A Forum run by Enthusiasts of MidNite Solar

Charge Controllers and Clippers => The "Classic" charge controller => Topic started by: kitestrings on May 17, 2022, 07:23:06 PM

Title: Classic Firmware Upgrade
Post by: kitestrings on May 17, 2022, 07:23:06 PM
Okay, I confess I've avoided it -

We bought two Classic 250's in 2011, they were update at MS in 2013 before going live.  They are CL415 & CL418: 1370: 04/08/13 MNGP; 1401: 03/08/13 Classic.  I've never done a firmware update.

In the earlier days, I just didn't see the point.  The upgrade instructions were 13 pages, printed front & back (I still have them), and many computer savvy people seemed to have bumps.

Today, I watched a youtube video of a firmware update... and I thought, hey, (even) I can do that!

Okay, but first I have a few questions:

What is to be gained?  My system is wind, operating very well now for many years.

I think the only thing that doesn't work well is the latest MyMidNite internet access.  Local App, everything else is good; not broken.  Will an update fix the MyMidNite monitoring & data?

Is there a downside?  Do I lose any settings?

Lastly, is there anything incompatible between the latest firmware, and my tired, old hardware ;>] ?  Seriously, one example I thought of is that we have the early versions where, as I recall, the Aux relays are NC, instead of NO.

Thanks for any input.  ~ks
Title: Re: Classic Firmware Upgrade
Post by: ClassicCrazy on May 18, 2022, 11:46:47 PM
I have always done updates over the years and they seemed to fix bugs.
The newest update software took away a lot of problems that used to be there.
You can backup your settings using the local status app and then use that restore them.
Or at least make sure you write down all your present settings because you will want to do a VMM reset after upgrade and that will wipe out all the existing setpoints.
I can't remember all the things that have changed over the years. There used to be an issue for awhile that I needed to have auto reset on midnight  - then a firmware update fixed it so that didn't need the auto reset any longer.
The new talking voice features were added , but for yours you would also need to load in the voice files - there is a post somewhere on the forums that tells you how to do all that. But if you don't want your MNGP talking you don't need to do any of that. The advantage to it talking is that you can have it tell you what state it is in , SOC, etc. And Midnite put in a bunch of funny sound effects and it saying funny stuff. But that can get old so you end up turning it all off. I mean I turned all the talking stuff off in my house here, but the one out in the shed I let talk cause it is funny to hear all the crazy stuff when out there.
There was a change sometime along the way with mymidnite but I don't remember all the details now cause that was a long time ago that it got fixed and changed. I don't use it much because I set up my own graphic monitoring using a raspberry pi and Grahams opensource monitoring software which is great . https://github.com/ClassicDIY/ClassicMQTT/wiki/3.1-Raspberry-Pi-setup-using-IOTStack
Larry
Title: Re: Classic Firmware Upgrade
Post by: boB on May 18, 2022, 11:59:47 PM
Quote from: kitestrings on May 17, 2022, 07:23:06 PM

Is there a downside? 

Thanks for any input.  ~ks

If it ain't broke....   :)

You got some collectors there KS !!!   Original and still working might be worth $million$ now !!!

I am not 100% positive, but there *MAY* be issues upgrading serial numbers below #500 ?


I would email support or call to find out for sure before trying, just in case.


Call before you dig...   (yourself into a deep hole)

:)