[RE-wrenches] Outback Programming Ghost

Fri Nov 11 16:57:50 PST 2016

Hi William, I have had a similar experience here in New Zealand on a FP2 fitted with VFXR3024E inverters.  Factory wired with a Mate3.  Ran ok for around 2 months then random errors with “FX Firmware incompatible” then “FX Firmware OK” until eventually the slave inverter shut down with a message on the mate of FXRBL which means Boot Load, going back to very basic bootup mode.  It could only be corrected by doing a firmware upgrade which would not work via the Mate and Hub, had to plug Mate directly into inverter.  Reloaded system config from SD card file and all ok.

Now, after around 2 weeks, Mate display went blank except for border graphics.  Supplier, suspecting a possibly faulty mate has sent a replacement and, when trying to load system configuration the file which I resaved on leaving last time has been scrambled.

Still waiting for a resolution but I suspect it is something to do with the VFXR’s or possibly the Mate.  Software bug or something.  Solution might be to replace VFXR’s with VFX’s but we will have to see what Outback come back with.  Meantime I have a very irate customer with ½ of the system operating (Master inverter only).  System is nearly 3 hours travel one way so popping over to reset it when it is likely to randomly shut down again is not an option!  Still waiting to hear from Outback if they will cover this with warranty.

Bruce Geddes

Freedom Energy Ltd

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of William Miller
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2016 5:26 p.m.
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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