Renogy Rover models with RS485 port timeout when requesting MES Load data

[TheAlchemistFLT]

I have recently replaced my Rover and the new one has an RS485 and not RS232 as my previous one. When updating I have had to add an RS485 to RS232 converter to the cable but that seems to work as the following command:

sudo docker run --rm --privileged -v /dev:/dev ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing check --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --type rover --modbus 16

returns:

Going to open serial port using default serial configuration...
Successfully opened serial port...
Checking on address: 16
Success! Battery Voltage: 13.5

however when starting the container with the following base.json (see below) - i get the following error in the log:

2026-01-11 19:25:07.067 [main] INFO  me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.receiver.ModbusListUpdaterWrapper - 
Hey! We noticed you got a ModbusTimeoutException.
This is likely a problem with your cable. SolarThing is communicating fine with your serial adapter, but it cannot reach the device.
Make sure the cable you have has the correct pinout, and feel free to open an issue at https://github.com/wildmountainfarms/solarthing/issues if you need help.
2026-01-11 19:25:07.067 [main] ERROR me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.receiver.ModbusListUpdaterWrapper - Got a modbus timeout. Message: Timed out! startTime=1768159505066 currentTime=1768159507067 initialTimeout=2000
2026-01-11 19:25:07.070 [main] DEBUG me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.subprogram.run.RequestMain - Going to sleep for 2.476 seconds

Please advise.

base.json:

{
  "fragment": 2,
  "unique": 30,
  "database_config": {
    "databases": [
        {
        "external": "config/couchdb.json"
        },
       {
        "external": "config/mqtt.json"
       }
    ]
  },
  "request": [
    {
      "type": "modbus",
      "io": "config/rover_serial.json",
      "devices": {
        "16": {
          "type": "rover"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

[TheAlchemistFLT]

ps. i managed to run the debug mode and got the following:

sudo docker run --rm --privileged -v /dev:/dev ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing check --debug --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --type rover --modbus 16
Going to open serial port using default serial configuration...
Successfully opened serial port...
Checking on address: 16
Success! Battery Voltage: 13.3
Debug enabled. Going to print out as much data as possible...
Serializing: batteryVoltage
Serializing: ratedDischargingCurrent
Serializing: dailyKWH
Serializing: dailyMaxBatteryVoltage
Serializing: dailyMaxChargingCurrent
Serializing: dailyMaxChargingPower
Serializing: maxVoltage
Serializing: dailyAH
Serializing: controllerTemperatureRaw
Serializing: productType
Serializing: productModelEncoded
Serializing: softwareVersion
Serializing: hardwareVersion
Serializing: batteryTemperatureRaw
Serializing: loadVoltage
Serializing: loadCurrent
Serializing: loadPower
Serializing: streetLightValue
Serializing: chargingState
Serializing: errorMode
Serializing: systemVoltageSetting
Serializing: recognizedVoltage
Serializing: batteryType
Serializing: equalizingChargingTimeRaw
Serializing: boostChargingTimeRaw
Serializing: equalizingChargingIntervalRaw
Serializing: temperatureCompensationFactorRaw
Serializing: loadWorkingMode
Serializing: ledLoadCurrentSettingRaw
Serializing: specialPowerControlE021Raw
Serializing: sensingTimeDelayRaw
com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException: Timed out! startTime=1768437037558 currentTime=1768437038561 initialTimeout=1000 (through reference chain: me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.solar.renogy.rover.modbus.RoverModbusSlaveRead["sensingTimeDelayRaw"])
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException.wrapWithPath(JsonMappingException.java:401)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException.wrapWithPath(JsonMappingException.java:360)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.StdSerializer.wrapAndThrow(StdSerializer.java:323)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.BeanSerializerBase.serializeFields(BeanSerializerBase.java:778)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanSerializer.serialize(BeanSerializer.java:184)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.DefaultSerializerProvider._serialize(DefaultSerializerProvider.java:502)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.DefaultSerializerProvider.serializeValue(DefaultSerializerProvider.java:341)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper._writeValueAndClose(ObjectMapper.java:4811)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper.writeValueAsString(ObjectMapper.java:4052)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.check.CheckMain.doModbus(CheckMain.java:123)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.check.CheckMain.scanForRover(CheckMain.java:145)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.check.CheckMain.doForOptions(CheckMain.java:190)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.check.CheckMain.doCheck(CheckMain.java:228)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.SolarMain.determineMainSubprogram(SolarMain.java:53)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.SolarMain.main(SolarMain.java:65)
Caused by: me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.ModbusTimeoutException: Timed out! startTime=1768437037558 currentTime=1768437038561 initialTimeout=1000
	at me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.RtuDataEncoder.doReadBytes(RtuDataEncoder.java:134)
	at me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.RtuDataEncoder.readBytes(RtuDataEncoder.java:111)
	at me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.IODataEncoder.readMessage(IODataEncoder.java:16)
	at me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.IOModbusSlaveBus.sendRequestMessage(IOModbusSlaveBus.java:26)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.modbus.MutableAddressModbusSlave.sendRequestMessage(MutableAddressModbusSlave.java:18)
	at me.retrodaredevil.io.modbus.ModbusSlave.sendRequestMessage(ModbusSlave.java:24)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.solar.util.AbstractModbusRead.get(AbstractModbusRead.java:20)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.solar.util.AbstractModbusRead.oneRegister(AbstractModbusRead.java:23)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.solar.renogy.rover.modbus.RoverModbusSlaveRead.getSensingTimeDelayRaw(RoverModbusSlaveRead.java:421)
	at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
	at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanPropertyWriter.serializeAsField(BeanPropertyWriter.java:688)
	at me.retrodaredevil.solarthing.program.check.ModbusSerializationCatcher.serializeAsField(ModbusSerializationCatcher.java:27)
	at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.BeanSerializerBase.serializeFields(BeanSerializerBase.java:770)
	... 11 more

Some error occurred while trying to get more data.

[retrodaredevil]

Can you tell me exactly what model you have?

Sometimes when this happens I link this page for people to try: https://solarthing.readthedocs.io/en/latest/config/file/base-json/request/modbus/rover/bulk-request.html

It usually doesn't work, but you can give disabling bulk requests a try.

[TheAlchemistFLT]

its a Rover Li40 (RNG-CTL-RVR40) with RS485. I testest the bulk_request = false and it didnt work (same errors, although sleep time reduced to 1 second rather then 2.x seconds if that is relevant...

[retrodaredevil]

Can you send me a link to the model you bought? I've never heard of the Rover Li 40 having RS485, so for my own curiosity I'm wanting more information there.

As for a fix for this... I'm not sure yet. Normally for stuff like this I add a quick for for whatever the problem is, but I've never had anyone show me that communication was working for some registers (such as battery voltage), but then timed out for others.

It seems the problem is that sensingTimeDelayRaw field... Probably should add a toggle for fields like that so that they aren't queried in the first place. Thank you for that debug information. It should really help.

TLDR; I don't know what the problem is. I'd like to try and fix it at some point, but I don't know the best way to do so. I also have had limited free time on my hands, so I don't know when I'll get to fixing this.

[TheAlchemistFLT]

https://www.renogy.com/products/rover-li-40-amp-mppt-solar-charge-controller?variant=43938600878195

Here is the link to the model I ordered

[TheAlchemistFLT]

ps. any suggestions in the meantime?

[retrodaredevil]

No suggestions right now. How about I try to get back to you in a couple of days with a custom docker image for you.

I'll probably make some temporary changes to the code in the dev branch as a temporary work around for you. Then once I get that working I'll get an actual fix into SolarThing (which I probably won't prioritize)

[TheAlchemistFLT]

that would be amazing - and I would be very appreciative. Let me know if you need anything else from me like more debug data or whatever

[retrodaredevil]

A test docker image is available for you to try now: ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing:dev

I don't expect this to fix it, but it should give me another error which should help me figure out what else I need to do. So I'd expect us to go back and forth maybe 1 or 2 more times after this until you have a working docker image.

What you did previously was very helpful debug info. Running the check program with --debug should give a different error, and running the program normally (like you did in your original post) should give a more detailed error this time.

Assuming it results in an error, both outputs would be helpful to me.

so use

sudo docker run --rm --privileged -v /dev:/dev ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing:dev check --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --type rover --modbus 16

or just at least use ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing:dev in your docker compose file if you don't use the check program

[retrodaredevil]

Oh, and I think you need to keep bulk requests disabled.

[TheAlchemistFLT]

Hi - not getting any error/output on screen or in the logs when running either the check or run commands (with docker). No log file is being created at all

[retrodaredevil]

That's very weird. Can you confirm that running this spits out version information?

docker run --rm ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing:dev version

I tested that command myself and it seemed to work just fine.

[TheAlchemistFLT]

when i run the above command I get nothing returned - no errors, no output, nothing.

when I run:

docker run --rm ghcr.io/wildmountainfarms/solarthing:latest version

I get:

SolarThing made by Lavender Shannon
Jar: solarthing.jar
Jar last modified: 2024-12-22T23:15:47Z
Commit hash: ffdbfed
Ref: refs/tags/v2025.1.1
Java version: 21.0.5

i am running Portainer and can see it has pulled a different image for the :dev container (767Mb from 2026-01-17)