first update needed to a BETA Kid

[Westbranch]

Well Vic, I don't know if it was the several hundred taps on that down arrow or ??  but |I went thru the process again after dinner and VOILA, a  there was now something showing under the TECH section.  FW Update!

So I now have FW 1811 installed, it's even gathering 2W of after glow input.

Thanks for the assistance and files. 

Sure wish I knew what that WireShark did to that file...






,

[Vic]

Westbranch,

Excellent news  --  Great Work!

Very glad that it all worked out.   The KID IS a very well-designed and capable medium-sized CC,  as you know.   And,  they just keep getting batter and better,  with new functions from FirmWare Updates.

Have Fun,   Vic

[Westbranch]

NOTE: This setup is on a no load battery bank right now, just the Kid connected...


Well, I think there is a setting that might need changed...  This morning when there was ~ 20W, < 1 A,  on  a12V system a strange clicking noise could be heard from the basement...  no problem I thought , it's just the relay clicking in the low light...  Right?

Now I am not quite sure,  when I got there I  tripped  the 63 A CB to the battery and the KID was fairly warm to hot to the touch... and kept clicking...   I did make a video of it but it's too big for posting...  will find a work - around this afternoon  when back home.
The video picked up a high pitched squeal.... that starts 30 seconds before the clicking .... and  frequency increases from the start till clicking starts.

Thoughts for Now?

[Vic]

Hi Westbranch,

What is the source of input power to the KID?

Does the KID have its own,  separate PV array?

When there is the clicking noise from the KID,  what is the Vin and Vbatt on the KID?

What Mode is being used?   You might try the P & O,  or O & P Mode,  if there are clouds.   Am using O & P here,  most of the time ...  am assuming that perhaps the KID uses the same MPP Tracking algorithm,  as the Classic,  which can Track a bit strangely with atmospheric smoke,  or clouds,  at times,  when using Solar Mode.

The Inductor in the KID can also make a clicking noise (as well as the Relay).

FWIW,  Thanks,    Vic

[Westbranch]

Hi Vic; system is pretty simple 4 panels connected to Kid to 24 V Battery.

POWER: see sig line  4 series 140W PV =560W @ 48V nom.

Yes array is to Kid rightnow.  Both a knife switch and battery selector switch are used to isolate Kid array from Classic. CL  connection used in winter when input is low.

Mode is Solar
VBatt is 25.67V
PV is 25.7V

Oh and when I shut off the Batt the clicking continued until the PV was off..

[Vic]

Hi Vic; system is pretty simple 4 panels connected to Kid to 24 V Battery.

POWER: see sig line  4 series 140W PV =560W @ 48V nom.

Yes array is to Kid rightnow.  Both a knife switch and battery selector switch are used to isolate Kid array from Classic. CL  connection used in winter when input is low.
Mode is Solar
VBatt is 25.67V
PV is 25.7V

Oh and when I shut off the Batt the clicking continued until the PV was off..

Did look at your Sig,  before posting the reply,  above,  but did not seek the KID mentioned (yet).

Well that Vin is a real problem  --  Vin = Vbatt,  essentially.

So there must be a problem,  perhaps with the FW Update,  or ...  something.

Why not try Rebooting the KID?
Personally would never switch a CC's battery connection before switching off the PV (or other RE input) input to OFF.    And then,  do the reverse on power-up.  Battery breaker (switch) first ON,  then PV in ON.

Assume that there is no reason to believe that there is any poor/loose connections in the PV wiring from powering the Classic,  to powering the KID.

Have seen Classics drag Vin down to within about five volts of Vbatt on 48 V systems,  but never seen  Vin = Vbatt.   This is a very difficult way to charge a battery!

FWIW,   Vic

[Westbranch]

Yes it was early in a heavily overcast morning.  No direct sun at the time. 
I Did a VMM yesterday after I got 1811 FW loaded and did check to make sure all main settings were as desired.

I just did not want to leave the KID running, so it is OFF until I clarify just which one I have to fine tune.  On the Classic I believe I had to raise the min V, that turns the CC on, that stopped the relay clicking...  just have to read up on the KID settings.  Just in so I'll post the video soon....

[Vic]

Hi Westbranch,

One other thought;

Has this KID been successfully used, before the recent FW Update?
If so,  have there been any wiring changes,  particularly in the PV input area?

Just to be clear,  the KID MUST have the PV negative connected,  ONLY,  to the KID's PV input Negative terminal  --  no other place for this cable.

And,  just confirming,  that the PV array that is connected to the KID is connected to NO other CC in any manner,  right?

FWIW,   Vic

[Westbranch]

Has this KID been successfully used, before the recent FW Update?
If so,  have there been any wiring changes,  particularly in the PV input area?

Just to be clear,  the KID MUST have the PV negative connected,  ONLY,  to the KID's PV input Negative terminal  --  no other place for this cable.

And,  just confirming,  that the PV array that is connected to the KID is connected to NO other CC in any manner,  right?

Hi Vic,

Yes it was working for the last week in this location.  No weird clicking or ? that we were witness to. Did a nice job of charging the battery. 
Updated in order to add a WBjr as soon as FW1820(?) is production, not Beta.

I only added the USB cable, but it is on the far left, Battery side of the unit.

Hmmm,  might there be a bit of induction from that? It is still connected...

Yes, only one connection for PV + and PV-

I will double check that I have the wiring fully separated, regardless of which CC that array is connected to.

Westward Ho! ...   Friday.

[Vic]

Hi Wb,

Any news on how the KID is charging that battery?

Thanks for any Update info,   Vic

[Westbranch]

Hi Vic,  we had visitors this AM till noon and we did not hear anything clicking as we had last week,   BUT    I just went down to see what had transpired after I turned on the PV this morning, in the low light period. the  KID started up right away in  BULK, so I waited for ~ 5 minutes , the clicking did not start as before at ~ 2 minutes, hence the additional wait time...

Result:  Battery CB was tripped... darn I wanted to hear that noise again...

so I went hunting for the new setting location under TECH...

I changed the Anti click sensitivity, as per page 29, to 22 Volts   AND
after a few more presses the Min Low Power 25W ie ~ 1.0+A

I think there is  still a few sections to be written upon pg. 29!!

So I will monitor it as the sun sets over the next hr. and in the AM tomorrow

[Vic]

   ...   Result:  Battery CB was tripped... darn I wanted to hear that noise again...

so I went hunting for the new setting location under TECH...

I changed the Anti click sensitivity, as per page 29, to 22 Volts   AND
after a few more presses the Min Low Power 25W ie ~ 1.0+A   ...

Hi Wb,

Thanks for the new info,

Your 560 W PV array might be able to supply about 9 A of DC current output to a 48 V battery.   There is no way that this could or should be able to trip a 63 A breaker.

There certainly something quite wrong.   The KID measures its current in the negative lead of the PV input.  This is one main way that the KID protects itself.  If the PV input negative lead happens to connect to the battery negative,  instead of ONLY the PV negative input  this current measuring ability of the KID is short-circuited.

I can offer no more,  but please,  please DO check the wiring of the PV  negative cable  --  it should ONLY be connected to the PV input negative terminal of the KID,  and NO OTHER PLACE AT ALL.

Good Luck,  please let us know AFTER completely checking the KID wiring in its entirety.    Good luck,     Vic

[Westbranch]

Hi Vic,   .....  Urrr, Uhmmm......   It is a 24 V system.....  so the settings should have it clicking  for s short time before the PV is putting out the min needed volts to start charging shouldn't it?

Thinking this out right now,as the resting volts are at least 25.6 V I will set it to that so that it will not ( should not ?) spend much time in that never never land where there is noy enough power to run the KID as well as charge the battery....  Thoughts?

I just upped the min volts to the max it will allow 25.0 V so we shall see in the morning.

I left out the fact that I did double check the Neg leads and no cross connections found.

I took a small video of the KJD in NORMAL action as just as | started recording so did the clicking,    ......   coincidence..

Magnificent lightning storm tonight, started at  ~ 16:00, now 21:10... and about 1 inch of rain per hr!!!!

will attempt to post from Tab...

[Vic]

Hi Wb,

The 63 A breaker that has been tripping,   assume that this is on the output of the KID,  to the battery.   It is not on the input,  and/OR a GFCI breaker,  is it?

Normal Relay clicking is in very low light conditions.

Dunno,   thanks for the update,  and Good Luck with the lightning.     Vic

[Westbranch]

Hi Vic, yes regular 63A MN CB, no GFCI...

The clicking, almost Mose code like, I'm almost suspecting that it is sending a (coded) message  ::)the CB

It went on for about 1.5 hrs tonight.  My MX60 and Cl 150 did it a bit but no where near that long.  I am hoping that the latest limits I set minimize it and the CB doesn't trip again.,

Tried the video but it is still 1.4 mb at lowest setting, for  a single data cycle of the screen, and email and the forum reject it.

Ciao... till the morning.