Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience integrating my Daheimladen Wallbox with HomeAssistant using NodeRed and ModBus. This setup has been a game-changer for me, especially with my solar panels. I decided to go with ModBus instead of EVCC because I wanted more control and access to additional values. Here’s how I did it:
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Wallbox Connection: The manufacturer provides instructions for using the ModBus interface, which can be done via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. I highly recommend Ethernet for its stability and smoother performance with NodeRed requests.
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Charging Mode: Changing the Wallbox mode to “RFID/OCPP/ModBus” was essential. Initially, I faced issues with starting and stopping charging, but after an update, setting the Ampere to 0 now pauses charging without stopping it entirely. This feature is super handy!
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NodeRed Setup: I installed the “node-red-contrib-modbus” and “node-red-contrib-home-assistant-websocket” nodes. For reading values, I used Function Code 3 with a poll rate of 10 seconds. Extracting values required a combination of change nodes, function nodes, and HomeAssistant sensor nodes. Some registers needed calculations, like dividing the Ampere value by 10.
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Writing Values: Controlling the Wallbox involved writing to specific registers. I created helper switches in HomeAssistant to start/stop charging and adjust the Ampere limit. This setup allows me to tweak settings on the fly, which is perfect for optimizing my solar energy usage.
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Visualizing Data: I added a custom card to display all the Wallbox data neatly. It’s amazing how much insight this setup provides into my charging habits and energy consumption.
This integration has been a huge success, and I’m thrilled with how it enhances my smart home setup. If you’re looking to dive into ModBus with HomeAssistant, I highly recommend checking out the NodeRed flows and manufacturer documentation. Happy automating! 