The connection between a SwitchDin Droplet to another device can be via an Ethernet/TCP, Serial RS485 or API connection. This will vary depending on the brand, model and type of device. 

If the device being connected to the Droplet is an inverter, you can find the connection type for each compatible inverter here.

Serial Connection - RS485

The RS485 is an industrial specification that defines the electrical interface and physical layer for point-to-point communication of electrical devices. You need two wires to establish this bit per bit connection. The exact PINs to connect at each end will depend on the device model. Please refer to our table below to check the exact configuration you need. 

All Droplet PLUS models (from June 2024) include two native RS485 ports. 

Both the SwitchDin Droplet PLUS and Droplet ONE have multiple USB ports available. A USB ports can be used to establish a serial connection by using an RS485/USB adapter for your installation.

• A twisted pair from a CAT 6 cable may be used to establish the RS485 connection.

• If you are daisy-chaining multiple devices, the Droplet must be connected to the master device in the chain.

Ethernet connection

Both the SwitchDin Droplet PLUS and Droplet ONE come with at least one Ethernet port for an RJ45 connector. 

Depending on your local network topology and distance to the router, you can either:

• directly connect the device with the droplet and avoid the consequence of losing internet connection.

• Connect the droplet to a data switch or a router. The droplet will still be able to recognise all the devices on the network the droplet is compatible with. 
  Another option is to use an ETH/USB adapter to connect to any USB port on the droplet.
  
  Important: 
  a) All devices must be on the exact same subnet. 
  b) If you have a secured local network with firewall rules, please follow this article to open up the right ports and services on your router configuration. 
  c) If you wish the droplet to act a gateway and provide internet to an inverter for example, please contact our support team if you use the USB/ETH option as we will need to reconfigure DHCP settings on that port.

WiFi connection

SwitchDin droplet models (ONE,  and PLUS v2.0.1 only) can communicate through WiFi to the local network hosting the devices. The connection to the WiFi network is managed through the Installer section of Stormcloud application. 

Wiring options per model/brand

Please ensure you always check your manufacturer manual for additional connection details. If in doubt, please consult their support team.
As an indication, here are some of the most popular brands we integrate with and the connection to establish: