Recovering bricked / bootloader schneider context XW inverter with InsightHome

[hwy17]

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, power the InsightHome with external power supply (12v barrel plug adapter), connect to XW+ xanbus with terminator on XW+, DC power cycle XW+, turn XW off and on by power button. XW+ becomes recognized in devices.

I still can't get it to successfully firmware update, but it's visible which is a big step.

 

[hwy17]

Firmware upgrades keep failing at 99% but inverter is showing a full name now, and firmware version. So I might cross my fingers and power cycle it again soon.

Other factor: Before successfully recognizing the device, I did give up and order a combox on ebay, paid and shipped. This might be necessary, or sacrificing a lamb might be a suitable alternative.

 

[hwy17]

Inverter is still requiring the above process to become recognized. DC rebooting the inverter with InsightHome powered only by xanbus still results in no devices.

 

[hwy17]

The problem is still repeating. It appears v1.16 on the InsightHome vs. v1.17 might be key but it's all too inconsistent to tell.

 

[hwy17]

Still no successful firmware installation, and same symptoms. So I don't think this is going to be successful and I will need the combox after all. Hopefully that will do it.

 

[hwy17]

IT WORKED.

As always with xanbus though, I am not left sure of anything afterwards. I am not sure that I was really in bricked/bootloader mode, or if the setting "periodic transmit enable" being off was the problem.

Here's what happened this morning, I decided InsightHome v1.16 wasn't making a difference, so I upgraded to v1.17 again and started the process again (I now don't think 1.16 vs 1.17 matters at all). Provided external power to InsightHome, restarted XW+ by it's power button several times to get it to appear in Insighthome as a semi-blank device (shows as inverter/charger without details), then I managed to get it into standby mode and start the firmware update. Firmware update chugged along slowly but surely to 95% and then said failed, but everything was different after that, all settings responded normally and I have fully rebooted the system now without external power to the InsightHome and it's all coming up correctly. It's like the firmware update did work.

Only advice I am sure of:

1. If the inverter is not appearing in Insighthome, provide external constant power to the Insighthome while you reboot the inverter.

2. Put the inverter into standby mode before starting the firmware upgrade process. It does attempt to put it in standby if you don't manually do so first, but my feeling is that command can easily fail to execute. So manually ensure it is standby and then firmware update.

 

[hwy17]

During the process, I was constantly fighting all the options in the configuration page for the inverter turning grey and unmodifiable. The only advice I have for anyone else fighting that symptom is to keep fighting it. Navigate away and come back to configuration and make the change within the like 3 second window that will let you. Even once it lets you, don't be sure that it worked, navigate away and come back to see if it looks like stuck. I had to fight this to get the inverter into standby before the "failed" successful firmware upgrade.

 

[JBertok]

Thank you for posting this, glad it worked out. I feel like those of us with XWs are getting good at voodoo...

 

[hwy17]

Yeah there's quite a dearth of information on these, I figure any more helps. Half the time I google now I get one of my own threads in the results... If only that guy had the answers I need!

 

[fcc]

Hi colleagues,

If you have XW+ it's good to have ComBox for service operations ( reset to default, upload FW if in bootloader mode). Since higher versions of Insight everything should work unfortunately it doesn't. Combox solves everything.... If anyone needs below are the files to upgrade the XW (old grey Xantrex) to XW+ . After uploading the upgrade fw, upload the latest FW for XW+. It's been tested many times.
I'm also sending the official TechnicalNote from Schneider including the limitations ( There are practically no disadvantages. The advantages outweigh) .

Good luck!

 

[sondroyo]

We just went through this with a bricked CSW4048 (lost power to combox during firmware upgrade). It was fixed with a Conext Gateway on 1.16 that allowed bootloading, xanbus network was just Gateway, CSW, and 2 terminations. It took 4 tries before the firmware took. Tries 1-3 it would not get beyond 2% firmware but we did not have a termination on the gateway. We put in the final termination on the gateway, restarted the CSW, and try 4 it got to 98%, said it had failed, and came back perfectly. Thanks for the hope inspired above.

 

[hwy17]

Hi colleagues,

If you have XW+ it's good to have ComBox for service operations ( reset to default, upload FW if in bootloader mode). Since higher versions of Insight everything should work unfortunately it doesn't. Combox solves everything.... If anyone needs below are the files to upgrade the XW (old grey Xantrex) to XW+ . After uploading the upgrade fw, upload the latest FW for XW+. It's been tested many times.
I'm also sending the official TechnicalNote from Schneider including the limitations ( There are practically no disadvantages. The advantages outweigh) .

Good luck!

I'm fighting xanbux again and resorted to getting out the combox today - Wow, yeah this thing is like xanbus lightning. I'm frustrated by the lack of wifi but I may end up switching to combox entirely and giving up on the Insighthome.

 

[hwy17]

I bricked my XW+ so bad today the light would just flash on for a split second and then nothing, no response to power button.

After letting the capacitors drain for an hour and then starting with an externally powered combox it did appear in bootloader mode and get revived.

It's such a hopeless feeling when your inverter is down without a warranty.

 

[extrafu]

@hwy17 How did you brick your XW+ and what sort of Xanbus issues were you having? I'm curious because I also have a XW+ with an InsightHome (running v1.16).

Thanks!

 

[hwy17]

@hwy17 How did you brick your XW+ and what sort of Xanbus issues were you having? I'm curious because I also have a XW+ with an InsightHome (running v1.16).

Thanks!

The issue usually starts with my XW+ not reliably appearing in InsightHome, then when it does appear and I go to it's settings, it's unresponsive, like 10 seconds after going to settings page all the settings will become greyed out. Also, mulit-unit configuration setting will say "invalid".

I'm not really sure what causes it. After that, I will try updating the firmware on the XW+ (to the same version) and usually after a failed firmware update that's when it will go into bootloader mode.

I've struggled with it since I bought it, and I bought it used, it was made in 2018. So I don't know, I could have a faulty unit somehow.

 

[hogback]

I thought insight home/facility was for xwpro, and the gateway for xw+. My + has been fine with the gateway for five years. Just changed some settings and it worked.

 

[extrafu]

@hwy17 Was it on InsightHome v1.14..16 or an higher version? I upgraded my XW+ to 2.07.00bn4 from a Combox many months ago but as mentioned in an other thread, Schneider does not recommend upgrading the InsightHome after v1.16.

I'll call them this week to know a bit more because I would be interest in the Pylontech support they added after v1.16.

 

[hwy17]

@hwy17 Was it on InsightHome v1.14..16 or an higher version? I upgraded my XW+ to 2.07.00bn4 from a Combox many months ago but as mentioned in an other thread, Schneider does not recommend upgrading the InsightHome after v1.16.

I'll call them this week to know a bit more because I would be interest in the Pylontech support they added after v1.16.

It's possible I'm messing things up when I bring 1.17 into the mix. But when everything's working, as it is again now, 1.17 works fine for me.

I should try 1.16, on the InsightHome firmware page it shows 1.14 "for XW+" so I thought 1.14 was the latest supported.

 

[extrafu]

@hwy17 I've just called Schneider. They said that when using an XW+, we should stick with v1.14 of the InsightHome gateway. Mine came with v1.16 and I haven't experienced issues - although I haven't tried to perform any configuration changes on my XW+ from the InsightHome.

Schneider told me that they'll ask their development team to see if future versions of the InsightHome firmware might resume good compatibility with the XW+ systems. They should get back to me by email.

If they don't plan to, I guess I'll have to write software myself to interface the BMS and the InsightHome gateway - this shouldn't be a problem and be rather fun, but just wanted to avoid this in the first place.

 

[hwy17]

@hwy17 I've just called Schneider. They said that when using an XW+, we should stick with v1.14 of the InsightHome gateway. Mine came with v1.16 and I haven't experienced issues - although I haven't tried to perform any configuration changes on my XW+ from the InsightHome.

Schneider told me that they'll ask their development team to see if future versions of the InsightHome firmware might resume good compatibility with the XW+ systems. They should get back to my by email.

If they don't plan to, I guess I'll have to write software myself to interface the BMS and the InsightHome gateway - this shouldn't be a problem and be rather fun, but just wanted to avoid this in the first place.

I can tell you that 1.17 will probably work and stay working if your system doesn't get powered down often or ever.

But you can see I also get into trouble with it. I have recovered with the InsightHome once successfully, now that I have a combox too it's an even better backup, it will very reliably find bricked xanbus devices.

I ran 1.17 only all year through quite a few settings changes and power cycles no problem. I sort of suspect my latest issues began when I ran the MPPT and XW+ on two different batteries while connected together by xanbus, I don't think the xanbus power supply on the MPPT liked that.