SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/200 firmware update failed

DIY
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Hello to all supporters and helpers :slight_smile:

Hope that you are doing well!

Before describing the problem, here is one of few OFF-Grid setups which is running mobile base station 24/7 and now it has a problem with solar chargers:

  • 2x SmartSolar MPPT 150/70-Tr (newest firmwares);
  • 1x SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/200 MC4 (firmware update failed);
  • 5x B-LFP-200E LiFePO4 batteries, with enabled BMS;
  • 1x MultiPlus II 48/10000 (latest firmware);
  • Modbus integration with genset (ComAp InteliLite 4 AMF 25 controller)
  • Cerbo GX (with Venus OS 3.70~32)

All solar chargers are connected to the Cerbo via VE.Direct protocol. Today I wanted to update MPPT RS 450/200 firmware, from version 1.22 to version 1.26 via VRM (Device list –> Firmware update).
After few minutes, the message appears that firmware update has failed, with error -xupd 79.
As I had encountered few times with failed firmware update progress in the past, I used a simple solution - rescan devices, problematic device will be shown like “generic” and I run update again. But now that solution doesn’t work.
After update has failed, I did rescan for devices (Device list –> Firmware update), but none of the VE.Direct devices are shown on the list anymore (just Cerbo GX and MultiPlus II). In that moment, Cerbo GX has Venus OS 3.60, so I immediately restarted it, updated to the version 3.65 and then to the 3.70~32, but with both versions is the same.
The interesting part is that SmartSolar MPPT 150/70 chargers are regularly shown on VRM dashboard/Device list and they can be accessed in Remote Console and Victron Connect app (they disappeared from Firmware update page on VRM). SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/200 isn’t visible at all (on VRM, Remote Console and Victron app)
I tried to change MPPT chargers VRM instances and deleted all VE.Direct devices from Device list on VRM page - but it didn’t help.
Another problem is that system is 600km away from me on mountain and I can’t go to the site in few days/I can’t restart equipment.

So, I’m asking - does anyone have an idea how to solve this issue?
Is there any way that I can access to the “bricked” MPPT RS 450/200 and why other VE.Direct devices (2x SmartSolart MPPT 150/70) are missing from the firmware update page on VRM after the update of MPPT RS failed?

Any answer will be appreciated.

Best regards,
Srđan

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Update:

Colleague went to the site today. The message on the display of MPPT RS says: “Updater active”. Here are steps what he done:

  • Disconnected PV input and Battery output to completely shut down MPPT RS. Few minutes after, he reconnected PV and batteries, but same message appears.
  • Connected to the MPPT RS via Bluetooth and tried to manually update firmware, but unfortunately application says that the latest firmware is installed - 1.22 (which isn’t the latest one).
  • Tried like on this post: MPPT RS 450/100 bricked? - VictronEnergy - without luck.

Interesting thing is that, when VE.Direct cable is removed from MPPT RS, other two MPPTs are properly shown on Device list for firmware update.

Can be MPPT RS manually programmed? Is device considered as faulty and we can RMA it?

Best regards

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Hi all :slight_smile:

@thiemovanengelen solved the problem by connecting to the system (Remote support) and updated firmware successfully - via some magic way :smiley: .

According to his words, there were however a lot of communication errors during the update, so he had to perform the update at a lower communication rate than what is normally used. This usually points to a bad VE.Direct cable connection, a cable that is too long or running parallel to high current lines and that is my case. VE.Direct cable is extended on two points because Cerbo GX is more than 10m far from MPPT. I have to look at connection and make it tighter or try more reliable way to make it stable.
This is most likely reason why update has failed and maybe this case could help someone to solve similar issue.

Thiemo, thanks again!

Best regards,
Srđan

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Can you connect via ve.can instead, as it doesn’t have the 10m length limitation? Or do you need the ve can for bms as its a mk 1 cerbo?

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For some reason, connection with VE.Can didn’t work on this and another sites (each site has 1 MPPT 450/200), with terminators and good crimping. We needed a quick solution and that is the reason why we used VE.Direct.

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