I have a 6 kW system with two SB 2500U's w/ the digital displays. I did not opt for the RS485 versions which I now regret. I would now like to monitor the system & generation. My understanding is that with the install of RS485 piggybacks, the digital display must be replaced. I presume with a non-display type cover.

Any info about what would be required to make this change would be appreciated.

Thanks

I beleive you can use the same covers , but you are correct the communications cards use the same connecter to the power board that the display uses.

You should call sma-america in CA and I am sure they can handle your needs for the changes

many times, these LCD displays are RS232 based. Is it possible that the Display board already has RS232?

What I'm hoping to do is connecting a Bluetooth RS232 module( takes RS232 or CMOS level signals ) to the 2500 so that I have both local LCD Display AND remote data access. What's nice about the use of Bluetooth is that the PC end can be USB or RS232. Heck, it might even be my PDA.

Are there any technical specs on the LCD Display module?

THX

Sorry,

Its a custom job designed by SMA.

If you want data communications , you have to get the SMA rs232/RS485 or powerline mode

hum. Are there any closeup digital pictures of this RS232 board? It would make sense that they would have built in a serial port on the device already and then used these daughter cards for level shifting while onboard serial was strictly TTL.

If anybody has one of these handy, could you take pictures of both sides and post them? THX.

I don't have pictures , but I have had them in my hand in know for a fact the LCD doesn't have any RS232 connections. I've worked/installed all the comm types , all dedicated SMA designs , nothing standard about it !

Your stuck with whatever SMA sells

Solar Guppy, I know the Display unit does not have a PHYSICAL RS232 connector since I too have one of those installed. What I'm looking for is a way to find out what these Piggy-Back boards have for a data bus on the connector that interfaces with the Controller board.

I don't need a DB-9 looking connector to add my Bluetooth module and will build my own interface board if needed. Now, unless SMA went and created their own serial port bus on the Controller board, only to then have to convert it to a standard RS232 bus and RS485 bus( and signal levels, ie voltages ) then I would not think very kindly of their engineering/design skills. ;-)

I guess I could pay $150 to look at their board and figure it out but that seems pretty wasteful.

It appears that the data-over-powerline feature( on COM1 ) is available WHILE still allowing the Display board to be installed and that leads me to believe that there is a serial port( BUS, not connector ) available for a hack if I can figure out where it is.

BTW, the Fishbowl looks like a nice app. I hope to write a Java based app for the SunnyBoy if I can have my cake and eat it too( get both Bluetooth Serial access AND a local display ).

I was just informed by SMA that the display module uses RS232(TTL) for comm to the Controller. They even put a micro-controller on the display piggy-back board which requests data from the Controller via the standard API.

This means that if the TTL signal levels are consistant with our Bluetooth modules, this could be a plug-n-play implementation and another module connected to the display board would provide a remote display at the very least. Cool.

The word on the street is that SMA is working on a new Controller board for the Sunny Boys that'll allow both local display AND serial port( hardwired ) connectivity.

Too bad I just received/installed the existing design....