RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

[EPicTony]

Did you power cycle the inverters after flashing the MCU? That's what I had to do when I got this error.

I pressed the button on both inverters, then flipped the battery main breaker and shut off grid power. Then I turned grid back on, waited on the countdown on the inverter LCDs, then flipped main battery breaker on and finally pressed the button on both inverters. After that I could do the firmware update.

Going to retry again using your procedure. At this point it's like black magic but I'll try and post back. Many thanks !!!!!
This is the shit that really aggravates me. SS gave a written procedure on the MCU reflash and that worked like a charm.
The inv reflash, no procedure no nothing, it is figure it out for your self - which is unacceptable.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the wonderful DSP reflash, does not work and if you try the LCD display stops working because the tool erases memory before it fails - wonderful. Thankfully this forum exists to share information .

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

Here is the update procedure. Follow this exactly and you should not have an issue.

 

[30362]

Here is the update procedure. Follow this exactly and you should not have an issue.

@BenFromSignatureSolar I am wondering where we can find a changelog with details on the changes in each FW version? Is this documented somewhere?

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

@BenFromSignatureSolar I am wondering where we can find a changelog with details on the changes in each FW version? Is this documented somewhere?

Not that I have access to.

 

[Tom Funchess]

Yes they parallel
View attachment 134201

we will confirm the USB use case going forward, it is relatively unused but I get the need for it if you prioritize having a full bank vs max utility offset.

Thanks for confirming the mix of old and new. If my new inverter does not have the neutral-ground bonding screw, but the old one does, is that an issue?

Also, when you look at the USB use case, please also look at the SUB use case where the batteries are at 100% when the sun comes up and the PV input starts up. That is when I've seen problems, first with SUB, then later with USB.

 

[akitawpo]

Here is the update procedure. Follow this exactly and you should not have an issue.

For thr 6000ex there is only one update? I did the mcu but could not find any other.

 

[kromc5]

All 4 6500ex were updated both firmware's with no issues, current sharing remains the same tested both sides.

 

[kromc5]

Not sure how it double posted separating the pictures.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Not that I have access to.

Weird

 

[EPicTony]

Here is the update procedure. Follow this exactly and you should not have an issue.

Ok good news. The procedure at first gave the same error on INV flash. I switched to another win 10 laptop and bingo it worked !!!! The strange thing is the MCU flash worked with the same hardware and cable but not the INV reflash (until I switched laptops). Thank you Ben and thank you forum (for the tip on trying another laptop).

 

[PreppenWolf]

Anti-virus programs are likely culprits to many issues. Especially Norton. Norton is computer aids.

 

[EPicTony]

All 4 6500ex were updated both firmware's with no issues, current sharing remains the same tested both sides.

Can someone tell me how the current sharing works ? The current sharing cables are pretty small wire gage. Thanks

 

[Adam De Lay]

Here is the update procedure. Follow this exactly and you should not have an issue.

 

[TomH fwtx]

I have an EG4 6000EX. I use it purely OFF grid, with NO AC in. I have NOT done any previous firmware updates, and am on what I presume is the factory original. It shows a build date of 5/22. I got it in Sept/Oct 22. Since this thread is supposed to relate to both 6000 and 6500 models, here are my questions:
1. Should I update anything if I am not having any problems as I use it?, and
2. If I should update, do I need to go backward and do prior updates before I do this latest?
It is really hard to tell what is being addressed with or done by these firmware updates with NO change logs.
Thanks,
Tom

 

[EPicTony]

I have an EG4 6000EX. I use it purely OFF grid, with NO AC in. I have NOT done any previous firmware updates, and am on what I presume is the factory original. It shows a build date of 5/22. I got it in Sept/Oct 22. Since this thread is supposed to relate to both 6000 and 6500 models, here are my questions:
1. Should I update anything if I am not having any problems as I use it?, and
2. If I should update, do I need to go backward and do prior updates before I do this latest?
It is really hard to tell what is being addressed with or done by these firmware updates with NO change logs.
Thanks,
Tom

If I was happy with my system I would not update without a specific reason to do so. Where can you see the build date ?

 

[Adam De Lay]

I have an EG4 6000EX. I use it purely OFF grid, with NO AC in. I have NOT done any previous firmware updates, and am on what I presume is the factory original. It shows a build date of 5/22. I got it in Sept/Oct 22. Since this thread is supposed to relate to both 6000 and 6500 models, here are my questions:
1. Should I update anything if I am not having any problems as I use it?, and
2. If I should update, do I need to go backward and do prior updates before I do this latest?
It is really hard to tell what is being addressed with or done by these firmware updates with NO change logs.
Thanks,
Tom

I’ve always been a firm believer in “if it ain’t broke…don’t break it by trying fixing it…”

I do agree though that it’s hard to know what’s supposed to be fixed without a changelog.

When you do flash the firmware though, your replacing what was there, so you should just have to apply the latest release (since it should have all the previous fixes included) from my understanding.

 

[TomH fwtx]

If I was happy with my system I would not update without a specific reason to do so. Where can you see the build date ?

There is a very small sticker on the side of the 6000 next to my SN sticker, which had 2022 at the end, and then only 1-12 for months. On mine, the 5 is blacked out.

 

[TomH fwtx]

Thanks guys. I am going to fire everything up today, but if everything is working correctly, at least for me, I am NOT going to change firmware yet. Tom

 

[Tom Funchess]

I updated the firmware on both of my EG4-6500s without any problems at all using the new procedure and the Serial to USB adapter that I got from SS. Both the old and the new inverter now both show U1: 79.61 and U2: 61.10.

I am set up with 60A/120V AC Input to each inverter, and with EG4/USE battery types with comms cable from the 2P1 inverter to Battery 0000.

I've spent all day testing Settings 12 at 80% SOC and Setting 13 at 95% SOC, trying to come up with a setting that keeps a significant amount of battery in reserve for a scenario such as one where there is bad weather approaching that might cause utility power outages in my area (this happens several times per year).

The system does not work exactly the way I thought it did.

I found that with even the slightest PV input, the inverters hold the battery SOC at 79% and supplement the PV input as needed to run the loads while maintaining the battery. As long as there is any PV input, no matter how slight, SBU does not charge from 80% to 95%. This means that during the day, the solar will power the loads and charge the battery if adequate solar exists, but Utility will not charge the batteries above the SOC in setting 12.

However, if you turn off the PV input, the inverters do ramp up immediately at whatever Max Utility Charging Current that is set in Setting 11, and will ramp up to charge to the SOC in Setting 13. In my case, the inverters smoothly switched to charging from 80% to 95% SOC at 30A.

To test the system for switching from Utility back to Battery, I switched the PV back on and it showed 94W. The 2P1 inverter shut down showing an F80 code, while the 2P2 inverter continued to charge the battery but not power any loads.

I restarted the whole system from scratch and found the 2P2 inverter had changed back to SIG. I changed it back to 2P2 180 and restarted the whole system again.

Throughout testing, I did not see any flickering on my LED shop light, other than when the inverter switches from battery to grid mode. Even then, it was minor. The firmware update did seem to fix that.

There still seems to be a problem switching from Solar to Utility or from Utility to Solar when batteries are near full or when solar input is very low or intermittent and the inverters are trying to run at Max Utility Charging Current (early morning, late evening, heavy overcast, etc.).

 

[Gavin Stone]

I updated the firmware on both of my EG4-6500s without any problems at all using the new procedure and the Serial to USB adapter that I got from SS. Both the old and the new inverter now both show U1: 79.61 and U2: 61.10.

I am set up with 60A/120V AC Input to each inverter, and with EG4/USE battery types with comms cable from the 2P1 inverter to Battery 0000.

I've spent all day testing Settings 12 at 80% SOC and Setting 13 at 95% SOC, trying to come up with a setting that keeps a significant amount of battery in reserve for a scenario such as one where there is bad weather approaching that might cause utility power outages in my area (this happens several times per year).

The system does not work exactly the way I thought it did.

I found that with even the slightest PV input, the inverters hold the battery SOC at 79% and supplement the PV input as needed to run the loads while maintaining the battery. As long as there is any PV input, no matter how slight, SBU does not charge from 80% to 95%. This means that during the day, the solar will power the loads and charge the battery if adequate solar exists, but Utility will not charge the batteries above the SOC in setting 12.

However, if you turn off the PV input, the inverters do ramp up immediately at whatever Max Utility Charging Current that is set in Setting 11, and will ramp up to charge to the SOC in Setting 13. In my case, the inverters smoothly switched to charging from 80% to 95% SOC at 30A.

To test the system for switching from Utility back to Battery, I switched the PV back on and it showed 94W. The 2P1 inverter shut down showing an F80 code, while the 2P2 inverter continued to charge the battery but not power any loads.

I restarted the whole system from scratch and found the 2P2 inverter had changed back to SIG. I changed it back to 2P2 180 and restarted the whole system again.

Throughout testing, I did not see any flickering on my LED shop light, other than when the inverter switches from battery to grid mode. Even then, it was minor. The firmware update did seem to fix that.

There still seems to be a problem switching from Solar to Utility or from Utility to Solar when batteries are near full or when solar input is very low or intermittent and the inverters are trying to run at Max Utility Charging Current (early morning, late evening, heavy overcast, etc.).

That’s good news on the flickering at least. Is this the issue James said they were going to be checking into?