Add optional "load current" to live view, MQTT and HASS.

lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.h

@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ struct veMpptStruct : veStruct {
     uint32_t panelVoltage_VPV_mV;       // panel voltage in mV
     uint32_t panelCurrent_mA;           // panel current in mA (calculated)
     int16_t  batteryOutputPower_W;      // battery output power in W (calculated, can be negative if load output is used)
-    uint32_t loadCurrent_IL_mA;         // Load current in mA (Available only for models with a load output)
-    bool     loadOutputState_LOAD;      // virtual load output state (on if battery voltage reaches upper limit, off if battery reaches lower limit)
     uint8_t  currentState_CS;           // current state of operation e.g. OFF or Bulk
     uint8_t  errorCode_ERR;             // error code
     uint32_t offReason_OR;              // off reason
@@ -38,6 +36,14 @@ struct veMpptStruct : veStruct {
     uint32_t yieldYesterday_H22_Wh;     // yield yesterday Wh
     uint16_t maxPowerYesterday_H23_W;   // maximum power yesterday W
 
+    // these are optional values communicated through the TEXT protocol. the pair's first
+    // value is the timestamp the respective info was last received. if it is
+    // zero, the value is deemed invalid. the timestamp is reset if no current
+    // value could be retrieved.
+    std::pair<uint32_t, bool> loadOutputState_LOAD;     // physical load output or virtual load output state (on if battery voltage
+                                                        // reaches upper limit, off if battery reaches lower limit)
+    std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t> loadCurrent_IL_mA;    // Load current in mA (Available only for models with a physical load output)
+
     // these are values communicated through the HEX protocol. the pair's first
     // value is the timestamp the respective info was last received. if it is
     // zero, the value is deemed invalid. the timestamp is reset if no current

lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectMpptController.cpp

@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ void VeDirectMpptController::init(int8_t rx, int8_t tx, Print* msgOut,
 bool VeDirectMpptController::processTextDataDerived(std::string const& name, std::string const& value)
 {
 	if (name == "IL") {
-		_tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA = atol(value.c_str());
+		_tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA.second = atol(value.c_str());
+        _tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA.first = millis();
 		return true;
 	}
 	if (name == "LOAD") {
-		_tmpFrame.loadOutputState_LOAD = (value == "ON");
+		_tmpFrame.loadOutputState_LOAD.second = (value == "ON");
+        _tmpFrame.loadOutputState_LOAD.first = millis();
 		return true;
 	}
 	if (name == "CS") {
@@ -97,7 +99,8 @@ void VeDirectMpptController::frameValidEvent() {
 	}
 
 	// calculation of the MPPT efficiency
-	float totalPower_W = (_tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA / 1000.0f + _tmpFrame.batteryCurrent_I_mA / 1000.0f) * _tmpFrame.batteryVoltage_V_mV /1000.0f;
+    float loadCurrent = (_tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA.first > 0) ? _tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA.second / 1000.0f : 0.0f;
+	float totalPower_W = (loadCurrent + _tmpFrame.batteryCurrent_I_mA / 1000.0f) * _tmpFrame.batteryVoltage_V_mV / 1000.0f;
 	if (_tmpFrame.panelPower_PPV_W > 0) {
 		_efficiency.addNumber(totalPower_W * 100.0f / _tmpFrame.panelPower_PPV_W);
 		_tmpFrame.mpptEfficiency_Percent = _efficiency.getAverage();
@@ -117,16 +120,19 @@ void VeDirectMpptController::loop()
 	// Second we read Text- and HEX-Messages
 	VeDirectFrameHandler::loop();
 
-	// Third we check if HEX-Data is outdated
 	// Note: Room for improvement, longer data valid time for slow changing values?
-	if (!isHexCommandPossible()) { return; }
-
 	auto resetTimestamp = [this](auto& pair) {
 		if (pair.first > 0 && (millis() - pair.first) > (10 * 1000)) {
 			pair.first = 0;
 		}
 	};
 
+    // Check if optional TEXT-Data is outdated
+    resetTimestamp(_tmpFrame.loadOutputState_LOAD);
+	resetTimestamp(_tmpFrame.loadCurrent_IL_mA);
+
+	// Third we check if HEX-Data is outdated
+    if (!isHexCommandPossible()) { return; }
 	resetTimestamp(_tmpFrame.MpptTemperatureMilliCelsius);
 	resetTimestamp(_tmpFrame.SmartBatterySenseTemperatureMilliCelsius);
 	resetTimestamp(_tmpFrame.NetworkTotalDcInputPowerMilliWatts);
@@ -337,4 +343,4 @@ void VeDirectMpptController::sendNextHexCommandFromQueue(void) {
 			prio = false; // second loop for low prio commands
 		}
 	}
-}
+}

src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp

@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectClass::publish_mppt_data(const VeDirectMpptController::da
     PUBLISH(productID_PID,           "PID",  currentData.getPidAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(serialNr_SER,            "SER",  currentData.serialNr_SER);
     PUBLISH(firmwareVer_FW,           "FW",  currentData.firmwareVer_FW);
-    PUBLISH(loadOutputState_LOAD,   "LOAD",  (currentData.loadOutputState_LOAD ? "ON" : "OFF"));
     PUBLISH(currentState_CS,          "CS",  currentData.getCsAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(errorCode_ERR,           "ERR",  currentData.getErrAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(offReason_OR,             "OR",  currentData.getOrAsString().data());
@@ -136,6 +135,8 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectClass::publish_mppt_data(const VeDirectMpptController::da
         MqttSettings.publish(topic + t, String(val)); \
     }
 
+    PUBLISH_OPT(loadOutputState_LOAD,                     "LOAD",                         currentData.loadOutputState_LOAD.second ? "ON" : "OFF");
+    PUBLISH_OPT(loadCurrent_IL_mA,                        "IL",                           currentData.loadCurrent_IL_mA.second / 1000.0);
     PUBLISH_OPT(NetworkTotalDcInputPowerMilliWatts,       "NetworkTotalDcInputPower",     currentData.NetworkTotalDcInputPowerMilliWatts.second / 1000.0);
     PUBLISH_OPT(MpptTemperatureMilliCelsius,              "MpptTemperature",              currentData.MpptTemperatureMilliCelsius.second / 1000.0);
     PUBLISH_OPT(BatteryAbsorptionMilliVolt,               "BatteryAbsorption",            currentData.BatteryAbsorptionMilliVolt.second / 1000.0);

src/MqttHandleVedirectHass.cpp

@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectHassClass::publishConfig()
         auto optMpptData = VictronMppt.getData(idx);
         if (!optMpptData.has_value()) { continue; }
 
-        publishBinarySensor("MPPT load output state", "mdi:export", "LOAD", "ON", "OFF", *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT serial number", "mdi:counter", "SER", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT firmware number", "mdi:counter", "FW", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT state of operation", "mdi:wrench", "CS", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
@@ -88,6 +87,14 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectHassClass::publishConfig()
         publishSensor("Panel yield yesterday", NULL, "H22", "energy", "total", "kWh", *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("Panel maximum power yesterday", NULL, "H23", "power", "measurement", "W", *optMpptData);
 
+        // optional info, provided only if the charge controller delivers the information
+        if (optMpptData->loadOutputState_LOAD.first != 0) {
+            publishBinarySensor("MPPT load output state", "mdi:export", "LOAD", "ON", "OFF", *optMpptData);
+        }
+        if (optMpptData->loadCurrent_IL_mA.first != 0) {
+            publishSensor("MPPT load current", NULL, "IL", "current", "measurement", "A", *optMpptData);
+        }
+
         // optional info, provided only if TX is connected to charge controller
         if (optMpptData->NetworkTotalDcInputPowerMilliWatts.first != 0) {
             publishSensor("VE.Smart network total DC input power", "mdi:solar-power", "NetworkTotalDcInputPower", "power", "measurement", "W", *optMpptData);

src/WebApi_ws_vedirect_live.cpp

@@ -164,7 +164,20 @@ void WebApiWsVedirectLiveClass::populateJson(const JsonObject &root, const VeDir
     const JsonObject values = root["values"].to<JsonObject>();
 
     const JsonObject device = values["device"].to<JsonObject>();
-    device["LOAD"] = mpptData.loadOutputState_LOAD ? "ON" : "OFF";
+
+    // LOAD     IL      UI label    result
+    // ------------------------------------
+    // false    false               Do not display LOAD and IL (device has no physical load output and virtual load is not configured)
+    // true     false   "VIRTLOAD"  We display just LOAD (device has no physical load output and virtual load is configured)
+    // true     true    "LOAD"      We display LOAD and IL (device has physical load output, regardless if virtual load is configured or not)
+    if (mpptData.loadOutputState_LOAD.first > 0) {
+        device[(mpptData.loadCurrent_IL_mA.first > 0) ? "LOAD" : "VIRTLOAD"] = mpptData.loadOutputState_LOAD.second ? "ON" : "OFF";
+    }
+    if (mpptData.loadCurrent_IL_mA.first > 0) {
+        device["IL"]["v"] = mpptData.loadCurrent_IL_mA.second / 1000.0;
+        device["IL"]["u"] = "A";
+        device["IL"]["d"] = 2;
+    }
     device["CS"] = mpptData.getCsAsString();
     device["MPPT"] = mpptData.getMpptAsString();
     device["OR"] = mpptData.getOrAsString();

webapp/src/locales/de.json

@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@
         "section_device": "Geräteinformation",
         "device": {
             "LOAD": "Status Lastausgang",
+            "VIRTLOAD": "Status virtueller Lastausgang",
+            "IL": "Laststrom",
             "CS": "Betriebszustand",
             "MPPT": "Betriebszustand des Trackers",
             "OR": "Grund für das Ausschalten",

webapp/src/locales/en.json

@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@
         "section_device": "Device Info",
         "device": {
             "LOAD": "Load output state",
+            "VIRTLOAD": "Virtual load output state",
+            "IL": "Load current",
             "CS": "State of operation",
             "MPPT": "Tracker operation mode",
             "OR": "Off reason",

webapp/src/locales/fr.json

@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@
         "section_device": "Device Info",
         "device": {
             "LOAD": "Load output state",
+            "VIRTLOAD": "Virtual load output state",
+            "IL": "Load current",
             "CS": "State of operation",
             "MPPT": "Tracker operation mode",
             "OR": "Off reason",