Details about Tracer AN Charge Controller
The Tracer-AN (10A~40A) series of charge controller adopts MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) technology. In any situation, it can track the maximum power point (MPP) of the solar array and obtain the maximum solar energy rapidly and accurately. It can generate up to 30% more power compared with a PWM charge controller (much cheaper but generally not able to provide real-time data).
The multi-functional LCD displays the system status vividly and the RS485 communication port provides useful real-time energy data and statistics using the ModBus communication Protocol: a data communications protocol originally published by Modicon (now Schneider Electric) in 1979.
Some of the most valuable pieces of real time data provided by the charge controller are:
| Data | Description | Unit of Measure | Example Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV Array Voltage | The input Voltage coming from the PV panel into the Charge Controller (in Volts) | Volts (V) | PV Voltage: 20.77 Volts |
| PV Array Current | The input Current coming from the PV panel into the Charge Controller (in Amps) | Amps (A) | PV Current: 0.36 Amps |
| PV Array Power | The input Power coming from the PV panel into the Charge Controller (in Watts) | Watts (W) | PV Power: 3.44 Watts |
| Battery Voltage | The Voltage potential of the Battery (in Volts) | Volts (V) | Battery Voltage: 13.76 Volts |
| Battery Current | The charging Current of the Battery (in Amps) | Amps (A) | Battery Current: 0.25 Amps |
| Battery SOC | The percentage of Battery’s remaining capacity (in %) | % | Battery Level: 100 |
| Battery Power | The charging Power of the Battery (in Watts) | Watts (W) | Battery Power: 5 Watts |
| Load Power | The Power consumed by the output load (in Watts), for example of the RaspberryPi | Watts (W) | Load Power: 2.75 Watts |
| Load Voltage | The Voltage consumed by the output load (in Volts), for example of the RaspberryPi | Volts (V) | Load Voltage: 13.76 Volts |
| Load Current | The Current draw of the output load (in Amps), for example of the RaspberryPi | Amps (A) | Load Current: 0.2 Amps |
| Temperature Inside Equipment | You can monitor the temperature inside the case containing the charge controller (in Celsius) | Celsius (˚C) | Temperature: 25 ˚C |
For more information please check out the charge controller manual & modbus protocol and data (other link to the same doc).