GlacierNode is a robust, PoE-powered BLE-to-Ethernet gateway designed for extreme climates. This project provides a "Truck LAN" integrated controller for Vevor Diesel Heaters, replacing unstable factory mobile apps with a high-reliability, wired hardware bridge.
Built specifically for survival in Canadian winters (Calgary, AB), this implementation prioritizes wired stability and cold-weather component ratings to ensure your primary heat source never fails due to a "smart" app glitch or WiFi interference.
This project is an ESP32 C++/Arduino port of the excellent reverse-engineering work done by the community. It draws heavily from the following projects:
- vevor-heater-ble (iotmaestro): The primary source for the BLE communication protocol, packet structures, and checksum logic.
- homeassistant-vevor-heater (MSDATDE): Inspiration for high-level state management and integration patterns.
This repository takes those software-based discoveries and moves them onto dedicated, industrial-grade hardware for off-grid and "vanlife" reliability.
- Hardware-First: Optimized for the Olimex ESP32-POE-ISO-IND, featuring a -40°C to +85°C operating range and 3000VDC galvanic isolation.
- PoE Connectivity: Wired backhaul via 802.3af/at PoE, eliminating WiFi congestion and power-management instability.
- Stateless Synchronization: Upon boot, the node synchronizes with the heater's current state, ensuring it never overrides internal safety cycles (e.g., if the ESP32 reboots during a cooldown).
- Protocol Support: Full implementation of the
0xAA 0x55magic-byte protocol, including real-time telemetry for combustion chamber temperature, pump frequency, voltage, and error codes. - Starlink Optimized: Designed to operate behind CGNAT and satellite backhaul with minimal data overhead via optimized HTTPS heartbeats.
- Microcontroller: ESP32-POE-ISO-IND (Industrial Version mandatory for sub-zero climates).
- Network: Industrial PoE+ Switch (e.g., Linovision or Cudy GS1005P).
- Power: 12V-to-48V DC-DC Boost Converter (for PoE Switch power) and 8 AWG primary power runs.
- Ducting: 3" Silicone Brake Vent Hose with aluminum Cam-Lock bulkhead fittings for airtight recirculation.
The Vevor heater communicates via BLE using a proprietary serial bridge on Service 0xFFE0 / Characteristic 0xFFE1.
| Offset | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | Magic Header | 0xAA 0x55 |
| 2-3 | Passkey | 0x0C 0x22 (Default: 1234) |
| 4 | Command Type | 0x01 (Read) - 0x04 (Set) |
| 19 | Checksum | Sum of bytes 3-18 mod 256 |
NOT FOR LIFE-SAFETY APPLICATIONS. This project is for monitoring and secondary control. Diesel heaters are combustion devices. This controller is designed to work with the heater's internal safety MCU, not replace it. Never override or interrupt the heater's internal shutdown/cooldown cycles, as this poses a significant fire and carbon monoxide risk.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.