MPPT SmartSolar Firmware v3.15 Bulk-Float Issue

Question

question

gbradleyviper asked Apr 23, '24

MPPT SmartSolar Firmware v3.15 Bulk-Float Issue

24v system. (12) 330 WATT panels. (12) 370 WATT panels. (2) SmartSolar MPPT 150/70. (2) SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100. (8) Rolls S6 L16-HC 445 AH. (2) strings of 4 in parallel.

I have not had this problem until upgrading to v3.15 a few days ago. The 4 chargers start in bulk, go into absorption and then go into float. Once in float, if a cloud comes by or there is too much of a load to cause the chargers to go into bulk, randomly one of the charge controllers will stay stuck in float while the others are in bulk. With the one random charger stuck in float, it does not provide any current to get the system back to float. Therefore only 3 chargers are providing current to get the system back to float. I have to shut the random charge controller off. Turn it back on and then it will sense that it needs to be in bulk and will do so helping the other 3 chargers get the system back into float.

I have turned off all chargers at the same time and let them sit off for 1 minute off. No difference.

Once again, I have never had this problem with earlier versions of the firmware. I am retired and I constantly monitor the system.

Is there a way to go back to the last firmware?

Thank you for your response and time.

Guy Bradley

firmware update

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 24 at 11:43 AM

Hi @gbradleyviper

Do you have the MPPTs also connected to a Venus system?

And do you also have VE.Smart Networking enabled on the SmartSolars? Or do you perhaps have the VE.Can chargers connected via de CAN bus?

With kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 25 at 08:27 AM

Hello.

The MPPT's are not connected to a Venus system. VE.Smart Networking is enabled on all SmartSolars. The VE.Can chargers are not connected via CAN bus.

Thank you,

Guy Bradley

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ gbradleyviper commented · Apr 26 at 06:27 AM

Hi @gbradleyviper

Can you connect to each charger and check for each in the VE.Smart networking menu that it sees the other 3 MPPTs? When they are connected via a VE.Smart network, they should all switch charge state more or less at the same time but if 1 charger does not see all other chargers, this might not work properly.

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 26 at 09:19 AM

Hi Thiemo,

Each charger could see the other chargers. I went into all 4 MPPT's and left the network and then reestablished the network. Give me a couple of days to see if this fixed the issue.

Thank you,

Guy Bradley

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 27 at 09:35 AM

Hello Thiemo,

I think the problem has been fixed by disconnecting each MPPT from the network and then reconnecting. I think it was one of the VE.Can 150/100. I track how this system does on a daily basis using Microsoft Excel. Since the firmware update, the VE.Can 150/100 had different absorption and float values from the other 3 MPPT's. Even though the VE.Can 150/100 showed it was communicating with the other MPPT's I guess something happened to it's communications with the other MPPT's during the firmware update or it was just a coincidence at the same time.

If the problem magically comes back in the days ahead I will send you an email. Otherwise, if all goes well, consider the issue is fixed.

Thank you for your help. I am glad I do not have to go back to the previous firmware version.

Have a nice day,

Guy Bradley

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 27 at 05:40 PM

Hi Thiemo,

I was wrong. The system just went into Float. This time the other SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100 stayed in Absorption. I connected to it, I made it leave the network. Then I made it join the network and it went into Float. Reminder, I have never had this problem until the last firmware update. At least I did not have to cycle the power on the MPPT. Leaving and joining the network is better. FYI, all four of the MPPT's are 50 millimeters away from the next. All reside in the same closet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Guy Bradley

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · Apr 28 at 09:27 AM

Hello Thiemo,

I failed to mention. Before I upgraded the firmware on all four charge controllers, I upgraded the Bluetooth firmware to v2.49. Once I upgraded the Bluetooth firmware all the charge controllers then said that there was a firmware upgrade for each charge controller. Then I upgraded all the charge controllers firmware.

Being that this seems like a network issue, maybe it is not the charge controller firmware but the Bluetooth firmware that is causing the problem?

Just a thought.

Thanks again for your time,

Guy Bradley

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ gbradleyviper commented · Apr 30 at 07:16 AM

Hi @gbradleyviper

Thank you for mentioning this. It could indeed be a networking issue and related to the dongle. It could also still be related to the MPPT or a combination of both as they are working closely together in case of VE.Smart networking.

In any case, we will look into this issue.

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ gbradleyviper commented · Apr 30 at 12:22 PM

Hi @gbradleyviper

Can you perhaps remember what version were running on the internal dongle and the MPPT before you upgraded them?

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 01 at 06:33 AM

Hi Thiemo,

I don't know what you mean by the internal dongle. The MPPT's don't have a dongle that I know of. I think the last version was 3.14 for the firmware? I don't remember the last version of the Bluetooth firmware.

I am currently experimenting with the four MPPT's. On April 29 once the MPPT's turned on, I went into one of the can MPPT and left the network and then rejoined. It did not have the problem that day. On April 30, the other can MPPT exhibited the problem. This morning when the MPPT's turn on I will leave the network and rejoin for both can MPPT's. It may move to one of the non MPPT's now and if so then I will have to do this every morning to all four MPPT's so they function properly.

I will let you know how it goes in a couple of days.

Thanks for your help,

Guy Bradley

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 11 at 06:04 PM

Hello Thiemo,

Here is an update.

The network problem seems to only affect the (2) SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100. The network problem only affected one of the (2) SmartSolar MPPT 150/70 after the update and has not given me anymore problems.

Daily I have been leaving and joining the network for the (2) SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100. Until yesterday all was working OK.

Yesterday, the system went into Bulk due to clouds, one of the SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100 stayed in Float. I had to connect with it, leave the network and reconnect and then it went into Bulk.

Today 4 hour into Bulk, one of the SmartSolar MPPT VE.Can 150/100 turned to float. I connected to it and left and then joined the network and it went back into Bulk.

That's all I have. I will contact you if it gets worse.

Thanks for your time,

Guy Bradley

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 14 at 01:50 AM

Today, the system went into bulk because of clouds. The non cans went into bulk where one of the cans went into absorption and the other went into float. This is very frustrating. I can't believe no one else is having this problem or they are just not as anal as me.

I researched into reverting to previous firmware's and your company makes it so hard to revert back that I gave up.

I give up...

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gbradleyviper Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 23 at 04:09 PM

Thiemo. This is getting old. I am having inconsistent problems. I thought it was just the CAN MPPT's but yesterday it went to a non CAN. I have a total of 4 MPPT's. 2 CAN's and 2 not CAN's. On a daily basis, I was leaving the network and joining the network of the 2 CAN's. Now it goes to the non CAN's. So, on a daily basis I have to leave the network and join the network for all 4 MPPT's. This is ridiculous. Victron makes it impossible to go back to a previous firmware. They covet their distributor's but not the people who buy their equipment. It's just code. Victron add the code in Victron Connect so anyone can downgrade firmware. I am your customer at the bottom end. I can't afford to have someone come out here and do it. I can't afford the Cerbo GX and all that is required in the aftermath of the installation. I all ready have $30,000 into this archaic technology. I am not spending anymore. I wish Victron would be more responsive to their bottom end customers...

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Modifications Space

Node Red Space

Answer 1 · 2024-04-23T09:20:43Z

dmsims answered · Apr 23 at 09:20 AM

You have to create an account to access:

https://professional.victronenergy.com/downloads/firmware/

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Answer 2 · 2024-04-23T17:59:23Z

gbradleyviper answered · Apr 23 at 05:59 PM

Hi. I created an account and downloaded the two .xup files. How do I import them into the charge controllers? In doing research, people say Android does not work. Thank you.

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Answer 3 · 2024-05-14T09:59:46Z

jameshoare1964 answered · May 14 at 09:59 AM

I am having exactly the same issue after uploading V3.15 have rolled back to V3.13 but still persist except fist thing in morning. Has been trouble free for 2 years now its generating 20W from a 6.5 kWp system with 5 Smart solar charge controllers. most bizarre but vagualy reasurring its not just me

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Answer 4 · 2024-05-14T10:04:46Z

jameshoare1964 answered · May 14 at 10:04 AM

photo of one controller

photo-2024-05-13-17-51-08.jpg (322.8 KiB)

3

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 15 at 06:37 AM

Hi @JamesHoare1964

It looks like your SmartSolars are connected via CAN. Do you only have SmartSolars using VE.Can? Do you have them all connected? Do you also have a GX device (CCGX, Cerbo GX, etc) in your system?

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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jameshoare1964 Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ commented · May 26 at 06:16 PM

Thiemo - Yes I have 5 Smartsolar's all with same problem and Cerbo

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Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) ♦ jameshoare1964 commented · May 27 at 11:23 AM

Hi @JamesHoare1964

Do you have DVCC enabled on the Cerbo? And do you also have VE.Smart Networking enabled on the MPPTs?

Regards,

Thiemo

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Answer 5 · 2024-05-14T11:50:09Z

r0bb0 answered · May 14 at 11:50 AM

Hi @gbradleyviper,

My system is a bit different to yours, I've just got two SmartSolar MPPTs and a smart shunt. Just using Bluetooth VE.Smart networking. (I have a 150/70 and a 100/20).

Since the latest update, I'm having troubles with controllers being out of sync, in my case one switches to float like it should, and the other remains in absorption. Taking them off/on the network seems to help for the next day, but after that, they misbehave again.

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Answer 6 · 2024-05-14T16:42:16Z

r0bb0 answered · May 14 at 04:42 PM

Hi @gbradleyviper ,

This sounds very similar to a problem that I am having with a 150/70 and a 100/20 MPPT, where one charger switches to float and the other remains in absorption.

My problems too followed updates to controller, Bluetooth, controller. From this point forward synchronisation of MPPT controllers has been unreliable, removing and re-adding sometimes fixes it for a day.

Attempts to downgrade the firmware via the Android app doesn't seem to work, I can't see the firmware files once they are imported.

@Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) , I think there might be a problem with MPPT synchronisation in the last update to the internal bluetooth dongle. I have a post already https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/284880/vesmart-syncronised-charging-not-working-tail-curr.html which explains the particulars of my scenario, but its looking like the same issue @gbradleyviper is having.

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Answer 7 · 2024-05-23T17:25:14Z

gbradleyviper answered · May 23 at 05:25 PM

Sorry I did not answer sooner. I am having inconsistent problems. I thought it was just the CAN MPPT's but yesterday it went to a non CAN. I have a total of 4 MPPT's. 2 CAN's and 2 not CAN's. On a daily basis, I was leaving the network and joining the network of the 2 CAN's. Now it goes to the non CAN's. So, on a daily basis I have to leave the network and join the network for all 4 MPPT's. This is ridiculous. Victron makes it impossible to go back to a previous firmware. They covet their distributor's but not the people who buy their equipment. It's just code. Victron add the code in Victron Connect so anyone can downgrade firmware. I am your customer at the bottom end. I can't afford to have someone come out here and do it. I can't afford the Cerbo GX and all that is required in the aftermath of the installation. I all ready have $30,000 into this archaic technology. I am not spending anymore...

2 |3000

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Answer 8 · 2024-06-04T18:23:10Z

gbradleyviper answered · Jun 04 at 06:23 PM

If you have Android and are having problems associating the firmware files with VictronConnect, go to Google Play Store and download "Total Commander". Total Commander can associate the files to VictronConnect. I just did it and was able to downgrade both the charge controller firmware and the Bluetooth firmware. I have been in touch with tier 3 support rep at Victron and both are recommended by Victron to downgrade being that both firmware are tied closely to each other for VE.Smart networking and Bluetooth interface.

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