Good to know

Supported smart meters

The Virtual P1 set only supports smart meters with a V4 or V5 P1 interface. Older P1 versions are not supported.

Wireless connection and range

The dongles communicate directly over ESP-NOW on channel 6. Firmware 1.2.0 enables ESP-NOW Long Range mode on both dongles at 500 kbit/s.

The actual range depends on walls, floors, insulation, electrical cabinets and other obstacles. A clear line of sight gives the best result. If the connection is unreliable, move the dongles away from metal objects and reduce the distance between them.

The Master only accepts a new pairing from a nearby Virtual P1 dongle. Keep the dongles close together while pairing; after pairing they can be moved to their intended locations.

Local and remote P1 output

The white Master sends every received smart-meter telegram wirelessly and also forwards it to its local P1 output. The black Virtual P1 dongle writes the received telegram to its P1 Out port. This means the same P1 data can be used both near the smart meter and at the remote location.

Power sharing

The black Virtual P1 dongle can be powered with a USB-C adapter. Power is then available to a compatible device connected to P1 Out. Power can also be supplied in the opposite direction when the connected P1 device provides power on its P1 connection.

Only connect equipment with a compatible P1 interface and pinout. Do not connect the P1 ports to Ethernet equipment, even though the connector may look similar.

Firmware

The current Master and Virtual P1 firmware version is 1.2.0. Both sides must use compatible firmware settings; Long Range mode is enabled on both devices in this release.

Updates and reinstallation

Firmware updates and reinstallations for both dongles can be performed with the Virtual P1 web installer.

CE conformity

Both Virtual P1 dongles use the same hardware as the NRG Dongle and are covered by the same CE declaration. See CE conformity or the original P1 Dongle Pro+ CE conformity page for the declaration.