Strange behavior in a Follow me schema

[Pac0]

Hello to all,

The last year I had "power problems" with my Lite 150, and I decided to buy a second Lite 150. In the course of the solution of the problems with the spanish dealer I got in exchange a new Classic 150 boards.
Therefore, I left my dead first one (boards) in its box, and I began to run the new 150.  I left the new Classic 150 operative in the winter up to March when I installed the second Lite in a Follow Me schema.

4 independent arrays of 570Wp.  1140Wp into each Classic. (losses apart).


The two Classics have been working right (better than only one) until today that I've found them in "float MMPT" at 9:30 AM, when they should be in BULK MMPT.  I was looking at the configuration and all was right (well no changes in it).

I tried to force the absortion status in the Classic 150 (I think is the master) and the two Classics started BULK MMPT, but few minutes after they return to Float MPPT. (And batteries were at 60% SOC)  ¿?
I was searching the forum and I found that the only setting that can produce this "anomaly" is other value than zero in the ReBulk feature. But I saw zero in the two Classics.

Well, I have rebooted the two Classics but they are "dogged" to be in Float mode... and a second "problem" appears. They are ramdomly getting the "All leds blinking status" for a minute or so. Bur the seem to work well within this status. Well I've checked all the cabling, but I didn't found anomalies in them.

And I was doubly surprised when I tried to reboot Classic_1 and was the other, Classic_2 the one which restarts.. ¿?

Actually I think that Classics are good controllers but,  I've had  only bad luck with mine. And sure that this is only an easy solved problem.

In regard of the Follow Me system. Which of the Classics has the role of a Master? This is something that I didn't founded in the technical data.

Thank you in advance
Paco

[boB]

Hello Paco.

In Follow Me, neither Classic is a master.  The alternate Classic simply follows the one that went to
Float first.  And if one Classic goes back to Absorb/Bulk, the other will (should) follow it again.

When you say you saw all lights blinking, was that the LEDs that come on and go back and forth
when you see the Classic reboot ?  And when you rebooted one Classic and saw the other classic
reboot, was that done using power off and on or was that through the Local status panel ?

You are correct that Ending Amps is the main reason that a Classic can go to Float early...
However, if a Classics' Absorb timer is set to a short time, that could also do it.

What is the firmware revision of those Classics ?  How old are they (approximate serial number maybe ?)

Did you actually get a replacement control circuit board and replaced that in one Classic ?

Thanks,
boB

[Halfcrazy]

So you have 2 classics?
And when you try to turn off classic 1 classic 2 turns off instead? If so that seams like a crossed wire what happens if you turn off classic2 does classic1 turn off instead?

[Pac0]

Hello Paco.

In Follow Me, neither Classic is a master.  The alternate Classic simply follows the one that went to
Float first.  And if one Classic goes back to Absorb/Bulk, the other will (should) follow it again.

It seems to me that....

When you say you saw all lights blinking, was that the LEDs that come on and go back and forth
when you see the Classic reboot ?  And when you rebooted one Classic and saw the other classic
reboot, was that done using power off and on or was that through the Local status panel ?

Yes, ALL the external leds are blinking with a cadency of 1 second. I used the Local satatus Panel.

What is the firmware revision of those Classics ?  How old are they (approximate serial number maybe ?)

The both Classics have the same Firmware:     
- Classic Rev: 1401
- Network Rev: 1194

Data for for Lite 150->
Classic 150V (rev 4)   
MAC: 60:1D:0F:00:16:FC
Device ID: A23B 1B77
Serial: CL03378
Buyed in September 2013

I uptated this Lite 150 in October, 2013  and I changed the MNLP (Ryan sent a new one to me) to a new version, because I wanted to connect both with the  Follow me feature.

Data for the Classic 150->
Classic 150V (rev 4)   
MAC: 60:1D:0F:00:2E:A4
Device ID: DA78 BE6A
Serial: CL10382

This was interchanged (the two boards only) by the spanish dealer in September 2013 in return for the serial: CL06170. That I still have in a box.

Did you actually get a replacement control circuit board and replaced that in one Classic ?

I'd replaced the boards in my original Midnite 150 Lite, fron the new ones (150) using the MNLP from the original only.

Well I'd disconnected the "Follow me" cabling, and each Classic acts normally starting at the morning in Bulk Mode. But sporadically the Lite 150 shows the leds blinking.

[Pac0]

So you have 2 classics?
And when you try to turn off classic 1 classic 2 turns off instead? If so that seams like a crossed wire what happens if you turn off classic2 does classic1 turn off instead?

Yes it is like you said...

[dgd]

So you have 2 classics?
And when you try to turn off classic 1 classic 2 turns off instead? If so that seams like a crossed wire what happens if you turn off classic2 does classic1 turn off instead?

Yes it is like you said...

Absolutely classic  best laugh I have had in ages...

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

So you have 2 classics?
And when you try to turn off classic 1 classic 2 turns off instead? If so that seams like a crossed wire what happens if you turn off classic2 does classic1 turn off instead?

Yes it is like you said...

Well if it is that the breaker turns off the wrong classic it sounds like the battery positive wires got crossed when you installed them? There is no way the breakers would effect opposite classics other wise (or at least that I can think of?)

[Pac0]

Ummm I think that I didn't explain well. (This is cause my english is more times googled..."

The Classics are in a "Tamdem" wired to the same battery. Is imposible that positive wires were not connected together...
The problem comes when I reboot one of them by the Local App button Is the other what reboots...

Sorry if I don't explain correctly in my first post.

Ok I did some test this morning. With one of the Classics "free" of the Follow check box. Both were working normally in Bulk MPPT mode. Today is cloudy and surely I will not reach the Float status.
More or less at 12:00 CET I reconnected again both Classics and I checked the Follow me feature. A few minutes later they were in Float MPPT again...

Ok I was too setting up in the MyMidNite the two controlers. One (The 150 Lite)  is working since 13:30 and the second start to upload data just  10 minutes ago.

I have restart them switching off the current and now they start with Bulk MPPT again...

[Resthome]

The problem comes when I reboot one of them by the Local App button Is the other what reboots...

Does the wrong one reboot only when you have them set to Follow Me mode?

[Pac0]

Well the reboot is no critical (by now). I think that is only when they are in follow me mode, but I'll do this test later. Because the sun is appearing and I need to get some watss...

There we go... They start today's cicle in Bulk MPPT, more or less at 8:30 CET. But they change to Float MMP mode earlier.
You can see it in the MyMidNite page user #206.

Could be possible that this behavior was due the firmware version? All leds blinking according the manual is something wrong in the code...
Actually I'm reluctant to update it, if not is enterally necessary...

...

[Halfcrazy]

So all the LEDs blink all the time? or is it just every now and then they blink once?

If you are using the local app can you check both classics and tell us the Absorb time for both as well as the End Amps setting for both?

[Pac0]

So all the LEDs blink all the time?

Yes, ramdomly a few seconds, perhaps 10 secons or so. But normally the Classics (mine at least) do the All leds ON only once like a "reset". The "bug largely know", but that I think don't affect to the controller work, or at least there has never worried me.

I use Local App and the both Classics have the same time 1 hour 30 minutes. And the "End Amps" option I'd never used it, both have 0 (zero). But today morning I was setting up it before knowing that rebulk feature is only in version since 1609.

But happens a curious thing with the 150 Lite one it shows the Absortion Left Time to 01:30:02. Two secons added

Classic 150 Lite:



Classic 150:

[Pac0]

Umm. It occurs me now, that could be that some flag, for instance the "Force Float", eventually were kept active?

A few days ago I added 30 minutes to the Absortion time because the SOC did not reach the 100% after absortion and I remember that I click the Force absortion and a few minutes after the Force Float to "release" the Classic for the absortion cycle...

Is the only time that I set something in the controllers since I connected both in Follow Me...

[Halfcrazy]

Ok so in your case the blinking LEDs are probably no worries. If it is the random blink than thats a simple comm error on the display for a second but the Classic continues to run just fine

As far as the 2 seconds on the absorb time I would not worry about that either.

Now we need to find out why they go to float early. So watch both timers today and see if they count down and see if the classics go to float before 0h:0m:0s

Also if you could get us the firmware version of each classic. The End amps used to see 0 amps and go to float so I wonder if thats what we are seeing

Ryan

[Pac0]

Ok so in your case the blinking LEDs are probably no worries. If it is the random blink than thats a simple comm error on the display for a second but the Classic continues to run just fine

As far as the 2 seconds on the absorb time I would not worry about that either.

Now we need to find out why they go to float early. So watch both timers today and see if they count down and see if the classics go to float before 0h:0m:0s

Also if you could get us the firmware version of each classic. The End amps used to see 0 amps and go to float so I wonder if thats what we are seeing

Ryan

Ryan, actually both gone to Float this morning without pass trough absortion cycle and the counter is still stopped at 01:30:00. You can see it in the picture above. It is from today.

The both Classics have the same Firmware:     
- Classic Rev: 1401
- Network Rev: 1194

I have dowloaded the last version (1849) and I will try to update them in two or three days if this problem persists.