Installation · Growatt

Install GridZeno on Growatt MID TL3-XH.

MID TL3-XH is Growatt's three-phase hybrid inverter with a battery. It has no RJ45 port for an external controller. The dongle is connected with two wires in the 30-pin COM connector, pins 3 and 4, which Growatt calls RS485A1 and RS485B1 and uses for parallel operation. That's the RS485 connection not used by the energy meter, the battery or the SYN box.

Applies to: MID 11K-30KTL3-XH and MID 8000-15KTL3-XH L
Connection: Wires in the inverter's terminal plug
Time: About 30 minutes

The battery is controlled with Growatt's VPP protocol: a command with power and duration, which the dongle removes itself when the block ends. What GridZeno can do on Growatt MID TL3-XH

How the dongle recognises it: The type code 5400, the same as the MOD TL3-XH. You choose MID when you set up GridZeno.

GridZeno Dongle for Growatt MID TL3-XH

What you need

GridZeno Dongle: The device ID is on the label, e.g. GZ-A1B2C3.
Cable: GridZeno's Modbus cable with one end cut off, or another network cable with one plug.
Wire stripper and crimping tool: For the two terminals that come with the COM connector in the accessory bag.
USB power: A 5 V USB charger and a cable with USB-C.

The port

The wide 30-pin connector on the underside between the USB port and AC. The same connector is used for the energy meter, battery, SYN box and DRM, so there may already be wires in it.

Port: COM (30-pin connector)

The COM connector, as Growatt numbers the pins. Pins 3 and 4 are RS485A1 and RS485B1, the parallel port, and pin 1 gives 12 V out. The numbers are on the plug.

Pin 3 A, RS485A1
Pin 4 B, RS485B1
Pin 1 Must not be connected, +12V, dry contact
Pin 2 Must not be connected, COM, dry contact

How it differs from MOD TL3-XH

MID TL3-XH covers MID 11K-30KTL3-XH and MID 8000-15KTL3-XH L. MOD TL3-XH covers MOD 3000-10KTL3-XH.

They have the type code 5400 in common and are controlled the same way with Growatt's VPP protocol. You choose MID when you set up GridZeno.

The 30-pin COM connector sits between the USB port and AC on MID, and between the battery connections and the USB port on MOD.

See the guide for MOD TL3-XH

The cable

A network cable where one end has an RJ45 connector for the dongle and the other end is cut off. At the inverter end, only the two wires from pins 4 and 5 are used, with terminals (wire-end ferrules) on them. The COM connector has no RS485 GND, so the white/green wire isn't used.

From the dongle to the inverter
Dongle end	Inverter end
Dongle pin 4, blue (A)	COM pin 3, RS485A1
Dongle pin 5, white/blue (B)	COM pin 4, RS485B1
The other wires	Cut off and insulated

Settings

On the inverter

General Setting > Address: 001, as from the factory
Modbus: Modbus RTU at 9600 baud, 8N1. That's what the dongle uses from the factory, so there's nothing to set.

In GridZeno's Welcome

The inverter is chosen in GridZeno: in Welcome the first time, and later under System, Change inverter. The dongle fetches its setup from there.

Manufacturer and model: Growatt, MID
Connection: By cable (RS485)
RS485 settings: Keep the default: 9600 baud, 8N1, address 1.

Step by step

Each step has a small drawing that shows what to do.

1
Check the address
Press the touch button once to scroll, and twice to select. Go to General Setting, past Language, to Address. It must be set to 001, as from the factory.
2
Unplug the COM connector
Switch the inverter off first: switch off the AC breaker, set the DC switch to OFF, and switch off the battery's DC switch. The wide 30-pin COM connector is on the underside between USB and AC. Press the lock in, turn the coupling nut, and pull the connector out. If there's only a dust cover, take it off, and use the COM connector from the accessory bag.
3
Prepare the cable
Pass the cable through the connector's waterproof cover and the threaded sleeve. Strip 10 mm of the two wires from pin 4 (blue) and pin 5 (white/blue), and crimp on the terminals from the accessory bag. Insulate the other wires.
4
Put the wires in pins 3 and 4
Blue (A) goes in pin 3 and white/blue (B) in pin 4. Pins 1 and 2 are a dry contact, and pin 1 gives 12 V out: don't touch them. Don't touch wires that are already in the other pins either.
5
Plug the connector back in
Put the connector's insert in the housing, push on the threaded sleeve and the cover, plug the connector into the COM port, and tighten the coupling nut so the connector is sealed.
6
Plug the RJ45 end into the dongle
The cable's other end goes into the dongle's RS485 port. Place the dongle somewhere dry and close to the inverter, so the cable doesn't hang from the plug.
7
Connect power to the dongle
Plug the USB-C cable into the dongle and the charger into a socket. The dongle starts by itself. It gets power from the charger, not from the inverter.
8
Connect the dongle to the network
Over Wi-Fi: the first time, the dongle creates its own Wi-Fi, GridZeno-Setup- followed by the last characters of the device ID. Connect your phone to it, choose your own network, enter the password, and press Save and connect. When it says Connection OK, press Go to GridZeno. Over cable (LAN): plug a network cable from the router into the dongle's network port.
9
Log in, and choose your inverter
Log in to GridZeno. Welcome pairs the dongle with its device ID. Then choose your inverter, Growatt MID, and the connection By cable (RS485). Press Save inverter, and the dongle fetches its setup and reads the inverter.

The dongle's own setup is described with screenshots in The user guide, and the pairing in Getting started.

Take care

Pins 1 and 2 in COM are a dry contact, and pin 1 gives 12 V out. Never connect anything from the dongle to them.

Pins 5 and 6 are the energy meter's connection, pins 7 to 10 and 27 to 30 the batteries' and pins 21 to 24 the SYN box's. They must not be moved or connected to anything else. The USB port is for Growatt's own data logger.

Growatt calls pins 3 and 4 Parallel communication port. They're the ones the dongle uses. If there are already wires in them, for example from a ShineMaster or another inverter, write to us before you connect the dongle.

If you aren't used to fitting wires in a terminal connector, let the installer do it.

What GridZeno can control on Growatt MID TL3-XH, and how, is on the page about Growatt MID TL3-XH. If you're stuck, write to us with the model name.

Source

Ports, pins and menus are from the manufacturer's own manual: Growatt MID 11-30KTL3-XH User Manual (GR-UM-320-A-01) and MID 8-15KTL3-XH L User Manual (GR-UM-332-A-01), Sections 3.3, Appearance (figure 3-3), 5.7.1, COM port (table 5-3), 5.7.2, Connecting the 30-pin COM connector, and 6.3, Setting the communication address.