Kostal Inverters
Supported Devices
The SmartgridOne Controller supports Kostal Pico inverters that use the "Kostal Pico protocol". This includes many inverters from the PIKO series.
| Device Type | Modbus TCP (Ethernet) | RS485 | Curtailment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kostal Pico Inverters | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
While these inverters support active power control and feed-in limitation, the protocol driver used by the SmartgridOne Controller does not currently support sending curtailment commands.
Configuration
Kostal inverters can be connected to the SmartgridOne Controller via Modbus TCP (Ethernet) or RS485.
Modbus TCP (Ethernet)
- Connect the inverter to the same local network as the SmartgridOne Controller using an Ethernet (RJ45) cable.
- The SmartgridOne Controller communicates with the inverter on TCP Port 81.
- The inverters are typically configured for DHCP by default, meaning they will get an IP address automatically from your network router.
- You can access the inverter's built-in web server by typing its IP address into a web browser.
RS485
- You MUST give each device on the RS485 bus a unique address. Check the manual of the device on how to do this.
- Use lower addresses first (1, 2, ...) because the SmartgridOne Controller will find them faster!
- For each device, it is generally recommended to stick with the factory default baud rate, parity, and stop bits. The SmartgridOne Controller will scan on those first.
The default RS485 bus address is often 1. If you have more than one inverter on the bus, you must assign a unique address to each one. This can typically be done via the inverter's display menu or web server.
Wiring
The physical RS485 connection varies by inverter model. Please consult your specific inverter's installation manual for the correct terminals and pinout.
- Common Connection Types: Inverters may have either RJ45 sockets (for easy daisy-chaining) or a terminal block for the RS485 connection.
- Required Signals: You will need to identify and connect the Data A, Data B, and Ground (GND) signals to the corresponding ports on the SmartgridOne Controller.
Connect the inverter's RS485 terminals to the SmartgridOne Controller as follows:
- For correct RS485 wiring: Follow the guidelines for RS485 wiring.
- If the wiring shown in the table below is incorrect, please let us know.
- There is no general consensus in the industry about the usage of A and B for the RS485 polarity, so it may be counterintuitive and opposite of what you might expect for some devices.
| Device | SmartgridOne Controller model OM1 | SmartgridOne Controller model IG8 | RS485-USB converter | RS485-Ethernet converter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data A | RS485 A | RS485_POS | RS485 A | TX+ |
| Data B | RS485 B | RS485_NEG | RS485 B | TX- |
| Ground | RS GND | GND | Not available | G |