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Use the ethernet port to control your fans

Make your MaxxAir smart

The VanTurtle Fan Controller allows control of up to two MaxxFans through the build-in RJ45 (Ethernet) port. Add WiFi to your fan with an ESP32, or control it through Home Assistant with a Raspberry Pi.

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Take control

The VanTurtle Fan Controller converts the proprietary analog protocol of the fan to a standard I2C based digital one, allowing almost any microcontroller to interface with it. All Deluxe fans (and some others too) come with an ethernet port, and connecting that port to the controller is all that is needed to control it.

Hook up an ESP32 to the controller to add easy wireless access, a Raspberry Pi to control it with Python directly or even an Arduino to connect it to other low level inputs or outputs. Anything that speaks the industry standard I2C protocol will do. There is a Python reference library available on Pypi, but anything that can read and write bytes over I2C will do.

Any questions at all? Shoot us an email at questions@vanturtle.com

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Endless automation

The board can do anything the button panel on the fan can do: On/off, open/close, in/out, faster, slower, and auto hold. Additionally it can sense if the auto temperature hold mode is on or not and trigger a beep sound from the fan without any changes to the fan configuration. To the fan there is no difference to an actual button press on the button panel or an input through the RJ45 port.

Depending on your setup this will enable you to create automations such as speeding the fan up if temperatures get too high, or even closing the fans when the vehicle starts moving.

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Swedish Design

The design of the PCB has been done from the ground up to be compatible with the MaxxFan Deluxe and any other fan that works with the wall remote sold by MaxxAir

  • Independent control of two fans
    Both RJ45 ports are completely separate and can be driven in parallel
  • Voltage swing tolerant
    Tested to handle between 9 and 14 volt from the fan, and between 3,3 and 5 volt on the I2C bus
  • Configurable addressing
    The I2C address can be changed with DIP switches, theoretically supporting up to 18 fans on one bus
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Made by fellow travelers

Created to solve own issues while building a van and refined from there, you can be assured that the card is made to last.

We’re here to help whenever you run into an issue, just shoot us an email!

Only €24,99

Including VAT, excluding shipping and tariffs

Get one now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it work with my fan?

It should work with both the Maxxfan Plus and Maxxfan Deluxe series. If your fan has an 8-pin Ethernet (RJ45) port you should be good to go! Do note that many fans also come with a similar phone plug (RJ11) which does not work with our product.

Known supported model numbers are 4500K, 4700K, 4800K, 4900K, 5100K, 7000K, 7500K, 8500K, 8700K, and 8900K. Many more models probably support it but have not been verified yet.

Can i use this to detect if a fan is on?

Only if it’s in automatic temperature hold mode, because the LED light can be detected. The onboard chip does not have any way of outputting its current state, so it’s not possible to easily detect the state or speed of the fan.

If detecting fan speed or on/off state is important to you, please shoot us an email as we’re designing a soltion for that!

How does it work?

We emulate a 3650K 6 button wall control panel, but instead of buttons you have to press yourself we use optocouplers to trigger the signals to the fan electronically. The way this works inside the fan is exactly the same as when you press a button on the control panel, so all inputs you can do there can be done by the Vanturtle controller.

Can i use any Ethernet cable to connect it?

Make sure the wire you use actually has 8 wires, as some only have 4 wires total and slower wired internet works fine over cables with only 4. Otherwise you can use any cable. We advice to not use runs longer than 15 meters to keep the voltage drop within acceptable ranges.

Note however that the Ethernet port is located in a part of the fan that gets almost entirely cut off when you lower the fan onto the ceiling. Using a compact or “short body” Ethernet plug is a necessity.

What kind of protocol does the fan use?

No protocol at all, simply connecting specific wires will trigger button presses. You can read a whole lot more about it in this blog post.

Are you endorsed by Airxcel at all?

Not even a little bit. Maxxair, Maxxfan and Airxcel are all trademarks by AirX Intermediate Inc. and used on this page as an example of products that are compatible with this controller. We have nothing to do with them. We’re just fans.