJ connectors, because of the Xanbus power and damage probability, so forget this idea for GT inverters.

( I'll leave it here because the Yost idea is so elegant. )

Thanks Guys!

To make sure, the Xantrex units have a female DB-9 connector.

Yep, GT inverters have a DB9 connector (I forget if it's M or F)

Your laptop or whatever, also will need 3 serial ports, and I understand that simple USB-Serial adapters work well enough. Opto-Isolators are not required.

Keep in mind, the cheap single port usb to serial dongles don't work well with more than one installed in a PC system, the drivers are not written to be multithreaded, so if you have two connected, they won't work and I have seen blue screens on XP systems!

For all my multiport needs I use edgeport usb-serial boxes, this are commerial grade units ..

One on eBay now is a good deal for an 8 port box

http://cgi.ebay.com/Inside-Out-Edgeport ... dZViewItem

I pay 25 - 75 dollars for these units on eBay, they are 200+ new

That's good to know. I knew a single works just fine. I thought it would scale up, but I guess not.

Right, female.

Thanks!

I just ordered a standard 50' cable and used a file to make a groove for it to fit in near the lower right of the wiring box lid. Worked fine, looks like it was made that way.