Hi everyone,
I’m working on a project where I want to use a Raspberry Pi as a telemetry gateway for a high-power hybrid solar inverter (similar class to Deye / Sol-Ark units). I hope its a good idea.
My plan is that, the Pi will communicate with the inverter over RS485 using Modbus RTU and collect real-time data (voltages, currents, MPPT status, etc.). In the same enclosure there will also be high-current DC wiring (48–60 V battery banks, hundreds of amps) and fast-switching power electronics.
I’ve had stable results on the bench, but I’m worried about problems once everything is installed near breakers, busbars, and inverter switching stages.
For RS485 on Raspberry Pi, is it strongly recommended to use a galvanically isolated transceiver, even if cable length is short? Any proven parts or HATs people have used? (practical example)
What grounding approach works best in practice: single-point ground between Pi and power electronics, or full isolation with no shared ground?
Have people seen issues with USB-RS485 adapters resetting or dropping frames due to EMI, and how did you fix it (ferrites, shielding, powered hub, etc.)?
If the Pi ends up being unreliable for this environment, is it common to offload RS485 and timing-critical work to a small MCU and let the Pi only handle logging/networking?
For reference, I’ve been reading application notes:
https://www.ti.com/lit/an/slla271a/slla271a.pdf
https://www.analog.com/en/technical-art ... tices.html
I’m not looking for theory only so practical experiences from people who’ve actually run Raspberry Pis near inverters, motor drives, or large battery systems would be very helpful.
Thanks.
I’m working on a project where I want to use a Raspberry Pi as a telemetry gateway for a high-power hybrid solar inverter (similar class to Deye / Sol-Ark units). I hope its a good idea.
My plan is that, the Pi will communicate with the inverter over RS485 using Modbus RTU and collect real-time data (voltages, currents, MPPT status, etc.). In the same enclosure there will also be high-current DC wiring (48–60 V battery banks, hundreds of amps) and fast-switching power electronics.
I’ve had stable results on the bench, but I’m worried about problems once everything is installed near breakers, busbars, and inverter switching stages.
For RS485 on Raspberry Pi, is it strongly recommended to use a galvanically isolated transceiver, even if cable length is short? Any proven parts or HATs people have used? (practical example)
What grounding approach works best in practice: single-point ground between Pi and power electronics, or full isolation with no shared ground?
Have people seen issues with USB-RS485 adapters resetting or dropping frames due to EMI, and how did you fix it (ferrites, shielding, powered hub, etc.)?
If the Pi ends up being unreliable for this environment, is it common to offload RS485 and timing-critical work to a small MCU and let the Pi only handle logging/networking?
For reference, I’ve been reading application notes:
https://www.ti.com/lit/an/slla271a/slla271a.pdf
https://www.analog.com/en/technical-art ... tices.html
I’m not looking for theory only so practical experiences from people who’ve actually run Raspberry Pis near inverters, motor drives, or large battery systems would be very helpful.
Thanks.
Statistics: Posted by oliver2003 — Mon Jan 26, 2026 7:49 am — Replies 1 — Views 68