Elmar Solar MPPT

Profinity monitors the Elmar Solar Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) Series A and B. They use the CAN database (DBC) file described in the Elmar MPPT DBC documentation. Elmar Solar makes MPPTs that optimise the output of solar arrays. The Elmar range distributed by Prohelion consists of the Elmar 3A MPPT, the Elmar Race MPPT and the Elmar Best MPPT. The Solar Charge Controllers by Elmar documentation describes them.

Add the MPPT to a profile

To monitor an Elmar Solar MPPT, add an Elmar Solar MPPT tracker to the Profile. Profinity prompts for the information in the following table. The Change Settings button on the MPPT dashboard changes these details later.

Parameter	Description	Default
Name	The name of the component. Must be unique.	The component name
Milliseconds Valid	The timeout of the device in milliseconds, from 1 to 60000, or -1 for no timeout.	5000
Base Address	The CAN address of the MPPT, as described in the Elmar MPPT DBC.	`0x300`

If the network receives no traffic from the device within the Milliseconds Valid time, Profinity treats the connection as lost.

Once the MPPT is added to the Profile, the Elmar Solar MPPT dashboard is available in the sidebar. The dashboard displays input and output voltage graphs, error status indicators and, under the MORE DETAILS banner, temperature readings.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Device["Elmar Solar MPPT"]
        MPPT["CAN messages"]
    end
    subgraph Profile["Profile"]
        Dashboard["MPPT dashboard"]
        DBC["DBC view"]
    end
    MPPT --> Dashboard
    MPPT --> DBC

The Elmar Solar MPPT sends CAN messages that the MPPT dashboard in the Profile decodes, and the same raw data is available in the DBC view

Elmar Solar MPPT dashboard showing the summary row, graphs, event indicators and state flowchart — Elmar Solar MPPT

The raw CAN data from an Elmar Solar MPPT is also available in the DBC view. The Messages and Signals button on the dashboard opens it.

MPPT data

The summary row of the MPPT dashboard shows the values in the following table.

Cell	Meaning
INPUT VOLTAGE	The voltage produced by the connected solar array, in volts.
INPUT CURRENT	The current delivered by the connected solar array, in amps.
OUTPUT VOLTAGE	The output voltage of the MPPT, in volts.
OUTPUT CURRENT	The output current of the MPPT, in amps.

The dashboard also shows two time-series graphs of the input voltage and output power of the MPPT. Hover over a graph to see the data in greater resolution.

The MPPT EVENTS panel shows status indicators for MPPT events. The colour of each indicator matches its type, as the following table shows.

Type	Colour	Indicators
Error	Red	Low array power, hardware overvoltage, hardware overcurrent, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) overheat, 12 V undervoltage, battery low and battery full
Limit	Amber	Input current minimum and maximum, output voltage maximum, duty cycle minimum and maximum, and MOSFET temperature
Limit	Green	The local and global MPPT limits

The events correspond to the Status message of the Elmar MPPT DBC. The message carries the error and limit flags, the mode, and the CAN receive and transmit error counters. The Solar Charge Controllers by Elmar documentation links the datasheet of each product.

A simplified flowchart shows the MPPT state, which is either Standby or On according to the Mode signal of the Status message. The grey box marks the current state.

Expand the MORE DETAILS banner to see these readings:

Input, output, and power readings.
MOSFET, controller, and power connector temperatures.
The auxiliary 12 V and 3 V supply and battery-side output voltages.

The state of a connected battery is described on the Prohelion BMU page.