[RE-wrenches] XW Pro Firmware 2.04 melting devices

Thu Apr 25 11:40:46 PDT 2024

Yes, PLEASE! Provide us with off-grid firmware for XW Pros!

The reason I was updating firmware was to enable AC1 gen charging, for clients with dual generators. The Insight FW 1.18 clearly said it supported that feature, but that’s not true.

Schneider now tells that XW FW 2.07 will enable AC1 gen charging. So I thought let’s get prepared for that FW whenever it comes out.

But I am starting to seriously consider if it’s time to abandon Schneider and look to Sol Ark or such.

Kevin

From: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> On Behalf Of Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar via RE-wrenches
Sent: April-25-24 11:26 AM
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Cc: Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <offgridsolar at sti.net>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] XW Pro Firmware 2.04 melting devices

Good advice Michael!  I had one that the grid code got set by FW and reverting did not help. Had to start fresh.

I certainly would try the revert as it is so much easier.   There just is too much grid firmware being changed and it does

not need to be done offgrid.  I beg people and Schneider, like Eric to just have an offgrid FW as a choice

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar

"we go where powerlines don't"

  <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/> https://offgridsolar1.com/ <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/>

e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net<mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net>

text 209 813 0060

On 2024-04-25 11:18 am, Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches wrote:
Go back to V1.11. I had the same thing happen with an XWPRO and a Central Maine Diesel with a DynaGen controller. Frequency and Peak to Peak was less than perfect and the inverter, IF it would qualify the power, sounded like a garbage disposal. Eric B at Schneider suggested reverting back to the old firmware and that did the trick. Like yours, my client is pissed and wants me to replace the inverter because he thinks it was compromised. He might be right. A colleague of mine ran into the same issue which was fixed with old firmware.

BTW, no one in tech support, after many calls ever suggested using the old firmware.
On Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 10:51 AM Ray Walters via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org<mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>> wrote:

That sounds like a generator problem.  I've seen many gen sets put out a horrible waveform under load, when battery charging.  The waveform, (if you have an O-scope) usually has a spike on the front of the wave, and then the wave flattens significantly after.  The peak should be 169 v on a 120 vac RMS sinewave.  I've seen it as low as 135v on crappy generators that are over loaded.   THD is a great thing to check, but also check your peak voltage, if you have a quick capture feature on your meter.

It also could be related to altitude, gen sets can perform badly when they can't get enough air.   You didn't mention gen set model, or whether the frequency was a solid 60 hz.  I've seen bad things happen when the frequency got out of spec too.  I'm guessing a bad voltage regulator on the gen set.

Ray Walters
Remote Solar
On 4/25/2024 11:24 AM, Kevin Pegg via RE-wrenches wrote:
Hi Wrenches,

Curious if anyone else has seen this issue.

New XW Pro off-grid system installed Dec 2023. Pretty standard config for us, XW Pro, 5 kW PV, 50 kWh UnigyII battery, 8 kW high quality diesel generator. This system ran fine all winter long – powering customer's big RV they were living in while the house is built, Shop, computer controlled outdoor wood boiler, domestic loads + 3 person construction crew. Gen ran daily on auto start as we don't get much sun Dec – Feb. No issues reported.

Couple weeks back I did a new system check up. All performing well, happy client. Part of that service I upgraded the XW firmware from 1.09 to 2.04, and insight from 1.16 to 1.18. Gave the system a quick check, ran gen. Lots of sun now, batteries full so didn't do a long generator test. Yes I set the region codes for off-grid.

A week later, while I was out of town and it was not so sunny so gen running, client and their electrician called me in a panic. Two smoke detectors had literally melted, as well as several dimmable LED fixtures all failed. Electrician replaced the burned up devices, only to have the same thing repeat a few days later. Talking with them it was only when the generator was running there were issues. Told them to lock out gen and I will get there when I can.

Once back I attended site, fired up gen, and could hear the inverter sounding terrible during gen charging. Lights flickering bad, and I personally verified the smoke detectors beeping and getting warm and the house smelled like burned plastic. I hooked up my power quality analyser and could see the THD gradually building to over 36%. Gen voltage was at 125/250V a bit high, so adjusted that, but no change. By reducing the charge rate on the XW Pro to 50% was able to get the THD down around 12% and less light flicker. But it's still too high. Image attached shows THD with gen on original programing, then at reduced charge rate.

Have now gone from a happy client to a pissed off client threatening legal action for endangering their lives & a bill from the electrician. Ugh. Having a hard time explaining this to the client why a system previously working fine went sideways so badly. Old guy blames the "darned computer stuff" and he's not wrong with that opinion.

At another site, similar config but larger system with dual XW's that I upgraded to 2.04 firmware remotely few days ago and now the two inverters are literally fighting each other under generator charge – one load building to +6 kW and one (minus)6 kW.

Sure makes me reluctant to upgrade firmware on systems that are working fine.

Any suggestions?

Kevin

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Michael Morningstar

Morningstar Electric Inc

PO Box 1494

Mount Shasta, CA 96067

530-921-0560

CSLB 1116835

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