Century (Regal) VGreen motor automation

[MSchutzer]

The app is telling me that there is a firmware update, which I assume is for the motor. The VLink app never notified me that there was a firmware update over the five years that I was using it. So I'm a little hesitant to tap on the update now button.

@laprjns, I suspect that the firmware update is for the iqpump01 box itself. Jandy doesn't control the firmware in the pump motor as that comes from a third party, Century, Regal, Regal Beloit, or whatever they are calling themselves today.

If you search on iqpump01 firmware updates you can find references to earlier firmware update announcements for the iqpump01.

 

[laprjns]

@laprjns, I suspect that the firmware update is for the iqpump01 box itself.

Yeah, that was kind of a duh moment for me, Shortly after I posted I realized that it was an update for the IQpump1 firmware. I performed the update without issues.

 

[tavacska]

I have an EVO 225, Do you think I can do the RS485 following your instructions?

 

[MSchutzer]

Not likely. The EVO225 is a different motor and some other folks have tried to make an EVO165 work and it isn’t the same as the Vgreen 165.

The latest EVO motors include Century Connect support and will talk with any of the big three manufacturers automation right out of the box.

But there was a period of about a year after the Vgreen 165 was discontinued when the EVO versions didn’t have Century Connect and didn’t support the standard automation systems.

 

[setsailsoon]

Not likely. The EVO225 is a different motor and some other folks have tried to make an EVO165 work and it isn’t the same as the Vgreen 165.

The latest EVO motors include Century Connect support and will talk with any of the big three manufacturers automation right out of the box.

But there was a period of about a year after the Vgreen 165 was discontinued when the EVO versions didn’t have Century Connect and didn’t support the standard automation systems.

Great to know Mark. So if and when my Pentair VS pump's motors fail I should be able to have these as a "drop in" alternative and use the RS 485 instead of the digital inputs? Is this correct?

Chris

 

[MSchutzer]

Great to know Mark. So if and when my Pentair VS pump's motors fail I should be able to have these as a "drop in" alternative and use the RS 485 instead of the digital inputs? Is this correct?

Chris

In theory, yes. But until someone tries these motors with the automation systems of Pentair, Hayward it is just marketing info that claim the Century Connect stuff is compatible with all the systems. A TFP user did successfully install and control a Century Connect motor with his Aqualink RS system. Another user was having some issues getting it to work (and stay working) with one of the new Aqualink TCX system. He reported it initially worked, but he had issues getting the motors to reconnect after a power down cycle. So the jury is still out as to whether the CC motors work with an Aqualink TCX system.

 

[zombielinux]

I've been able to use some of the Modbus and Jandy commands with my EVO225, but it doesn't seem to respond at all to Pentair or Hayward commands. I'm trying to get it to interface with nodejs-poolcontroller. But I fear I may have to abandon that and run in a different direction.

 

[seanmoro]

I also have an EVO225 and would love to get it working overt either Modbus or Nixie. I do not have a standalone pool controller but have the ability to run either Nixie/NodeJS-poolcontroller or the Gazoodle modbus route. I have not been able to get anything to talk to my pump so far but am happy to help any way I can to get this working. Following this thread for any progress.

 

[tonywa]

Thanks for showing your screen display. Try checking the hex box in the receive window settings. I see that you have the ascii box checked (that‘s probably the default setting)

The motor will respond with hex values and these are probably not ascii displayable characters. When you check the hex box it won’t try and convert the motors response to ascii character’s, and will just display the hex values instead.

I see that’s something I left out of my instructions.

Hopefully thats all that’s going on.

Mark

FWIW - I have tried the procedure with a new VGreen Evo 165 and could not complete the process. I can get some responses from the motor and it appears that the motor status replies and perhaps the M2 and M3 macros work (I get responses, but they don't match the exact expected responses). I don't have the documentation to decipher results. I did get a response for M4, but after power cycling I got no response from entering M5 and/or M6. Not sure to go from here....

 

[zombielinux]

HI MSchutzer,

Thanks for your contribution to this topic (and others). I've tried the GenUI Priming section. Those addresses didn't respond to my commands.

It is possible by pump has some bug as it is not possible to disable the priming duration after power loss (despite saving to onboard memory).


My initial lazy plan was to control the pump using the digital input to keep it simple but the priming bug was too annoying.

I decided to stopped being lazy and hooked up a RasperryPI and control the pump directly.

My setup:

1. Home Assisant with MQTT
2. RasperryPI with usb RS485 dongle to pump with Node Red


Now I can start/stop/set RPM of the pump.

If anyone is interested, I can upload my node-red setup. All you need to have basic UI control of this pump is a usb rs485 dongle and Rasperrypi or any other machine (old laptop etc) . The Home assistant part is optional.

Would you mind uploading your node red code? I'm not able to get the other example to work properly on my setup, for reasons unknown.

 

[robdizzle]

Well, the Node-Red route was a bridge too far for me so I bought a IQPump01. Hooked it up this morning, setting it up buy following the Quick Start Guide and it now up and running. Note that DIP switches 1, 2 and 5 need to be in the on position, with 3 and 4 being off.
The app is telling me that there is a firmware update, which I assume is for the motor. The VLink app never notified me that there was a firmware update over the five years that I was using it. So I'm a little hesitant to tap on the update now button.
View attachment 582677

Just in case you didn’t know you can get your money back for the V-link purchase as they have shut down the servers for good. The company took down the webpage as it gives a 404 now but I screen shot the instructions. Get your $300 back

 

[robdizzle]

Well, the Node-Red route was a bridge too far for me so I bought a IQPump01. Hooked it up this morning, setting it up buy following the Quick Start Guide and it now up and running. Note that DIP switches 1, 2 and 5 need to be in the on position, with 3 and 4 being off.
The app is telling me that there is a firmware update, which I assume is for the motor. The VLink app never notified me that there was a firmware update over the five years that I was using it. So I'm a little hesitant to tap on the update now button.
View attachment 582677

Can you control the freeze protection with the setup? Like shut it off or change the RPM and duration?

 

[laprjns]

Just in case you didn’t know you can get your money back for the V-link purchase as they have shut down the servers for good. The company took down the webpage as it gives a 404 now but I screen shot the instructions. Get your $300 back

I didn't know. Thanks; it is much appreciated.

Can you control the freeze protection with the setup? Like shut it off or change the RPM and duration?

I don't use the freeze protection but I believe you can change both the speed and duration in the app. I cannot confirm this since my pump has been disconnected and stored for the winter. With the pump disconnected, I cannot get by this screen in the app.

 

[zombielinux]

I've finally got my Node-Red implementation in a place where I'm happy with it.

I'm using a Waveshare Dual RS485+PoE TCP server, but you could just as easily use a Raspberry Pi with it.

You should be able to import the raw JSON contained in the attached file.

I specifically wrote it to not require any additional components the stock docker node-red image didn't come with.

 

[laprjns]

Just in case you didn’t know you can get your money back for the V-link purchase as they have shut down the servers for good. The company took down the webpage as it gives a 404 now but I screen shot the instructions. Get your $300 back

I tried it and have been getting the following email for the last few days.

 

[robdizzle]

Well, the Node-Red route was a bridge too far for me so I bought a IQPump01. Hooked it up this morning, setting it up buy following the Quick Start Guide and it now up and running. Note that DIP switches 1, 2 and 5 need to be in the on position, with 3 and 4 being off.
The app is telling me that there is a firmware update, which I assume is for the motor. The VLink app never notified me that there was a firmware update over the five years that I was using it. So I'm a little hesitant to tap on the update now button.
View attachment 582677

Did you set this up on a v-green 165 pump? I am trying to get my setup to work and I can not control the pump from the iQPump01

 

[robdizzle]

I tried it and have been getting the following email for the last few days.
View attachment 619635

Ya me too! I have some hours with my lawyer, I’ll send it there way and see what happens! I’ll keep you posted

 

[laprjns]

Did you set this up on a v-green 165 pump? I am trying to get my setup to work and I can not control the pump from the iQPump01

I got it working on my PureLine Prime 1.65 Hp VS Pump (VGreen 165 VS motor) by following the walkthrough that @MSchutzer posted here.

 

[dannytrigo]

Sorry to reply to an old thread, but I know there are knowledgable posters here regarding the rs485/modbus protocol used for pumps.
I have been using GitHub - gazoodle/CenturyVSPump: ESPHome custom component to drive Century (and other) variable speed pump motors with esphome to control my Jandy pump for a couple of years. Its purely just turning on/off and setting the demand RPM. There is nothing related to priming. Recently I was away and it ended up pumping air for a few days and burned out the shaft seal and started leaking. I've fixed that, but wanted to set up some automation to turn off the pump if it happens again.

For now I'm using a simplistic method to measure the power draw and the RPM to detect when the power is too low, meaning its pumping air. However, I know there are settings and status related to priming in the modbus protocol. I tried to read the prime status but its randomly 0 or 1 and never changes.
So, does anyone know if there are commands to start the pump and have it use its set priming speed/times, then go to regular speed, and to report its priming status, and crucially, if it lost prime? I'd like to properly prime the pump from esphome like the old keypad used to be able to do. I couldn't figure it out from the pdf of all the pump commands/registers.

 

[MSchutzer]

Most automation systems handle the priming speed and time withing their user interface and code. Typically they just use the demand command (set speed in RPM) and then a go command to turn the motor on. They will set the speed to the priming speed for whatever duration they are set up for via their UI, and then change the motor demand (speed) to whatever speed is programmed after the priming period is over with.

This allows the automation system to control the motor with just the one demand (speed command).