October 4, 20169 yr Hi Peter I have a single inverter. The firmware needs no software (other than the firmware itself of course). Download from AEVA. Chris
October 4, 20169 yr [ Edit: oops, didn't notice Chris' reply over the page. ] Every software thing needed for updating firmware is included in the update archive (.rar or .zip file). You don't need any other tool or software, other than the Windows operating system. Well, plus something for reading the .doc file, but most Windows installations would have that.
October 7, 20169 yr Hi Guys I can also now confirm that the 72 40 firmware does indeed take any AVR genny more readily. I have two axperts (not in parralel) and the one with older firmware doens't want anything to do with anything but a proper inverter-generator.
October 13, 20169 yr Author On 3/5/2016 at 9:06 AM, Chris Hobson said: HI Peter As explained some small petrol generators have difficulty achieving a clean wave. I know that certain firmware, 52.30 I think, just would not accept generator power. You must make sure Program 3 is set to Appliance and check that you have the latest firmware I think that is 72.40. Firmware update available http://forums.aeva.asn.au/forums/pip4048ms-inverter_topic4332_page1.html (Australian Electric Vehicle Assos.) I powered my 4kW Axpert/PIP with a large diesel generator and even it needs the Axpert to be in Appliance mode. I lent a very cheap Chinese generator to a neighbour who has one of the smaller Axpert's and it powered it successfully. Hope you solve your issues Chris Up to now i dont have a solution. My installer / supporter recommended to install a separate charger to connect between the generator and the batteries. I still cannot belief that this is really necessary. I bought a old HP Powerbook with a real RS232 interface, so i'm now able to upgrade the microde. Note: I realized that the program to update the microcode is part af the update (rar file)!! I was searching for it for a long time!!! Fool me..
October 14, 20169 yr Author In the meantime i wrote to MPPSolar Inc to find out if they know the problem (charging grom generator in parallel mode). The reply came quickly: My inverter is a illegal copy from China! I now feel uncertain about updating the micro code: Does it fit to the Voltronic/Axpert? The upgrade file (PIP-MS_5K72.40) was made for MPPSolar or Axpert? If i break the inverter i'm in REAL troubles! What Brand of the Inverter are you using? What manufacturer is it? Here is the label of my inverter (parallel slave): No manufacturer name! Strange!!
October 14, 20169 yr Mine is a Mecer. Excuse the blurry pic but the label faces the corner of the room and the battery bank stands in the same corner so the photo is taken "blind". From the labels I would guess it is made in the same facility. I was told that a Mercer was a rebranded Axpert. When I queried MPP Solar I got the exact same response. Perhaps they feel that Mercer should be answering all the queries. From what I understand it is quite difficult to brick an Axpert. The one proviso is to use a serial cable rather than USB and that you use COM 1. I only have a USB cable so I have taken the "if it ain't broke don't fix" philosophy.
October 14, 20169 yr 1 hour ago, Chris Hobson said: From what I understand it is quite difficult to brick an Axpert Usually the software is designed as a two-part implementation, with a bootloader at a lower address and the actual firmware at the higher address. The firmware flashing code lives in the bootloader. The bootloader code runs first. It will usually pause for a few seconds to check if there is incoming communications from the serial port (aka firmware to be flashed). If there isn't, it starts the main firmware BUT... (and this is the trick, a trick used by almost all embedded manufacturers), it will do some kind of checksum first to ensure the firmware is healthy. If it isn't, it will simply remain in the bootloader allowing new software to be flashed. The Victron inverters work exactly the same, by the way. Very hard to brick.
October 15, 20169 yr 16 hours ago, PeterGutti said: In the meantime i wrote to MPPSolar Inc to find out if they know the problem (charging grom generator in parallel mode). The reply came quickly: My inverter is a illegal copy from China! Peter, I have an MPP Solar branded PIP-4048, and it has much the same label, except the model number on the label is "PIP 4048MS". As others have mentioned, it's probably one distributor saying to go to the other distributor that made and sold it to you. All the real Voltronic models are designed in Taiwan and manufactured in China. Quote I now feel uncertain about updating the micro code: Does it fit to the Voltronic/Axpert? The upgrade file (PIP-MS_5K72.40) was made for MPPSolar or Axpert? If i break the inverter i'm in REAL troubles! If the version number of the firmware (U1 setting) is 72 40, then I'd be very confident that it was the same thing. Developing the firmware is a large part of the cost of clones, so they usually copy it verbatim. That's why the later Voltronic firmwares have a command that spits out their name. Maybe I should not be saying that, maybe it's supposed to catch out the copiers. But they would have to be pretty slack not to have figured that out, and it's easy enough to patch. Quote What Brand of the Inverter are you using? What manufacturer is it? Quote No manufacturer name! Strange!! Most in Australia use MPP Solar or Giant Power brands. In South Aftica, the Axpert and Meccer brands seem popular, but I think that there are others. As far as I know, these are all made in the Voltronic factory in China, or made for them by someone else, and are all identical apart from cosmetic things like logos and colours, perhaps slightly different metalwork. Likely the electronics is 100% the same, or at least functionally identical. As noted elsewhere, the lack of manufacturer name on the label is curious, but all the labels seem to be like that, so it's not a red flag by itself. The only illegal clones (as opposed to officially sanctioned branded models) I know of are branded MUST, and all of these seem to have a stripe at the bottom of the front panel. But of course, these things can and will change quickly as the copiers attempt to dodge law suits and recognition by potential customers. http://www.mppsolar.com/v3/company-announcement-must-power-must-ups/ To be completely 100% sure that you can update your firmware, you could copy your existing software so that you can update it back again if necessary. Or merely compare the binary or hex files with the official firmware file. It's not very hard to do this, but you need some uncommon equipment, and it helps to be familiar with the TI C2800 chip family. I have all that, but I'm unable to make house calls to South Africa. If you're really paranoid, you could take out your processor card and post it to me for firmware checking. But that would leave you out of commission for a week or so, depending on shipping speed. I suppose since you have master and slave, you could send the processor from the slave and limp along on one inverter while it's away. Send me a PM if you are serious about this.
October 15, 20169 yr Author Hi Coulomb. Thank you for responding. Your comment calmed me down. I will update it on monday (as the installer comes to install a charger box, would cost me extra 600€!). I hope this solves the problem and i can go back to normal operation. Can one run the update during normal operation? If not, what should be disconnected or set off? The document explaining the process says one has to connect the DC power or battery. This is connected always. It does not say disconnect out output power.
October 16, 20169 yr On 10/15/2016 at 9:28 AM, PeterGutti said: comes to install a charger box, What charger are you fitting? On 10/15/2016 at 9:28 AM, PeterGutti said: what should be disconnected or set off? While the firmware is updating, it is obviously not running or doing anything, so no output is generated, and it is not communicating with anythin (other than the flashing software), so there is certainly no danger there... BUT but I would think you need to disconnect the AC side so you don't have parallel inverters blowing power into each other right afterwards. At least with the inverters I'm familiar with, they "reboot" right after flashing, and they come up with blank/default programming. So anything that you don't want connected to that (until you're done reconfiguring everything)... disconnect it :-) I'd say you're generally safer just disconnecting everything except the batteries.
October 16, 20178 yr Author Hi all! did i report to this forum that everything is working now? After upgrading the firmware of the two Axperts 5KV the generator (red) connects to both Axperts and charges the batteries and at the same time feeds the loads (bypassing).
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