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Bricked EASun SMW8k inverter during FW upgrade

SveinHa

New Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
78
Location
Karmøy, Norway, 59degN
Hi all.

Have had in use my SMW8k inverter for 3 months and it have performed brilliantly apart for one minor problem: Every now and then, days or weeks between, it sends power TO the grid which it should not be able to do, it is an off-grid inverter. Very small amounts, just a few Wh, but the power company gets pissed off and want me to shut down my solar plant. EASun want me to upgrade firmware and I guess it was on time since I have ver 46.05 and the files I received is ver 90.13

First try is that I get a link to new files but NO instructions, next email I am pointed to using USB-OTG adapter but no more instructions. I try to copy all files to the root of the USB-memory and activate upgrade from keypad/display. The inverter seems to lock up for about 10 minutes and then wake up with the same fw version as before. I restart the inverter but still same fw.

A few more emails and I get 5 pages with instructions using a Windows PC and USB2Serial cable. After a few unsuccessful connection attempts, the memory is deleted and nothing else happens for about 30 minutes so I disconnect, restart my PC and try to update again. Now, the update seems to start but after 13 seconds it stops and nothing more happens... Try again at least 15 times with restart of my PC many times but the result is always the same, freeze after 13 seconds...

Just to try something else, I power down and up the inverter but now I end up with error 32 and red light in the FAULT LED and no power in my house... Error 32 is not listed in the manual...

I've reported my problem in detail to the chinese people but I guess I was a bit late today since they are a few timezones before us...

Do any of you know if I may be able to reflash without any special equipment? I know some units can be flashed using an Arduino as a flashing tool and I have a few of those lying around...
 
Anybody of you who have tested EASunpowers 24 hour chat support? I started by sending emails about my inverter problem (which EASUNpower caused) to support@easunpower.com 9 days ago. Followed up on a couple of other email addresses that I know are active since they have answered me earlier. I installed WhatsApp to be able to chat with "24 hour support" and so far, I received one question about the order number for my inverter, which they got within seconds. Thats all, NO FURTHER RESPONSE WHATSOEVER... This company is a real piece of crap...
 
Well, after pondering the matter a bit, I see what has happened:

1 The inverter does not send power to the grid, it is not equipped to do so. It's about "apparent power" which is kind of just there without being useful for anything (confirmed by 2 different European suppliers of the same type of inverter). Therefore, EASunPower should have realized that an update was not necessary.
2 EASunPower got a photo of the nameplate on my inverter and information about the current firmware version so they knew what they were dealing with.
3 The firmware update I received from EASunPower is clearly for a completely different inverter and when I was told to upload this it went wrong. The current version that I got from the one European dealer, downloaded from the manufacturer's ftp server is 46.05. I should have reacted to the version number going from 46.05 to 90.13...
4 Shit happens but the biggest shit here is EASunPower which does NOT take responsibility for its own actions and lack of knowledge.
5 Since no one in support or sales wants to get involved, I have now reported to the EASunPower CEO so we'll see what happens. The next step will be to lean a little hard on PayPal.
 
Well, after pondering the matter a bit, I see what has happened:

1 The inverter does not send power to the grid, it is not equipped to do so. It's about "apparent power" which is kind of just there without being useful for anything (confirmed by 2 different European suppliers of the same type of inverter). Therefore, EASunPower should have realized that an update was not necessary.
2 EASunPower got a photo of the nameplate on my inverter and information about the current firmware version so they knew what they were dealing with.
3 The firmware update I received from EASunPower is clearly for a completely different inverter and when I was told to upload this it went wrong. The current version that I got from the one European dealer, downloaded from the manufacturer's ftp server is 46.05. I should have reacted to the version number going from 46.05 to 90.13...
4 Shit happens but the biggest shit here is EASunPower which does NOT take responsibility for its own actions and lack of knowledge.
5 Since no one in support or sales wants to get involved, I have now reported to the EASunPower CEO so we'll see what happens. The next step will be to lean a little hard on PayPal.
Wow, that is a lot of incompetence from the seller.
Best of luck!
 
Almost all hardware this days have emergency procedures for fail firmware updates.
 
I have tried at least 50 times and upgrade run about 18-33% before write fails and operation is aborted. Never fails in the exact same spot...
Could you try another windows computer with the same software?
I had an issue where the computer for some reason wasn't fast enough (old old old laptop) and when I ran the same software on a much more modern computer (had to move the desktop computer to my inverter to do the upgrade) it suddenly worked on the first time.
I am not saying this is it, just that it might be worth a try
 
I am not saying this is it, just that it might be worth a try
Good point and already tried... I found 14 voluntary Windows updates that I installed and that helped a lot but not enough. I'm looking a bit the other way also, find a PC old enough to have built-in RS232. The one I had wouldn't fire up...
 
Last edited:
Good point and already tried... I found 14 voluntary Windows updates that I installed and that helped a lot but not enough. I'm looking a bit the other way also, find a PC old enough to have built-in RS232. The one I had wouldn't fire up...
Change the pendrive.
 
bad nand memory i guess :(, did you try with other firmware update? other version i mean.
 
other version i mean.
Yes, no luck. It seems that the most important thing to get the update going at all is to have the inverter powered off for several minutes and then power up at the same time I start update. The update take quite a few seconds before it start to transfer data and the inverter also need a few seconds... I NEVER have success when trying to update 2, 3, 4++ times without power down/up in between and also far best if powered down for several minutes.
 
It may be worth watching this video:

It is a different model from the same manufacturer but with the exact same problem, unable to flash a firmware.
 
Well, well, well... That was one of the oddest working hacks I've seen... Removed the display, took off the backplate (4 screws) and put in front of a fan and MCU flashing went straight up to 100% on the first try...

Still not running though, display is dead but there are a couple of green LEDs with steady light and a blue LED flashing inside the display module. The blue one is probably WLAN.

Flashing DSP don't work at all, "connect fail" after a minute or so...
 
Still a bit strange (and non-working). WiFi configuration works but inverter and WiFi do not communicate.
Screenshot_20220731_184422_wifiapp.volfw.watchpower.jpg


Have tried to update firmware some more times but now communication is dead no matter the windspeed...
 
Hi I have the same inverter with 46.05 firmware and my smart meter also detects export back to grid. As you mention above in your initial post it is not active power exported, but it is due to reactive component however it can still be detected by the Utility Company. My measurements show export mainly when inverter active output is above 1.5kw and my observed export values range is from -40watts to -490watts. I am struggling with Easun support from a week and so far they only ask for information and data, but have not come with proposal for solution, if they come with something different that they have told you I will share it here. Meanwhile I noticed that export to grid happens only on SUB /USB modes, but not on SBU. So, I am monitoring the system(using Alterco robotics Shelly 3EM smart metter) and changing the modes remotely and if Easun do not revert with solution will put a contactor and use my smart sensor programmable options to shut off the utility when there is too much sun, as my Utility provider will also ask me to shut off , if they detect any export back to grid. There is also another colleague with same SMW 8kw but with firmware 72.03 he will test if his unit does the same as ours and if not, then we can seek an option to downgrade to the older firmware.
 
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