SmartEVSE v3

An open source EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment).

Changes to original firmware v3.0.0

• Adaptation for a 3 phases installation with single phase fixed cable or socket
• New solar boost feature to allow charging over max mains when solar power surplus available
• Device screen on Smart/Solar mode renders decimal amps for phases consumption
• Added scheduled charging with switch on and off time (operating hours)
• New web status page (UI design, Rest API and no webSockets)
• New max EVSE temperature menu and settings
• New RGB leds enabled/disabled menu and settings
• Support for API meter readings (Sensorbox v2)
• Massive code refactor to C++ objects
• Improved timers and tasks
• Special thanks to Serkri for his work (https://github.com/serkri/SmartEVSE-3)

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Menu options and configuration

• Device configuration and all menu options explained
  

• Official SmartEVSE 3 manual
  

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How to install the hardware

• 3 phases mains with 1 phase charger wiring diagram and electrical installation

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Setting up WiFi

Documentation from: https://github.com/tzapu/WiFiManager

• From SmartEVSE menu select WIFI option and SetupWifi suboption

• In 5 seconds Wifi portal will start and SmartEVSE will display Wifi access point name and password

• using any wifi enabled device with a browser (computer, phone, tablet) connect to the newly created Access Point

• because of the Captive Portal and the DNS server you will either get a 'Join to network' type of popup or get any domain you try to access redirected to the configuration portal

• choose one of the access points scanned, enter password, click save

• SmartEVSE will try to connect. If successful, it relinquishes control back to your app. If not, reconnect to AP and reconfigure.

• When your SmartEVSE starts up, it sets it up in Station mode and tries to connect to a previously saved Access Point

• if this is unsuccessful (or no previous network saved) it moves the SmartEVSE into Access Point mode and spins up a DNS and WebServer (default ip 192.168.4.1)

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Building the firmware

• Install platformio-core https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/core/installation/methods/index.html
• Compile firmware.bin: platformio run -e release
• Compile firmware_little.bin: platformio run -e release_little
• Compile spiffs.bin: platformio run -t buildfs

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Updating firmware on the device

Important

You need to flash both files firmware.bin and spiffs.bin to fully update firmware.

File firmware.bin contains C++ compiled code and file spiffs.bin contains embeded webserver HTML content.

Caution

YOU CANNOT FLASH HTML content WITH ANOTHER FILENAME rather than spiffs.bin!

Option 1: WiFi flashing

• Configure SmartEVSE WiFi
• Open device /update endpoint on browser without HTTPS (ex: http://your-smartevse-address/update)
• Select the firmware.bin archive
• After OK, select spiffs.bin
• If you get FAIL, check your wifi connection and try again
• After OK, wait 10-30 seconds and your new firmware including the webserver should be online!
• Repeat same steps with spiffs.bin archive

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Option 2: USB flashing

• Windows users: Install driver for Virtual Port https://www.silabs.com/documents/public/software/CP210x_VCP_Windows.zip
• Open platformio.ini file and replace COM4 port with your SmartEVSE device port (check via Windows device manager, Linux users: the device will present itself usually as /dev/ttyUSB0)

You can use the following flashing software:

1. PlatformIO:

   pio run -t upload
   pio run -t uploadfs
   

   THIS IS THE PREFERRED WAY, because it also flashes your bootloader and the partitions.bin; so whatever you messed up, this will fix it!

2. ESPTool:

   sudo apt install esptool
   esptool --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x10000 firmware.bin
   esptool --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x1c0000 firmware.bin 
   

3. Flash it with a 3rd party tool: A nice 3rd party tool can be found here: https://github.com/marcelstoer/nodemcu-pyflasher Follow the instructions in the screenshot posted here: dingo35#79 Remember to flash to both partitions, 0x10000 and 0x1c0000 !!!

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Embeded webserver HTML content

• It is packed inside spiffs.bin file previously built

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Erasing flash memory from the device / factory reset

• pip install esptool
• Download boot section https://github.com/SmartEVSE/SmartEVSE-3/files/8864695/boot_app0.zip
• extract boot_app0.zip
• Replace COM4 port with your SmartEVSE device port (check via Windows device manager)

esptool.py.exe --chip esp32 --port COM4 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash 0xe000 boot_app0.bin

esptool.py.exe --chip esp32 --port COM4 --before default_reset --after hard_reset erase_region 0xe000 0x2000

esptool.py.exe --chip esp32 --port COM4 erase_flash