[RE-wrenches] Firmware, Firmware, Firmware was Outback Programming Ghost

Wed Nov 16 23:21:25 PST 2016

Lones:

Thank you for the reply outlining the firmware update functionality of the
various devices.  Unfortunately I think you missed the more important
point:  Outback inverters with Mate3 monitors and possibly Optics systems
are experiencing programming glitches that are shutting systems down.  By
my count, four installers have reported similar problems on this forum in
response to my query.

It is one thing if an Optics system disconnects on a regular basis, or
there are consistent gaps in data reporting, both of which is happening,
but it is a much bigger issue that these systems are shutting down. This
violates the core performance mission of a battery inverter system.

When I experienced this recent failure, I was actually in your facility for
a training.  I requested tech support and Jorge, I believe the head of Tech
Support, came in the training room and I showed him the problem.  This is
not a few charge parameters adjusting up or down a few points, this is
inverters 1, 2 and 3 all becoming 1/2 Phase masters.  This shut off power
to my customer and requires a drive to the site to repair.  I am
disappointed no one at Outback has contacted me about this serious problem.

My confidence in the Outback Radian/Mate3/Optics systems is shaken.  I just
received a contract for a 16K Radian system and I can’t place the order
until I get some idea of how this will be resolved.

Please review the Wrenches posts on the subject.  Please also contact Jorge
and see what he knows or can figure out about this issue.  There is a large
group of us here waiting to learn what will be done about this problem.

Sincerely,

William Miller

[image: Gradient Cap_mini]
Lic 773985
millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
805-438-5600

*From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
Behalf Of *Lones Tuss
*Sent:* Monday, November 14, 2016 8:53 AM
*To:* RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
*Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Firmware, Firmware, Firmaware was Outback
Programming Ghost

Hello All

  The legacy Mate(2) and legacy FX inverters did require the units to be
sent to OutBack to be updated.

The Mate3 and the FXRA inverters can all be updated in the field.

The newest revisions of software are available on the OutBack website.

http://outbackpower.com/catalogs-collaterals/category/td-firmware-updates

Down load the new firmware on an SD Card insert it into the Mate3

Press the Lock Button enter 141 as the password.

Select Firmware Update

Then choose the device you wish to update.

 When updating the inverters it is advised to put the system in Bypass as
the inverters will shut down when an update is performed.

Lones Tuss

Applications Engineer

OutBack Power Technologies

17825 59th Ave NE, Suite B, Arlington, WA 98223

360.618.4383 Office | 425.213.8794 Cell

www.outbackpower.com

*From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
<re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>] *On Behalf Of *William Miller
*Sent:* Saturday, November 12, 2016 9:17 AM
*To:* RE-wrenches
*Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Firmware, Firmware, Firmaware was Outback
Programming Ghost

 Ray:

Upgrading firmware on inverters and Mates requires either a board swap for
inverters or a trip to the factory for a standard Mate. Only the Mate3 can
be field upgraded.

Then, if you have mixed inverter firmware, there can be unintended
consequences. For example, we upgraded a fourth inverter because of a
failure. We were told to make it the master. When we did, the gen would
disconnect after 20 minutes. We changed it back to a slave and problem
resolved.

In our society, the price for added features is added frustration.

William

On Nov 12, 2016, at 8:32 AM, Ray Walters <ray at solarray.com> wrote:

I second uprading all firmware on all devices.  I had a recent FXR install
that was dropping one of the inverters (and its leg) whenever the system
tried to sell.  Latest firmware cured the issues.
The industry is moving from us being electricians to becoming computer
techs.  Retirement looks better each day.

R.Ray Walters

CTO, Solarray, Inc

Nabcep Certified PV Installer,

Licensed Master Electrician

Solar Design Engineer

303 505-8760

On 11/12/2016 6:08 AM, Wayne Irwin wrote:

Very strange that all the programming is scrambled.

Recently we had a FXR system which had been working fine for nearly six
months come up with an incompatibility error with the slave inverter even
though the firmware was the most recent and the same for both inverters.
After several failed attempts to re-upgrade the inverter firmware, we took
a shot at upgrading the Mate 3 firmware which did work. We then again tried
the inverters and it worked. System is now working again (for now) and the
programming is all still valid.

Wayne Irwin,
President
License #CVC56695
State Licensed Solar Contractor
Pure Energy Solar International Inc.
Wayne at PureEnergySolar.com <PureEnergySolar at hotmail.com>
http://PureEnergySolar.com
http://SolarChargingStation.net <https://solarchargingstation.net>
352 377-6527 Office
352 336-3299 Fax

The Sun Is Always Shining!

The content of this message is Pure Energy Solar Confidential. If you are
not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, any use
or distribution is prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail
and delete this message from your computer system. Thank you.

------------------------------

*From:* RE-wrenches <re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>
<re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> on behalf of William Miller
<william at millersolar.com> <william at millersolar.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, November 10, 2016 11:26 PM
*To:* RE-wrenches
*Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Programming Ghost

Ray:

I have no reason to believe anyone has been meddling. No one knows the
password. It does look like some serious glitch.

William

On Nov 10, 2016, at 6:25 PM, Ray Walters <ray at solarray.com> wrote:

It almost sounds like someone got in there and tried to reprogram stuff
themselves.  Have you installed the proper anti-Gremlin devices?

R.Ray Walters

CTO, Solarray, Inc

Nabcep Certified PV Installer,

Licensed Master Electrician

Solar Design Engineer

303 505-8760

On 11/10/2016 12:34 PM, William Miller wrote:

Colleagues:

I maintain an off-grid, 8 stack FX Outback system with 3 charge
controllers.  The system has been on line for about 6 years.  It got
upgraded about 7 months ago with 2 Mate3s.

About a week ago the system shutdown, leaving the customer without power.
A maintenance worker started a generator and power was restored.  I did not
hear about the situation for several days.

A maintenance supervisor was dispatched yesterday to work with me over the
telephone to see if we could restart the system.  The system would only run
if the inverter output breakers were all off.

I examined the system via Optics.  I was very surprised to see that the
system programming was absolutely scrambled.  This was so much so that even
the stacking settings were wrong.  For example, inverter 2 was set as a
Master, which we all know will crash any system.  Other settings were also
found with very random values.

This system was running prior to last Friday, so the stacking at least must
have been right prior to the outage.  I am completely mystified as to how
this could have happened.

I am in conversation with Outback who is taking this seriously.  I have not
heard back from them yet but I am curious if anyone else has experienced
this or anything similar.  I'd like to broaden my knowledge on this
situation to enhance my understanding and to share any findings with the
group.

Thank you in advance for any input.

William Miller

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