1 hour ago, Coulomb said:

you connected the BMS to the computer (RS-232) port instead of the BMS (RS-485/CAN) port

Not at all, not even vice versa, because the RS232 port on the BMS is not yet implemented in firmware, and it even has a different plug type.

1 hour ago, Coulomb said:

Or the two serial paths merged due to some hardware fault in the display.

Most probably, but not due to a hardware fault, it must be a firmware bug with the exact firmware version we all had J-Tagged on the BMS before shipping from the source. I, with a few other experts, have been intensively and extensively discussing related software and hardware aspects of the issue over the course of the last two weeks (started about a month ago) to find a solution, since the manufacturer is unable to understand what the bug is, or they don't want to! Despite many of us contacting and trying to contact them and give them all the needed details of the bug. Anyway, we're far into details now hoping that we will reach a resolution of all of this, or at least give the manufacturer a ready to solve bug!!!!

1 hour ago, Coulomb said:

There are supposed to be CRC checks on commands, but I suspect that sometimes they're not checked, or not checked properly. Interpreting BMS packets as commands, and ignoring CRCs, would explain the behaviour that you saw.

I totally agree! It wouldn't have happened if any check or protection is in place.

10 hours ago, Tarek Yag said:

Not at all, not even vice versa, because the RS232 port on the BMS is not yet implemented in firmware, and it even has a different plug type.

I meant at the inverter end, where both ports use RJ-45 sockets. At least on the models I'm used to. 

4 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

I meant at the inverter end, where both ports use RJ-45 sockets. At least on the models I'm used to. 

I totally got you since the beginning, I just negated any port mixing of any type for you. Yep, mine have two RJ45 sockets, one for COM and one for BMS.

Edited August 2, 20241 yr by Tarek Yag

I discover that this MPTT doing better in low light condition with  panels in  parallel. 

Here diference in the morning between 1S8 and 2s4.

 

On 2024/07/27 at 8:26 AM, Coulomb said:

But there could well be other differences; 56.xx is nominally a VM III firmware according to the reflash file names, while 84.00 doesn't seem to say.

On 2024/07/30 at 5:35 PM, Coulomb said:

Anyone care to make a different guess?

Yesterday, I flashed DSP firmware 84.00 to find out that it doesn't have the quiet fans control logic that is present in versions 60.95 and 70.00 as I tested them for a few days. Anyway, I proceeded to check out settings 42, and 43, as I didn't find any other settings in the 40s range before reflashing back. In DSP 84.00 they were displayed completely blank, only the setting number was shown. Now that I have settled down for version 60.95 for my inverter, as you are in the process of patching it, these two settings showed what seems like random numbers with no options inside, photos attached for reference.

On 2024/07/25 at 2:47 PM, Nabeel Raza said:

IT is version 84.00 and secondary cpu version is 39.26

Please note that I tested this version yesterday and it doesn't have the quiet fans control logic found in other recent firmware versions, I would suggest for you trying version 60.95, as @Coulomb is working on patching it for the well known bugs. I have updated my post where I uploaded the hex file only of version 84.00 to note that quiet fans control logic is not available.

On 2024/07/27 at 7:08 PM, Nabeel Raza said:

Can tou please guide that in version 39.26 setting No 41 and 42 have appeared in inverter setting but it is not menruonal in the inverter manual what are setting No 41 and 42?

Would you please reassure us what are the setting numbers you're asking about? I don't have setting number 41, does your display show the same as my display for settings 42 and 43? See attachments

11 hours ago, bratpit said:

I discover that this MPTT doing better in low light condition with  panels in  parallel.

Is this a comparison between panel setups only, or between firmware versions?

8 hours ago, Tarek Yag said:

Is this a comparison between panel setups only, or between firmware versions?

Panels only. FW 60.95.

On 2024/08/04 at 11:12 AM, bratpit said:

I discover that this MPTT doing better in low light condition with  panels in  parallel. 

I see, that my inverters MPPT starts if PV-input current reaches 0,2A . (FW 60.95)

With panels in parallel, this current is reached earlyer.

At the beginning of this year, i testet a lot of connections  between my panels and my inverter.

I found also out, that 2s 3p was a good solution, but it was a lot of cables in my garden and the current was very high, about 25-30A at around 100V.

After this tests i experimented with TIGO "TS4-A-O" Modul-optimizer (Link ), and they worked nearly perfect in my system. This optimizers reduces the output voltages from the modules and keep the current constant in the system, so thad shadowed modules produces less power which added  to the string-power, instead of reducing the overall performance through the little current they produce.

So, the max current is 9A, and the maximum voltage 350V.

Then was only the problem with "Stuck at 60V" with the older firmware, but this has @Coulomb  solved.

After i installed the 60.95 firmware, the noise of the fans decreased and the MPPT works fine, without any patches.

Thankfully i used pylontech batteries, so that the discussed battery-problems are not mine.

The picture shows a average day.

 

4 hours ago, pintopf said:

After i installed the 60.95 firmware, the noise of the fans decreased and the MPPT works fine, without any patches.

I'm wondering if I need to patch 60.95 at all for the MPPT. One of the patch variants I have prepared has no MPPT patches, just the premature float bug. Maybe that's the only variant that we need.

[ Edit: There is a problem with this patched firmware; DO NOT USE!

See here for the corrected version, now called x60.96, but still based on factory firmware version 60.95.
It may be that unpatched factory firmware version 60.95 has fixed the PV voltage stuck bug, and no patched firmware is needed at all, possibly other than 860.95 that fixes only the premature float bug. ]

 

On 2024/07/31 at 4:37 PM, Coulomb said:

I'm nearly finished patching 60.95, but I think I'll hold off and see if I can't find and fix some of these gross charging bugs first.

Well, that was a bit ambitious; sorry for the delayed release. Since I'm not really closer to solving any of the charging bugs, here is the patched 60.95, just like 60.06, but with one other patched file that just has the premature float bug fixed (see below).

These are patched firmwares version 860.95, 260.95, 560.95, 160.95, and 960.95, all based on factory firmware version 60.95 for the Axpert VM III Twin 6kW and 4kW, and the Axpert VM IV Twin 6kW and 4kW. These patches implement most of Georg's MPPT "stuck at 90V" patches (here it would be "stuck at 60 V"), and fix the premature float bug. The only parts not applied are for the forward current constant, which doesn't seem to be changed based on solar voltage in any VM firmwares. The version number should display in full when using monitoring software, but will still show as 60.95 on the front panel display. Do not use with any other models, not even older VM III and VM IV models with power ratings like 5 kW or 3 kW, or non-twin models. Use at your own risk.

In the reflash tool, you may have to navigate to the folder with the patched files the first time it is run. Choose the hex file with the minimum MPPT voltage that you want:

860.95: float bug only

260.95: 200V min MPPT

560.95: 150V min MPPT

160.95: 100V min MPPT

960.95: 90V min MPPT

Use the 200 V variant if your PV panels are nearly always well above 200 V. Otherwise, use the 150 V version if your panels are almost always above 150 V. Use the 100 V version if your panels are particularly low in voltage. Try the 90 V version only if you have just 3 panels, the very bare minimum.

You can also of course choose the original factory firmware.

Firmware upload instructions.

 

Edited September 27, 20241 yr by Coulomb
Found a bug in the premature float bug fix.

Hi thanks for your work.

After aplied the patch  160 :

1.Not solved charging  in float state always.Diode solid on.Not goes to bulk level never.

2.So not benefit from premature float bug.

3.There is a little benefit from higher voltage but very minimalistic.  Not seen almost.

4.I think patch introduces some strange delay in working MPTT.After load increase mptt goes to 0 for couple of minutes , inverter discharge battery  and after that mptt start working. There's no that situation in unpatched fw always use first sun power not battery.

  .Here is a picture:

In number 4 load increase but MPTT not go to 0 but delay causing not increase sun power to 3kw.Sky was clear. No clouds.

Edited August 7, 20241 yr by bratpit

Is here anybody with an "stuck at 60V" problem with 60.95 software?

Since i installed this firmware, mine MPPT works fine.

I attached a plot from today until now, a cloudless day:  ( red: solar voltage ; blue solar current)

 

Edited August 7, 20241 yr by pintopf

On 2024/08/05 at 1:40 AM, Tarek Yag said:

Yesterday, I flashed DSP firmware 84.00 to find out that it doesn't have the quiet fans control logic that is present in versions 60.95 and 70.00 as I tested them for a few days. Anyway, I proceeded to check out settings 42, and 43, as I didn't find any other settings in the 40s range before reflashing back. In DSP 84.00 they were displayed completely blank, only the setting number was shown. Now that I have settled down for version 60.95 for my inverter, as you are in the process of patching it, these two settings showed what seems like random numbers with no options inside, photos attached for reference.

Please note that I tested this version yesterday and it doesn't have the quiet fans control logic found in other recent firmware versions, I would suggest for you trying version 60.95, as @Coulomb is working on patching it for the well known bugs. I have updated my post where I uploaded the hex file only of version 84.00 to note that quiet fans control logic is not available.

Would you please reassure us what are the setting numbers you're asking about? I don't have setting number 41, does your display show the same as my display for settings 42 and 43? See attachments

Yes it is same as your attached pics. What are setting 42 and 43 for? 

11 hours ago, bratpit said:

4. I think patch introduces some strange delay in working MPTT. After load increase mptt goes to 0 for couple of minutes , inverter discharge battery  and after that mptt start working. There's no that situation in unpatched fw always use first sun power not battery.

That sounds like the inverter was at float stage by then. It's an irritating behaviour of Voltronic firmware that when it decides to go from float stage back to bulk stage, it first goes to zero charging for some 45 seconds, then ramps up the charge over another 45 seconds or so. At least, that's how mine works, yours seems to ramp up fast. This delay may make some sense when first starting at dawn, but makes no sense at all once running. 

You say that the unpatched firmware doesn't do this; is it possible that you are basing this on cases where the battery was not yet at float stage? 

Hopefully you can fairly easily check some logs and confirm or deny this theory. 

5 hours ago, Coulomb said:

That sounds like the inverter was at float stage by then. It's an irritating behaviour of Voltronic firmware that when it decides to go from float stage back to bulk stage, it first goes to zero charging for some 45 seconds, then ramps up the charge over another 45 seconds or so. At least, that's how mine works, yours seems to ramp up fast. This delay may make some sense when first starting at dawn, but makes no sense at all once running. 

You say that the unpatched firmware doesn't do this; is it possible that you are basing this on cases where the battery was not yet at float stage? 

Hopefully you can fairly easily check some logs and confirm or deny this theory. 

But there was places where mptt goes to 0 W for 15 minutes?

I do not get it.

Another comparizon:

Patched:

unpatched:

1. I change max current (12) from 30A to 10A . In patched mptt stops working for 5 minutes. In unpatched there was no that situation.

2.Increase load. Patched:There was 40 sec stops working mptt . In unpatched minor delay we see only short pike in battery in first second.That repeats dozen times from seconds to about 15 minutes  randomly when load goes up. I think it is not normal because there was places in patched firmware when it works OK.We see it on sent picture too between 11.00 - 11.05 but not about 11.25 .

 

Both of these cases have one element in common: change  current once by load other by change parameter 12 in inverter 

 

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by bratpit

6 hours ago, bratpit said:

But there was places where mptt goes to 0 W for 15 minutes?

OK, that's weird. You seem to have compared like for like pretty well. I'll check my work; somehow I doubt that I screwed up. My guess is that the original patches for Axpert Maxs just don't translate to VM firmware, for complex reasons.

For now, I've marked the patched firmware as experimental.

Thanks for the reports.

I'm so sorry guys that I won't be able to participate in testing the ongoing patch, as I'm short on time, and must do some mandatory hardware repairs especially for PV input to give any reliable data at all.

  

On 2024/08/07 at 7:30 PM, Nabeel Raza said:

Yes it is same as your attached pics. What are setting 42 and 43 for?

I'm sorry as I have no more information on these settings as they're totally new to me and to VM models. @Coulomb (after he finishes the ongoing firmware patch) or other participants might be able to tell what are these settings for.

Hello guys,

I just tried to update firmware of my Axpert VM III Twin 6KV inverter, but even before executing the "Update Firmware" button, inverter fluctuated and breaker of my main power was down.. when restarted Inverter it is now showing F09 error which is normally indication of internal components faults (FETs & IGBTs damage fault).

Any idea what went wrong ? This is my brand new Inverter and not yet installed.

I am explaining here steps which I followed.

1. Connected wires into 'AC Input' (L & N) of the Inverter and supplied utility power 220V. (Did not push the power button of the Inverter).

2. No Load or battery was connected with Inverter.

3. Connected Inverter with Laptop via RS232 cable. ( I purchased RS232 to USB converter as shown in attached pictures, I also highlighted port in snapshot which I used to connect inverter with laptop)

4. Inverter was connected with COM4 (I seen through Device Manager of Laptop)

5. Executed "UPSReflashTool.exe" which I downloaded from this thread.

6. Selected "COM4" from top left drop menu of the UPSReflashTool utility.

7. Browse "File" button and selected "VM III TWIN dsp 68.04.hex" file (downloaded from this thread).

8. On selecting the file, inverter made some relays noise and suddenly my main utility Breaker was down.

9. When switching main utility Breaker ON then Inverter started but showing F09 error.

5 hours ago, ImranKhanKhi said:

Hello guys,

I just tried to update firmware of my Axpert VM III Twin 6KV inverter, but even before executing the "Update Firmware" button, inverter fluctuated and breaker of my main power was down.. when restarted Inverter it is now showing F09 error which is normally indication of internal components faults (FETs & IGBTs damage fault).

Any idea what went wrong ? This is my brand new Inverter and not yet installed.

I am explaining here steps which I followed.

1. Connected wires into 'AC Input' (L & N) of the Inverter and supplied utility power 220V. (Did not push the power button of the Inverter).

2. No Load or battery was connected with Inverter.

3. Connected Inverter with Laptop via RS232 cable. ( I purchased RS232 to USB converter as shown in attached pictures, I also highlighted port in snapshot which I used to connect inverter with laptop)

4. Inverter was connected with COM4 (I seen through Device Manager of Laptop)

5. Executed "UPSReflashTool.exe" which I downloaded from this thread.

6. Selected "COM4" from top left drop menu of the UPSReflashTool utility.

7. Browse "File" button and selected "VM III TWIN dsp 68.04.hex" file (downloaded from this thread).

8. On selecting the file, inverter made some relays noise and suddenly my main utility Breaker was down.

9. When switching main utility Breaker ON then Inverter started but showing F09 error.

Dear are you from Pakistan? Because there are no v3 model in Pakistan thay are re branded v4 twin models. Are tou sure you are using correct firmware? 

@ImranKhanKhi, there's one major step you did completely wrong! You need to keep battery power connected to your inverter, not AC, and disconnect all else, as the reflash process runs on battery exclusively. Please repeat the same reflash process you described and I think everything will go as expected, you described all correct steps.

2 hours ago, Nabeel Raza said:

Because there are no v3 model in Pakistan thay are re branded v4 twin models. Are tou sure you are using correct firmware?

VM III Twin and VM IV Twin take the same firmware files, so far. Anyway, @ImranKhanKhi need to make sure that he has an original Voltronic inverter, a successful reflash now would indicate so.

Edited August 11, 20241 yr by Tarek Yag

Since you didn't even click on the Update Firmware button, I don't think that the firmware had anything to do with it. I'm guessing that your inverter suffered from "infant mortality". It's rare, but it happens. Just get it replaced or repaired under warranty. 

I would only ever use battery power for the reflash, as Tarek says. It may not matter, indeed I can't think how it would matter, unless the DSP can disable the AC power supply somehow. 

You may be able to reflash even with fault code 09 showing, but it will likely still be there after the update. 

14 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

Since you didn't even click on the Update Firmware button, I don't think that the firmware had anything to do with it.

I noticed this detail in his description, but I preferred proceeding with my previous reply hoping that it's just a miscommunication or mistiming of observed events, still F09 is worrying to me!

17 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

It may not matter, indeed I can't think how it would matter, unless the DSP can disable the AC power supply somehow.

Indeed, it does so, my VM IV Twin always disconnects all other power inputs and outputs, PV, AC IN, and AC OUT. Although, I have no idea about other models.

Thanks a lot @Coulomb & @Tarek Yag for the reply and guidance, yes it could be by chance or timing when Inverter soft bus was starting and it was damaged. Any way I will take inverter to the repair center.

Current version of Inverter are 

U1 = 56.02

U2 = 25.05

Secondly, I am not sure either this is original Voltronic VM III TWIN or not but the board and display are the same as Voltronic. Please guide how to see if this is original Voltronic or not.

@Nabeel Raza Yes I am from Pakistan, please guide how to check its make or model.

Edited August 11, 20241 yr by ImranKhanKhi

I'm so sorry to inform you that based on the photo of your inverter's sticker, this is an obvious clone as it has multiple missing signs! The error you've got is most probably due to hardware damage not related to the firmware update at all, just as Coulomb described earlier.

The model name says IV (4) not III (3) just so that you know the difference, because they're two separate models. The best thing to do now is to take it to the repair center, or much better to return the unit or change the model entirely.

You can refer to the following thread by @Coulomb for signs of clone inverters:
https://forums.aeva.asn.au/viewtopic.php?p=71752#p71752

Thanks @Tarek Yag

I will take inverter to the repair center as I dont have option to change the entire model.

Is there any firmware & Reflash utility available for clone versions?