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ACRouter Roadmap

This document outlines the planned development direction of the ACRouter project.

All items are subject to change based on community feedback and technical constraints. Legend: ✅ delivered · 🔍 in research · 💡 open for contributions; unchecked items are planned.

Phase 1 — Core Solar Router (Delivered)

  • ✅ Real-time power measurement
  • ✅ Phase-angle AC dimming control
  • ✅ OFF / AUTO / ECO / OFFGRID / MANUAL / BOOST modes
  • ✅ Web dashboard + REST API
  • ✅ Hardware abstraction and configuration
  • ✅ Non-volatile configuration storage
  • ✅ Open-source documentation

Status: ✅ Delivered (superseded by the v2.0 architecture — see Phase 2.5)

Phase 2 — Connectivity & Automation

  • ✅ MQTT support
  • ✅ Home Assistant integration
  • ✅ OTA firmware updates
  • 🔌 ESPHome-compatible external interface — a native-API endpoint so Home Assistant can consume ACRouter directly (planned; MQTT + HA auto-discovery already ship as the current HA path)
  • ⏰ Scheduled operation (time-based modes) — run modes on a clock, e.g. low-tariff windows (planned as a fast-follow after v2.0)
  • 🌡️ External temperature input support

Status: ✅ Core delivered (MQTT / HA / OTA); scheduling & temperature planned

Phase 2.5 — Smart-Module Architecture (v2.0, Delivered)

Hardware-validated on ESP32 and ESP32-C2.

  • ✅ Smart sensing over I2C (rbAmp) with per-channel roles — replaces on-device ADC
  • ✅ DimmerLink I2C smart dimmers (legacy GPIO/TRIAC dimming removed)
  • ✅ ESP-NOW remote sensing / dimmer nodes
  • ✅ ESP32-C2 target + compile tiering (C2-HTTP / headless C2-MQTT / ESP32)
  • ✅ External web app + config-over-MQTT provisioning
  • ✅ Unified device registry; control loop isolated in its own RTOS task
  • ✅ GRID_LIMIT operating mode
  • ✅ Multi-load priority cascade — multiple dimmers, surplus spilling to the next by priority
  • ✅ GPIO relay outputs driven in the AUTO priority cascade (ESP-NOW relay nodes — future)
  • ✅ Sensor-loss failsafe (decay-to-off) and whole-cascade Emergency Stop / OFF

Status: ✅ Delivered (v2.0.0)

Phase 3 — Advanced Energy Logic

  • 🔒 Per-load power limits (W) — (per-load % level limits already ship)
  • 💰 Tariff-aware control logic
  • 📈 Smarter anti-flicker algorithms
  • 🎯 Directional export margin (asymmetric deadband) — (a symmetric balance_threshold deadband already ships)

Status: 🔍 Research / Community discussion

Phase 4 — Ecosystem & Community

  • 📐 Reference hardware designs
  • 📋 Example configurations
  • 🤝 Community-contributed integrations
  • 📚 Improved documentation and tutorials

Status: 💡 Open for contributions

Contributions

Community feedback, testing, and pull requests are welcome.

Design decisions prioritize stability, transparency, and electrical safety.

How to Influence the Roadmap

  1. Open an Issue — Describe your use case or feature request
  2. Join Discussions — Participate in GitHub Discussions
  3. Submit a PR — Implement a feature and submit for review
  4. Share Feedback — Report bugs and suggest improvements

Your input helps shape the future of ACRouter! 🚀

Phase 1 Core Solar Router (Delivered) Phase 2 Connectivity and Automation Phase 2.5 Smart-Module Architecture (v2.0, Delivered) Phase 3 Advanced Energy Logic Phase 4 Ecosystem and Community Contributions How to Influence the Roadmap