Domoticz can't connect to my SolarMax 3000S inverter via lan port

[AndreaM]

Hello, it's my first post, and I hope that this is the right category.
I'm writing this because I'm trying to connect my SolarMax 3000S inverter to the Domoticz platform, but I'm having some issues.
The problem is that when I try to set it up in Domoticz, the inverter is added to the hardware list, but it doesn't do anything, and in the log file I read multiple times the following error message:
"Error: SolarMax: TCP could not connect to: 192.168.002.012:1069"

The current setup is the following:
The LAN port of the inverter is connected with a straight cable to a 5 port LAN switch, and my pc with Linux and Domoticz 2020.1 (build 11838) is connected to the switch in the same way as the inverter.
My pc address is 192.168.2.100 and my inverter address is 192.168.2.12.
The inverter TCP port is 1069.
I already tried to use a modem with OpenWRT instead of a simple switch but it does not connect to the Inverter (LAN port-led was light up, but in the devices table it wasn't shown).
Now with the LAN switch, the led relative to the inverter port is on, so it means that there's a connection, but I'm always unable to connect to it.
I tried various IP addresses, TCP ports and checked multiple times that the Ethernet connectivity was enabled in the inverter settings, but I can't find what's the problem.
I hope someone can help me figure it out.

[FireWizard]

Hi,

@AndreaM

Welcome on this forum.

Before posting a new topic, it is a good idea to search for similar topics, as they might contain an answer. However not in this case.
See: https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6507.

Is it possible to connect Domoticz directly to you inverter?
So without switches, routers, etc?

Regards

[AndreaM]

Hello, thanks for your fast and kind reply.
I already searched for answers in the wiki and in the topic you posted (i discovered domoticz through it) and I wasn't able to find an answer so I posted this.
Unfortunately, I haven't got a cross cable to connect directly the pc to the inverter, and it's not easy to get one in this period.
I found a document that contains the installation instructions for the SolarMax DataLogger (MaxWeb XPN), that works like Domoticz and uses the LAN port of the inverter to communicate with it, and it tells that you should use two straight cables (one for the inverter and one for the data logger) and a simple network switch that connects them.
I attached to this message an image of the connection diagram.

[FireWizard]

Hi,

Did you test with a standard straight cable?
In the past a cross cable was required to connect e.g. 2 PC's, but nowadays it is standard that the ports are auto-detecting.

Regards

[AndreaM]

Thanks for the suggestion.
I haven't tried with a direct cable yet, but tomorrow I will try to follow your suggestion, and I will update you as soon as possible.

[AndreaM]

Hello,
as told yesterday, today I made some tests.
Firstly I tried to connect the PC directly to the inverter using a straight cable, but the situation was the same as yesterday.
Later I found my ethernet plug crimper and a piece of new Ethernet cable, so I made an ethernet cross-cable to make other tests.
Unfortunately, I don't have a cable tester, but looking at my laptop LAN LEDs the connection was constant, and the OS notified me that the ethernet connection was active (obviously without internet access).
So I tried setting up Domoticz again, I deleted the old settings from the hardware list, and I set it up again double-checking every setting, but the same error showed up again.
I don't know what to do next, probably I will try to connect my windows laptop using the Solarmax application, just to test if the connection between pc and inverter is working.

[AndreaM]

Hello,
it's been a while since my last post.
As anticipated last time, I made some new tests with the original SolarMax Maxtalk software.
Unfortunately, even the original software can't find the inverter and I'm starting to think that the LAN module inside the inverter isn't working properly.
Just to be sure I'd like to ask if someone, that has already created a connection with this kind of inverter, can tell me the steps they followed and the configurations they used to make it work properly.
Thanks in advice.

[FireWizard]

Hi,

@AndreaM

I am not able to support you any longer with this issue, as I do not own this Solarmax inverter.

I suggest that you first check the cable, you use, is correct and that you are 100% sure about that.

You can try to contact your installer, to verify that your setup of the Solarmax inverter is correct or maybe Solarmax has a help-desk that you can contact.
You can also try to contact a user, who is also using this inverter. See the link to that topic.

Regards

[AndreaM]

Hi @FireWizard, thanks again for your support and your kindness.
I will try to contact the SolarMax helpdesk to see if they can solve the problem.
I will update this thread if I manage to make it work.
Thanks again for your assistance,

Best Regards