xw 4548 firmware problem

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t00ls
t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
I went to look and see if xantrex had new firmware......using the config tool

when I loaded the firmware and the system came back up it had put 6048 firmware in instead of 4548

now that I have the correct firmware back in, I get f02 fault "ac input voltage too high"

do you suppose that the other firmware has caused one of my relays to become welded

if so...how difficult is it to get to the relay...I am quite mechanically inclined and I build computers among being able to wire houses fix vehicles

I dont believe I still have a warranty...I bought this one in 2008
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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    I have no idea how to help you but this is the second case of the wrong software being loaded Xantrex screwed up big time by not making it so only the right software would load
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  • wtwoods_az
    wtwoods_az Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭
    #3
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    Tools, I have a 4548 as well. Crewzer, Guppy, Dave, or the mods probably know better than me, but I think an F2 fault is AC output overvolt, not input. And, there are a lot of welded relay faults - you aren't getting those? Seems unlikely to me that the wrong firmware would cause a welded relay but I've been wrong before. Also, since the 6048 and the 4548 are the same voltage wise in and out, why would the firmware cause a voltage issue? I could see an amperage issue. Sorry about your troubles. Sounds like you have the ability to change out a relay if it comes to that.

    Xantrex Experts got any ideas?
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,749 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem
    halfcrazy wrote: »
    I have no idea how to help you but this is the second case of the wrong software being loaded Xantrex screwed up big time by not making it so only the right software would load

    There have been more cases of this than you think. Almost all of them are solved daily by Xantrex. It is hard when people do not read the manual and back-up existing firmware before attempting to update. Can you imagine how bad this would be if this was USB straight to the internet?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    I now know what happened....when I was using config tool I had a loose usb connection that interrupted the upgrade, there was a message that came up after that.

    when I reconnect to a different usb port, I tried to upgrade again.I didnt realze that there were other firmware files behind the one I checked.

    what happened was I uploaded a European model firmware that was 120v .....my line 1 voltage reading was reading 240 instead of 120 .....

    nick at xantrex is helping me right now....I dont think any hard ware is messed up

    the problem happened because of how xantrex uploads their firmware to the file on your pc....it uploads all the firmware file at that webpage.......sooooo, you get all the 6048 firmware mppt 4548 and 4024 firmware ....and when you have a brick that doesnt remember what it is, you can upload any various firmware into it

    mistake on both my side and xantrex

    since this happened I have noticed that the firmware I loaded is no longer a zip file at that web page ( I must have downloaded sometime ago) so you cant put that in there anymore...............

    7:19pm today after 2 days since this started xantrex tech support got me going...thanks nick...

    dave can you pm me
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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    well I have experience with software via USB and it is a cake walk. I have to say Xantrex needs to look at this a lot closer the end user should not be able to screw this up the software and hardware should have fail safes built in. The Program on the pc that is connected via USB just simply detects which device it is and installs the correct software.
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,749 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem
    halfcrazy wrote: »
    well I have experience with software via USB and it is a cake walk. I have to say Xantrex needs to look at this a lot closer the end user should not be able to screw this up the software and hardware should have fail safes built in. The Program on the pc that is connected via USB just simply detects which device it is and installs the correct software.

    But, keep an open mind! You are dealing with a charge controller only! This will not shut down a power system! If boB makes an error, or if the laptop battery runs out in the middle, or a host of other problems occurs during upgrade, you can still run the generator to charge your batteries. At the time when the xw was being developed it was felt that only experienced users should have access to the heart (inverter/charger) of a power system. Hence the dongle) What I do to avoid the mess that the op had here is to save the file from the internet,unzip, load to flash or cd. save existing firmware, and upgrade from flash/cd.

    There are plenty of things to knock xantrex on! This is not one in my opinion!
    When is that puppy you are testing ready to come out of the oven?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    The other issue is the non ability to restart software downloading say I am downloading software and the computer shuts down or the controller powers down this is no big deal we just redownload the software.Xantrex could have done this as well I feel like they just wanted to sell there dongle.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem
    halfcrazy wrote: »
    The other issue is the non ability to restart software downloading say I am downloading software and the computer shuts down or the controller powers down this is no big deal we just redownload the software.Xantrex could have done this as well I feel like they just wanted to sell there dongle.

    This is like flashing the BIOS in a computers motherboard. If you follow the instructions to the letter, wonderful.

    Mess it up, and you have "bricked" your system. When I updated my Morningstar 60A MPPT, I tested the USB -Serial interface for data errors. I tested the checksum on the downloaded files. I printed the instructions. I read them 2x. I disabled the screenblank and snooze on the laptop. I spread goat blood and chicken guts around the way the ju-ju woman said to. Side A completed. power cycle in the prescribed manner. Side B completed.
    All was fine.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem
    mike90045 wrote: »
    This is like flashing the BIOS in a computers motherboard. If you follow the instructions to the letter, wonderful.

    I spread goat blood and chicken guts around the way the ju-ju woman said to.
    All was fine.

    LMAO, too much! Did you forget the dance to the moon god while picking the correct phase?
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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #11
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    Actually it is not like flashing the bios the unit has a spot of memory that is configured as such to watch for the program on the pc and always give that first shot at software. Plain as mud right? sort of like the boot loader in the bios it will always look to see if there is anything for it even if the software is trashed.

    Think of it as more like reinstalling windows not flashing the bios. in this case the bios is only worked on by the factory but windows would be the operational software. My guess is this is simple over-site on Xantrex's part and may or may not be an easy fix? I applaud them for making it field upgradable but they still have a ways to go.

    I prefer stuff like this to be simple and foolproof and I have seen how that is accomplished watching boB and as far as us only dealing with a CC that is no issue software is software just a bit more data to load that's it.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem
    solar_dave wrote: »
    Did you forget the dance to the moon god while picking the correct phase?

    No - and I did not forget, and it's the moon goddess. If you use the moon god, it makes a hole in the ocean floor, and ooblick comes out. Uh oh, I might not have phased it right.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #13
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    Re: xw 4548 firmware problem

    as I said in the update ...this was caused by a combination of me and xantrex.

    me for having a bad usb port then not watching which version of firmware was checked,.....xantrex for having all their firmware in one location.

    having an upload interrupted is not a problem if you have the correct firmware selected, in this case there were too many selections of firmware to choose from (not that I paid attention to what I chose, which is why this happened)

    the reason this was so difficult is that the firmware I put in had more information than the firmware that goes in, config tool simply wasnt getting rid of the extra stuff out of memory,it didnt know it had to erase it, so my box still thought it was a 240 european model

    Xantrex has since the last time I downloaded firmware, taken that model off the download page, I just still had on my pc (trust me I deleted it when I found out)

    but xantrex also knew how to fix the problem because I'm sure I wasn't the first person this happened to


    simply put, I put this experience on here so others would know what to do when this happens
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