Conext Combox out of space?

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Rossman
Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Hi all,

Hoping someone has run into this, I have a Conext/XW system and after about 1 year or so of service the combox no longer shows me daily summaries.  It seems as though the unit has run out of internal storage space, there is a message in the logs like:
Internal Memory Full - Directories: nand:0:\Energy\2017\05.nand:0:\2017\05. Purged.

I have a couple questions that SE support wasn't readily forthcoming with answers on:
1) Can the combox really only store about a years worth of data?  This seems kind of small really.
2) Is there any way for me to get the existing historical data *out* of the combox, besides downloading every file individually through the combox web ui?  I need to reset the box to clear this issue but am not keen to just lose all that data.  Perhaps there is an admin telnet or ssh interface that is undocumented?
3) What approach should I be taking going forward to ensure the integrity of my data long term?  Should I be logging everything to an SD card?

Any advice appreciated!
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 7,019 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Number 3 every 5 seconds if it is important.  You do have warranty so ask them to replace the combox. Are you reasonably up to date with firmware?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    edited May 2017 #3
    I'm on firmware 707 I think? 


    Application VersionVer03.00BN0704
    Application Build Date2015-01-29_10-42-42
    Bootloader VersionVer01.02BN0087
    Bootloader Build Date2013-08-23_09-40-38

    Support gave me a short and almost rude answer like "you have to flash your firmware" and haven't responded to any of my follow up inquiries (ie what is the latest firmware, where can i get it, etc....every time i try to find a download on their website I never can - and I work in internet/web development).  it seems there have been cutbacks since the last time I filed a support ticket, quite disappointing.

    Also saw in another thread here there is a script to save the data off the combox but have not found that either....frustrating.  Spend all this money on an SE system and the support is shockingly bad.   Not sure how this is acceptable really  :(

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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 7,019 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Well, you do have to flash it or pay someone like me who knows the system and will walk you thru it. I am suspecting that you are not offgrid?

     If you can't find the info and do it I do not know what you expect? The info below has been there for years. 
     Even Outback will sometimes ask who installed this so we can chat.


    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    edited May 2017 #5
    We're off-grid, and I've upgraded the firmware before so I should be ok on that front, I just wanted to get that "copy files" script to ensure I've got my data out of the box before I flash it.

    As for their site, I will try again, but whenever I've gone there in the past and click the downloads on the combox page, it doesn't show me firmware files to download...even just now i was on the canadian version of the SE site and you cannot even find the combox, just the XW's...wacky.  I'll look on the US site.

    edit -> seems if i go to the url in your screenshot directly, that works, so thanks for that!!
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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    #6
    Just as a follow up, I guess I'd followed the link in the combox owners manual as well, which takes you here: http://www.schneider-electric.com/en/product-range/62089-conext-combox-/?parent-category-id=7000&parent-subcategory-id=7030

    but on that page when you click documents & downloads it doesn't give you anything worthwhile. 

    Just website issues I guess.  thanks again for hooking me up with the correct link!
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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    #7
    All issues resolved by flashing the latest firmware, I had to wait until it did it's maintenance reboot overnight but now all seems well.  I did *not* loose my historical data which is nice!!  Thanks again Dave.
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 7,019 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Your welcome!  We are very rural here and my ISP does weird things that I use to tell the engineers I am working with, that Schneider was doing. They finally had me load Teamviewer on my PC and I let them watch me for 24 hours. We found it was my ISP doing things
    and it was not the LG battery BMS. There are some pretty useful parts of the Bridge that offgrid folks will love. For one thing the BMS outputs Soc and Sohealth to the xanbus and you know exactly how full the battery is on the SCP or Bridge. No need for a shunt or any external wiring.

    I asked if you were offgrid because I usually do not get involved with grid-tie unless I am billing. Just so much time and getting the settings right is not easy. Besides, I would much rather be outside than sitting here at my desk. Just beautiful out there :)

    You also are much safer, and the XW system is also with the new firmware!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    #9
    Not sure where you are but it's been a rainy spring and early summer here.  It's mosquito central!  But we needed the rain because we had been in a drought all last summer, so I can't complain too much.  Last summer was nice for solar production though, didn't need to run the gennie from May to September!

    We have the conext battery monitor and shunt already so I guess I get a pretty good reading of the battery state of charge.  I have a few more firmware updates to do (MPPT80 & battery monitor) otherwise I think I am current.  It is annoying that you cannot flash the firmware in any device without the system going into standby  :(  I could understand if you were flashing the XW itself but why does the XW need to go offline when I'm flashing my charge controller or battery monitor!?  Such is life  :)

    Enjoy your nice weather!
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 7,019 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #10
    I am in the Sierra Mountains above the central valley of California. Down in the valley there are plenty of mosquito to make up for our 5 drought years. Are you getting pine beetles up your way like we are?

    The XW system was designed partly by a US government DOE grant. I seem to remember as 2003 and not a product until 2005. There were constraints and of course the Xanbus is very slow, but very reliable. To avoid corrupting an inverter power system and making it
     "a brick" the XW or CSW now has to go dark. Something also about the EPROM and just no way to do this safely.  I tell clients to run their load center in bypass and run off the generator. Some have a second inverter and can run it into AC1 and bypass the AC to the loads.

    You won't need the shunt with new technology batteries as all of that data is from their BMS and is far more accurate than the monitor you have now. Even better,  it does not stack up error on long runs in winter between filling the bank. What you see is what you have down to a couple percent. This Soc accuracy with a round-trip efficiency of over 95% really makes winter much easier and gen runs much shorter!

    As Frank said, "that's life"  :)
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    #11
    The best solution is a custom solution you build yourself. Best of luck to you.
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  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,498 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #12
    > @Lumisol said:
    > The best solution is a custom solution you build yourself. Best of luck to you.

    Maybe, but in my experience the vast majority of people are happier with a packaged solution with fairly straightforward operating instructions.
    Off-grid.  
    Main system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #13
    The fancy  scripts for the combox are listed under the  Technical Publications  tab
    http://solar.schneider-electric.com/product/conext-combox/

    Both the Read and Restore scripts are in there.   Read the instructions 3 times, or you can risk loosing data or bricking the combox if you
    screw up



    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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  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    #14
    > @Estragon said:
    > > @Lumisol said:
    > > The best solution is a custom solution you build yourself. Best of luck to you.
    >
    > Maybe, but in my experience the vast majority of people are happier with a packaged solution with fairly straightforward operating instructions.

    The vast majority of people don't understand what goes on under the hood of their car and when it breaks down they are at the mercy of others that are more knowledgeable.
    A vast majority doesn't mean the intelligent ones. Lol
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  • Rossman
    Rossman Solar Expert Posts: 178 ✭✭
    #15
    Thanks mike95490, I flashed the latest firmware and did not lose anything in the end, turns out I didn't need those scripts after all!  Appreciate your reply nonetheless!

    @Dave Angelini Here in eastern Ontario I don't know if we have pine beetles yet but I know the ash borers are a concern.  Today the first sunny day in a few, nice to get the batteries back to 100% again.

    Maybe in 5 years or so when I need to replace my 48VDC FLA bank there will be more alternatives like lithium-ion, that would work with my system.

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