Phaeton documentation
Using VRM Control Panel
Open Phaeton's web interface from anywhere through VRM: what Control Panel needs on the GX, how to open it, and what to do when it is missing or opens the wrong page.
How Control Panel Works
VRM shows a Control Panel button for each EV charging station in the device list of your installation. For Phaeton, the button opens Phaeton's own web interface through the remote connection of the GX, from any network, without port forwarding on your router, Remote Support or SSH on LAN.
- Control Panel works when Phaeton runs on the GX itself. Phaeton on another computer opens on the local network only.
- Phaeton sets up its own route on the GX, and checks and repairs it every 30 seconds, also after a GX restart or when Venus OS rewrites its web server configuration. It does not change the security profile, VRM settings or remote access of the GX.
- A new installation from the USB stick or the SSH installer can be opened through Control Panel before setup, so you can do the whole setup remotely. An existing installation gets the route after an update and keeps its connection to the GX, identity and settings; one that connects to the GX over Modbus TCP gets it only after setup and activation, so finish those on the local network first.
- VRM does not sign you in to Phaeton. Your VRM account, your Phaeton login and your licensing portal account are separate.
- Seeing Phaeton in VRM does not enable charging. Charging control stays off until setup and activation are done and Phaeton has restarted.
GX Settings
Use the GX display or Remote Console. Newer menus use Settings → VRM; older menus call it Settings → VRM online portal.
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
| Settings → Connectivity → Ethernet or Wi-Fi (older menus: Settings → Ethernet or Wi-Fi) | Connect the GX to the internet. The USB installation itself works offline, but Control Panel needs internet. |
| Settings → VRM → VRM Portal | Select Full. Read-only and Off do not allow Control Panel. |
| Settings → VRM → Last contact | Check that it is recent and shows no connection error, and that the GX belongs to the intended VRM installation. |
| Settings → General → Modification checks → Modifications enabled | Keep it on, so Phaeton starts after a restart. |
| Your VRM account | It needs permission to change settings for the installation. |
Leave the local network security profile of the GX as it is. MQTT Access under Settings → Integrations (older menus: Settings → Services → MQTT on LAN) and pairing network devices control access on the local network; turning them on does not create Phaeton's route. Victron describes the VRM connection in its VRM portal instructions.
Open Phaeton
- Start Phaeton, for example after installing it, and give VRM a few minutes to refresh its device list. Over MQTT, Phaeton waits 17 seconds after it starts before it registers with the GX.
- In VRM, open your installation, select Device list, expand the intended Phaeton EV Charging Station and select Control Panel. During setup its name is Phaeton; after setup and a restart it is Phaeton EVCS, or the name you gave the charger. Remote Console opens the GX itself, not Phaeton.
- On first setup, create your Phaeton administrator account; otherwise sign in with your Phaeton account. No setup code is needed.
- Follow the setup, activation and restart prompts.
Always open Phaeton with the Control Panel button. Do not bookmark the address VRM opens; it is temporary.
Several Chargers On One GX
Each charger on the GX has its own entry and its own Control Panel button in VRM. Add a charger under System → Chargers on this GX in the first Phaeton installation, give it a name, then open the Control Panel of that name in VRM to set it up. Each charger has its own administrator account, license and settings. See Multiple chargers.
If Control Panel Is Missing Or Opens The Wrong Page
- No button, or the button opens the GX: check that the GX has internet, VRM Portal is set to Full, Last contact is recent and your VRM account may change settings.
- Check that Phaeton runs on the GX itself and is up to date. Phaeton on another computer has no Control Panel route.
- An older installation that connects over Modbus TCP: finish setup and activation on the local network first.
- Check the status: sign in to the first installation, on port 8088, and open System → Chargers on this GX. Each charger shows VRM Control Panel ready, VRM Control Panel not available yet or VRM Control Panel disabled. The Logs page of a charger shows why its route is not ready.
- After a restart or a change on the GX, allow 30 seconds for Phaeton's check, plus the time VRM needs to refresh its device list.
- VRM shows a firmware version for the charger. It is a compatibility number, not Phaeton's version: v1.29 means Phaeton manages a Control Panel route for this charger, v1.22 that the route is off or not set up yet. Whether the route works shows under System → Chargers on this GX. Turning on MQTT does not create the route.
- Several Phaeton entries: choose the one with the name of the charger you want.
- VRM uses its own HTTPS certificate. The fingerprint on the USB result or in the SSH installer output belongs to the local address only.
- You can always continue on the local network at https://GX-IP:8088/, or at the web port of an added charger. Local access works without VRM or internet.
Turn Control Panel Off Or On
Control Panel is on by default. To turn it off for the first installation, run this in a GX terminal; Install with SSH explains how to get one.
PHAETON_DATA_DIR=/data/phaeton /data/phaeton/phaeton --control-panel disable
Phaeton removes its route at once and keeps it off, also after updates. Then restart Phaeton, with Restart charger under System → Chargers on this GX or by restarting the GX, so the GX shows the change. To turn it on again, run this and restart Phaeton:
PHAETON_DATA_DIR=/data/phaeton /data/phaeton/phaeton --control-panel enable
To see the current state of the route:
PHAETON_DATA_DIR=/data/phaeton /data/phaeton/phaeton --control-panel status
For a charger you added under Chargers on this GX, use its own folder under /data/phaeton-instances in both places. Removing a charger or uninstalling Phaeton removes its route for you.