What's happened to emonTx V4?

Hardware emonTx
83

There are a lot of firmware versions and it’s quite complicated - and this applies to the emonPi2 as well, apart from the temperature sensing. How does a customer choose the firmware he wants?

N.B. I think the default radio format is LPL for all firmware. I don’t know if there should be/is a purchase choice between LPL and Jeelib?

Edit - I see in the compatibility section that the emonPi2 only supports the new LowPowerLabs encrypted radio format, so perhaps the emonTx5 only supports LPL. The emonTx5 page doesn’t have a compatibility section.

Should there be a purchase selection for firmware?
For example:

Single Phase:

  • emonTx5_CM_6CT_temperature: 6CT, pulse, radio, temperature
  • emonTx5_DB_6CT_1phase_LPL: 6CT, pulse, radio, no temperature
  • emonTx5_DB_12CT_1phase_LPL: 12CT, pulse, radio, no temperature, requires 6 channel expansion board

Three Phase:

  • emonTx5_DB_6CT_3phase_LPL: three phase, pulse, radio, no temperature
  • emonTx5_DB_12CT_3phase_LPL: 12CT three phase, pulse, radio, no temperature, requires 6 channel expansion board

With a pointer to
https://docs.openenergymonitor.org/emontx5/firmware.html
to show the allocation of CTs to each phase (3 phase) - although this doesn’t yet give an allocation for the 12CT version.

Just a couple of thoughts

  • will any three phase customers want custom allocations - e.g. if they have more items to measure on one phase?
  • if a customer wants a 12CT model, can they order a complete emonTx5+12CT extension+12CT firmware in one go?

Also a selection chart may be helpful to buyers:

options_crop

Apologies for perhaps adding some complications!

84

Thanks @rupert

I dont think it should be a purchase choice as it over complicates things. It would be interesting to hear if there is demand for EmonTx5 jeelib classic binaries to be made available via the Admin > Update Firmware tool. Perhaps this is something for us to keep an eye on. I have made JeeLib classic binaries for the emonTx4 but not the emonTx5 so far.

I dont think so, we should be able to distinguish from the order contents which firmware to upload and if we get it wrong, there is a relatively easy firmware update and change path using the Admin > Update firmware tool.

We should know from the order if the system is 1-phase or 3-phase by the emonVs selection and if it is 6 CT vs 12 CT by the expansion board inclusion in the order.

Im going to make a few changes to the options list to make this easier and will report back with what this looks like shortly.

85

The EmonTX5 looks smart, I think the doc changes are a welcome update as the number/combination of options is getting quite confusing at times!

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86

Can the CT selection be a dropdown rather than radio buttons so the further information is not forced to the bottom and a big white space on the left?

[edit]
In fact, why not all the option selections dropdowns (same for emonPi2)?

87

This is a flaw with BigCommerce, we can’t have product pick lists as dropdowns. Basically, we can’t keep track of stock if we use dropdowns. We were talking about this the other day, hopefully we can find a workaround.

1 Like
88

The emonTx5 is now available in the shop Electricity Monitoring - Shop | OpenEnergyMonitor. I will create a dedicated emonTx5 forum thread very soon, but in the mean time if anyone spots any errors in the shop entry or associated documentation please let me know.

Cheers everyone! :tada:

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89

There is now a specific emonTx5 documentation page covering temperature sensing, pulse counting and the analog input, please see: Other sensors — OpenEnergyMonitor 0.0.1 documentation.

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90

This is now up here: emonTx5 transmitter node & emonPi2 (12 CT expansion) available in the shop

2 Likes
91

Thanks @borpin and thanks for the twitter support! I managed to get this one fixed using some custom html on there. Still haven’t found a way to enable 12 CT sensor selection when the expander is selected but it’s a little more compact now at least.

1 Like
92

If I may add a comment to this ?
Adding the ESP8266 to the TX4 made the TX4 an excellent no-nonsense energy monitor. Without the complication of having of basically having a computer in the box. You could turn the thing off, or have the power fail, without worrying if it would ever boot again with corrupting the SD card.
These were great for us to fit to monitor a customers solar and usage, and as a lot of customers just expect things to work, this was a major plus point (we fit to every solar install we do)
Now I’m not really sure what to fit, as I’ve had nothing but trouble with the Pi2’s

Please look at adding this option - I really can’t be the only one thinking this ?!

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93

The issue of corrupted SD card is an interesting one. The argument was that a PiZero is a similar cost to the ESP, but this is a good use case.

I’m pretty sure you can still add an ESP to the TX5, but I don’t think they have done an addon board for it.

94

Hello @curlypaul

What trouble did you have? Is that the RaspberryPi 2 or the emonPi2 with a Pi4 or zero? My impression is that SD card corruption has become much less of an issue since we first started using them, we did a lot of work years ago now to reduce SD card write wear and then more recently switching to the industrial SD cards seems to have helped a lot.

The ESP was not immune to issues, my impression is that the Pi solution has become more robust than the EmonESP code at least. Is this a correct assessment?

95

My meaning with regard to the SD Card ‘corrupting’, which I should have elaborated on in hindsight, is an issue if they lose power without being powered off first i.e Power Cut or being inadvertently turned off.
As we fit these as part of our solar installs, for customers to monitor performance etc, with the Pi version, nearly all failed to come back online after such an event.
Leading me to fit the ESP8266 versions or add in one, which were straight forward, and never really had an issue with, bar a few that only wanted to connect if Wifi was on Channel 1.
If reception was an issue, I had a few with the ESP external antenna mod and a 3D printed rear fascia.

I’ve only purchased a handful of EmonPi2, maybe I’m doing things wrong, but getting them to have inputs showing and then transferred to emoncms has lost me hours and hours. especially with 3phase, or more if need to have a second pi2/tx4 for more inputs.

Luckily quite a few customers have had battery storage fitted this year, and with its own monitoring, and I’ve been able to reclaim several wifi TX4’s, but I’m at a point where I do need to purchase some new stock, and I’m a bit hesitant to do so, but will say that with latest firmware/sd image, I have had a bit more success, but still keep a few pre-flashed sd-cards in case of having start from fresh

96

O dear, I had thought the power cut issue was resolved now. I pull the power on test Pi’s in the office all the time without shutting down first and have power cuts here with no issues when the power comes back on again.
I do have surge protection on the Pi circuit, which may be a factor during power cuts…?

97

… Maybe, we generally fit surge protection SPD’s to consumer units with install, but maybe these are too ‘robust’ for sensitive electronics

98

I have found the EmonPi to be quote robust for power events, I have the original version still running with a Pi2, I have had one card go bad in the 9 years it’s been in use.

The read only filesystem in EmonPi really helps keep the writes down, you can always check the lifetime writes on an SD card with:

sudo tune2fs -l /dev/mmcblk0p2 | grep Lifetime

I had battery storage installed recently so a couple of “unexpected” shutdowns when the grid switchover to battery didn’t work in testing, and the EmonPi survived ok as did a number of other Pi’s that are always running.

I can see how a EmonTX with ESP is a lot simpler to maintain, no OS to maintain.

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