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Getting started

Adding and verifying devices

Add devices to a Voltmasters EMS project with the Add Device wizard: device type, brand, model and the communication settings to verify.

  1. Open the device overview

    Open your project in platform.voltmasters.be, go to Devices in the project menu and click Add device in the top-right corner.

    The devices overview of a project with the main meter, five PCS and BMS pairs and a PV inverter, all shown as online.

  2. Enter the device details

    In the Add Device wizard, select the device type, the brand and the model, and fill in:

    • Device name: a clear and unique name, for example PCS1, BMS Rack 2 or Main Meter.
    • Parent device: the parent device in the electrical hierarchy, typically the main meter.

    Click Next.

    The device type step of the Add device wizard, with the type, brand, model, name and parent device fields.

  3. Configure communication

    When the device can be reached over Modbus TCP, the step starts with Scan the network. Don't know the address? Let the EMS controller scan its network for Modbus devices:

    • On controllers from version 0.0.340, a progress bar shows how far the scan is: first it looks for devices on the network, then it identifies the devices found.
    • Click Use this device next to the device you want. The wizard fills in its IP address, port and slave ID.
    • Devices that are already in the project are marked Already added as followed by their name.
    • The scan needs controller version 0.0.339 or later. On an older controller, update the controller or fill in the connection by hand.

    Check or fill in the connection settings:

    • Protocol: for example Modbus TCP/IP. If the device only has RS485, use an adapter: see RS485 to Modbus TCP adapters.
    • IP address: the static IP address of the device.
    • Port: commonly 502 for Modbus TCP.
    • Slave ID: the Modbus slave ID, often 1.
    • RTU over TCP (serial converter): switch this on when the device sits behind a transparent RS485 to Ethernet converter. The EMS then sends bare Modbus RTU frames over the TCP connection instead of Modbus TCP. A device found by the scan as Modbus RTU over TCP gets this option automatically.

    Click Test to verify communication, then click Next.

    The Communication step of the add device wizard with the Scan the network button above the protocol, IP address, port and slave ID fields, and the RTU over TCP (serial converter) option.

  4. Check the parameters and save

    When the device has child devices, parameters or charging connectors, the wizard opens the Parameters step. Check the values the EMS read from the device, fill in what is missing and click Save. When there is nothing to set, the device is saved right away.

Verifying that the device works

  • The Test button in the wizard checks whether the EMS reaches the device with the entered settings. If the test fails, check the IP address, the port and the slave ID, and whether the device is on the same network as the controller.
  • After saving, the device appears in the device list with its online status.
  • When you add a device that the EMS steers to a project that has already been validated, the project has to be validated again. The confirmation after saving says so.
  • For the project validation, every device must deliver live data: see Having a project validated.