System monitoring/logging software

[dlenox]

All,

I have been extremely busy as of late desiging and writing software for monitoring and logging of my system.  I have designed this software to be totally inclusive and acquire/display data from: weather system, battery bank, inverter, diversion controller, solar panels, charge controller and weather station.

Currently it is connected via a CANBUS --> RS232 dongle that connects with my Xantrex XW series inverter.  There is a ton of information being spit out from this system with about 5000 messages per minute.  Much information about the battery bank, power input and output, grid connection and inverter are available through it.

The interfaces to the other devices will use analog-->digital (A/D) ports.

Here is a list of the current features:

 - runs under MS Windows 2000, XP, Vista

 - efficient multi-threaded code, only uses 6-8% CPU

 - asynchronous serial I/O

 - totally configurable for each piece of equipment

 - total graphic user interface (like your car dashboard - but better)

 - configurable warnings and ranges

 - logging output configurable for frequency and file formats (csv, html, xls)

 - screen click-thoughs to see detailed output for each system

 - colors are configurable

 - battery 'LED' display

 - status and warning lights

 - ability to switch in/out a line resistor

 - able to control a stator shorting switch to manually/automaticaly shut down turbine

Here is the main dashboard screen shot:

Initial phase will perform monitoring/logging of information, next phase will include:

 - system control

 - automatic shutdown

 - effectively give MPPT-like control over wind turbine

 - graphing capabilities for log data

 - ability to remotely connect using web browser

If successful the next phase will give ability to connect to other makes/models of inverters as well as more control in what is being logged.

I would like to know if there are any features that you would like to see in this type of software as well as inverter models that you are using.

Dan Lenox

[ETech]

Dan,

Having all of your gauges increase in value, with clockwise rotation will make the display more readable. That would be for your Turbine temp & amps, Solar panel volts & amps.

The actual layout though is very nice!!

I like the features that you listed as being well thought out.

Very nice work overall,  Etech

[tanner0441]

Hi

Very impressive. Would it take much to make the interface USB Bluetooth, you could then grab the data on a laptop or mobile phone. Do you have to embed thermistors or diodes in the stator for temp monitoring?

Anyone who is offgrid or getting a system up and running it could be a godsend for seeing what bits are doing what, saves running outside to see if things are turning,

Brian

[David HK]

Is wind speed in miles per hour, metres per second, or knots. It would be nice if it was a selectable item.

David HK

[luckeydog]

average wind speed and a high and low wind speed.

luckeydog

.

[GeeMac]

Nice work. I am interested to know what software development language you use to create this?

[dlenox]

Dave,

The display for wind speed is selectable.  Since it will be using pulses from an A/D port, so it can be set to what-ever is meaningful to the user.

Dan

[dlenox]

GeeMac,

I developed the code using C#, in Visual Studio 2008 environment.  Been developing software now for 32+ years...

Dan

[dlenox]

Brian,

Technically it is completely separate applications; one that acquires the data and another that performs the display.  It would be a simple matter of instead to write a  different 'front end' to push it out to the human or device the 'real-time' data is available to multiple applications that can do with it what they want...

Last phase is also a web-based interface so that no matter where in the world you are you can tap in, see data and potentially shut it down completely remotely.

For temp inputs it could be thermister, basically anything that can be interfaced with an A/D port would work, same for wind speed, turbine speed, etc...

Dan

[dlenox]

ETech,

Actually the initial screen design I did have all the gauges rotating in the same direction, with them actually operating I actually preferred them going opposite directions it tended to give balance to the screen, but I see what you mean.

Right now I am looking to get functionality, but I can also easily be an item that is configurable by the end-user.

Anyone know of an inexpensive 8 port controller?  It would be nice to have 6 A-->D (receive only) and 2 D-->A (output only) ports.

Dan

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

One hack that has proven useful is to arrange meters so that all the needles point in about the same direction in normal operating mode.  That way something exceptional stands out.  (Like a "wallpaper gag" in comics, where a series of frames are identical except for one and the joke is related to the delta.)

Of course there are limits to how much of that you can do, depending on application.  (For instance:  Vehicles can have voltage, temperature, and oil pressure with the meter in the center for normal mode and gas will typically be near that when you have enough.  But speed and to some extent RPM are all over the map.)  When this happens you make the indicators with no "typical" or "good" region a different style.