Disconnected

[islandraider]

Hi all.
New owner of Midnite Solar Classic 200.  We have spent about a week with the new system.  I like the local app.  It works great.  Except when it doesn't. 

Problem is the local app software keeps losing connection.  In the first week, connection has been lost at least 3 times. 

Sequence: click on local app icon, MidNite Solar Status panel tries to come up, I get the blue bar with the IP address & it says "Connecting" for a minute or so, then the word "Retrying" replaces connecting.  Once this happens, it never seems to connect.  Each time, this has required a reboot of the Classic.  Restarting my computer does not help.

Here is the environment: Outback Inverter/Charger, MidNite Solar Classic 200, Zoom router, we use both an iMac (running Yosemite) and a PC (running Windows 7) to access the local app (not at the same time as we learned this is not possible with the local app), we setup a static IP address for the connection.

Also, a related question:  What is the best way to reboot the Classic when this happens?  It would be best for me if I can reboot the classic without interrupting the inverter.  I would like to keep power flowing to our house during reboot.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[mike90045]

How is the ethernet connected, is there a router in the middle ?   30'  ?   450' ?   DNS or fixed IP address ?

[islandraider]

Hi Mike & thanks.
The Ethernet cable travels apx 50' from the classic to the router.  The classic is set up with a static IP address & the computer running the local application sees the router wirelessly.

[dgd]

I have never been able to get reliable ethernet with a 10metre or 15metre cable from any of my Classics to the router.
Maybe it may be worth trying a half metre or one metre cable to a powered hub then the 15 metre cable from the hub to the router.
Or use a wireless bridge such as a linksys (Cisco) WET54G, connecting it to the Classic with a short cable

dgd

[Resthome]

I have a 6 ft Ethernet cable to my router and still get disconnects when running wireless. A direct connect from Classic to Computer is better but will still see a few disconnects. Even though is has been said to be the number one issue to resolve it continues to be an issue although much better than before.

On the reboots, the preferred way is to have a PV and Battery Breaker right close to Classic. If you want to save the current days accumulated data you need to go to the Daily log menu and then press the left arrow and the enter key together and you should see NEW DAY message on screen. Then set mode to OFF then turn off PV Breaker, then Battery Breaker to Classic. Reverse sequence to restart Classic. Should not have any effect on inverter if Classic is wired directly to battery with breaker at Classic.

[Halfcrazy]

Also, a related question:  What is the best way to reboot the Classic when this happens?  It would be best for me if I can reboot the classic without interrupting the inverter.  I would like to keep power flowing to our house during reboot.

Thanks in advance for any help.

You should have 2 breakers just for the Classic, PV Input and Classic output to Battery. You should be able to shut both of them off without interrupting the Inverter at all

[islandraider]

Thank you all very much for the responses.  I do have the two breakers & that does seem to work to reboot the classic without interrupting the power.  It is helpful for me to understand that better.  Sad to hear that others are having similar connectivity problems.  Like I said, it is great... when it works!

[Priusron]

I have a + and - buss bar. I have 1 switch to disconnect my batteries from the buss bar. I have 1 switch between my classic 12 v+ out and the buss bar. I have another switch between my solar panel + lead and the classic. I can isolate any item. The inverter gets its power from the buss bar. The shunt is between the buss bar and the battery - post. Everything goes to the buss bar. Sounds like you need to retire.

[islandraider]

A follow up.  I have had this system up & running now for about a month.  The connectivity problem continues to be frustrating.  I have to reboot the Classic a minimum of every other day, often daily for the local app to work. 

[Halfcrazy]

This is pretty odd. It seems to only effect a small number of Classics. I am still suspicius it is something between the Classic and network gear. Can any of you that are having issues please send me a sketch or explanation of the netowkr I will try to recreate it.

I need the following:
1- Complete list of gear on the network (Everything if possible)
2- The flow of the network from the incoming internet to every device.
3- length of all cables etc

I have 8 classics on line at my place and have never lost one since Andrews new code but I have a pretty solid network plan in place, I run Shielded Cat6 from my router to a 16 port Netgear gigabit switch that is within 2ft of the Classics. From there it is all short (<5ft ) shielded Cat5e cables to each device. I am starting to think this could be either:

A- Noise introduced into the Ethernet cable
B- Certain combos of network gear and classics get funny when packets crash etc.

What I will do is draw a wiring diagram of each of the troubled systems and get all details the same and then try to recreate as many of them as I can

[Westbranch]

Hi Ryan, I too have problems with disconnects.
System has 2 classics... #647 and #4592... to a Netgear 4 slot switch, etc, see my sig. 
Cables are not guarded just standard off the wall.
This goes to an ASUS RT N 10 router then to  a Hughes modem for Sat internet via Galaxy and   

I will measure up all the bits for cable length next visit to the cabin.

[islandraider]

Hi.
Here are the particulars of my setup:

Midnite Solar Classic 200 connected to zoom ADSL X7N wireless router via approximately 50' of Cat 5e cable (don't know about shielding).  Installer had it on a reel, ran the wire, affixed the end that plugs into the router. 

Incoming internet is CenturyLink DSL (the only option where I live).

Computer that I primarily view the Local App on is a 2009 iMac running Yosemite.  Connection to router is via WiFi.  We have the same problems with a Samsung PC running Windows 7, also connected via WiFi.  There is one other computer, Mac Mini, connected via (~15') ethernet cable (not sure type) directly to router.  We do not have the local app installed on that machine.  We also have a Brother MFC printer connected via WiFi.

Let me know if I can provide additional info & thanks for looking into this.

PS.  I am having another problem & not sure where to go for help.  We also have an Outback Inverter/Charger (VFX3648) with Mate2 system controller/meter.  Problem is the Outback and the Midnite Solar charge controller do not agree on voltage.  Just this morning, Local App reports battery voltage of 50.4.  Outback reports battery voltage of 51.4.  They always disagree by somewhere between 0.7 to just over 1.0 volts.  Outback is always higher.  This makes managing my grid parallel system difficult as would like grid charging to kick in at about 50% of battery discharge.  What voltage to I use as a trigger to switch to grid charge?  Which meter is measuring the correct voltage?  I would appreciate any help on this as well.

[Westbranch]

have you verified which is correct, or are they both ''off base''?  There is an offset in the Classic / L APP...  don't know about the charger...

You will want to use a good verified meter, check V at the battery and then at the business end where it connects to the CC and the charger and on both ends of the SHUNT..
Don't forget to record all the measurements...  have fun   

[Resthome]

This is pretty odd. It seems to only effect a small number of Classics. I am still suspicius it is something between the Classic and network gear. Can any of you that are having issues please send me a sketch or explanation of the netowkr I will try to recreate it.

I need the following:
1- Complete list of gear on the network (Everything if possible)
2- The flow of the network from the incoming internet to every device.
3- length of all cables etc

I have 8 classics on line at my place and have never lost one since Andrews new code but I have a pretty solid network plan in place, I run Shielded Cat6 from my router to a 16 port Netgear gigabit switch that is within 2ft of the Classics. From there it is all short (<5ft ) shielded Cat5e cables to each device. I am starting to think this could be either:

A- Noise introduced into the Ethernet cable
B- Certain combos of network gear and classics get funny when packets crash etc.

What I will do is draw a wiring diagram of each of the troubled systems and get all details the same and then try to recreate as many of them as I can

Ryan .. 

I have provided complete network details in other threads and have also commented on Andrew's Alpha firmware. But here is a simple configuration. Six foot Cat6 cable from Lenovo T540 laptop running Win 8.1 Ethernet port to Classic 150 Ethernet port. Put LA in Offline Data mode and leave it there and see if you get a disconnect. It may take an hour or two but I still get disconnects with this configuration. And until Andrew's software fixes the data logging bug I will not go back to using it.

The only network equipment in this configuration is the laptop built in network adapter an Intel I217-LM and the Classic 150 hardware.