Edit from Guy - This topic was split off from the announcement that the CCGX would not be automatically updated to v3.60
The annoying thing is I paid 500€ for my CCGX.
Edit from Guy - This topic was split off from the announcement that the CCGX would not be automatically updated to v3.60
The annoying thing is I paid 500€ for my CCGX.
First good message. Version 3.6 is not presented anymore if I press check update.
Which hardware would be a future proof dropin replacement without display?
I need direct connect to 1x multiplus via VEBUS.
Hi @paulcarmichael,
I bought my first CCGX in 2014, and it is still working today.
I agree it was expensive at the time, especially as no other power systems had anything else like it, and most didn’t see the value in having a big colour screen and internet connection at all.
But even from the beginning I thought it was good value.
It has since had many major software updates, adding features, a new user interface (I wonder how many are remembering the original one), and many benefits included from VRM as well.
But it’s now over 10 year old computer design with only a single core processor, and while it still does the job it was purchased for, it cannot be expected to continue to get the latest improvements forever.
It has been completely replaced by the Ekrano GX for screen integrated applications for a couple of years, and already the Cerbo GX and GX touch have been out for 5 years as well.
There is no planned obsolescence here, we have kept the CCGX at pace for as long as we could, but now trying to continue to do so is affecting the stability of its core job, which is monitoring and controlling the power system.
So we need to draw a line here and say this is the best thing for people who want to continue to use their CCGX as they bought it for as long as they can do so without worrying about an automatic update causing problems.
The small irony is that we have already disabled automatic updates for all new GX devices out of the factory for many years now, and its mainly those that are so old already before that change was made that will notice any difference.
The newer ones will continue just as they were, using whatever the stable release was at the time of their installation.
Hi Guy, @guystewart
Problem is that here, in Romania (and I believe in other places too), the CCGX is still sold through distributors.
And it’s about 400-500 Euros.
One can buy in good faith a CCGX, only to find out that it soon will not work properly… Not nice…
So how can one solve such situation ?
Below some prices, 1 Euro = 5 lei, so one can do the math…
CCGX is still working and some customers still demand it because they know it, and prefer it. All that is changing here now is that it will keep the stable software it is shipped with.
It is going to continue to work.
Others have CCGX integrated into their OEM designs and don’t need to change, because it is the right part for their application.
All still valid.
It has been some time since I have been in sales, but already when I left I was learning about the limit of the CCGX for larger systems, and moving my customers over to the Cerbo GX.
This announcement might also encourage some to update their advice to customers, and also for Victron to update our information and support documents to make the situation clearer for customers doing their research.
It would be interesting to see if the update process to newer libraries and OS was because there were problems and needed update, or because of the “user flow” that is used to update it to the last version…
I know a person which is a “living for the updates” person, checking at least once a day if there is something new. I will not mention how many times he had problems…
And you know those words: “No matter how strong and better you’ll build your hardware, we can still make an OS that will put your hardware in its knees…”
Due to the HW limitations we stopped selling the CCGX a few years ago.
And we also started to replace broken CCGX’ with a Cerbo + GX Touch 50.
IMO Victron also should have stopped producing/selling the CCGX years ago.
Hello,
I have to agree with @alexpescaru.
I’ve long been surprised that the CCGX is still available in so many stores. Even in Germany, for example here (or at least not quite so outrageously expensive here).
In my opinion, they should have been discontinued a long time ago, or if they are, then at least at much lower prices and always with a very clear indication that it is a very old product (and that there are better successors or alternatives).
This is clear to anyone who has spent even a short time with it, but for everyone else it is really more than annoying!
I would be pleased if you, as the manufacturer, would make up for this as quickly as possible, simply to avoid damaging Victron’s image.
I like Victron far too much for that!
I feel you there, I have a drawer full of cell phones I paid over $1,000 for that are bricks. At least victron waits many years to sunset something and not 2 years like other tech companies. I’m sure the didn’t intend to sunset the device. Least they have a path to downgrade the update and still keep the device going with the same operability your used to.
And another thing…
I can see a time when a certain below level of firmware will not be able to properly function with the VRM.
Which will be the line ?.. Which already happened here on the community…
Buy a new hardware in order to work with the newer firmware, in order to work with the new options on the VRM…
I know… I am a carping critic…
Out of curiosity, do Victron recommend that users of CCGX “upgrade” to a newer product? If so, is there an “upgrade path”, sort of a trade-in, to offset the cost a tad?
IMO that’s a good sign that those sellers don’t know what they are selling and don’t install Victron systems by themself.
Everyone actively installing/working with Victron products should have noticed that the CCGX became slower and slower over the past years.
Even if you didn’t change the setup of a system, it got slower just due to new features in the software.
Now is the best time to switch the CCGX to EOL.
I guess that will happen sometime but it can’t be supported indefinitely.
But knowing that the CCGX doesn’t get updated anymore the VRM team can try to support it as long as possible.
And they also could add a warning a few month before the support is dropped and recommend to upgrade the CCGX to a newer GX device.
As Matthijs wrote above it looks like you will still be able to manually update to the last version, only the availability of 3.60 for the CCGX over the auto update has been disabled (for now).
In our case, one of those sellers is importer, distributor, installer and also organizing workshops and trainings for Victron hardware…
Probably this should come from Victron, as happened in the Multi RS case where the sales were stopped and new hardware devised in a matter of months…
Just a mere mortal opinion, who knows, from up there the things could seem different.
There are already VRM features that aren’t available to some early models of CCGX. For example my 2014 unit can’t remotely update the firmware on my MultiPlus.
But it never had that feature, so it wasn’t lost, it just wasn’t able to support it when we added it to newer GX models.
That is the same situation today, we aren’t removing anything from the CCGX, it’s just not moving forward.
It still has the same function today as it did the day it was installed.
You’re right…
I was talking about a day when the data format sent by - at that date - older firmware CCGX will be too old for the VRM to interpret.
Of course, the system will work, just that you will not be able to see it on the VRM.
But then again, this is the order of things for some…
Although, you can still use a Ford T with the current gasoline, with just a simple modification of the valves’ seat.
This I call dedication for their products from a manufacturer in the desire to keep them going…
That would be a modification like to use your own logging server (e.g. Grafana).
That too!
Thinking further, I am wondering for some time, why nobody until now didn’t designed a new, from scratch, OS for any of the BB, CCGX, Cerbo and so on… Their hardware platforms are open and…
Of course, who will do such thing will have enough knowledge in order to not stumble on the closed source things of the devices’ firmware and/or hardware.
I used to work in anti-virus software. We sold the scanning engine with an API. We were always improving stuff but the data sent over the API was always kept backward compatible. It worked well. Over time there was loads more stuff passed back and forth, but the newest engine would always work with older interfaces.
VRM still supports the Victron Global Remote, the precursor to the CCGX, and that is an entirely different platform, not even VenusOS.
We haven’t sold the Global Remotes for a very long time, there are still a hundred or so left in the wild, still reporting after 12+ years or something.
So I expect that today’s functionality of the CCGX will not change in that regard any time soon.
@paulcarmichael My 2017 CCGX unit below after the update to 3.60 and still more than fit for purpose and many small mobile or marine installs and even an ESS like mine shown which will still be served more than adequately by it. Considering that the idea is to save the planet going green, I’d ask myself whether I will really benefit from all the new features to justify the capital outlay and then join the not so green throw away society? Also, note it was never going to run the new gui. I’d suggest to give it a go and you may be surprised to find you are not one of the 3% club always pushing it just that bit too hard and may now finally have hit that “time to upgrade” wall. Fingers crossed. PS - The peak was when the upgrade took place and the BMS etc connections were temporaily lost.