Cannot get BMS Test working on EG4 LL battery

[RadioChief]

Hello there. Hope I am not asking a question that has already been asked before but I am trying to communicate with my batteries. These are EG4 LL. The version with a display screen and 6 position dip switches on the front. I think that is V1? I have 12 of them. I was hoping that maybe updated firmware would make them all show up in my Schneider XW Pro Insight home software. Right now I see only one of them in Insight Home. I can get communication with BMS Tools software so I think my cables check out but BMS test gives me no joy. I was wondering if I downloaded the correct version for my batteries but I only find this one that says "Qualtech 4810 test" in the upper left hand corner. The videos I've watched show a different version number. For the purpose of connecting with the software on my PC I am setting the dip switch on the first battery to all switches to the right, which should be 64. Happy to provide you guys any other info I can lay my hands on to resolve this issue. Thanks!

 

[marionw]

There are several BMS_Test softwares out there and I believe you may be using the wrong one.

Try the one you can download from https://eg4electronics.com/categories/batteries/eg4-ll-s-48v-100ah-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery

This is a screen shot of the version for EG4 LL batteries

 

[RadioChief]

But the "BMS Tools" software works. It is the "BMS Test" software that doesn't connect. I think that is the one I need for upgrading the firmware and that is the only only I could find on the EG4 website.

 

[marionw]

The BMS_Test software communicates using a HexAscii format using the EG4/Narada protocol whereas the BMS_Tool uses a Modbus format. I suspect the EG4-LL series batteries to not speak the EG4/Narada protocol

The EG4-LL-SS and EG4-LL-V2 firmware downloads from the EG4 website also include the software to update the firmware.

You need to verify whether you have a V1 or V2 version of the battery. Unfortunately the EG4 website no longer has any downloads for the V1.

@EG4_Jarrett can provide you with some assistance. First determine (using the BMS_Tool) what version of firmware you have and hopefully @EG4_Jarrett can tell you if it is the latest. If there is a later version then @EG4_Jarrett can hopefully provide you with the latest firmware file.

In addition you can DM (Direct Message) @EG4_Jarrett using the "mail icon" near the top right of this screen.

Please come back to this thread and let us know how things work out, particularly if you want to give EG4 a thumbs up as we do at times beat them up so hopefully the thumbs up count will far exceed the thumbs down count.

 

[RadioChief]

Thank you so much for your reply. The batteries I bought are:

12 × [Component of: BNDL-E0002-LL-48V] EG4 LL-S Lithium Battery | 48V 100AH | Server Rack Battery | UL1973, UL9540A​

I downloaded the EG4-LL-V2-51.2v-100ah-Firmware a few days ago but I did not expand the zip file. Had I done so, I would have seen the install program. (duh! I simply thought the zip was a binary firmware file only) In the zip file there are photos that show my batteries as EG4 LL V2 ID6 along with a detailed pdf update guide. If @EG4_Jarrett gives me the OK I will attempt this tomorrow when I have a day off from my day job.
Thanks again!

 

[hwy17]

Setting the battery to 64 while the BMStest app is looking for start address 0 doesn't seem like a good start.

Try changing battery to 0 or BMS test to start address 64.

 

[wpns]

Setting the battery to 64 while the BMStest app is looking for start address 0 doesn't seem like a good start.

Try changing battery to 0 or BMS test to start address 64.

What they call “64” is actually zero.

 

[RadioChief]

Correct. 64 in binary is 1000000, which on the 6 dip switch model is all zeros.

 

[RadioChief]

This morning I got everything set up to update my EG4 LL batteries and followed the instructions to the letter but when I came to locate the firmware to apply in the zip package all I could find was "EG4 LL V2 ID6 update for EG4 18kPV.bin". Since I am using Schneider XW-Pro inverters, I backed off and did not install this bin file. Since this was the only Firmware I could find on the EG4 site, I have to think there isn't any firmware available yet for my particular batteries and inverters so I'll just stay with what I have for now.

 

[marionw]

Did you download https://eg4electronics.com/categories/batteries/eg4-ll-s-48v-100ah-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery

The readme.txt file says:
This firmware can only be used on the EG4 LL-S (EG4 LL V4) battery. The purpose of this firmware is for the
RSD function in closed loop Communication with the EG4 18k PV.

 

[RadioChief]

Yes that was the one. Was hoping to find new firmware that would allow the Schneider Insight home to see the individual batteries. It looks like all I see is the first battery, the one the Insight Home is connected to via the RS-485 port. Of course, I might not be seeing the forest for the trees since all this is relatively new to me. Attached is the BMS display as seen in the Insight Home.

 

[marionw]

It is being displayed as one very big battery, Note the "Maximum Discharge Current" = 1200 (12 batteries at 100ah each)

 

[EG4_Jared]

Yes that was the one. Was hoping to find new firmware that would allow the Schneider Insight home to see the individual batteries. It looks like all I see is the first battery, the one the Insight Home is connected to via the RS-485 port. Of course, I might not be seeing the forest for the trees since all this is relatively new to me. Attached is the BMS display as seen in the Insight Home.

The Insight Home will show as one battery in their software.

 

[RadioChief]

Well I'll just skip around that idea for now, I still have to wire the inverter into the shop electrical panel and make my solar panel buying decision so I have lots to do on my one day off each week. But that's a topic for another thread. Thanks guys! This forum is a great resource!