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-boun...@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@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Cc: Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <offgridso...@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  offgridso...@sti.net<mailto:offgridso...@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@lists.re-wrenches.org<mailto:re-wrenches@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

mjmornings...@gmail.com<mailto:mjmornings...@gmail.com>



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