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canoman1957 asked

Smart Solar MPPT 100/20 Not Charging after Firmware update to version 1.56

I have been using the MPPT charge controller since July 2020 with no issues and it, in combination with my solar panel have kept my battery bank charged fully with no issues. Then I did a firmware update via the bluetooth to version 1.56 and it has never worked since. I took the controller back to the store on June 12 where I purchased it and they replaced it.


I installed the new one and I connected it to the batteries and PV and when I connected via bluetooth it performed a couple of mandatory updates one of which was to the version 1.56 firmware. This MPPT controller is behaving the same way and will not charge my batteries.

I performed a full test on the connections and inverter and everything is working flawlessly except for the charge controller.

Has anybody else had issues with this firmware, I have screen shots and the log file from the controller and will share if required.

firmware updatemppt charging
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alan-peng avatar image alan-peng commented ·
Hello,

I also have the same issue with smart solar mppt 100/20-48(v1.56) in several installations, after I replace it with Mppt 150/35(v1.56), it works as expected. So I suspected there is a issue in Mppt 100/2-48.

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klim8skeptic avatar image
klim8skeptic answered ·

So, no led light up?

Can you query the mppt with Victron Connect?

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jmaugendre avatar image
jmaugendre answered ·
Hello, it seems i'm facing the same issue with my MPPT 75/15. Everything was going well before firmware upgrade to 1.56 but since i made this update, the solar current/power seen from MPPT is very low, rarely more than 1A (usually 0 ou 0,2A). MPPT stays in bulk mode but doesn't really charge the battery. Icc current and voltage in open circuit on PV are correct. I'm then intersted with expert answers. I wonder if there's a way to downgrade firmware (at least to validate the origin of issue) Thanks
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

Please test your solar array. (37) How to test a solar panel. - YouTube


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jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·
Solar Panel test was done yesterday. Isc = 6,59A (spécifications gives 7,5A for Isc) V = 19.54V (specification gives 22V, but t°C was hot yesterday)
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ jmaugendre commented ·
Got any snaps of the mppt history?
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jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

screenshot-20210614-103503.pngYes, please find below.

screenshot-20210614-103543.png

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screenshot-20210614-103543.png (218.9 KiB)
screenshot-20210614-103503.png (215.3 KiB)
klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ jmaugendre commented ·
PV max voltage of 12 7v????? No wonder the mppt is not charging.
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jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·
Thoses days with PV max=12.7V, panel was in a garage with really low sunlight. Even with full light (last 3 days), PV is almost not charging.
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jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·
I don't know if that can help, but the Voltage is different when PV is in open circuit (I get arround 20V measured in this case) than when it's connected to MPPT (in this case I usually get 15/16V from Victron Connect, and also with a multimeter)
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ jmaugendre commented ·
I can only suggest that you disconnect the pv from the mppt, and test the array (and wiring) again.
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jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

I made a new measure tody (very cloudy) but Voc= 19V and Isc = 1,6A (because cloudy). Important thing is that this morning I made new tests:

-With a new battery i directly plugged the array (without MPPT), and even with cloudy wethear, my battery was charging (passed from 12.5V to 12,8V in, few tens of seconds).

- After i reconnect the array to my MPPT, small miracle, solar power was 9W (small but i rarely saw such power from a while) and it seems MPPT was delivering current to the battery (0,6A). Battery voltage was 13,2V (not so bad).

-I just made a test to stop the charger through application Victron connect for few seconds, then restart it.

And then charging never started again and i went back to previous issue (with a kind on sinusoid on Solar Voltage, and 0A current delivered to the battery)

The screenshot shows the time where battery is charging, then when i stopped the charger, then restarted it ...and charger is then not charging anymore.

desactivation-charger.png

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desactivation-charger.png (195.2 KiB)
klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ jmaugendre commented ·


'The screenshot shows the time where battery is charging, then when i stopped the charger, then restarted it ...and charger is then not charging anymore."

As per notes in the manuals, initial PV voltage has to be greater than battery voltage +5 volts.

mppt-pv-start-voltage.png


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mppt-pv-start-voltage.png (27.1 KiB)
jmaugendre avatar image jmaugendre klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·
I Agree, and as you can see this is the case, battery voltage is 13V and PV voltage is more than 18V (at the top of sinusoid). Important thing to notice is that during all that time, CHargeur is in "bulk" mode (would'nt be the case if charger not really started)
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canoman1957 avatar image
canoman1957 answered ·

I will test the solar panel output when I return to my RV on the weekend. Its just super suspicious that It worked absolutely flawlessly until the moment the firmware was upgraded.

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canoman1957 avatar image
canoman1957 answered ·

Here are some screenshots showing the issue: This one shows the firmware currently on the MPPT.
screenshot-20210612-090746743.pngThis one shows when the firmware was installed and the effect, look at 8 days ago:

screenshot-20210612-090112263.png

Another shot showing how the charge controller stopped charging The battery bank was just installed in the RV 28 days ago after the winter.

screenshot-20210612-090055803.png

This is the output from solar panel in bright sunshine and charge to batteries

screenshot-20210612-085955920.png

Meanwhile this is the voltage present on the batteries:

img-20210612-090021-959.jpg



screenshot-20210612-085955920.png (136.1 KiB)
img-20210612-090021-959.jpg (3.3 MiB)
screenshot-20210612-090746743.png (188.4 KiB)
screenshot-20210612-090112263.png (163.5 KiB)
screenshot-20210612-090055803.png (82.0 KiB)
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

Battery min voltage of 0.00v would indicate no connection between mppt and battery.

Check your fuses/breakers/wiring.

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canoman1957 avatar image
canoman1957 answered ·

Here is the log file downloaded from the replacement MPPT controller:VictronConnect_report.log


victronconnect-report.log (161.7 KiB)
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xdmon avatar image
xdmon answered ·

Hi,

Any luck with resolving this? I'll start a new thread but seem to be experiencing a very similar issue with a 100/20.

Thanks.

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canoman1957 avatar image
canoman1957 answered ·

I tested the Solar Panel output and measured 47.61v but no ISC current. Short Circuit current should be 10.82 A in ideal conditions. Found out the fuse in the meter I had borrowed was blown I will return again this weekend to the RV with another meter and complete the testing. My Fluke meter only measures up to 10 A so I have borrowed one that will measure up to 20 Amps.

The setup in the RV is a new 395 watt Canadian Solar panel that connects to the Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/20 48V. The battery leads go to the Inverter control sub panel where they are fed to the battery bank (4 x Trojan T105 plus lead acid). The inverter is an older 3900 W Heart (Now Zantrex) device that controls the battery charge and power input connections from the Onan 4KW generator. I upgraded the solar panels last year and switched to from PWM controller to the MPPT controller. The wiring is the same as before I merely switched the solar panel and battery wires from Old to new and it worked like a charm.

Everything was working very well since last July and the batteries were always maintained at full charge until the firmware was updated on the MPPT controller. All of the other things work perfectly the inverter produces AC and the Onan generator produces AC that feeds in to the shore power 30 Amp plug.

I will confirm working PV output and ISC current is close to spec for the panel with the PV disconnected from the controller. I will also confirm battery voltage on the battery leads when disconnected from the controller.

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canoman1957 avatar image
canoman1957 answered ·

Problem resolved!! I discovered a blown fuse in the line from the charge controller to the battery bank. When I upgraded the solar panels and charge controller I did not realize a 15A fuse was placed inline to the batteries. (there was no schaematic of the solar/inverter/generator setup) I Replaced the fuse with a 20 A and problem was resolved. I guess it was a coincidence that the day I upgraded the firmware on MPPT to ver1.56 was a very sunny day when the current to my batteries exceeded 15A and took out the fuse.


Thank you Victron Community for your help.

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