Coulomb

Alas, the boot loaders are not part of the firmware update hex files. Since you have a clone, there is a small chance that they didn't use a Code Security Module (CSM) password. You can try to read the firmware from the good one. The addresses will be $3D8000 to $3F8000 (end address not inclusive). That's 256k bytes, as the C2000 word size is 16 bits (2 bytes). If the firmware is password protected, all these words will display as zeroes. The bootloader is from $3F4000 to the end (flash segment A). If using TI software like Code Composer Studio, be aware that TI has a non-standard hex format. Most software including Voltronic's reflash tools use Intel hex format with extensions for more than 64k bytes. I have liberated passwords from Voltronic firmwares before, but it's a complex process and it can't be used in your case. They seem to use different passwords for different models. So sorry, I think you'll have to buy another control board. BTW, are these Duplex models with dual AC input ports? If not, you probably need 57.xx firmware, and other possibilities exist. [ Edit: It can't be 57.xx; this is a non-Twin version, and 38.xx display firmware is for Twins. ] Edit: I would not have thought that these would have been repairable. Well done on getting them this far.

Hopefully it won't add too much resistance.

Answered on the AEVA forum here.

As they used to in the bad old days of DC motors. Trams (now called light rail) had arrays of resistors under the floor, and a controller that switched through increasingly low resistance until the tram was running on the full 600 VDC (415 VAC three phase, rectified by mercury rectifiers). There was a considerable jolt as each new resistor was switched in. The tram motors were series wound, which I think were better at starting than the more usual shunt field motors. I guess that AC motors would be startable in much the same way.

It's tolerable if you have a vacuum soldering station. An inexpensive one will do. If not, its certainly not worth doing. The hassle is all the tiny gate drive components that typically get destroyed when the MOSFEs go.

That probably won't help. There is also the issue of "starting" the capacitor (assuming it goes across the battery). The inrush of a capacitor across a battery could be worse than the in-rush current of the motor! There are ways of "precharging" the capacitor to avoid this. The problem is the large current that results when the applied voltage is full value, but the back-emf from the spinning motor is initially zero and for a few AC cycles well less than the applied voltage. The current is then limited essentially only by the resistance of the windings and cables. If the capacitor had enough energy to hold up the battery bus while starting, there is still the issue of whether the inverter's IGBTs can handle the overload current, and if the inverter's firmware will allow this overload for long enough to get the motor started.

The calibration commands are all the same for all Axperts, apart from the smallest ones.

That's display firmware version 22.20. It's the same display firmware as used in Axpert Max II models. It's available from this very forum: Just ignore the main/DSP firmware version 56.06, which is for a Max II 10kW model.

Good to hear that. Although x02.73 is over 2.5 years old at this point. The latest I know of is 02.89. But no need to update if this works for you. No, for the simple reason that there are no newer firmwares available. The latest I have is 20.59 from 2018. Danger is a relative thing. Voltronic keep using very inexpensive opto couplers; they are so bad that they normally run them at only 2400 bps! For firmware updating, they are run at 4x that speed, which sometimes reveals a slow one, and it can get hairy restoring operation after a failed reflash.

Did you use a PSAVE command to save the calibration value? Otherwise, the value is soon lost. You could use monitoring software to make any battery related settings change, then put it back again. Each of these commands saves all the settings and calibration data each time, as far as I know.

Ah. That's a lack of load compensation for the battery voltage measurement. Sadly, unpatched firmware has no code for this, and patched firmware for this issue is not available for any modern model.

Welcome to the forum. You've posted in the wrong thread; this one is about VM IVs. So don't be surprised if a moderator moves it and this reply. Alas, there are no Axpert Max II 11 kW non-Twin firmware updates available, as far as I know. Some recent firmwares do a better job on the MPPT algorithm, others still need patching. I can't patch without a firmware update to base the patch on. Sorry!

It's not possible unless you have a 128-bit password. What firmware do you need? I have a fair collection.

I've been investigating this issue. It seems that there are several versions of "data layout" for the various firmwares. I've been concentrating on Max firmwares for now, as these seem to have more issues with EEPROM layout (e.g. losing serial number, bad battery voltage calibration, etc). It looks like the thing that varies the most, yet is fairly easy to find in a new firmware, is the size of the configuration partition. Here are some numbers, in firmware version, partition size pairs: 90.06, 148 72.72, 152 72.74, 148 73.76, 148 Extended partitions 73.78, 148 11.05, 154 11.06, 154 As you can see, 72.72 and 72.74 have different sizes! It looks like the odd one out is 72.74. I somehow got the impression that 73.76 was different to other 73.xx, but the partition sizes and starting addresses are the same. 73.76 does have extra checking, as well as several new areas not used by other firmwares. Maybe it means that updating from 73.76 to 73.78 is OK, but not the other way (as the extended data will not be present). So at this stage, don't attempt to update from 72.72 to other 72.xx, or other 72.xx to 72.72. I guess the next step is to figure out what 73.76 is doing with the extra partitions.

Yes, I seem to recall that being necessary. I'm not at my computer; from memory 02.87 or 02.90 is the latest.

Yes indeed; thanks very much. I have an infection that has wiped me out for a week. Hopefully I can investigate more soon.

BX320 will likely be the main part of the part number. It will be a date and place of manufacture code. Likely made in 2022. Ignore this number. Probably. Check the physical package size fron the datasheet and compare with the old part. R1 might indicate its lead-free or other status. I'm away from my main computer at present.

With everything off and isolated, if possible, check for low resistance across the inverter battery terninals. Also check for burning smell in the inverter. Note that a faint smell of burning is usually normal. My strong guess: your inverter has failed with shorted MOSFETs. If so, most repairers will declare the whole main board to be faulty. That's some 75% of the cost of the whole inverter, unfortunately. I hope my guess is wrong.

This is patched firmware version x73.76, based on factory firmware version 73.76 for the Axpert Max W 11kW '28066 non-Twin. Do not use with any other version. The hex file is dated 22/08/2022. Special note: This firmware accesses the EEPROM contents in a way that is not compatible with other 73.xx firmwares. This means that serial numbers and calibrations will be wrong, and you may end up with fault code 90 later on. For now at least, do not use this firmware unless it is currently successfully running with factory firmware version 73.76. Similarly, if you are currently running 73.76, do not be tempted to update to a later firmware version! You have been warned! This firmware does not process the QDOP command, so even with suitably recent display firmware, it will not support SoC% for settings 12,13, and 29 when connected to a suitable battery's BMS. Version 273.76: Minimum MPPT voltage is 200V. Version 173.76: Minimum MPPT voltage is 150V. Version 973.76: Minimum MPPT voltage is 90V, i.e. unchanged. However, it has all the other patches (especially the current threshold of 0.1A, down from 0.5A) that all three patched versions have. These patches are from Georg 594's original patches to factory firmware version 90.06 for an Axpert Max 8kW non-Twin model, applied to 11kW factory firmware version 73.76. dsp_original is factory firmware version 73.76 unchanged. Firmware upload instructions for models with a removable display. dsp_x73.76_patched.zip [ Edit: 8kW -> 11kW; sorry for the blunder! ] [ Edit: Added what the various patched versions contain. ]

It's all or nothing. With battery type USEr, the inverter doesn't talk to the BMS, not even in "read only" or "peek mode". So the inverter assumes that the battery is lead acid (bzzzt!) and guesses the SoC based on battery voltage. That's rough and ready even if it was lead acid, but since it's actually LFP, it's almost completely useless at estimating the SoC.

Yes, but the BMS and inverter can no longer work together cooperatively. Suppose one cell voltage goes too high while charging. With battery type PYL, the BMS can send a message saying "discharge OK, charge not OK". If the inverter is agile enough, it can stop charging for a while, the cell voltage relaxes, the message changes to "charge OK", and things proceed smoothly. With battery type USEr, the inverter only has the total battery voltage to go on, and it looks fine, so it continues to charge. The BMS is now forced to disconnect completely from the inverter, with unknown effects on inverter operation. Actually, I've only recently learned that it's possible for the BMS to prevent charging while still allowing discharging. I guess to the inverter it appears that suddenly the battery is full, as the battery voltage rises very fast. If a sudden load appears, then the battery voltage will drop quickly, and the battery can support that sudden load. So maybe they cooperate fairly well after all. For those curious, the technical details are explained here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/bms-mosfets-explained.29318/ Note that in practice, the two MOSFETs are actually a pair of sets of MOSFETs in parallel, each pair connected in series. I learned something today 🤓. So as for whether Axperts are better off with PYL or USEr battery type, I'll have to ponder more. Bear in mind that I don't own one of these and the home grown BMS I use doesn't have these MOSFETs.

For the older models, yes. But the later models with SUB output source priority, if using that priority, will attempt to blend AC-in with battery and solar power, and to do that, the input has to be connected to the output. Obviously, the output voltage will then be the same as the grid voltage. Maybe you can get your monitoring software to select SBU priority more often. But if you neeed to Utility charge the battery, the DC->AC converter has to be run in reverse, meaning that again AC-in has to be connected to AC-out. If you consistently have this problem, and if changing the AC input range setting doesn't help, you might have to consider a model with double conversion, such as an Axpert King or Axpert King II. Or a powerful battery charger that you can connect directly to your inverter's battery, leaving AC-in unconnected.

They'd have to be very weak, but yes I suppose it's possible. It's probably worth having a stock of power supply electrolytics; they fail often and can cause all sorts of problems. This post has a list of part numbers.

Does your monitoring software indicate that the update happened, i.e. that you now have the above two firmware versions? If so, I can't see why it would not work. It's possible that you need an even later version of the display firmware. Recently, 12.15 and 12.17 (for removable displays) came out, and seem to be later than 12.28. This reversion of numbering possibly indicates a change in protocol. Sorry, I don't have the equivalent 22.xx as yet.

No, 64.xx is for the Axpert Max E 11kW '2809 Twin . You have an Axpert Max E 11kW '28066 Duplex. All these "dimensions" are important: Axpert versus Infini (Infinis are grid tie) Max versus VM IV versus Ultra versus... E versus II 11kW versus 8kW versus ... '2809 versus '28066 For Max models, Twin versus non-Twin versus Duplex. Each difference requires a different firmware. All you can run at present is 11.05, which you already have, or patched firmware versions x11.05 that are based on factory firmware version 11.05.