Installation · SolaX

Install GridZeno on SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS.

X3-FORTH PLUS is SolaX's large three-phase grid inverter for business and farming, without a battery. The dongle's firmware can't read it yet, so GridZeno shows nothing from it today. Once the firmware can, GridZeno can show the production and, where the protocol allows it, limit export. RS485 is on pins 1 and 2 of the RJ45 port RJ45_1, and GND on pin 3. The energy meter is on pins 4 and 5 of the same port, so the cable is made with only the three wires that are used.

Applies to: X3-FTH-75K-P-LV to 150K-P
Connection: Network cable with RJ45 plug
Time: About 30 minutes

What GridZeno can do on SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS today

There's no public register map for the X3-FORTH PLUS, so the dongle can't read it yet.

Live overview of solar, consumption and gridAll subscriptions
Coming later
Battery state of chargeAll subscriptions
Not possible
Stop selling at negative pricesSmart and Pro
Coming later
Charge from the grid when power is cheapSmart and Pro
Not possible
Discharge the battery when power is expensivePro
Not possible

You can connect the dongle by this guide, but it reads nothing from the inverter until its firmware can. GridZeno Dongle for SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS

What you need

GridZeno Dongle: The device ID is on the label, e.g. GZ-A1B2C3.
Cable: A network cable, Cat5e, that's re-crimped at the inverter end with only three wires.
RJ45 plug and crimping tool: For the inverter end.
USB power: A 5 V USB charger and a cable with USB-C.

The port

Inside the inverter's COM area, behind the cable gland for the communication cables on the underside. There are two RJ45 ports, RJ45_1 and RJ45_2, and terminal blocks for DRM and dry contacts.

Port: RJ45_1 in the COM area

The RJ45_1 port, as SolaX numbers the pins. Pins 1 to 3 are RS485 in, 4 and 5 the energy meter. The plug shown with the contacts facing you and the locking tab at the back: pin 1 is furthest to the left.

Pin 1 A, RS485A IN
Pin 2 B, RS485B IN
Pin 3 GND, GND

The cable

A network cable where the inverter end is crimped with only three wires: the dongle's A on pin 1, B on pin 2 and GND on pin 3. The other positions in the connector are empty. An ordinary straight cable doesn't work here.

From the dongle to the inverter
Dongle end	Inverter end
Dongle pin 4, blue (A)	SolaX pin 1, RS485A IN
Dongle pin 5, white/blue (B)	SolaX pin 2, RS485B IN
Dongle pin 3, white/green (GND)	SolaX pin 3, GND
The other wires	Cut off and insulated

Settings

On the inverter

Settings > Communication > Modbus Address and Baudrate: Address 1 and 9600 baud, as from the factory.

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: SolaX, X3-FORTH PLUS
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 address and baud rate
On the display, go to Settings and Communication. Modbus Address must be set to 1 and Baudrate to 9600, as from the factory.
2
Open the COM area
Switch off the inverter first: switch it off from the monitoring, switch off the AC breaker, set DC switches 1 and 2 to OFF, and set AUXILIARY to OFF if the inverter has it. Wait 15 minutes. Loosen the nut on the communication cable gland.
3
Pass the cable through the cable gland
Cut off the plug at the inverter end, and pass the cable through the nut, the seal and the housing, in that order.
4
Crimp the inverter end with three wires
Crimp on a new connector with blue (A) on pin 1, white/blue (B) on pin 2 and white/green (GND) on pin 3. The other wires are cut off and insulated.
5
Insert the plug in RJ45_1
Push the plug into the RJ45_1 port until it clicks. RJ45_2 is for the next inverter in the chain.
6
Close the COM area again
Tighten the cable gland's nut so the cable is sealed.
7
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.
8
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.
9
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.
10
Log in, and choose your inverter
Log in to GridZeno. Welcome pairs the dongle with its device ID. Then choose your inverter, SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS, 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 4 and 5 in RJ45_1 are the energy meter's. If the inverter uses a SolaX energy meter on them, write to us before you connect the dongle.

RJ45_2 passes the RS485 connection on to the next inverter. The dongle goes in RJ45_1.

The inverter is large and heavy and sits on a high-voltage system. The work should be done by a qualified person, such as an authorised electrician.

RJ45_1 isn't a network port. Never plug it into a router or switch.

SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS isn't on the compatibility list yet. If you're stuck, write to us with the model name.

Source

Ports, pins and menus are from the manufacturer's own manual: SolaX X3-FORTH PLUS User Manual (EN), The pin tables for RJ45_1 and RJ45_2 in the COM area and Communication, Modbus Address and Baudrate.