Midnite Solar Classic Status Panel questions..

[tomw]

Hey, folks;

Anyone have any hands on experience with the Classic? In particular the 150?

I picked up a used one at a very good price point but find the Status Panel is buggy on my Ubuntu 10.11 and Adobe AIR.  It ran a few hours at first but refuses to connect now for a couple days.

Does anyone know how I can grab the raw data from it?

Damned GUI's have destroyed the world of computing and proprietary interfaces (Adobe) just plain suck ass because they seem to eventually drop support for some of us and require ever increasing horsepower on every "advance".

Anyway, I really just want to grab just the raw data from it via the ethernet connection. It is some web protocol but I cannot find any documentation on how to do it without Adobe in the mix.

Any help from someone with experience is appreciated.

Thanks.

Tom

[DBCollen]

Modbus is the protocol, here is a good thread to get you started  http://midnitesolar.com/smf_forum/index.php?topic=738.0;topicseen

[tomw]

Dustin;

I knew Modbus was the protocol but information on how to grab the raw data over ethernet was beyond my Google skills. Well, I blame Google page indexing bloat, you can make up a word and it will give a half million hits it seems.

After posting this, further searching produced information that this communication issue is the result of a failed firmware upgrade usually caused by the upgrade program being stopped or closed before it is finished.

I tried to reinstall the firmware but ran in to issues with that. I may have a bad USB cable or perhaps there is a problem with the Classic or my computer.  I had to walk away from it yesterday because I was not making any progress.

Supposedly this only affects communication and the Classic works fine otherwise.

I had found that thread you posted but either missed an actual fix or none was posted in there?

There was another thread where Chris Olson posted how he fixed his by reloading the firmware upgrade. I do not have the link to that but I contacted him by email and confirmed we had the same issue and that is where I ran into problems with the USB upgrade and where I am still stuck fixing the Local App. XP Pro, SP3 does not seem to see the Classic when I connect it so it may just be the cable that came with it. Or my seldom used junker PC I keep XP on for these annoying M$ only manufacturer upgrade applications is the problem.

I do not have another cable with that tiny end to fit the Classic or anything else that can use that to see if it is the cable or not so not much sense in continuing to chase my own tail until I know that the cable is good.

Thanks for the info.

Tom

[tomw]

The Classic accepted connections from the Status Panel via ethernet from Ubuntu and XP today (for awhile).

Still no luck installing their drivers for the update tool. Damned XP gets my blood pressure up.

My Ubuntu laptop sees the classic when I plug it in to the USB so its probably safe to conclude it is not the cable or the Classic and XP just doesn't see it.

Maybe someone knows of a Linux or even OSX tool to do the firmware update?

Just a rainy day update.

Tom

[philb]

Tom,
I had problems uploading the software to my Classic last night. I called the company and talked to boB.  The software upload problem is tricky. boB said he is fixing it on the next update.

After you have made sure you have your usb connection on comm 9, then try the notes below in XP. The adobe instructions file on midnite solar site will walk you through that if you need it.

Here are the notes from last night:

1. turn the classic's power off from batteries and solar/wind.
2. start the upload software and plug in the usb to the classic and computer.
3. push the update button on software screen for the classic you have. The updater will come up in a dos window.
4. Now turn your battery power back on. The updates will start. After the update is 100% completed, wait at least one minute.
5. turn the battery power off.
6. restore power.
7. Now use the same procedure on the MNGP update.
8. When you are finished with the second update, cycle the power one last time. When you turn the power back on this time, hold the left and right arrows down to enter the setup screen.

I see this same procedure to upgrade data logger and instrument software on XP at work.

Hope this helps.

[philb]

Tom,
If you get the modbus thing figured out in Ubuntu, I would like to know the details. 
My search ended up Maggie's drawers.

[tomw]

Hauled the Classic and a power supply over to a buddys and we installed the update with Win 7 went as expected . My XP box is apparently a bigger junker than I thought.

For modbus data collecting google up modpoll, its free command line access to the Classics' registers. I never got it to work but I think it was a part of the bad upgrade thing.  It is command line program so just what I want for my logging. Once I figure it out anyway.

Hopefully this fresh install will be the ticket.

We were very careful in letting that DOS window go away after it says it is 100% done. I suspect if you close that window when it says 100% it is still processing something and it fails. Did both the Classic and the remote installs.

Just where I got to so far. Time will tell if it is truly fixed.

Tom

[madlabs]

I bought a classic 150 the other day and should probably update the firmware. Anyone tried it with Vista?

Jonathan

[tomw]

I bought a classic 150 the other day and should probably update the firmware.
Jonathan

I would wait as they are still having issues. Mine worked awhile then it failed on communication after about 7 hours run time today.

Works fine as a controller but the ethernet comms is unreliable.

Tom

[philb]

Keep in mind if you have a problem with the latest and greatest Classic software, you can install an earlier version right over the top.

The link that Dustin posted raised a few issues involving going through switches and routers. I don't know if that is the issue here.

Maybe boB or Chris will chime in.

[tomw]

The link that Dustin posted raised a few issues involving going through switches and routers. I don't know if that is the issue here.

Maybe boB or Chris will chime in.

Well, I am no code monkey but, if it was routers or switches it seems it would just not work at all? When stuff quits "after awhile" its tough to know how to start sorting it out, I suspect.

Mine came with the same firmware I reinstalled I think. If it wasn't for my silly XP Pro computer not seeing the Classic I would back up a version so I could watch the new toy in action and get into sorting out gathering the raw data which is one  big reason I liked the ethernet enabled Classic.

Tom

[ChrisOlson]

Unfortunately, Adobe dropped support for AIR on linux platforms.  So the only way the Local Status Panel can be run on a linux operating system is with the WINE emulator.  Some folks have reported success with doing this, but I have never tried it because I don't have any computers running linux.

The latest controller firmware and ver 0.2.7 of the Local Status Panel have been rock stable here running on XP Pro.  I don't log power every day.  But we recently had two days straight with 30-40 mph wind and I logged power output for 50+ contiguous hours on three Classic 150's on three wind turbines without a single glitch using the Local Status Panel.

One thing that's noteworthy is that you cannot connect to a Classic with the Local Status Panel from more than one computer at a time.  If you are connected to it with one computer, and try it from a different one, it will just show "Busy" or "Device Not Available".
--
Chris

[tomw]

Unfortunately, Adobe dropped support for AIR on linux platforms. 

Chris;

This is exactly why it pisses me off when manufacturers do this crap. Take the easy route and piss in the face of customers who did not drink the M$ kool aid. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if it was all developed on Linux and open source tools and then released with Redmond only support.

I digress.

Mine is screwed up on the ethernet communication again and, frankly, I just want the raw data and the Local App Status Panel is just a coat of paint and metal flake over what I want. A bad coat at that. I will admit it is cute but cute is for babies and city folks. I need to get raw data to process.

I have the panel running in both Ubuntu and XP but my Classic reports Busy from Ubuntu or XP Pro SP 3.

That kind of blows away the theory "it don't work on Linux" It seems obvious that it is the Classic or its firmware because it works awhile then the Classic bails out on communicating. If AIR didn't work with Linux , well, it just wouldn't work. And what is so hard about an updater running on Linux? It is just a serial port connection and maybe a couple commands to transfer the file? I realize the vast majority of folks use M$ and that is a necessary support route but there are lots of folks that don't use it so why not toss a couple hours at developing a tool for the rest of us?

I can appreciate loyalty but accurate information  trumps that.

I like this Classic so much I am considering another for my Kyoceras. It is running on them now while I wait to get my new array installed. Also waiting on Aluminum parts there 

Anyway on with my projects that I can make progress on without depending on others to do something critical.

Sorry, bad mood. N. Ariz. Wind & Sun just informed me the E-Panel I ordered a month ago and their website implied it was a stock item is back ordered "indefinitely due to an aluminum shortage" but only after I contacted them multiple times asking why they took my money and then ignored my questions on its ETA.  I had good luck with them before but this fiasco has gotten on my last nerve. 

/end rant

If anyone knows of a place with an MNE125AL-PLUS E-Panel in stock, please let me know.

OK on to something fun with coffee involved.

Tom

[ghurd]

 is back ordered "indefinitely due to an aluminum shortage"

Makes a person wonder how many beer cans they threw in the land fill it would have taken to make an E-Panel?

Simple solution that everyone can help with:  Drink more beer.  Recycle your beer cans.  The extra AL is needed for RE projects.  RE projects will save the world.

Drink more beer = Save the world
Simple.
 

Doing my part to save the world,
G-

PS- Seems like something unusual is going on...  Lets say AL is $0.45/lb.  "Shortage" jumps it 25%?  Say there is 10lbs of AL in the box?
Seems like a company would make more money selling an item vs not selling an item when the cost difference is only about $1.10.
Maybe thats just me.

[Wolvenar]

Tom I am under the assumption.. ( yeah yeah) that its ip enabled, and that it is getting its ip address via DHCP.
With that in mind, can the IP be statically configured? There may be a bug in the way it deals with DHCP receive.

This comes to mind because I have seen this problem with network printers dropping out after working for a period of time.
Or failing that, maybe you can set your DHCP server to give a perm allocation to the mac address?

At least its something to try.