DIY Victron generator start with Raspberry Pi and Arduino (Victron Venus Raspberry Pi)

Описание: In this video, I (crudely) demo my DIY Generator Start project for my Solar Truck:    • Solar Truck for RV Boondocking - Teaser  

I have a wireless start Champion 3500W generator, a Victron 712 BMV, an AIMS inverter, and a Victron MPPT charge controller.

The issue is that the Victron Venus costs $500 USD, and my generator can't accept an open/closed signal to manage starting/stopping (like a much more expensive residential generator could).

So, I did what any normal person would do. I installed the Victron Venus firmware on a Raspberry Pi, added a 5v Relay board to the Pi, and programmed an Arduino to press Start/Stop on my Champion Generator's remote control using yet another relay.

Now my generator can kick on/off on high load, such as running my RV's A/C unit, or on low battery charge; fully configurable and customizable with features such as Quiet Hours (special settings for sleeping hours), and a generator "Test" run to fire the generator every so often, if it hasn't been ran, which I'll use to keep the generator's internal battery charged (and keep fuel fresh).

My failsafe is the Victron 712-BMV, as it's configured to switch off the inverter at 50% DoD. I'll configure my generator start at 60% DoD or so; no more worrying if the generator doesn't start for whatever reason.

Oh and lastly, the Arduino is programmed to trigger a relay to kick on my cooling fans