Solar Comm Hub
The ultimate low-power, self-sustaining communication and monitoring system.
Project Summary
- **Power Source:** Solar PV Array & LiFePO₄ Battery
- **Core Function:** Real-time power monitoring and resilient comms (LoRa/Packet Radio).
- **Hardware:** Raspberry Pi 4, MPPT Charge Controller, RS485/Serial Adapter.
- **Software:** Node-RED/Grafana (Dashboard), Python (Data acquisition).
Design Philosophy: Resilience First
The **Solar Comm Hub** is engineered to thrive when everything else fails. Its core purpose is to provide uninterrupted power monitoring and maintain critical communication links, regardless of grid stability or internet access.
Key Features Explained
The Pi interfaces directly with the **MPPT Charge Controller** via a serial or RS485 adapter (often using the Modbus protocol). This allows the system to log energy generation, consumption, and most critically, the battery's health and state of charge (SoC).
The resulting data is fed into **InfluxDB** and visualized in a **Grafana** dashboard accessible via a local Wi-Fi connection.
Communication is handled by low-bandwidth, long-range solutions like **LoRaWAN** for local mesh networks, or an Amateur Radio **TNC (Terminal Node Controller)** for packet radio. This ensures critical data and messages can be sent without traditional internet infrastructure.
A small, dedicated microcontroller or specialized Pi power board is used as a watchdog. If the main Raspberry Pi OS locks up or stops sending a periodic "heartbeat" signal, the watchdog automatically cuts power and restores it, forcing a reboot. This is vital for unattended, remote installations.
Components & Hardware Checklist
Ready to Build Your Hub?
Check our guides for step-by-step assembly and software configuration.
Go To Installation Guides