How to build your router

Build Examples
Selecting your Hardware
Where to buy ?
Default GPIO pinout per board
Wiring

Build Examples

If you already have a solar router like F1ATB or “Profes’Solaire”, just flash the YaSolR firmware instead of the one you are using. Most hardware used in these routers are compatible with YaSolR.

YaSolR supports many builds and routing algorithms. Before building your router, you need to decide which type of hardware you want to use. Here are below some examples:

The Recycler: reuse your existing Shelly EM or Shelly 3EM to build a router
The Minimalist: the cheapest and easiest to build
The Elegant: an improved version of the Minimalist using the new JSY-MK-194G integrated ZCD circuit
The Adventurer: for people who want to mitigate the flaws of the RobotDyn and do some improvements over the existing RobotDyn
The Elite: for people who want to use a Random SSR instead of a RobotDyn to safely dim more power and have a better Zero-Cross Detection circuit
The Professional: probably the best and safe solution out there but requires an additional power source
Possible Upgrades: some additional components you can add to your router
Remote JSY: a standalone application to place in your electrical panel to send the JSY metrics through UDP for remote installations
Alternative: The Shelly Solar Diverter: a limited Solar Diverter / Router with Shelly devices and a voltage regulator
Alternative: Home Assistant Solar Diverter

The Recycler

Reuse your existing Shelly EM or Shelly 3EM to build a router!

RobotDyn is used for the dimming (phase control)
RobotDyn is used for the Zero-Cross Detection
Shelly EM or MQTT is used to measure the grid power and voltage

ESP32	RobotDyn AC Dimmer 40A/800V	Shelly EM or 3EM

TIP

RobotDyn includes Zero-Cross Detection circuit

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

Reuse your Shelly EM or 3EM and send through MQTT grid power and voltage

You can also use a SSR and ZCD module instead of the RobotDyn

WARNING

Advised load not more than 2000W

RobotDyn has poor quality heat sink, soldering and Zero-Cross pulse

Bypass mode will use the RobotDyn dimmer at 100% power

Not as precise as a JSY (MQTT delays)

No local measurement in place to measure the routed power (statistics will be empty)

The Minimalist

The Minimalist build uses inexpensive and easy to use components to start a router.

RobotDyn is used for the dimming (phase control)
RobotDyn is used for the Zero-Cross Detection
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT

ESP32	RobotDyn AC Dimmer 40A/800V	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

TIP

RobotDyn includes Zero-Cross Detection circuit

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

WARNING

Advised load not more than 2000W

RobotDyn has poor quality heat sink, soldering and Zero-Cross pulse

Bypass mode will use the RobotDyn dimmer at 100% power

The Elegant

This is an improved version of the Minimalist build using the new JSY-MK-194G which has an integrated ZCD.

A Random SSR is used for the dimming (phase control)
JSY-MK-194G (local) is used for the Zero-Cross Detection
JSY-MK-194G (local) is used to measure the grid power and voltage

ESP32	Random Solid State Relay	JSY-MK-194G

TIP

JSY-MK-194G includes a Zero-Cross Detection circuit

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

WARNING

Bypass mode will use the RobotDyn dimmer at 100% power

The Adventurer

The Adventurer build is for people who are able to mitigate the flaws of the RobotDyn 24A to improve it. The TRIAC can be changed to a BTA40-800B RD91 fixed directly on the heat sink, and the heat sink can be upgraded. See the RobotDyn section for more information.

A custom TRIAC is used for the dimming (phase control)
RobotDyn is used for the Zero-Cross Detection
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT

ESP32	RobotDyn AC Dimmer 24A/600V	Heat Sink	Triac BTA40-800B RD91	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

TIP

RobotDyn includes Zero-Cross Detection circuit

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

WARNING

Advised load not more than 2000W

RobotDyn has poor quality heat sink, soldering and Zero-Cross pulse

Bypass mode will use the RobotDyn dimmer at 100% power

Requires to unsolder the heat sink and triac and put a new triac on a new heat sink

The Elite

The Elite build is for people who want to use a Random SSR instead of a RobotDyn to safely dim more power and have a better Zero-Cross Detection circuit more more precising routing.

A Random SSR is used for the dimming (phase control)
A dedicated ZCD circuit is used for the Zero-Cross Detection (it can be the JSY-MK-194G)
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT

ESP32	Random Solid State Relay	Heat Sink	Zero-Cross Detection Module	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

TIP

The JSY-MK-194G has an integrated ZCD and can be used with a Random SSR directly without the need of an external ZCD module.

Dedicated ZCD circuit with a good pulse

Dedicated Random SSR (models up to 100A)

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

Other types of Heat Sink are available: the image above is just an example. Pick one according to your load.

All the components can be easily attached onto a DIN rail

WARNING

Bypass mode will use the SSR dimmer set at 100% power

The Professional

The Professional build uses a Voltage Regulator to control the power routing. This is probably the best reliable and efficient solution, but it is more complex to setup and wire. Voltage regulators like the LSA or LCTC have an integrated ZCD circuit to trigger at the right time based on the input voltage control.

There are multiple ways to control a voltage regulator with YaSolR.

TIP

Dedicated hardware supporting high loads

Supports Phase Control and Burst mode

Heat sink are bigger and better quality: bigger models are also available

WARNING

Bypass mode will use the dimmer set at 100% power

Voltage Regulator + PWM to Analog Converter + ZCD

This option is a good upgrade to a RobotDyn or SSR since it reuses the same components and just replaces the dimmer part with the LSA. It even reuses the existing ZCD circuit, and a dimmer implementation based on a ZCD, as usual, like for the RobotDyn or Random SSR. As such, the LSA behavior is controlled exactly like a RobotDyn or SSR would be controlled.

A voltage regulator (LSA or LCTC) is used for the dimming (phase control)
A dedicated ZCD circuit is used for the Zero-Cross Detection (it can be the JSY-MK-194G)
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT
A PWM to Analog Converter is used to control the voltage regulator (requires a 12V input)

ESP32	Voltage Regulator	Heat Sink	PWM to Analog Converter	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

WARNING

Requires an additional 12V power supply (e.g. Mean Well HDR-15-15 12V DC)

Voltage Regulator + PWM to Analog Converter only

This solution skips the need to have a dedicated ZCD and uses a specific implementation in YaSolR which is specific to this PWM to Analog Converter.

A voltage regulator (LSA or LCTC) is used for the dimming (phase control)
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT
A PWM to Analog Converter is used to control the voltage regulator (requires a 12V input)

ESP32	Voltage Regulator	Heat Sink	PWM to Analog Converter	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

WARNING

Requires an additional 12V power supply (e.g. Mean Well HDR-15-15 12V DC)

Voltage Regulator + DAC only

Definitely the BEST solution out there

This solution does not need a dedicated ZCD and uses a specific implementation in YaSolR which is specific to a DFRobot DAC.

The big advantage of a DAC module is that is allows to control a LSA directly without the need of an external 12V supply like for the PWM to Analog Converter, and it also does not need a ZCD module.

A voltage regulator (LSA or LCTC) is used for the dimming (phase control)
Grid power measurement can be done with a JSY (local or remote) or MQTT
A DFRobot DAC is used to control the voltage regulator: DFR0971 (GP8403), DFR1073 (GP8413), DFR1071 (GP8211S)

ESP32	Voltage Regulator	Heat Sink	DFRobot DAC	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

TIP

No ZCD circuit required

No additional 12V power supply required

Possible Upgrades

Here are below what you can add to upgrade your router:

Hardware	Description
	A bypass relay to avoid using the dimmer when auto bypass is enabled, and an additional relay to control an external load
	A temperature sensor to measure the water tank temperature to automatically stop or start the water heating
	A push button to restart the router easily
	LEDs to display the system status
	A display to show the router information
	A PZEM to precisely measure the routed power for each output. Only useful if you have more than one output.

Remote JSY

Here are the components below to build a remote JSY and install the Sender .ino file on a it. This is a standalone application that looks looks like this and will show all your JSY data, help you manage it, and also send the data through UDP. The reading rate is about 20-25 messages per second and sending rate is 3 messages per second (because the JSY exposes 3 new measurements every second).

You can look in the JSY project to find more information about how to setup remote JSY and the supported protocols.

Mean Well HDR-15-5 5V DC	ESP32	JSY-MK-163T, JSY-MK-193, JSY-MK-194T, JSY-MK-194G or JSY-MK-333

Alternative: The Shelly Solar Diverter

It is also possible to build a (limited) Solar Diverter / Router with Shelly devices and a voltage regulator.

See this blog post for more information: Shelly Solar Diverter

Alternative: Home Assistant Solar Diverter

It is also possible to build a (limited) Solar Diverter / Router with Home Assistant and a voltage regulator + Shelly dimmer.

See this blog post for more information: Home Assistant Solar Diverter

Selecting your Hardware

ESP32 Boards
Dimmers: RobotDyn, Solid State Relay or Voltage Regulator ?
Relays: Solid State Relay or Electromagnetic Relay ?
How to choose a Solid State Relay ?

ESP32 Boards

Here are the boards for which firmwares can be downloaded. If yours in not listed, just ask: it may be possible to add it.

Board	UARTs	Ethernet
ESP32-DevKitC (recommended - 3 UARTs)	3
ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 (recommended - 3 UARTs)	3
T-ETH-Lite ESP32 S3 (recommended - 3 UARTs)	3	✅
ESP-32S	2
WT32-ETH01	2	✅
Olimex ESP32-POE	3	✅
Olimex ESP32-GATEWAY	3	✅
WIPI 3	3
TinyPICO	3
Denky D4	3

Dimmers: RobotDyn, Solid State Relay or Voltage Regulator ?

Here are some pros and cons of each phase control system:

RobotDyn (TRIAC):

Pros:
- cheap and easy to wire
- 40A model comes with a heat sink and fan
- All in one device: phase control, ZCD, heat sink, fan
Cons:
- limited in load to 1/3 - 1/2 of the announced load
- 16A / 24A models comes with heat sink which is too small for its supported maximum load
- no solution ready to attach them on a DIN rail.
- The heat sink often has to be upgraded, except for the one on the 40 model which is already good for small loads below 2000W.
- The ZCD circuit is less accurate and pulses can be harder to detect on some boards
- You need to go over some modifications to (improve wiring / soldering and heat sink)
- You might need to replace the Triac or move it

Solid State Relays:

Pros:
- cheap and easy to wire
- support higher loads
- can be attached to a DIN rail with standard SSR clips
- lot of heat sink models available
Cons:
- limited in load to 1/3 - 1/2 of the announced load
- require an external ZCD module, heat sink and/or fan

Voltage Regulators:

Voltage regulators include a ZCD module and a phase control system which can be controlled in many ways. These are the best option: they are big and robust. But they require an additional module to control them with an ESP32.

This is the option and also what is used in the Shelly Solar Router.

Heat Sink:

In any case, do not forget to correctly dissipate the heat of your Triac / SSR using an appropriate heat sink. RobotDyn heat sink is not enough and require some tweaking (like adding a flan or de-soldering the triac and heat sink and put the triac on a bigger heat sink).

It is best to take a vertical heat sink for heat dissipation. In case of the RobotDyn 40A, you can install it vertically.

Relays: Solid State Relay or Electromagnetic Relay ?

For bypass relays used for outputs

For bypass relays, you can use electromagnetic relays because they will be used less frequently. Also, some electromagnetic relays boards have both a NO and NC output to better isolate the dimming circuit and bypass circuit.

For external Relays

If you want to use the relays to automatically switch one of the resistance of the water tank, as described in the recommendations to reduce harmonics and flickering, you must use a SSR because the relay will be switched on and off frequently.
If you are not using the automatic relay switching, and you either control them manually or through a Home Automation system, you can use electromagnetic relays, providing the relays won’t be switched on and off frequently.
Use a Zero-Cross SSR for resistive loads
Use a Random SSR for inductive loads (pump, motors)

Also to consider:

You should not use electromagnetic relays to switch a load on and off frequently because they have a limited number of cycles before they fail and they can be stuck.
Relays have to be controllable through a 3.3V DC signal.
It is easier to find SSR supporting high loads that can be controlled by a 3.3V DC signal than electromagnetic relays.
Also, SSR with a DIN Rail clip are easy to install.
On the other hand, SSR can be more affected by harmonics than electromagnetic relays and they are more expensive.

How to choose a Solid State Relay ?

Make sure you add a heat sink to the SSR or pick one with a heat sink, especially if you use a Random SSR instead of a RobotDyn
Type of control: DA: (DC Control AC)
Control voltage: 3.3V should be in the range (example: 3-32V DC)
Verify that the output AC voltage is in the range (example: 24-480V AC)
Verify the SSR amperage: usually, it should be 2-3 times the nominal current of your resistive load (example: 40A SSR for a 3000W resistance). For induction loads, it should be 4-7 times the nominal current.
Zero Cross SSR (which is the default for most SSR): for the bypass relay or external relays with resistive loads, or when using Burst modulation routing algorithm
Random SSR: if you chose to not use the RobotDyn but a Random SSR for Phase Control, or external relays with inductive loads (pump, motors)

Where to buy ?

Here is the non exhaustive list where to find some hardware to build your router. Links are provided for reference only, you can find them on other websites.

ESP32 Boards
RobotDyn
Random and Zero-Cross SSR
Zero-Cross Detection Modules
Voltage Regulators
Electromagnetic Relay
Measurement Devices
Temperature Sensors, LEDs, Buttons, Displays
Mounting Accessories

ESP32 Boards


	ESP32-DevKitC (ESPRESSIF Official Store) - Any version will work: 32 NodeMCU, 32s, 32e, 32ue, etc
	ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1/1U (ESPRESSIF Official Store)
	LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 (Ethernet)
	WT32-ETH01 v1.4 (Ethernet)
	WiFi Pigtail Antenna for ESP32 boards supporting external WiFi antenna

RobotDyn


	RobotDyn AC Dimmer 24A/600V Includes ZCD, supports Phase Control and Burst mode
	RobotDyn AC Dimmer 40A/800V Includes ZCD, supports Phase Control and Burst mode
	Triac BTA40-800B RD91 here or here if you want / need to replace the Triac inside your RobotDyn
	Heat Sink for Random SSR and Triac (there are many more types available: take a big heat sink placed vertically)

IMPORTANT

It is possible to switch the TRIAC of an original RobotDyn AC Dimmer with a higher one, for example a BTA40-800B BOITIER RD-91
Ref: Triacs gradateurs pour routeur photovoltaïque.

The heat sink must be chosen according to the SSR / Triac. Here is a good video about the theory: Calcul du dissipateur pour le triac d’un routeur (from Pierre)

Make sure to improve the RobotDyn wiring/soldering

Random and Zero-Cross SSR

Random and Zero-Cross SSR
	LCTC Random Solid State Relay (SSR) that can be controlled by a 3.3V DC signal, (Other LCTC vendor link). Supports Phase Control and Burst mode, See How to choose a Solid State Relay ? below
	Zero-Cross Solid State Relay (SSR) that can be controlled by a 3.3V DC signal Supports Burst mode, See How to choose a Solid State Relay ? below
	Heat Sink for SSR (there are many more types available: take a big heat sink placed vertically)

Zero-Cross Detection Modules

Please note that the JSY-MK-194G has an integrated ZCD and can be used with a Random SSR directly without the need of an external ZCD module.

Zero-Cross Detection	Very good and dedicated ZCD modules - Required to use a SSR
	ZCD module from Daniel S. and its DIN Rail support
	UPM-01 DIN Rail Mount for PCB 72mm x 20mm for the ZCD module above to mount on DIN Rail. Alternative link

I often have some spare ZCD modules since I do some batch ordering on PCBWay. If you are interested in one, please have a look at the availabilities in the Pro page.

Also, do not forget that ZCD circuits are already included in RobotDyn (or other brands) dimmer boards! So a good idea is to use such board but only for the ZCd module. For example, on AliExpress, you can buy a cheap RobotDyn dimmer board for 3 euros with an included ZCD circuit (https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/32802025086.html). This ZCD circuit won’t be as good as a specialized one, but it can be enough for most cases.

TIP

If you have access to a 3D printer, you can also print the DIN Rail mounts.

Other SSR:

Zero-Cross SSR DA
Zero-Cross SSR DA + Heat Sink + Din Rail Clip (40A, 60A, very high - can prevent closing an electric box)
Zero-Cross SSR 120 DA (for very high load)

Voltage Regulators


	Loncont LSA-H3P50YB (also available in 70A and more). Includes ZCD, supports Phase Control and Burst mode
	LCTC Voltage Regulator 220V / 40A or more models without heat sink but 60A, 80A, etc (also available in 70A and more). Includes ZCD, supports Phase Control and Burst mode
	3.3V PWM Signal to 0-10V Convertor or this link or this link or this link. Required to use the voltage regulators to convert the ESP32 pulse signal on 3.3V to an analogic output from 0-10V (external 12V power supply required)
	DAC: DFR0971 (based on GP8403), DFR1073 (based on GP8413), DFR1071 (based on GP8211S)
	Heat Sink 10-60A for Voltage Regulators or this link or this link or this link

Electromagnetic Relay


	1-Channel 5V DC / 30A Electromagnetic Relay on DIN Rail Support: here, here, here, here
	2-Channel 5V DC / 30A Dual Electromagnetic Relays on DIN Rail Support: here, here, here, here, here

Measurement Devices


	JSY-MK-163T with a clamp Used to measure the grid power only.
	JSY-MK-194T or JSY-MK-194G with 2 clamps Used to measure the grid power and total routed power. There is also another version with a tore and a clamp.
	JSY-MK-333 Used to measure the grid power of a 3-phase installation
	Peacefair PZEM-004T V3 100A Openable (with clamp) official, with connector, USB-TTL Cable. Can be used to measure each output individually and more precisely. Several PZEM-004T can be connected to the same Serial port.
	Shelly EM (or any other alternative sending data to MQTT)

Temperature Sensors, LEDs, Buttons, Displays

Temperature Sensors, LEDs, Buttons
	DS18B20 Temperature Sensor + Adapter (easier to use to install in the water tank - take a long cable)
	Push Buttons Amazon (16mm) AliExpress (12mm) for restart, manual bypass, reset
	Traffic lights Lights module for system status AZ-Delivery, AliExpress

Screens
	SSD1306 OLED Display 4 pins 128x64 I2C
	SH1106 OLED Display 4 pins 128x64 I2C
	SSD1307 OLED Display 4 pins 128x64 I2C

Mounting Accessories


	Electric Box
	Extension boards (pay attention to the distance between header, there are different models. This one fits the ESP32 NodeMCU above)
	DIN Rail Mount for ESP32 NodeMCU Dev Kit C
	Distribution Module / More choice
	DIN Rail Clips for SSR
	AC-DC 5V 2.4A DIN Adapter HDR-15-5 Amazon, AliExpress. Can be used to power the ESP when installed in an electric box on DIN rail. Also if you need, a 12V version s available: HDR-15-15 12V DC version
	3D Print enclosure for JSY-MK-194T. You can screw it on an SSR DIN Rail to place your JSY on a DIN Rail in this enclosure.
	3D Print enclosure for JSY-MK-194G. You can screw it on an SSR DIN Rail to place your JSY on a DIN Rail in this enclosure.
	Dupont Cable Kit
	100 ohms 0.1uF RC Snubber (for RobotDyn AC dimmer and Random SSR: can be placed at dimmer output)

Default GPIO pinout per board

The hardware and GPIO pinout are heavily inspired by Routeur solaire PV monophasé Le Profes’Solaire from Anthony. Please read all the information there first. He did a very great job with some videos explaining the wiring.

Most of the features can be enabled or disabled through the app and the GPIO pinout can be changed also trough the app.

Here are below the default GPIO pinout for each board.

Tested boards:

FEATURE	ESP32	NodeMCU-32S	esp32s3	wt32_eth01	T-ETH-Lite	esp32-poe	esp32-gateway	wipy3	tinypico	denky_d4
I2C SCL (Display, DFRobot, etc)	22	22	9	32	40	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
I2C SDA (Display, DFRobot, etc)	21	21	8	33	41	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
JSY Serial2 RX	16	16	16	5	18	35	-1	4	4	22
JSY Serial2 TX	17	17	17	17	17	33	-1	25	25	21
Light Feedback (Green)	0	0	0	-1	38	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
Light Feedback (Red)	15	15	15	-1	46	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
Light Feedback (Yellow)	2	2	2	-1	21	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #1 Bypass Relay	32	32	40	12	20	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #1 Dimmer	25	25	37	2	19	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #1 Temperature Sensor	18	18	18	15	3	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #2 Bypass Relay	33	33	33	-1	15	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #2 Dimmer	26	26	36	-1	7	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
OUTPUT #2 Temperature Sensor	5	5	5	-1	16	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
Push Button (restart)	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN
RELAY #1	13	13	13	14	5	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
RELAY #2	12	12	12	-1	6	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
System Temperature Sensor	4	4	4	4	4	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
ZCD (RobotDyn, ZCD, JSY-194G)	35	35	35	35	8	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
PZEM-004T v3 Serial1 RX	14	14	14	-1	-1	36	-1	26	26	25
PZEM-004T v3 Serial1 TX	27	27	11	-1	-1	4	-1	27	27	33

-1 means not mapped, either because this is not possible (for example some boards to not have enough UART to support at the same time JSY and PZEM), or because the mapping is just not defined by default and you need to go in YaSolR GPIO section to define to the pin you want.

The website display the pinout configured, the pinout layout that is live at runtime and also displays some potential issues like duplicate pins or wrong pin configuration.