XW+6848

ColoradoSolar · February 2017

On my new system I am going to be installing a Schneider XW+6848. Since I am off-grid should I keep some spare parts for the XW+6848 and if so which ones would you recommend?

Dave Angelini · February 2017

If you are in the US, parts and warranty are not a problem at all and they are really good worldwide. For at least 5 years you are good and in my opinion this unit will be around/supported for decades. For my clients who really want redundancy (for whatever reason) I install / provide a second XW. I have installed/supervised by e-mail/text over 80 of them and never had a failure offgrid.

ColoradoSolar · February 2017

That's good to know.

mike95490 · February 2017

I'm off grid, with the older 6048 (no +) and maybe at about 8 years, I'll buy a spare to have on hand. But that's a lot of $$ to have tied up , just waiting, No spare parts / boards that I've heard of to keep stocked on hand.

Dave Angelini · February 2017

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6024911/uploads/editor/f1/5lq4d24kdxsy.png

I never have damaged a working device all the way back to 2007 with the XW. One should never do firmware on an offgrid inverter unless they have practiced on other devices first. I always remove the inverter from xanbus when doing firmware for people and myself. The home router is often the source of the problem and so that can be avoided by using a usb drive for the firmware. The Ethernet is great but if you lose power it is a nightmare. Avoid it for firmware if you live offgrid.

The latest combox has new firmware that is suppose to avoid the "brick" issue but I would still do this the old fashioned way Offgrid. We can't afford to lose power. Equipment bought from a supplier like wind/and sun or myself is drop shipped from Schneider. All of their Inverter/chargers have a slot in their shipping container/box where firmware can be refreshed at the warehouse in stock. There is very little over the years for the XW offgrid but the CSW did have bricking issues. Yuk!

mike95490 · February 2017

When I flashed the firmware on my inverter, I used a 12V jump pack to power the router, so it would not crash when the wall wart dies, as the inverter is updated, it naturally goes off-line (read the fine print) till the update is complete, and then you run the script to restore all the settings you saved before the flash.

All of their Inverter/chargers have a slot in their shipping container/box where firmware can be refreshed at the warehouse in stock

Odd, the XW I got was in a solid plywood crate, no program slot apparent. And then you need someone to run down the line of gear and flash them all.

Dave Angelini · February 2017

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6024911/uploads/editor/0y/kusphl5l5d1u.jpg

Mike, things change right? It is not a solid crate anymore. Very expensive! For the last, I am going to say 5 years the XW's are in a very strong cardboard box secured to a a standard shipping pallet.

Off course when you do firmware on the system the Inverter it goes offline. That is my point, you do not need to do any firmware for an offgrid inverter/charger so disconnect the xanbus to the XW. The one you performed really only widened the AC2 input spec for generators and that firmware is about 7 years old now. The new product, the Conext bridge will need the XW updated but that is still down the road. Almost all XW firmware is for Grid-Tie.

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

Another question. I received part of my system and was playing with the ComBox at my desk. I decided to install the latest firmware 3.03 BN 830. I followed the directions to the letter and now I just get Memory, Xanbus and Modbus LEDs lit no Power or Status LEDs. I wonder if I did something wrong or if there is an issue with the firmware I downloaded.

Does anyone have an older version of the ComBox firmware I can try?

Thanks,
Eric

mike95490 · March 2017

Try it again, reset, wait for the flashing, plug in the thumb drive. and at the right time remove it, WAIT after you remove the thumbdrive, it starts the Install (first it copies to RAM) and takes another 5 min to flash the EPROM from the ram. Then the other lights go out and then it's OK to power down and restart with the new FW.

The instructions ALMOST read right,

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

I tried it about 4 times. The last time I let it sit for probably over an hour. Since it didn't seem to work after all those tries I was interested in trying an older version of the firmware.

I will try it again today.

Dave Angelini · March 2017

There is nothing wrong with that firmware BTW. Read the instructions exactly again and very carefully try again. You do have the rest of this right? You really should not be doing this until you really know what you are doing as there really is not any need to change firmware but .....

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6024911/uploads/editor/cl/ohe57r4u1fhs.png

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

Dave Angelini said:

There is nothing wrong with that firmware BTW. Read the instructions exactly again and very carefully try again. You do have the rest of this right? You really should not be doing this until you really know what you are doing as there really is not any need to change firmware but .....

I have followed those exact instructions 5 or 6 times with the same results.

Also a bit of background to show that I am not some beginner. I have been a programmer for well over 20 years, I had my own business designing, producing and selling weather monitoring equipment and many of those items had firmware that I wrote so I think I can follow instructions to do a simple firmware upgrade.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with the firmware but does anyone have an older version that I can try?

BB. · March 2017

I don't know anything about the XW--But reverting firmware can be a really iffy process. If the software does not have a full memory wipe (which, of course, would lose all of your present configuration information), new database structures read by "down rev firmware" can cause problems--And with power equipment, it could cause hardware damage too.

Have you called (don't email initial questions--They probably will get ignored or delayed replies) Schneider tech support yet? In general, have heard pretty good things about their phone support.

-Bill

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

I have not called tech support but did email them. I have emailed them in the past and they have usually been pretty quick about responding.

mike95490 · March 2017

Dave Angelini said:

There is nothing wrong with that firmware BTW. Read the instructions exactly again and very carefully try again. You do have the rest of this right? You really should not be doing this until you really know what you are doing as there really is not any need to change firmware but .....

Dave, That pic looks nothing like my instructions. With mine, after pressing reset and applying power,, the LEDS blink all togherher, 3 times slow to signal a data erase, and then holding a bit longer, 3 fast flashes to indicate EPROM wipe complete, Then you plug in the thumb drive

Dave Angelini · March 2017

Mike, it is the current rev that comes with the combox. I suspect yours is older!
The OP should call as Bill said. They will attempt to walk you thru it.
You may be Steve Jobs brother but be very careful with Schneider firmware if you live offgrid. It could take weeks to get power if you do not have a spare inverter/charger. Always unplug the bus from the XW+ and do not upgrade its firmware as there is not any reason to offgrid. It was done years ago for offgrid.

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

Tech support replied and the lights that are on means some sort of memory failure so they are doing an RMA swap.

Dave Angelini · March 2017

Just curious, where did you buy this from please?

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

Renvu.com.

Dave Angelini · March 2017

Thx. There are a few out there who sell old stock comboxes. The reason I did not send you the old firmware is Schneider needs to solve the supply chain with combox as they did with the XW's.

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

This was not old stock. It has a manufacture date of 12/DEC/2016.

AdrianB · March 2017

Hello,

I have exactly the same issue with my comBox the three LED's are on (Memory, Xanbus, Modbus) after firmware upgrade to 3.03.
Any solution to this issue?
Manufacture date 27 May 2015

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

The solution for me is to do an RMA with Schneider. Their tech support said it was some sort of memory failure and no way for me to fix it myself.

neutronspin · March 2017

ColoradoSolar said:

This was not old stock. It has a manufacture date of 12/DEC/2016.

Mine failed exactly the same way with the same manufacture date. I opened a case with them (3/14/17) and they are supposed to send me an RMA to get a replacement....when?...IDK....I bet there is a hardware defect in this run of boxes. Very disappointing and now I want to run from Schneider equipment....

ColoradoSolar · March 2017

I received my "new" ComBox yesterday even though they said it was not going to ship until 4/17. It has the same manufacture date and it's serial number is 2 behind the one I had that failed. I am very pleased with Schneider's service.

I don't want to run from their equipment because it seems well built but I do have a bit of concern after hearing about 3 similar failures. Hopefully once I get my system fully installed it will work without issues.

BTW I did update the new ComBox to the latest firmware and it went fine. As a matter of fact and I am back to writing my software to talk to the ComBox as we speak.

neutronspin · March 2017

ColoradoSolar said:

I received my "new" ComBox yesterday even though they said it was not going to ship until 4/17. It has the same manufacture date and it's serial number is 2 behind the one I had that failed. I am very pleased with Schneider's service.

I don't want to run from their equipment because it seems well built but I do have a bit of concern after hearing about 3 similar failures. Hopefully once I get my system fully installed it will work without issues.

BTW I did update the new ComBox to the latest firmware and it went fine. As a matter of fact and I am back to writing my software to talk to the ComBox as we speak.

I just received an RMA from Schneider....hopefully when I get the replacement it will work for more than two or three weeks. I noticed when I tried to reload the firmware I was getting a series of very fast flashes when the thumb drive was first plugged in which may be indicative of a hardware failure or a corrupt boot-loader. I do like most of their hardware....their inverters are top notch IMHO but QC was not done very well on this device I believe....I am a EE and know something...I think...LOL....good luck with your system.....

XW+6848

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