New LiFePO4 installation charge parameters

[boB]

Update 2.

So, for now I'm all set, everything seems to be working as it should.

Except for that one battery temperature sense related to battery capacity issue which is presently being fixed.

I will be interested to hear how well the Classic's assessment of state of charge correlates to what the battery BMS thinks it is.

boB

OK, so now that is also fixed along with a couple of other issues.

http://bob.midniteftp.com/K7IQ/Firmware-Latest/Classic-3800/

There is also release notes if you just want to check that out.

boB

Thanks for the update Bob . I put it on my lithium charging Classic so it will be able to run tomorrow when the sun is out again. I am sure it will be good improvement - though the last one worked okay too.
Larry

Yeah, there were issues with the last version.  This one should be much better. 

Thank you, Larry for trying it !

I have been running it here in AZ (where the sun shines) for a week or so and it appears to be just fine.

boB

[Muskoka]

Thank you Bob. I've just downloaded, and will install shortly.

Firmwares flashed without issue. May not get any sun until tomorrow to test.

[boB]

Wizbandit is reporting that his WB Jr.  SOC%  is sitting at 0%

Looking into this now

So far, my 200 is OK.

Reading 100% after Absorb to Float transition.

Please lettuce know if you have a problem with this

boB

[Muskoka]

Mines showing 64%. I'm assuming that it didn't reset after flashing and doing a VMM, cause I was in the 70% range yesterday. I flashed this morning.  I've been using my computer today with no sun, so 64% seems reasonable, if I was in the 70's yesterday.

I would think after flashing and a VMM that it would reset the SOC, but it doesn't look like it did.

[ClassicCrazy]

Mines showing 64%. I'm assuming that it didn't reset after flashing and doing a VMM, cause I was in the 70% range yesterday. I flashed this morning.  I've been using my computer today with no sun, so 64% seems reasonable, if I was in the 70's yesterday.

I would think after flashing and a VMM that it would reset the SOC, but it doesn't look like it did.

My SOC is at 100% now as they are full . I will see if it tracks down okay tonight. I just updated the Hawkes Bay the other day too and it is on the same shunt so will see how they compare.
Larry

[boB]

I did not make it reset the amp-hours remaining when doing a VMM.  The battery should be around the same SOC% that it was before updating the firmware.

Poor Wizbandit is seeing 0%  SOC but he did not see a battery type choice when he started it up, he says.

At first I thought this might have had something to do with the LITHIUM battery capacity AH lock-out with battery temperature...  I then did a VMM and changed to lithium (I am using flooded right now)  and watched the SOC% drop down to  99%  then  98%   and then back up to  99% then 100%  while in Absorb and Bulk MPPT so I guess that's not it.

I thought for a moment that it counted DOWN but not UP but I don't think that is the case now.   This was only doing a few amps so it took a while to go up and down is all along with the efficiency setting.

boB

[ClassicCrazy]

I did not make it reset the amp-hours remaining when doing a VMM.  The battery should be around the same SOC% that it was before updating the firmware.

Poor Wizbandit is seeing 0%  SOC but he did not see a battery type choice when he started it up, he says.

At first I thought this might have had something to do with the LITHIUM battery capacity AH lock-out with battery temperature...  I then did a VMM and changed to lithium (I am using flooded right now)  and watched the SOC% drop down to  99%  then  98%   and then back up to  99% then 100%  while in Absorb and Bulk MPPT so I guess that's not it.

I thought for a moment that it counted DOWN but not UP but I don't think that is the case now.   This was only doing a few amps so it took a while to go up and down is all along with the efficiency setting.

boB

I thought I saw the SOC at 100% today but now it is 0% . I wonder if I was looking at a different Classic today or if it changed ? But now I am sure it is showing 0% SOC.  I did not see the battery choice either when it started up after firmware update and it kept my settings. I did the VMM just to make sure since you had mentioned it - and then I picked lithium and put in all my settings again.
Larry

[boB]

Well, that would be disconcerning...

You may be seeing what Wizbandit saw ?  What flavor of Classic is this ?  150 ?  200 ?  250 ?

If it is Lithium, try resetting to Flooded and see if it works normally if you could.

I am not seeing that but I will re-do tomorrow with a larger swing of Amp-Hours.

Sorry Larry.  Kind of embarrassing to have this happen.

Waiting also for what Muskoka has to say.

boB

PS, if you start from main STATUS menu and then go to the RFR screen, you will see at the middle bottom, a number which is anywhere from CHEM 01  to CHEM 04  .......   04 being Lithium, 03 is AGM, 02 is GEL and 01  is good old FLA

[ClassicCrazy]

Well, that would be disconcerning...

You may be seeing what Wizbandit saw ?  What flavor of Classic is this ?  150 ?  200 ?  250 ?

If it is Lithium, try resetting to Flooded and see if it works normally if you could.

I am not seeing that but I will re-do tomorrow with a larger swing of Amp-Hours.

Sorry Larry.  Kind of embarrassing to have this happen.

Waiting also for what Muskoka has to say.

boB

PS, if you start from main STATUS menu and then go to the RFR screen, you will see at the middle bottom, a number which is anywhere from CHEM 01  to CHEM 04  .......   04 being Lithium, 03 is AGM, 02 is GEL and 01  is good old FLA

I didn't see your PS until just now .
Anyway - was there a way to change from Lithium to Lead Acid without doing VMM ?
I couldn't find a way to do that so I did another VMM and selected Flooded or whatever it says, and the SOC was not showing since I did the VMM I guess. It shows 100 flashing on the Whizbang screen for both Flooded and Lithium after the VMM. So I guess I have to wait until tomorrow when it fills up again to see if it goes to 100% , and if it drops back to 0 SOC at night . But I looked through the data logging program and it showed 0% SOC all day and since I did update last night.
No problem on that issue - that is why we test the new firmwares !
Is the default for Whizbang capacity set at 400 ? That either stuck through all the VMM or just coincidence that is same as my battery capacity.
Larry

[boB]

Thanks Larry !

400 AH is the default.

To stop the flashing 100%, after a cold turn-on, that just means it can't trust that SOC% or Remaining AH.  So, the next Absorb cycle, when it goes to Float, now we KNOW  that the battery is 100% SOC full because you programmed the "timed" Absorb cycle correctly. Right ?   Then it goes solid.

When it starts to degrade its accuracy it starts to fall over.  We have to stand it up again sometimes.  Automatically, hopefully...

Now, assuming the efficiency and Absorb voltage are set correctly, it should be good for a few charge/discharge cycles on its own. Just nudge it towards 100% once in an appropriate while if the AH Remaining and capacity are in general, correct., too.   Lots of stuff to do there but reports say it works, so that's good.

You can change the type I believe in the MNGP's Modbus editor.  Are you familiar with that hidden menu?

boB

[ClassicCrazy]

This morning the SOC is showing up - so I guess I wasn't seeing things yesterday. It seems to be close to the same as the Hawkes Bay at 90% but that may be coincidence. Could this be tied to if the Classic is charging ? Because last night it was dark when I noticed it at 0%, now this morning it is showing 90% . So whatever you did, you certainly made the Classic more efficient since it went for 0 % last night to 90% this morning with barely any charging !
I haven't ever used the hidden menu modbus editor.
Larry

[Muskoka]

On my way home now, should be getting close to 100%.

[boB]

This morning the SOC is showing up - so I guess I wasn't seeing things yesterday. It seems to be close to the same as the Hawkes Bay at 90% but that may be coincidence. Could this be tied to if the Classic is charging ? Because last night it was dark when I noticed it at 0%, now this morning it is showing 90% . So whatever you did, you certainly made the Classic more efficient since it went for 0 % last night to 90% this morning with barely any charging !
I haven't ever used the hidden menu modbus editor.
Larry

OK, great !  I set mine to Lithium just to see if I could get it to show 0% SOC  but it was working as correct as I would have expected.

Over night, the WB Jr. was showing a -1.0  to  -1.1 amp discharge and started out at 99% at 7:30 last night.  This morning at around 7 AM  it showed 87% SOC  (87 AH Remaining out of 100AH)  so that is just about perfect.

So, you and Wizbandit saw the 0%  but then it changed.  Not sure why that would be but...

Let me know if it keeps being approximately correct.

Now, to change the battery chemistry type from 01 (FLA)  to 04  (Lithium) go into the TWEAKS menu and hit MORE one or two times.  THEN  press and hold  LEFT-ARROW key  and  tap the MORE button (upper-right soft key)  TWICE and the  Modbus editor should show up.

On the left side is the modbus register (register address technically)  and on the right is the data at that address.

Next, we have to navigate to the address corresponding to the battery type 4205.  Just press the UP ARROW key until the left number (register address)  shows  4205.  If you are type FLA right now, it should show 01.  You want to change it to 04  for lithium.  Just hit the RIGHT ARROW to highlight the DATA field and change that 01 to a 04.

Then hold down the SHIFT soft key while you press ENTER and the screen should show that it saved the data to the Classic, so that it remembers.

Simple as that.  Hopefully.

Lettuce know how that goes.

boB

[Muskoka]

Was at 47% this morning, full sun so far today, at 89% now, just hit 4kw for the day so far, all looks normal to me.  Just noticed, I haven't plugged my temp sensor back in though, don't know if that has any effect.

[boB]

Was at 47% this morning, full sun so far today, at 89% now, just hit 4kw for the day so far, all looks normal to me.

That's a great sign !   Thanks  Muskoka !

boB