Bricked xwpro?

[hogback]

I'm not quite sure how I managed this, but my insight facility will not allow me to change and settings on one of my xwpros. I had managed to update the firmware, and had been messing around trying to get a bms recognized. I can power on the unit in standby, but the fan kicks on every minute or so for a few seconds, and the display on the front of the inverter goes out for a second. All fields are greyed out in insight local - can't change anything. I can't even reset to factory defaults. If I start inverting, all seems fine at first and then the inverter makes the most awful screech and goes to fault 56. I looked at some logs, but not sure what it means. The 'in progress' fields soon change to 'failed,' and the 'failed' ones try again. There are no loads or charging connected to this inverter. I can see how some of my messing around might have caused some functionality of the inverter to cease, but I wouldn't have expected a bricked insight local interface. This interface works fine for viewing status, and I can change settings when I move the batteries and insight facility over to another xwpro. Any thoughts? Maybe if I temporarily move my SCP over from my currently running XW+ setup in order to reset factory settings?

 

[MisterSandals]

but my insight facility will not allow me to change and settings on one of my xwpros. I had managed to update the firmware,

Are your XW Pros connected as master/slave?
I recently upgraded software on my SW4048 and they changed the wording (only?) to primary/secondary. Maybe some bits changes where they need to all be on the newer firmware?

Using the SCP sounds like a good idea. If you have a backup settings file or if you can make one from your other XW Pros, you could install that.

What kinds of things were you messing with? I am not expecting to have battery comms but interested to hear about where things can go wrong.

Good luck! I am probably pretty close to you, just on the valley side of the hill.

 

[hogback]

Thanks. I'm up off of hwy35.

So these two pros were never connected together, and only ever turned on one at a time. So both masters/primary.

I never wanted the comms either, but the batteries I had sitting here had a proprietary bms that NEEDED to see some other proprietary sunpower stuff, just to stay on. So I thought that if I could get the insight facility to send some info over 485 or CAN, maybe the batteries would stay on. No luck there, and I'm replacing the bms's with jks. This bricked inverter/interface has BMS control enabled, along with some other AC stuff that I don't remember changing, but I must have.

I'm not too fluent with the SCP, other than the fact that have been using one on my old system for four years. That system also has the 'gateway,' which is pretty much the same as an insight facility it seems. I'll have to dig up that user manual. Does the backup setting file get transferred over xanbus or with a memory stick or the like?

 

[MisterSandals]

Does the backup setting file get transferred over xanbus or with a memory stick or the like?

I think it can be done either way. I've done it from a Mac with InsightLocal.

I've only been up and running a week so still fiddling with settings. All the 2020 manuals are written for SCP so i kind of wish i had one. InsightHome is maddening.

Have you looked at the Device Config Logs available on bottom of inverter "About" tab?
Its a .json file that you open with a browser that is pretty user friendly.

There is also Debug Log that is useful.

 

[hogback]

I'm a little leery of pulling the SCP from my currently operating system... especially with changing it's settings or using it to change settings on the new, isolated system. What if I put it back and my current system gets funky? I'm totally off-grid with no cell coverage, and being that the xw+ is discontinued, I wouldn't count on much support. I know that when I look in the insight local, I can see and change the bms settings (but haven't yet). Also the insight facility settings. I wonder if there is something there that I could change that might help. Anyone know what 'power control system mode" means? The manual isn't clear to me. It takes a password to change I believe (not in front of it right now), like the region settings. I'm guessing this password is not XWproGridCodes.

 

[400bird]

Surprisingly, the PCS password is the same grid codes password.

PCS can limit charge/discharge power. Depending on your firmware version, the on/off switch may be broken and it's just stuck on. Set the limits to the max to basically ignore it.

 

[400bird]

I just read through this thread a little more thoroughly. I'd pull the insight comm cable, power it from a wall wart and do the full rest. From the manual, you hold the power button for 12 seconds, until it beeps 4 times to perform a full factory reset.
Then try updating it to your desired firmware. Then reconnect to the XW.

 

[hogback]

Great, thanks, I will try that tomorrow. I don't think I remember reading the 12 second thing in the manual, but to be honest, I've mostly looked at the printed version that came with the pros, which certainly isn't as recent as the June 2023 .pdf that is available online. I don't think I'd mentioned this before, but all this while the insight facility has been powered by a wall wart type ps that is connected to an outlet that is powered by the existing functioning xw+ system, so it has power throughout the whole process.

 

[400bird]

FYI: the XW injects power onto the xanbus. Similar to POE.
Just the one cable is all that's needed to power and have comms between the XW and insight.

While doing the insight, I'd fully power down the XW.

 

[hogback]

OK, I think I mis-read your original posts - you are suggesting I update the insight facility firmware? This is current, and all functions work with my OTHER xwpro. Let's call this one xw2. So I really don't think the insight facility is not functioning, but am open to suggestions. What I CAN'T do is change any settings (via the insight local) in the wonky xw. Let's call this one xw1. The xw+, which I've had for years, has apparently worked fine and currently is my off grid system with solar and simpliphis. This wonky xw, xw1, originally worked a few weeks ago. I powered it up and could see it in insight local, and change all parameters. I changed a few things, nothing that I thought would matter (like absorb at 56V). I have NO loads and NO charging source setup on xw1. It had 2x battle born 24V in series to power it at first. I was trying to play around with an unknown proprietary bms on a sunpower battery via the com port on the sunpower - had tried messing with the CAN pins on the insight facility (meanwhile still using the battle borns to power the xw1). At some point, I used insight local to change the battery for the xw1 to 'use external bms,' and I think this is when the problems started. Now, all the fields for the inverter, in insight local, are greyed out, so I can't factory reset the inverter, or change it at all. The only controls I have for it are the buttons on the inverter itself.

I really think the insight facility box itself are fine, as it controls the other xw2 fine. The symptoms, other than the greyed out fields in insight, are that in standby, the inverter screen goes blank every minute or so, and the fans kick on for a second, and it's back in standby. I can switch the inverter on, and I see 240V across the output terminals. After a bit, it makes a loud screech, and shows F56, which the manual only says is EEPROM error.

So it seems like I need to reset the factory settings for the xw1, but can't use insight local to do it. I somehow think the 'use external bms' I entered is messing things up. I also noticed that the 'use AC coupling' option is set to on, which is weird, as I have no idea why I would have set that to on. Maybe it is looking for something, while in standby, on ac1, and it's not there, so gets wonky. I wouldn't think that as in standby, the input relays should be off. Another weird thing is that when on/inverting, before it screeches, it says I'm drawing 100W, but this should be 20W. No loads. Some sort of short somehow?

Thanks for thinking about my very odd situation. I suppose the worst case scenario is that somehow I fried some hardware in xw1's comms electronics.

 

[400bird]

Oh, so you have 3 XW's?
The old working XW+ with an SCP
2 XW pros these are separate but connected to the same Insight Facility?

Have you removed the CAN wiring and power cycled everything?
How about removing the working XW pro (XW2) from the insight to see if there is some conflict with having selected BMS control on just one inverter?

OK, I think I mis-read your original posts - you are suggesting I update the insight facility firmware?

I was, yes. But this feels less likely after reading this. I'd still do it, but I'm less hopeful.

This is current,

It wasn't just to get current, it's also in hopes to overwrite any garbage that may be present causing the issue.

At some point, I used insight local to change the battery for the xw1 to 'use external bms,' and I think this is when the problems started. Now, all the fields for the inverter, in insight local, are greyed out, so I can't factory reset the inverter, or change it at all. The only controls I have for it are the buttons on the inverter itself.

How about the XW firmware update? Are those controls available?

The symptoms, other than the greyed out fields in insight, are that in standby, the inverter screen goes blank every minute or so, and the fans kick on for a second, and it's back in standby. I can switch the inverter on, and I see 240V across the output terminals. After a bit, it makes a loud screech, and shows F56, which the manual only says is EEPROM error.

Ouch, that doesn't sound good. Does insight do anything different if you place the inverter into standby with the button?

So it seems like I need to reset the factory settings for the xw1, but can't use insight local to do it.

You already said you didn't want to borrow the SCP from your working system to try resetting with the SCP. There's one on eBay now

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[hogback]

Both the xwpros have only ever been connected to the battery/turned on one at a time. It wouldn't be too much work to tie them together if there was a chance that I could then work with the controls of XW1 via insight local. If I did that, would just connecting the xanbus plus dc power? Would bridging the AC out and synch cables also be needed?

I'm still open to moving the scp if it makes sense. I'm not really sure I need it on the xw+ system, as that system has the 'gateway' which is pretty much an insight facility, or so I've gathered. I do use the scp to check battery V at night when the mppts are idle, but that's no big deal. Just worried that the scp might end up carrying some bad voodoo back to the xw+ system one I bring it back there. Is there a 'restore factory defaults' function in the scp (for xws)? I guess I can pull out the manual and check myself

These two pro inverters were basically free. A company warehouse move. I think they were nib but not totally sure. They were in boxes with all the kit, but it is totally possible something custom had been programmed in before me. On the xw2, i did 'reset factory defaults' right away and update the firmware right away, then change grid codes. For XW1, I never reset factory, but did update firmware and grid code. I was just going to keep these xwpros as spares for if the xw+ went wonky, but then ended up sticking them on the wall just to get them out of the way, and at that point, figured I would start playing with them to make sure they worked, then entertained the idea of playing with this bms stuff and ended up here.

The insight does see xw1 change status when I mess with the main buttons on the unit itself, but not perfectly. Sometimes I need to go back and forth between OFF/STANDBY/INVERT, but eventually it shows up. But, never any way to change settings.

I think you're right in that resetting the insight facility is worth a try as it's pretty easy.

XW firmware update IS available. Tried that a few times, and it stalls out at 95-98% finished, and then fails. I wonder if I should try to update the firmware to something other than the most recent version, assuming I can even find the old firmware.

I wonder now too if these is a conflict between the two xwpros, even though they've only ever been connected to the battery/facility one at a time. Maybe the system is expecting to 'see' xw2 when I connect xw1. Maybe I'll try renaming the xw2 and then going back and connecting xw1.

 

[400bird]

My suggestion to connect the SCP to the XW pro is just temporary to see if the factory reset option populates. With the SCP being discontinued new features on the XW Pro going to work

 

[mkimid]

Power Cycling Again, and then, update firmware again. your XP Pro should be in Bootloader mode for firmware upgrade

 

[hogback]

Does anyone know if powering up the xw with no xanbus devices connected, then rebooting with the insight connected would do anything? I don't see any reference to bootloader in the manual. I'm assuming this isn't the same as just being in standby.....

 

[mkimid]

Does anyone know if powering up the xw with no xanbus devices connected, then rebooting with the insight connected would do anything? I don't see any reference to bootloader in the manual. I'm assuming this isn't the same as just being in standby.....

I have similiar experienced while upgrading firmware, it has stuck at 9x%, and reset by itself, and stacked in black status. but, my device had connected with gateway (insight home/facility), and xw pro is showing nothing (no led/display) like as turn-off, When I have power cycling (turn off ac/dc, and wait a minute, and turn on dc/ac), the xw pro’s status has not been changed. and scp Can not access XW pro. But, gateway is showing the status as in firmware upgrading mode under bootloader, so, I have flashing a firmware again, and then, it become normal.

 

[hwy17]

I haven't read hard enough to parse what's going on here or if this applies, but a helpful trick is to power the Insight with a 12v barrel plug so that it stays on while the XW boots. I think it can catch them in bootloader mode this way.

12v barrel adapters are a little bit common for some router type devices so you might have one around.

Recovering bricked / bootloader schneider context XW inverter with InsightHome

Putting this in a new thread for documentation. I don't know if this works yet. Symptom: Conext XW+ 6048 failed firmware upgrade, no longer appearing in Xanbus devices, does power on and off by power button and start inverting. Partial solution: Installed v1.16 firmware on the InsightHome...

diysolarforum.com

 

[hogback]

Got it, thanks. The insight has been powered by a separate power source for all of my tests/experiments. Haven't got to try anything today with the rain - didn't feel like covering the laptop with a bag to make the trip to the garage...