PIP-4048MS and PIP-5048MS inverters

[jdavies1994]

Good work on that clone post coulomb.

I have 8 X 16mm (2 for positive and 2 for negative on each inverter and only 1.5 meters long)

The voltage is fine until I boil the kettle (around 50a) and I get around 4/5v drop across the pack. Probably says more about the batteries. They were sold as deep cycle but have since found there dual purpose so probably not great choice for solar.

It may have been the control board I read about. Is that the one that holds the firmware CPUs etc?

The control board (plugs into the main board on one side) does contain the main digital signals processor (DSP), which contains the firmware, and a lot of other stuff including the EEPROM where settings are stored, and various op-amps and buffers. I doubt you'll be able to obtain a genuine control board, and even if you could, it might have slightly different pinouts, and might not even fit mechanically.

I'll see if I can find a serial number online and go direct.

Might be worth it just for testing purposes etc

Thanks again coulomb
Jeran

[swagner2018]

Hello All,

Today I've tried to update the firmware but I get always in the ReflashTool "Can not open serial port" I have tried different USB to RS232 Adapter and different COM ports.

FTDI driver version 2.12.28.0
Prolific PL-2303TA chip and driver version 3.2.0.0 and 3.6.81.357
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64Bit

The Connection to Watch Power via USB to RS232 works without any problems either with the FTDI or Prolific.

Did somebody updated the firmware using one of the mentioned USB to RS232 adapter with Windows 10 Pro 64Bit ?

Thanks and have a nice day,

Stefan

[jdavies1994]

Today I've tried to update the firmware but I get always in the ReflashTool "Can not open serial port"

Have you made sure watch power is definitely closed and the com port is open.

[ Edited Coulomb: trimmed quote ]

[erland82]

Today I've tried to update the firmware but I get always in the ReflashTool "Can not open serial port"

Yes, i just updated mine. With a windows 10 Pro 64Bit pc and a USB to RS232 adapter.

[ Edited Coulomb: trimmed quote ]

[coulomb]

Prolific PL-2303TA chip and driver version 3.2.0.0 and 3.6.81.357
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64Bit

For what it's worth, mine (which has done many firmware updates) is a PL2303 RA and the driver is 3.8.12.0. Windows 10 home, 64 bit.
It looks like your Prolific driver could do with updating. I found Win_Driver_Prolific_3_2_0_0.exe in my downloads folder; that sounds like the same executable that you found.

The Connection to Watch Power via USB to RS232 works without any problems either with the FTDI or Prolific.

That's good sign, though I note that firmware updating happens at 9600 bps, but WatchPower and all other commands operate at 2400 bps. It's very unlikely to make a difference.

As already mentioned by jdavies1994, make sure you exit WatchPower via the tray executable, not the File/Exit menu:

[swagner2018]

Hi All,

I have tried now 4 different Laptop with different Windows 10 version and german and english OS version and still not possible to update the Firmware.
WatchPower communication via USB to Serial works without any issus on all OS.
When I try to update the Firmware I can see the LED on the USB to Serial adapter is flashing 3-4x but then it stops and create the already mention messages, ReflashTool "Can not open serial port"
WatchPower was deinstalled and I disabled on 2 Laptops which used "IPMI Serial over LAN (SOL) which used COM1" in the BIOS / UEFI and deleted all installed unused driver version.

I guess it's the Inverter Type or maybe it's a Clone, can somebody let me know if this PCB is used in other Inverters and if the Firmware update works on them.

PCB_Serial.jpg (414.53 KiB) Viewed 165 times

The Inverter is a Steca 5000-48 with the following Label

Steca_5000_48.jpg (975.25 KiB) Viewed 165 times

The Current installed Firmware is 72.10

Many thanks for your help and best regards,

Stefan

[swagner2018]

Just tried it now with Windows XP, it's the same... so I guess now there are just two options.
1. Both USB to Serial adapter are not usable with the update software even when WatchPower works.
2. Firmware update is not possible with the Steca PLI 5000-48

[dapsaille]

Hello everyone,
i'm bored with a clone that cannot be upgraded, ...and i've just received 2 others units that cannot be upgraded too, even if the seller sells them for Voltronic models (it will be easy to return them).

Sorry if this is not the right thread but do you think that this one is a REAL voltronic, the seller claim to be an officiel MPPS Solar distributor but ... i don't trust anyone anymore
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/solaire-onduleu ... 2746191559

PIP-5048MS 1.0PF 64v, as far as i've read the topic, is eligible to the super/giga firmware ?
Thanks for any info.

[lopezjm2001]

Sorry if this is not the right thread but do you think that this one is a REAL voltronic, the seller claim to be an officiel MPPS Solar distributor but ... i don't trust anyone anymore
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/solaire-onduleu ... 2746191559

I bought mine from maximum solar on Ebay on January 2015. Still works. It is genuine, not a clone.

[coulomb]

I guess it's the Inverter Type or maybe it's a Clone, can somebody let me know if this PCB is used in other Inverters and if the Firmware update works on them.

It certainly looks genuine to me, and I hope you don't mind but I've used your sticker as an example of a presumed genuine model with a custom sticker, in the Do I Own a Clone? post. [ Edit: your serial communications board looks identical to the 2017 model in this post. ]

The Current installed Firmware is 72.10

Are you totally sure it's 72.10, not perhaps 74.10? I say this because there doesn't seem to be any indication on the label that this is a 64 V model. If it was a non-64 V model (max 58.4 V charging), then I'd expect exactly this behaviour not being able to update, but I'd also expect to to come with main firmware version 74.XX. (But I note that this page presumably describing the same model as yours, lists the maximum battery voltage as 66 V).

The other thing is that you need to update to patched firmware version 72.20e (or factory firmware version 72.20), not 72.70c (which sounds like it would be compatible and more recent, but is neither), or 73.00e (sounds more recent, but isn't). Again, attempting to update to either of these two will probably result in firmware update failures exactly like the kind you are seeing.

[coulomb]

Hello everyone,
i'm bored with a clone that cannot be upgraded, ...and i've just received 2 others units that cannot be upgraded too, even if the seller sells them for Voltronic models (it will be easy to return them).

... do you think that this one is a REAL voltronic, the seller claim to be an officiel MPPS Solar distributor but ...
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/solaire-onduleu ... 2746191559

That seems to be the French version of the MPPSolar Ebay page, and the seller's name (maximum_solar) is the same one I bought my genuine machine from over three years ago. MPPSolar are definitely a genuine reseller; being based in Taiwan, they seem to have good contact with the manufacturer (Voltronic Power does its R&D in Taiwan but manufactures in China).

So your machine should definitely be able to be updated. Please check all the usual problems.

PIP-5048MS 1.0PF 64v, as far as i've read the topic, is eligible to the super/giga firmware ?

It's eligible for patched firmware version 72.20e and later. Note that the firmware is merely patched; 99.9% of the code is factory original, so I don't think you should expect "giga firmware" improvements.

[dapsaille]

hehehen,
thanks for the return,
i've got a return by mail from the company too.

I will return my 2 fakes and buy from this seller.
Thanks again

[swagner2018]

Hi Coulomb,

The Steca PLI 5000-48 was sold with Firmware 72.10 and everywhere it's mentioned it's 48V, however the max value for the Batterie listed in Menue 13 is 64V.
To make a looong story short,... I have successfully updated 72.10 ---> 72.20e

The next one who will update a Steca PLI 5000-48 will now find this information

The Hardware and Software I have used:

Inverter: Steca PLI 5000-48
Inverter Firmware: 72.10 --> updated to 72.20e
Value Menu 13: max 64V
PC: Lenovo T430
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
OS Version: 10.0.17763 Build 17763
USB to Serial adapter: Chipset PL-2303 XA/HXA
Driver version: 3.2.0.0

Many many thanks for your time and help to find at the end the solution, great work I appreciate it.

Best Regards, Stefan