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**sensij** · 07-29-2015, 12:57 AM

Originally posted by skipro3

I guess what I'm posting for is to see if anyone else has had issues using zigbee on the Solaredge inverter and what you did to fix. I'm also interested in any opinions and ideas of where to continue looking. While I appreciate the Communications Card Solaredge sent me today, I really don't think it's going to solve the drop-out issue.

A number of people have reported problems with SolarEdge's Zigbee communication, even when other co-located Zigbee devices work fine. Two suggestions:

1) Relocate your Zigbee receiver to be closer to the inverter. Use a wireless bridge if necessary to stay connected to your LAN.
2) Forget about Zigbee, and switch to hardwiring the inverter, or using a wireless bridge directly to the inverter.

You can see this thread for a few options.

**thejq** · 07-29-2015, 01:37 AM

By your description, it doesn't sound like it's the radio link. Your inverter should at least recognize that zigbee is installed, so you can see the configuration menu. I had a similar problem when I first turned mine on. It turned out that the zigbee daughter board was not inserted all the way into the socket. So I turn off the AC disconnect and reinserted the board and turn it back on. Once the zigbee configuration menu was there, I could follow the normal connection procedure. If you keep losing the signal when zigbee is recognized, you can try moving them closer and try different antenna orientations. Mine worked best when the gateway antenna is horizontal.

**sensij** · 07-29-2015, 01:43 AM

Also, you didn't mention it, but what firmware version is your inverter using?

**skipro3** · 07-29-2015, 03:57 AM

Originally posted by sensij

1) Relocate your Zigbee receiver to be closer to the inverter. Use a wireless bridge if necessary to stay connected to your LAN.
2) Forget about Zigbee, and switch to hardwiring the inverter, or using a wireless bridge directly to the inverter.

You can see this thread for a few options.

1) I wish I could relocate the Gateway closer to the inverter. I live in a log house. Built it ourselves even. When I wired it, I figured we would just need cable input for our Xfinity cable modem and from there it would be wifi to any of the other devices. In order for me to pull a CAT5 Ethernet cable from where the cable modem is now to someplace closer to the inverter is probably not possible. At least, not for esthetics where it's not exposed.

2) I saw that post. I went to the Amazon link you put there;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PTCFFW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I figure I can use this in 'Client' mode and put it inside the DC disconnect box since it's plastic. Or mount it on the outside of the inverter with a bit of double sticky tape, with power and RJ45 cable going up into the inverter and it's LAN jack. Then quick config the SERVER setting in the inverter from Zigbee to LAN and it should work wifi through this device to my cable modem.

But before I do that, I'm giving something else a try. I read another thread and someone suggested and tried this;

As a follow up, it looks like it was a DHCP issue with it's IP expiring, explaining the regular disconnection every few days. I found the MAC address of the gateway by downloading the solaredge configuration tool, and put a setting into my router to assign it a fixed IP based on it's MAC address. So far it's been staying connected fine. With the configuration tool you could also assign a fixed IP from the gateway as well.

In my case, it's so easy. Log into my cable modem via my browser. Click on 'Connected Devices'. Figure out which Ethernet connection is the inverter. (I have two devices connected via LAN cable; the SolarEdge Gateway and my Rainforest Eagle) Switch from DCHP to Reserved IP. Done. Did the same with the Rainforest because it drops if I don't look at it for several minutes, requiring me to log in each time with username/password pair.

Will this fix my problem? I doubt it. My problem is that the inverter looses it's own internal realization that it has a zigbee installed at all. It's not that the Gateway is dropping connection because it's too far away, interference with other wireless equipment, inverter goes into hibernation at night. It's dropping connection because the inverter says there is not zigbee. I have to reload the SW via the SD card (It's under Maintenance menu on the inverter), then reset the gateway so it can find the slave zigbee in the inverter again.

My inverter is outside, but on a covered wrap-around patio that well protects the inverter from the elements. Here's a photo of the solar and of the inverter on the patio right under the solar;

**skipro3** · 07-29-2015, 04:05 AM

Originally posted by sensij

Also, you didn't mention it, but what firmware version is your inverter using?

My display says;
CPU: 0003.1444

I'm running my original SD card as they didn't provide one with the new Communications Board.

**skipro3** · 07-29-2015, 04:09 AM

Here's something interesting;
The Zigbee Gateway has a MAC address of 00:27:02:10:51:C1
The Inverter Zigbee slave has a MAC address of 0:27:02:12:BB:90

I didn't know the slave had a MAC address. I guess that would be due to the one Gateway can communicate with several inverters and has need to keep them straight?

**SunEagle** · 07-29-2015, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by skipro3

Here's something interesting;
The Zigbee Gateway has a MAC address of 00:27:02:10:51:C1
The Inverter Zigbee slave has a MAC address of 0:27:02:12:BB:90

I didn't know the slave had a MAC address. I guess that would be due to the one Gateway can communicate with several inverters and has need to keep them straight?

Something also to think about is you might be getting interference if you have any other wireless system (house alarm or CCTV system) in the home.

I ran into problems with my Blue Line power monitor losing communication with my wireless router. I found that my Home alarm system was using the same channel as my Blue line. I adjusted the channel to be an odd numbered one and a few channels away from the alarm system channel and now have a solid connection.

Also there are wireless system boosters out there that will amplify the signal from your main wireless router.

**ambradley** · 08-20-2015, 03:44 PM

skipro3,

Have you been able to resolve your issue? Your symptoms sound a lot like mine.

My system was installed in May. Since that time, the SE5000 has "forgotten" about its Zigbee chip six or seven times. When it happens, it reports "No Zigbee" on the LED screen, and the gateway Link yellow light is not lit (see attachments). If I try to change the inverter configuration, Zigbee isn't an option. I've contacted the installer and SolarEdge but not pursued it further until two days ago; yesterday it happened again, so I left my inverter in that state for troubleshooting/diagnosis purposes rather than reset it like I've done before. To reset it, I shut the entire system off on the outside panel with the second meter, then turn it back on. That consistently re-establishes communication between the inverter and gateway.

Even without resetting the inverter, communication was re-established some time overnight. Today the installer told me that the inverter goes dormant (night mode?) when voltage drops below 10vdc, which makes me wonder if the system resets itself automatically each night. That would explain why it always loses its Zigbee before production begins for the day, and why it rediscovered its Zigbee after production ended last night. That is to say, it never loses the Zigbee during electricity production hours.

I am still working with the installer, who is working with SolarEdge. I'll post here if/when anything is done to resolve this issue.

Attached Files

**mungosocal** · 08-20-2015, 03:50 PM

I'm only going to offer my thanks to you for posting this thread. Caused me to consider the zigbee a risk item and include in the SOW an Ethernet connection to my home network -- that it was a relatively short distance made the contractor not even blink at my request. Wireless is great when you have no other option, but in my opinion it is just one more failure point, and to be avoided when doing so is easy.

**skipro3** · 08-20-2015, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by ambradley

skipro3,

Have you been able to resolve your issue? Your symptoms sound a lot like mine.

My system was installed in May. Since that time, the SE5000 has "forgotten" about its Zigbee chip six or seven times. When it happens, it reports "No Zigbee" on the LED screen, and the gateway Link yellow light is not lit (see attachments). If I try to change the inverter configuration, Zigbee isn't an option. I've contacted the installer and SolarEdge but not pursued it further until two days ago; yesterday it happened again, so I left my inverter in that state for troubleshooting/diagnosis purposes rather than reset it like I've done before. To reset it, I shut the entire system off on the outside panel with the second meter, then turn it back on. That consistently re-establishes communication between the inverter and gateway.

Even without resetting the inverter, communication was re-established some time overnight. Today the installer told me that the inverter goes dormant (night mode?) when voltage drops below 10vdc, which makes me wonder if the system resets itself automatically each night. That would explain why it always loses its Zigbee before production begins for the day, and why it rediscovered its Zigbee after production ended last night. That is to say, it never loses the Zigbee during electricity production hours.

I am still working with the installer, who is working with SolarEdge. I'll post here if/when anything is done to resolve this issue.

My screens are exactly like yours, same symptoms. To restore zigbee, hold down the screen advance button until it goes into the countdown for discovering the optimizers, then release before it starts the optimizer discovery mode. This will give you a few screen options, one is maintenance. Scroll down to maintenance and again hold down the button for a few seconds and a new menu will pop up. One of the choices will be "SW on the SD card". Select that and change from NO to YES, then hold the button again. The screen will go dark and in a few seconds, it will restore and the zigbee will be found and start working. No need to reset the WHOLE inverter, just reload the software on the SD card. (SW is Soft Ware)

Mine does it a couple times a week, less than before. The company sent me a new communications board that I installed. Before that, it happened almost every night. The board was old stock and has the temperature on the display now. This is the same board the little zigbee radio chip plugs into. I've got a ticket open on it. The tech logged into my gateway and updated the software on the gateway. The problem still remains, but now maybe once a week or so.

However, with all that said, here's a 'fix';
I bought a 'Client' module from Amazon here;
Price has gone up a bit from the $16 I paid, but still pretty cheap at $19.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PTCFFW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

I power it off the inverter and stuck it inside the DC disconnect box since that is plastic and the inverter is metal. Then I connected a RJ45 ethernet cable to it and into the ethernet port on the communications board. This little box is now wifi connected to my cable modem box. I changed the communications choice from zigbee to ethernet. Now that works reliably. However, I'm still wanting the zigbee to work or a full refund on the cost of it. No way I'm walking away from the cost, about four or five hundred bucks for the zigbee system.

I would recommend that if someone wants wireless to get this little box and configure it for client and go that route. I have no clue why SolarEdge doesn't do that themselves as it's very inexpensive and reliable.

To learn more how to use this box as a client to connect to your wifi 'server', go to the reviews for the box on Amazon and search the word 'client'. There is a box next to the review bar graph for doing word searches.

As a explaination, client means it will take ethernet and make it wireless wifi. For example; my TV set has a ethernet port on it. I can plug this box into the ethernet port and wireless connect now to my cable modem box and have wifi connection instead of a hard wired ethernet cable connection.

**sensij** · 08-20-2015, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by skipro3

However, with all that said, here's a 'fix';
I bought a 'Client' module from Amazon here;
Price has gone up a bit from the $16 I paid, but still pretty cheap at $19.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PTCFFW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

I power it off the inverter and stuck it inside the DC disconnect box since that is plastic and the inverter is metal. Then I connected a RJ45 ethernet cable to it and into the ethernet port on the communications board. This little box is now wifi connected to my cable modem box. I changed the communications choice from zigbee to ethernet. Now that works reliably.

+1 on this, or a solution like it. I would recommend using a small inline fuse on the 120 V tap from the inverter to power the wifi box.

**skipro3** · 08-20-2015, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by sensij

+1 on this, or a solution like it. I would recommend using a small inline fuse on the 120 V tap from the inverter to power the wifi box.

The client/wifi box is powered off a power wart. I think it's 9vdc or something like that. I tapped to one leg of the 240vac and neutral with zip cord and a AC plug, plugged in the power wart for the client and installed that inside the larger inverter. Then I ran the small DC power cable and the ethernet cable down to the DC disconnect box and plugged both into the nano client box.

To check signal strength, log into your router/cable modem/wifi server as admin and look to see who is connected. There should be a signal strength reading for every wifi connection. Hard wired ethernet connections won't have a signal strength reading.

I didn't put a fuse in line with mine, as it is wired just as if it were plugged into the wall anyway with the power pigtail I built, but it's certainly a safe bet to do so. If I open up my inverter in the future, I'll install a fuse as well.

BTW, I added 3 fans to the bottom of my heat sink doing this same set up. The fans use another small power wart to run them and the fans have a 3-level switch on them to adjust the air flow. Testing showed me that there is only a few degrees difference between low/medium/high fan speed settings so I leave them on low for the reduced fan noise. I plan to add a thermal switch to the power for the fans so the fans only turn on when the temperature is over 90degrees, but for now, they are just on 24/7.

Here's fans I used;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00066ISVG?&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

I probably don't need the fans, but I feel better with them than without them, knowing how heat is a killer for electronics in most cases.

**skipro3** · 08-20-2015, 05:16 PM

Here is a screen shot of my xfinity gateway showing the connected devices. 2nd from the bottom is the client in my inverter. Signal strength is a robust -59db

**skipro3** · 08-20-2015, 05:29 PM

Just an FYI about this little nano , Router/AP/Client/Bridge/Repeater;

I bought the 'POCKET'one and connected a portable hard drive to it via the USB port. (not available on the NANO version). Then I bought a small AC inverter that plugs into my cigarette lighter in my car and plugged this in. I loaded a bunch of movies and TV shows on the portable hard drive and now everyone in the car can watch their own movie or TV show on their own tablet, phone or any other device. Great for the grand kids on trips where each one wants to watch a different movie.

I got the idea from another poster's review on Amazon about this application.

This is an amazing little device! Ha!

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