Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

StevenB

Someone mentioned Solar Guppie had specific knowledge of Xantrex stuff...but if anyone has XW Config experience...I can't seem to get an answer from Xantrex on this one:
Inverter System Logging with XW Config. I can't find any documentation explaining what the abbreviations stand for and just a general explanation of each.

Can someone point me to anything that will help me understand the data point definitions? I still consider myself a beginner. Just enough knowledge to screw up more than someone with a little less knowledge!

Thanks,
Steven

dwh

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

Looks to me like "sts" is shorthand for "status". RMS stands for "Root, Mean, Square".

So, you got

AC In Status RMS (Generator 1)
AC In Status RMS (Grid 1)

AC Out Status RMS

Charge Status (House Battery Bank 1)

Inverter Status

AC Xfer (transfer) Switch Status

Battery Status

DC Source Status

Etc., etc.

StevenB

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

Yup. Some of the abbreviations are more obvious than others.

That attached graphic is just the first node of a much larger string of settings choices. If you have XW Config experience....I sure could use some explanations as to the relationships between those settings and expected output in conventional situations.
It's way too much for explanations here in the forum...I'm hoping someone can point to some documentation for this.

Xantrex is usually pretty forthcoming with info ....on this one I'm not getting anything from them.

dwh

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

You do know that SG has his own forum as well as participating here?

http://www.solar-guppy.com/forum/index.php

Might be some info there.

Ralph Day

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

Visiting Solar Guppy's fish tank is worthwhile for any and all Xantrex related stuff! Not as much traffic as NAWS, but chock full of good information.

Ralph

StevenB

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

oh boy! Thanks guys. I did not know that at all. I'll search through the existing posts, and then post my own to try to fill what gaps remain.

Dave Angelini

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

You asking about what the different abbreviations mean in logging? The XW config software will allow you to log any of the parameters for debugging failures or intermittents. Most of them are scattered thru the documantation but if SG is on vacation I can get take a look.

What do you want to log?

StevenB

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

Thanks Dave,
Well in general I'm trying just to understand what data outputs I'm seeing, since I have some real blind spots in some of the basics...although my system is performing well I believe.

But specifically during a long cloudy spell, I saw what seemed to be the charger phase coming on prematurely. And this is what got me to start trying to use the logging. I have the Charge threshold set for 50v, and it was coming on at above that. Looking at the other XW Config logging...the "Get", I saw that during this period the charging was only for 3 minutes in Bulk and 3 minutes in Absorption.
And so I am also wondering if that is even a significant amount of power contributed.

Attached is a System Log file and a Get file. The system file includes parameters I just guessed at to include.

So to (finally?) answer your question....as a beginner looking to be educated...what are the most useful parameters I should be including in logging session? Some of the parameters seem to output redundant info.

Also, I'm not sure but it seems some of the logging sessions time out if I include too many parameters. I've got a Cat5 buried in conduit from my battery barn/inverter location to my laptop in the house (150ft).

It's a small test setup for now, unti I can afford a "phase 2" ... (2) 60w Kanekas in parallel, (1) Airx 400, 16 12V AGM 100a batteries hooked up to be 48v, Hybrid 6048, C40 controller (replacing crap BZ500!) (will go to full on Xantrex controller when I put up 220w panels in future)

Dave Angelini

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

Steven,

Yes I quite happily stay away from grid-tie so I will defer to others. That said, you need the XWCC for this to work right as it is all about having accurate set-points and letting the system work as designed. The C40 is just going to be a pain for grid-tie even as an experiment, as the analog setting are just too sensitive (pots). Losing the network to control settings by not using the XWCC seems like this will never work right but, I could be wrong.....

I did not find the list of logged parameters on the Xantrex site either.....Did you go to solar guppies site?
Try this
http://www.xantrex.com/support/web/type/7/docldoc_type.asp

Solar Guppy

Re: Calling all Solar Guppies - XW Config System Logging

I don't have any special data on what the abbreviations are for the logging ...

I do have the XW dongle and the XW-Config program and have used it to log parameters, its a bit buggy but its main feature I used it for was for updating the firmware files. For operational monitoring I used external power loggers ( Yokogawa's ) which are pricey, high quality lab grade analyzers for my work

100 watts of PV and gridtie will probably just hopelessly hunt on/off, much to small for a 6kw XW inverter.