Beta KIDs

[dgd]

Mario,

Beta KID #28
Firmware version 1703

I have been away since last night and was able to monitor my solar classic 150 remotely. This morning it was obvious, using the new WBjr display part of the Classic showing the battery amps that only the Classic was charging the battery bank
Hot warm day no clouds and PVs well alight.

When I got to the KID it was in a strange locked up mode with only the top row of the display showing white block characters, the bottom row was blank.  Pressing any of the keys made no difference, all dead.
No current from PVs to Battery bank so Fluke showed.
I thought I could hear an almost imperceptible relay clicking sound but can't be sure.

I reset the KID, power cycled, and it started up. Within a second or so BULKMPPT with 545 watts and a couple seconds later 29V ABSORB with 350 watts.
This is the highest reported wattage I have seen for some time as 125 watts was the highest despite there being a 700watt array in bright sunshine

The KID was RESTING when I left it yesterday evening.

just FYI   
dgd

[Mario]

Mario,

Beta KID #28
Firmware version 1703

I have been away since last night and was able to monitor my solar classic 150 remotely. This morning it was obvious, using the new WBjr display part of the Classic showing the battery amps that only the Classic was charging the battery bank
Hot warm day no clouds and PVs well alight.

When I got to the KID it was in a strange locked up mode with only the top row of the display showing white block characters, the bottom row was blank.  Pressing any of the keys made no difference, all dead.
No current from PVs to Battery bank so Fluke showed.
I thought I could hear an almost imperceptible relay clicking sound but can't be sure.

I reset the KID, power cycled, and it started up. Within a second or so BULKMPPT with 545 watts and a couple seconds later 29V ABSORB with 350 watts.
This is the highest reported wattage I have seen for some time as 125 watts was the highest despite there being a 700watt array in bright sunshine

The KID was RESTING when I left it yesterday evening.

just FYI   
dgd

So you are saying that the lcd driver has a bug? .... no way

I will fix this in the next firmware update..... which BTW is coming real soon.
Today I go the bootloader 2.1 from Andrew and I am testing it to make sure it does the job and updates kids.... I love it, its actually pretty impressive!
If you guys liked bootloader rev 1(all betas have rev 1) just wait until you get rev 2.1.
now we have to wait some time till he finishes an application to update the bootloader rev 1.
I will keep you guys posted as when the updates become available again. as well as instructions on how to update.

Sorry for all the hassle we have created by not being able to update. I am taking notes on all the bug reports I've got and fixed some on the next firmware update
Mario

[dgd]

Thanks Mario..
The KID battery voltage is going weird as its reporting 29V which is ABSORB and the real battery voltage is 27.8 on Classics and fluke meter.
The KID is having problems establishing the correct battery voltage and is jumping between BULKMPPT and ABSORB.
I will wait for a software update.
CPU and FET temps are 43

a little later...
Did factory reset again and immediately KID went to ABSORB with 343W out and had battery V at 29
The actual battery V is 27.6 from two Classics and with Fluke meter.
Will have to disconnect this KID as its insisting on charging full battery bank.

would be useful to have a force float option in the firmware.

dgd

[Vic]

Mario,

This AM cycled the L-16s connected to the Kid,  and tried to recharge these batts using Legacy P&O,  but was only seeing about 2.5-ish A charge current using the Clamp DC Ammeter,  with 23.9 V in on the DMM,  and about 12 V battery voltage.  Yesterday PM was seeing about 18 A +/--.

So then  again tried to Calibrate Input V.   It has not been possible in the past to do so,  and the first attempt today,   the  input V readout would just stop rising at about 1.5 V of positive offset,  as had been the case in days prior.

For whatever reason,  on the second attempt today,   was able to raise the offset to the correct +3.2 V --  YES,  at this offset,  the Vin to the Kid is identical to that measured on the output of the input breaker feeding the Kid,  using a DMM that is within several hundredths of a known accurate DVM.

For whatever reason,  after this input Calibration,  was seeing 25-ish A charge current to the L-16s (380 AH when new),  which I have confirmed are still real batteries after 9 years of use/abuse.   BTW,  had the highest ever displayed Power of 50-ish Watts on the Kid.  The actual delivered power was about 380 W at this point -- about the limit of the SMPS simulating a PV array -- still have not tried the larger array and the 48 V main bank ...

FW 1704.1

This may all just be noise,  and perhaps should just wait for  a FW rev.  or two (?).

FWIW.   Thanks,    Vic

[Mario]

Mario,

This AM cycled the L-16s connected to the Kid,  and tried to recharge these batts using Legacy P&O,  but was only seeing about 2.5-ish A charge current using the Clamp DC Ammeter,  with 23.9 V in on the DMM,  and about 12 V battery voltage.  Yesterday PM was seeing about 18 A +/--.

Vic, you have it connected to a power supply, I assume you have different negatives connected to the input and the Battery.

So then  again tried to Calibrate Input V.   It has not been possible in the past to do so,  and the first attempt today,   the  input V readout would just stop rising at about 1.5 V of positive offset,  as had been the case in days prior.

For whatever reason,  on the second attempt today,   was able to raise the offset to the correct +3.2 V --  YES,  at this offset,  the Vin to the Kid is identical to that measured on the output of the input breaker feeding the Kid,  using a DMM that is within several hundredths of a known accurate DVM.

For whatever reason,  after this input Calibration,  was seeing 25-ish A charge current to the L-16s (380 AH when new),  which I have confirmed are still real batteries after 9 years of use/abuse.   BTW,  had the highest ever displayed Power of 50-ish Watts on the Kid.  The actual delivered power was about 380 W at this point -- about the limit of the SMPS simulating a PV array -- still have not tried the larger array and the 48 V main bank ...

about the calibration I do not understand why would it only let you calibrate 1.5v positive. the limit is 5v +/- . you are calibrating the unit with the MODE off right? when the kid is not charging the battery or trying to charge the battery?
Question: so you are saying that you are getting 25 amps out to the battery and the display is saying about 4 amps?
And I recommend using Solar 2 O&P instead of Legacy mode P&O.

[Vic]

EDIT:  See Update that follows this post<

Vic, you have it connected to a power supply, I assume you have different negatives connected to the input and the Battery.

...about the calibration I do not understand why would it only let you calibrate 1.5v positive. the limit is 5v +/- . you are calibrating the unit with the MODE off right? when the kid is not charging the battery or trying to charge the battery?
Question: so you are saying that you are getting 25 amps out to the battery and the display is saying about 4 amps?
And I recommend using Solar 2 O&P instead of Legacy mode P&O.

Mario,   Thanks.   The SMPS has its own neg return,  but is commoned with the battery neg in the I/O breaker box  ...  but from that common point,  there are still separate negatives from the battery and from the PV (SMPS right now)  to the Kid's respective negative terminals,  but the two negs are connected within the breaker box.
EDIT:  There is NO external Shunt at this time<

OH,  and I did calibrate the Offset with the Kid running (as I had previously removed a 5 Ohm resistor that had been in the + lead of the PS).
EDIT:  Re-checked the calibration it is a +3 V offset and is still correct with the CC Resting<

Just to be clear,  have been looking at the Status display,  and was referring to the displayed Watts on the right side of the LCD.    This power display is low by a factor of perhaps six to twelve,  depending on things unknown.
EDIT:  The Current display on the Status display is also low by about the same factor.   Hope you are not measuring I in the neg battery lead or something ...<

Will try Solar2O&P.   Had tried Hydro yesterday,  and it worked OK,  Too.

Without the 5 Ohm R,  in Solar mode,  the SMPS' output was getting dragged down by the Kid into the 18 -19 V range,  when there was that Ticking (or clicking) going on.

DO know,  that in the past,  boB  had recommended against using a PS on the input of most MPPT CCs (except for Legacy P&O + perhaps Hydro).   Had felt that the current limiting R on the PV input terminals of the Kid might help ...  but it did not help,   although,  this R was probably too high in value.

Will try O&P.   Thanks for the help.   Will check the input calibration with the CC resting.     Have Fun!   Thanks   Vic

[Vic]

Update,

OK,  since there was a common connection between the Neg of the SMPS and the battery outside the CC,   REMOVED THAT CONNECTION.

Using Solar 2 O&P,   NOW   the power and current display on the Status screen are nominally correct!!

Guess that a common neg connection outside the CC is a bad thing.

More later.   Thanks,    Vic

[TomW]

Using Solar 2 O&P,   NOW   the power and current display on the Status screen are nominally correct!!

Guess that a common neg connection outside the CC is a bad thing.

More later.   Thanks,    Vic

Vic;

I confirmed with Ryan that The Kid, unlike the Classic does not have a common negative internally for source in and battery out before I wired mine.

Your experience reinforces that it is not a good idea to connect them together anywhere.

Thanks for the feedback.

Tom

[Vic]

Tom!

Thanks,  I had read about the isolation,  but did not make the extension that not only are they separate,  they MUST remain that way.

OH.   The Kid sure works a lot better with that connection severed.

Must admit that I did not exactly look at the schematic system diagrams until this afternoon.

Thanks,   73     Vic

[mahendra]

i would definitely love one too but unfortunately i am in no position to make use of one right now ,its a shame the introductory price is teasing.

[Robin]

A few pages ago someone asked about the hieroglyphics on the back cover of the KID.
Here is a link to the answer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vilas_Boas

[Kent3]

I have had the Kid up and running for about a week now. I just love the kid compared to my old PWM controller. In my test I see the battery bank recover much faster than with the PWM.

So far charging, absorb, and float seem to be working ok except when the batteries are full charge and no sun like when very cloudy and rain. On the status screen we have 0 amps, 0 watts, 13.8 battery volts and FloatMPPT. I can hear a relay chatter in the Kid. I think when the sun is out and the battery is in Float the screen shows .8 amps, 13.8 volts, 6-10 watts, and only Float not FloatMPPT which seems normal to me. Question, is it normal for the relay to chatter with the FloatMPPT on the screen?
Thanks for any info on this
Kent

I would think with no voltage in I should see Resting.

[boB]

A few pages ago someone asked about the hieroglyphics on the back cover of the KID.
Here is a link to the answer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vilas_Boas

And here is the writing...

http://globalovethinktank.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-writing-on-wall.html

[Kent3]

A couple post back i was explaining a situation where with no voltage or current into kid the display was showing Float MPPT on the screen. I was wondering if that was normal. I am new to MPPT controllers so I will probably  be asking questions.

The next morning I removed the solar input and turned off the Kid next I removed the battery voltage from the Kid. Next I waited about 20 seconds and reapplied the battery voltage, turned on  the kid and applied solar input. Then all readings on the display looked OK.

Looking at the display Today it was in Float which looked normal so I applied a Load to the battery bank (about 65 amps)  and the MPPT along with Float showed up on the display. I would of expected to see BulkMPPT but the display was showing FloatMPPT.

Again is what I see on the display normal?  I really appreciate any comments.

Thanks

Kent

[Westbranch]

thats about a 15% load, Was it a DC load or AC , how long did you have it going. 
(sorry keyboard malfunctioning no question or other marks...)