EG4 18kpv Update

[Redflyer]

Just thought I'd pass along my latest testing. My unit has been running flawlessly, except for the firmware updates. It always shows 'failed update'. So I decided, if it's working well....why worry about it.

I've been running most house circuits off it (with a large battery bank) and 7.6kw of solar.

My big unanswered question was....will it run a standard 3 ton house AC. And what would the start up Amps be, etc? So today, I temporarily pulled the 3 ton wires off the main house panel and used a wire nut to jump it to my solar sub panel. It was a 30 amp breaker and I didn't have the right length of 8 gauge, so I went with 10 gauge for a short 3ft run. I was charging the car on a level 2 charger, so I turned that off to give the inverter the best shot at starting the AC.

Turned the thermostat down to see what would happen. Granted, it was in the middle of the day and I was making 5-6000 watts per hour of solar.
AC surge was 56 amps at start up and then settled into 7.1 continuous.

The inverter did absolutely weird and just kept running. The fans didn't even kick in. I was pretty impressed. Then I thought 'why not push it a little more'. I added the car charger back in at a steady 16 amps. Still nothing happened, it just did it with no issues. Fans stayed silent since I was right below that 6000 watt threshold.

I must say, this unit just works. Exactly what I needed.

 

[EG4_Jared]

If you ever plan on updating the firmware, ensure no third-party applications like Solar Assistant are connected during the process.
Also, if you ever needed assistance with one, feel free to reach out.

 

[CharlesWhitlatch]

If you ever plan on updating the firmware, ensure no third-party applications like Solar Assistant are connected during the process.
Also, if you ever needed assistance with one, feel free to reach out.

I am (also) asking this question of EG4's Colton Tippit/Hooton and Signature-Solar's Timothy Huggins.

I downloaded a version of the 18kPV LCD update firmware, "EG4-18kPV-LCD-Firmware.zip", from the EG4 Electronics website, "https://www.eg4electronics.com/resources/downloads". The internal folder "EG4-18kPV-LCD-Firmware" inside the compressed 'zip' file has a creation date 4/13/2024 (April 13, 2024). Inside this folder is one other folder, "DWIN_SET", which has a modification date 2/23/2024 (February 23, 2024). I wrote this folder and its files into a FAT32-formatted 64 GB EEPROM USB "flash drive". After placing the USB drive into the 18kPV and restarting the 18kPV, the LCD firmware update-screen will display for 15 seconds, but the LCD firmware DOES NOT UPDATE to any later version. The current version of the LCD firmware I have appears on the display as "1/7". There is no "GUIDE" folder in the EG4 Electronics downloaded firmware.

Do you, or anyone else, have a later 18kPV LCD firmware version (11 or 13) that you can send me, or additional information?

 

[Quattrohead]

You have to follow the directions exactly for updating the display, and I think 64 GB is too big of a drive. I think I have done it with 16 but if not 4 will absolutely work. But the way you format it has to be exactly as in the instructions.

 

[CharlesWhitlatch]

You have to follow the directions exactly for updating the display, and I think 64 GB is too big of a drive. I think I have done it with 16 but if not 4 will absolutely work. But the way you format it has to be exactly as in the instructions.

Thank you. Problem is, there are NO directions in the LCD firmware update file from EG4. There used to be in a "GUIDE" folder in the older versions that I have no access to.

 

[ScrotusGobbleBottom]

ensure no third-party applications like Solar Assistant are connected

So simply powering off SA would be fine here?
I installed firmware twice for my 6000xp with no apparent problems?

 

[CharlesWhitlatch]

So simply powering off SA would be fine here?
I installed firmware twice for my 6000xp with no apparent problems?

For the EG4 18kPV inverter LCD firmware update, I have used both a LCD screen button "restart" and a power-off cycle to trigger the update from a USB drive plugged into the 18kPV. I got the "update" screen but not a successful update.

I will try again with a 16 GB USB flash drive.

 

[Quattrohead]

Here is a PDF of the instructions

 

[ksmithaz1]

Steps Edited:

I just did this. Find an OLD usb stick. You might get away with a 2-4G partition on a larger stick, I never tried it I've got a box full of old USB crap, but if the partition/filesystem size is too large the cluster size must go up because of limitations on cluster allocation. Per the instructions format it with a cluster size of 4096 (/A:4096, or use a formatting tool). Extract the files from the zip full path into the root of the stick... DWIN_SET/... (see below)

Note: The files have some high-ascii or dbcs names, make sure they are all there.

1. Plug the stick
2. Power down 100%, everything, PV,all breakers.
3. Remove comm cables for battery and inverter / parallel
4. Wait for display to die.
5. Turn on battery breaker.
6 Display should stick and show hexes. If this does not work! start over at 2
7. after ~5 minutes display should come alive and show proper LCD version
8. Re-connect cables
9. Turn your stuff back on.

TLDR;

=== Partition table should be similar.
Disk /dev/sda: 3.61 GiB, 3880779776 bytes, 7579648 sectors
Disk model: STORE N GO
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x43ee152c

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 8064 7579647 7571584 3.6G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

=== Needs to be formatted Fat32:
Boot sector contents:
System ID "MSDOS5.0"
Media byte 0xf8 (hard disk)
512 bytes per logical sector
4096 bytes per cluster
1626 reserved sectors
First FAT starts at byte 832512 (sector 1626)
2 FATs, 32 bit entries
3778048 bytes per FAT (= 7379 sectors)
Root directory start at cluster 2 (arbitrary size)
Data area starts at byte 8388608 (sector 16384)
944400 data clusters (3868262400 bytes)
63 sectors/track, 255 heads
8064 hidden sectors
7571584 sectors total
Checking for unused clusters.
Checking free cluster summary.
/dev/sda1: 13 files, 1750/944400 clusters

=== Funky file names
[root@ks-ch-mini] /mnt/tmp<311>ls -lR ./
./:
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Feb 23 08:48 DWIN_SET
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 17 11:38 System Volume Information

./DWIN_SET:
total 6980
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1098416 May 20 2021 0.bin
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 16562 Feb 23 08:20 13TouchFile.bin
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 49472 Feb 23 08:20 14ShowFile.bin
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 131076 Feb 23 08:20 22_Config.bin
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3180544 Feb 19 12:44 32_????????????.icl
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2635776 Feb 19 12:44 48_???????????.icl
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 223 Mar 21 2023 CTPCFG_GT9_T5L.cfg
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 46 Mar 7 2023 T5LCFG_12720.CFG
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 5491 Mar 13 2023 T5L_TCON_SET.INI

./System Volume Information:
total 8
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 76 Apr 17 11:38 IndexerVolumeGuid
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 12 Apr 17 11:38 WPSettings.dat

 

[ksmithaz1]

I note that my slave unit failed to load the USB stick on the first try this time, and it happened on one or the other last time as well. I unplugged the comm cable, as well, since the other inverter was still powered on, might goof with it!

 

[CharlesWhitlatch]

Here is a PDF of the instructions

Thanks. That was essential information.

 

[CharlesWhitlatch]

Steps Edited:

I just did this. Find an OLD usb stick. You might get away with a 2-4G partition on a larger stick, I never tried it I've got a box full of old USB crap, but if the partition/filesystem size is too large the cluster size must go up because of limitations on cluster allocation. Per the instructions format it with a cluster size of 4096 (/A:4096, or use a formatting tool). Extract the files from the zip full path into the root of the stick... DWIN_SET/... (see below)

Note: The files have some high-ascii or dbcs names, make sure they are all there.

1. Plug the stick
2. Power down 100%, everything, PV,all breakers.
3. Remove comm cables for battery and inverter / parallel
4. Wait for display to die.
5. Turn on battery breaker.
6 Display should stick and show hexes. If this does not work! start over at 2
7. after ~5 minutes display should come alive and show proper LCD version
8. Re-connect cables
9. Turn your stuff back on.

Hi and thanks,

I went to OfficeDepot and purchased a 5-pack of PNY "16 GB" USB 2.0 Flash EEPROM "USB Drives".

The package said "16 GB", the USB sticks are each marked "16 GB", but they are NOT 16 GB. They are 32 GB with 28.9 GB usable. This is too large for a FAT32 allocation size of 4096 bytes. Format failed. However, all 32 GB exists and is good.

I used Windows 10 "Disk Management" to shrink the simple volume (partition) size to half size, 14.45 GB. No success.
I tried a simple volume size of 16 GB on a PNY 64 GB USB 3.0 "flash drive" (allocation size 4096). No success.

I dug up an OLD Lexar USB 2.0 4 GB "flash drives" and re-formatted with allocation size 4906. SUCCESS!

I am updated using NO BATTERY, NO PV, and only a 240 VAC split-phase (L1, L2, N) Grid Input. WiFi Dongle NOT NEEDED for LCD update.
I think only a LCD Management Page Reset is necessary, and the USB is hot-swappable, but I took no chances.

I inserted the USB "flash drive" with no grid power, then connected the power. Update time was about 8 minutes, a shorter time than others have reported (30 minutes).

LCD version 1/7 updated to 03/14
Image version 4 updated to 8
Icon version 7 updated to 11

 

[EG4_Jared]

So simply powering off SA would be fine here?
I installed firmware twice for my 6000xp with no apparent problems?

That would be correct. It does not cause issues every time, however, we have seen that some third-party applications have caused the firmware update to fail.

 

[Supervstech]

Just thought I'd pass along my latest testing. My unit has been running flawlessly, except for the firmware updates. It always shows 'failed update'. So I decided, if it's working well....why worry about it.

I've been running most house circuits off it (with a large battery bank) and 7.6kw of solar.

My big unanswered question was....will it run a standard 3 ton house AC. And what would the start up Amps be, etc? So today, I temporarily pulled the 3 ton wires off the main house panel and used a wire nut to jump it to my solar sub panel. It was a 30 amp breaker and I didn't have the right length of 8 gauge, so I went with 10 gauge for a short 3ft run. I was charging the car on a level 2 charger, so I turned that off to give the inverter the best shot at starting the AC.

Turned the thermostat down to see what would happen. Granted, it was in the middle of the day and I was making 5-6000 watts per hour of solar.
AC surge was 56 amps at start up and then settled into 7.1 continuous.

The inverter did absolutely weird and just kept running. The fans didn't even kick in. I was pretty impressed. Then I thought 'why not push it a little more'. I added the car charger back in at a steady 16 amps. Still nothing happened, it just did it with no issues. Fans stayed silent since I was right below that 6000 watt threshold.

I must say, this unit just works. Exactly what I needed.

F.Y.I. if your outdoor unit has a 30A specified breaker, odds are high it will operate properly with #12 or even #14 copper depending on the M.C.A. Spec of the equipment.

Motor starting loads of the equipment cause inrush surge that allows larger than needed breakers to prevent nuisance trips.