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Firmware Upgrade - Tips and Tricks


djacobs

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11 minutes ago, djacobs said:

Any advise before I do the firmware upgrade to 73.00.

I hope you mean 73.00e (patched firmware); if you flash factory 73.00 into hardware that didn't come with it, you'll end up with an error 90 problem in 60 days.

I would just check that you can reliably send and receive commands over the USB to serial adapter and cable. If you're already using ICC or similar, well and good. If not, read over the relevant posts at the PIP-4048MS and PIP-5048MS inverters topic (use the index in the first post).

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19 minutes ago, djacobs said:

What do you mean by "Already using ICC or Similar"

ICC is monitoring software that uses the serial cable (though it can also use USB; firmware updates are basically serial only) to talk to the inverter-charger. So using ICC successfully would give you confidence that your serial cable is working. Though now that I think about it, ICC runs on a Raspberry Pi these days, so it may not be the exact same cable that you use for Windows.

Perhaps WatchPower then; it's not great monitoring software, but it proves that the serial cable is working, and if you don't get glitches with it, you can be moderately confident that it will work with the reflash tool.

Edited by Coulomb
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@Coulomb would you kindly see if you can tell from the included photos whether this might be a genuine Axpert or a clone. It belongs to a resident in our village and he asked me to upgrade it to your and @weber 's firmware ver 73.00e. I would not like to responsible for bricking his inverter.

SAM_8901s.thumb.jpg.6ca355bda228af560e504d08e67e659a.jpgSAM_8899s.thumb.jpg.4cbcadf6c8c8f38fd78ff73519e2806d.jpg

 

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3 hours ago, ebrsa said:

would you kindly see if you can tell from the included photos whether this might be a genuine Axpert or a clone.

It looks genuine. The date code (1508, i.e. 2015 August) is I think just before the first clones came out.

It's the same model as my own, and I've been running 73.00e since it came out, except for about 2 weeks when I was testing other firmware, and it's back to 73.00e again now.

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I also own 2 of these inverters (though RCT and Mecer branded) and both of them are running on 73.00e now

Just be aware of the following (from this post):

  • After a reflash has failed, don't panic. When the boot-loader runs, it will not drive the LCD display. Just cycle the battery power to the inverter, and re-run the ReflashTool as normal.
  • If the above doesn't work, turn off battery power to the inverter. Re-run the ReflashTool. After you click OK to the "…are you sure?" dialog box, wait 12 seconds and then turn on the inverter battery power. Check for progress in the ReflashTool.
  • In the hopefully very rare case that none of this works, you'll probably need to buy a replacement processor daughter board from whoever sold you the inverter.

On my Mecer, the first attempt failed and the unit seemed dead afterwards (no beeping when starting, no lights or LCD screen). But following the first advice, I was able to run the flash process again - and this time successfully

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@wolfandy  I am glad to say that in flashing my 2 Axperts (Proline branded) as well of those of others in our village with the @Coulomb and @weber firmware as new versions became available, I have never encountered a problem. Even when I reflashed the MPPT firmware, as was recommended some considerable time ago, everything went smoothly. I just take my time and like carpenters "measure twice, cut once". Thanks for the link anyhow, one can never learn too much.

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