aurora(1)

📦 version 1.9.4, in ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 aurora(1) — the manual page, but make it slay 💖

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to talk about the aurora command — a little program that talks to your solar inverter. yes, the actual sun machine. it's in section 1 of the manual, so it's a user command, and it's giving main character energy fr fr. 🦋

✨ NAME ✨

aurora — communicate with an Magnetek/Power One/ABB Aurora Photovoltaic (solar) Power Inverter

like. it literally talks to your solar panels. no cap. 👑

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

aurora [Options] -a InverterAddress Device

that's the whole vibe. options, then an address, then the device. periodt.

🎀 REQUIRED PARAMETERS 🎀

these two are non-negotiable, bestie. no skipping.

  • -a <num>, --address=<num> — the Inverter address. On older inverters it's 1-31, on newer inverters it's 1-63. that's it, that's the range. 💅
  • Device — the Serial Device. example: /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyS0. yes you have to actually name the port, she's not a mind reader. 🙈

💅 OPTIONS 💅

here we go, this is the long part, but every single one matters, so we're doing all 44 of them. no skimming. iykyk.

  • -A, --last-alarms — get the last four alarms (once the displayed FIFO queue is cleared). four alarms. FIFO. iconic.
  • -b, --verbose — verbose mode. for maximum effectiveness it should be the first option on the command line. like, put it first, she's sensitive. 🥺
  • -C <num[:$]>, --calc-value=<num[:$]> — calculate monetary value using <num> * kWh. the :$ part is optional, and if you include it, the character(s) represented by the $ will be used to denote monetary type in the output. defaults to "$". money math, we love her. 💸
  • -c, --columnize — output data in columns --> for -d, -e, -D, -3, -E, -t options only, and it will disable all other options. if a value ends with an "*", reporting of that item may not be in the inverter's firmware. cute little asterisk, sneaky little asterisk. ⭐
  • -d <num>, --get-dsp=<num> — get DSP data. <num> indicates which string to get data for: 0 indicates both, 1 for only string 1, 2 for only string 2. <num> is required for the short option, and <num> is optional for the long option — and if it's omitted for the long option, data for both input strings will be retrieved. two strings, one command. 🌈
  • -D, --get-dsp-extended — get more DSP data. more. always more. 🔥
  • -3, --get-dsp-3phase — get 3-Phase DSP data. three phases, three vibes. ⚡
  • -e, --get-energy — get Cumulated Energy readings (Excluding Central). note the excluding, she's picky.
  • -E <num>, --get-energy-central=<num> — get Cumulated Float Energy readings (Central & TRIO only). <num> is days, 1 to 366, default 366. <num> is required for the short option and optional for the long option. 🍓
  • -f, --firmware-ver — query for the Firmware Version string. what firmware is she running? let's find out.
  • -g, --mfg-date — query for the Inverter Manufacturing Date. her birthday. 🎂
  • -h, --help — this text. hi, you found it.
  • -i <bitmask>, --get-count=<bitmask> — display Inverter Time Counters. <bitmask> is required for the short option, is optional for the long option, and if it's omitted for the long option then all counters will be displayed and the Partial counter will be reset. the bitmask values, exactly:
1 = "Total Run Time"    4 = "Grid Connection Time"
2 = "Partial Run Time"  8 = "Reset Partial Run Time"
  • -j, --get-joules — display Energy accumulated in the last 10 seconds. ten seconds of juice. 🔋
  • -K, --use-kmult=<num> — adjust values reported by -k, --daily-kwh by a "<num>" multiplier. multiply the numbers, make them make sense.
  • -k <num>, --daily-kwh=<num> — get past daily KWH for <num> days (1-366). <num> is optional for the long option, and if it's omitted all 366 days — or as many as are found — will be displayed. it is suggested that the -Y option be used with this due to the extensive length of time it takes to get all the data from the inverter. yeah. it's slow. be patient, she's worth it. 😭
  • -L <num>, --adjust-time=<num> — automatically adjust the inverter time if it differs from the computer time. if <num> is 0 (zero) do a Daylight Savings Time check. if <num> is >= 1 change the inverter time if it differs by <num> or more seconds. see the README for more information and the constraints this option uses to determine if the time should be changed due to Daylight Savings Time. ⏰
  • -l <num>, --read-wait=<num> — timeout for the read to the serial port. <num> in 1/10ths seconds. default is 1 (0.1 sec). see the README file for important information on this option. 📖
  • -M <num>, --max-runtime=<num> — maximum amount of time in seconds that aurora will run trying to get data from the inverter. she'll give up eventually. boundaries. ✋
  • -m, --get-conf — query for Inverter System Configuration. the whole setup. the lore. 🗂️
  • -n, --serial-number — query for Inverter Serial Number. her government name.
  • -N <num>, --central=<num> Experimental — indicates Aurora Central. 0 indicates Master, 1 indicates Slave. it's experimental bestie, tread lightly. 🧪
  • -o <filename>, --output-file=<filename> — append data to file (created if nonexistent). note: if the -c option is used, only -d, -e, -D, -3, -E, -t, & -T options will output to file. keep a lil diary of your solar data. 📝
  • -O, --part-number-central — query for Inverter Part Number (Central only). central girlies only. 👑
  • -p, --part-number — query for Inverter Part Number. everyone else, this one's yours.
  • -P <num>, --comm-pause=<num> — wait <num> uS between sending commands to inverter (1-1000000). micro-pause, micro-nap. 😴
  • -Q, --use-qmult — use inverter specific multiplier if known to adjust values reported by -q, --energy-sent. multiplier knowledge = power.
  • -q <num>, --energy-sent=<num> Experimental — get past energy delivered to the grid at 10 second intervals for <num> minutes (1-1440), starting with the oldest data available. <num> is optional for the long option, and if it's omitted all data — about ~24 hours worth — will be reported. it is suggested that the -Y option be used with this due to the extensive length of time it takes to get all the data from the inverter. see the README file for important information on this option. experimental AND slow, a true combo. 🧪🐌
  • -R <num>, --read-timeout=<num> — serial port read retry timeout value when reading a character from the Inverter (mS - minimum 200). see the README file for important information on this option.
  • -r, --calc-grid-power — calc Grid power using Grid Voltage * Grid Current, instead of reporting the Inverter's value. --> for the -d option only, and it's ignored when used with the -c option. (the Inverter typically reports a lower value. this affects the Inverter conversion efficiency value.) so like, do your own math if you want. 🧮
  • -S, --set-time — set Inverter Date/Time to system time. sync her up. ⏱️
  • -s, --get-state — get Inverter State. how is she feeling today?
  • -T, --get-loctime — display computer Date/Time. yes this is just your computer's clock. it's here, it counts. 🕰️
  • -t, --get-invtime — display Inverter Date/Time. the inverter's own lil clock.
  • -U <num>, --read-pause=<num> — pause <num> milli-seconds after sending a command to the inverter before reading the response from the inverter (1-10000). give her a second to think. 🫶
  • -u, --rpt-read-pause — report when/that pausing before read. tattling on the pause, respectfully.
  • -V, --version — Aurora communications program version. which build of the vibe are we on?
  • -v, --inv-version — query for Version string. the inverter's version, not the program's. don't get them twisted. 💅
  • -W, --swap-endian — swap Endianness. big-endian, little-endian, we contain multitudes. 🔄
  • -w <num>, --lock-wait=<num> — milliseconds to wait to lock the serial port (10.0-30000.0 mS). default 0.0 mS, meaning only one attempt to get the lock will be made. a random number of attempts to lock the port (minimum of 10, maximum of 100 per second) will be done for a maximum 30 second duration. 🔒
  • -X, --rts-cts — enable RTS/CTS on the serial port. hardware handshaking, we stan.
  • -x, --xon-xoff — enable XON/XOFF on the serial port. software handshaking, equally valid, no favourites here. 🤝
  • -Y <num>, --retries=<num> — retry failed communications with the inverter up to <num> times (1-100). never give up, never surrender. 💪
  • -y, --rpt-retries — report the number of retries done. receipts for the retries. 🧾

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

aurora is a program that communicates with Aurora Magnetek Photovoltaic (solar) Power Inverters, written by Curt Blank. it can retrieve data and statistics from a variety of Aurora Inverters through either USB or Serial interfaces. that's the whole deal, bestie — she talks to sun machines and brings back the numbers. ☀️

🌟 EXAMPLES 🌟

copy these exactly, they're sacred:

aurora -T -c -e -d 0 -a 2 -w 15 /dev/ttyS0
aurora -Y 100 -T -a 2 -w 10 -e /dev/ttyUSB0

see? options, address, device. the formula. the ritual. 🕯️

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

go read it, it's the source of truth fr.

🫶 AUTHOR 🫶

this manpage was initially written by Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@canonical.com> and is maintained by Curt Blank <solar@curtronics.com>. permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 2 published by the Free Software Foundation. credit where credit is due, always. 💜

and that's the whole page, bestie!! this one's from the aurora manual, dated 21 Jan 2016, and it's aurora(1) — go forth and query your inverter. slay 💅✨🌸🎀🦋

📦 where this page comes from