Apsystems DS3-L not working

[123Jay]

I replaced all the bad inverters today and they are all working now. The new inverters were made in Taiwan and all the bad ones were made in China.

[IslanderVT]

They didn't give me any hassle. I emailed support.usa@apsystems.com.

They emailed me back the next day asking if I purchased from a distributor or self installed. And if I self installed to reply with my sales receipts to activated my limited warranty.

Then then they said they were replacing the inverters. This all transpired over 4 business days.

I would send my sales receipt info to them if you haven't yet, but there was no push back from them for me.

Thanks 123Jay for the update!

I did the warranty registration a couple months ago, and at that time they were responsive. I'm figuring the holidays are probably slowing response.

Were the original DS3-L units you received Made in China? And the replacements Made in Taiwan? I heard there was a defect in the first batch...which I likely received because I ordered them as soon as they arrived at the distributor back in July.

[123Jay]

They didn't give me any hassle. I emailed support.usa@apsystems.com.

They emailed me back the next day asking if I purchased from a distributor or self installed. And if I self installed to reply with my sales receipts to activated my limited warranty.

Then then they said they were replacing the inverters. This all transpired over 4 business days.

I would send my sales receipt info to them if you haven't yet, but there was no push back from them for me.

[IslanderVT]

I am a DIY installer.

123Jay....Did APSystems give you any hassle as a DIYer? I've had a Tech Support request submitted for almost two weeks with no response beyond the initial confirmation and assignment of a case number. Any ideas to break through?

[Twoink]

I am a DIY installer.

Ok thanks. I'm a professional installer and I'm curious how to compensate my hours with Apsystems

[123Jay]

I am a DIY installer.

[Twoink]

Mine replacements are arriving today as well. They sent me a return label to send back the old ones.

Question, are you a professional installer?

[123Jay]

Mine replacements are arriving today as well. They sent me a return label to send back the old ones.

[Neovo^]

Update: received 24 new inverters. First 8 are replaced and it seems to work fine now.
It's cloudy at the moment and the output is approximately 1kwh a day, so I should wait for a sunny day and check if the inverters are still working fine.

Good news! Just wondering… What is the production date of the new inverters? And are the serial numbers higher than those in the bad batches? Do you need to return the non-working inverters?

[Twoink]

Update: received 24 new inverters. First 8 are replaced and it seems to work fine now.
It's cloudy at the moment and the output is approximately 1kwh a day, so I should wait for a sunny day and check if the inverters are still working fine.

[qwerty]

Thanks for the guidance and links.

I found the IP address for the ECU, but all I get when swapping it in to the links above is "Refused Connection"...tried two different computers.

Any ideas?

I copied the URLs for the original post from my phone, which had them all starting with "https:". But I checked on my PC, and they are just "http:". The "https:" links bring up a warning on the PC even though they work on the phone. So maybe try them again as http vs. https and see if that helps?

[IslanderVT]

Here is some information I received from my distributor....its a field notice from APSystems that relates to Vmp specs:

Tech notice CORRECTION
June 9, 2022

Dear valued partner,
We recently sent a tech notice out regarding DS3-L dual microinverters recently been sold in the U.S being
characterized by a higher Peak Power Tracking Voltage range of 34Vmp. We have been able to correct
much of this discrepancy through a firmware update which will bring existing units to 31Vmp and usable
with most PV modules available on the market today.
Another critical part of the previous notice was that the microinverters and ECU gateway require updating
prior to connection to the grid. The ECU must be updated by connecting it to the internet. We recommend
this be done prior to visiting the jobsite. The updates are downloaded automatically.
Once this is complete, use the instructions below to connect the ECU to the microinverters and the micros
will then be automatically updated. Please see the note for customers with Comcast/Xfinity.
Our team remains at your disposal if you should have any questions. Please reach out to us at 844-666-
7035 or support.usa@apsystems.com.
We truly appreciate your continued business, understanding and support.
Sincerely,
APsystems

8701 N Mopac Expy, Ste. 160, Austin, TX 78759
844.666.7035 | usa.APsystems.com
APsystems

ECU/Microinverter Update Instructions
STEP 1: PRIOR TO VISITING THE JOBSITE:
APsystems highly recommends updating the ECU device prior to visiting the job site.
1. Connect the Ethernet cable FIRST, and then plug-in power to the ECU-R or ECU-C gateway units.
Connecting the Ethernet cable first will automate the updates.
2. For ECU units beginning with prefix 2162: Wait 20 minutes after connecting, firmware will be
automatically updated.
3. For ECUs with prefix 2160/215: Wait AT LEAST 20 minutes after initial connection and reboot
the ECU unit. Be sure the Ethernet cable remains connected during this time. Once rebooted,
the firmware will take an additional 30 minutes.
STEP 2: AT THE JOBSITE:
Be sure to complete Step 1 above prior to connecting the ECU at the jobsite.
1. DO NOT CONNECT AC POWER UNTIL STEPS 1-10 ARE COMPLETE.
2. Connect the ECU via Ethernet cable to the system owner’s router (Note: Connect ECU via Wi-Fi
for customer with Xfinity/Comcast), then connect power to the ECU.
3. Press the “AP” button on the side of the ECU.
4. Using your smartphone, go to your Wi-Fi network settings and connect to the ECU device (Wi-Fi
SSID begins with ECU...). The password is 88888888 (8, eight times).
5. After connecting your phone to the ECU via Wi-Fi, use your smartphone to download/open the
EMA Manager app from the app store.
6. On the log-in screen, touch the “ECU APP” link to begin system registration.
7. Under ID Management, scan the microinverter barcodes (find barcodes on each microinverter
or their boxes).
8. SYNC all inverters.
9. Finish entering all settings in the ECU app (time zone, power profile, etc).
10. Inverter firmware update will begin immediately and update overnight.
11. Complete ECU commissioning in the EMA by creating homeowner account, connecting it with
installed ECU (enter serial number) and completing the site profile.
Be aware that the inverters may not show energy production in the EMA while they are updating. If you
have any questions during this process, please contact our technical support team at 844-666-7035. You
can also find the full ECU step by step video on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com/APsystemsSolar—
just be sure for the update to follow Step 1 above to update the ECU prior to visiting the jobsite.

[IslanderVT]

Thanks for the guidance and links.

I found the IP address for the ECU, but all I get when swapping it in to the links above is "Refused Connection"...tried two different computers.

Any ideas?

[qwerty]

One more question on the DS3-L units: Using the DIY version, how can you tell what firmware version you have? Do I need the full installer access for this?

There is a secret menu you can access from a web browser; you just need to know the IP address of the ECU on your network (which I found by logging into my network router and looking at the list of connected devices):

To see the firmware version, go to this URL, replacing the IP address at the start with the actual IP address of your ECU:

http://192.168.0.2/index.php/hidden/remoteupdate

There is also a secret menu for the signal strength of the inverters:

http://192.168.0.2/index.php/hidden/signal_level

And there is another one where you can change the zigbee channels the inverters use to communicate with the ECU.

http://192.168.0.2/index.php/hidden/channel

From the top of any of these pages you can also navigate to less-secret pages with other configuration details. As far as I can tell, none of them lead to anything that will make my faulty inverters actually function properly though.

Edit: I found this via another solar forum that is in French; I thought people here might find it useful too. Another secret menu to turn inverters on and off and set power levels is below; it requires a login but user admin and password admin seems to work:

http://192.168.0.2/index.php/configuration/switch_state

[IslanderVT]

One more question on the DS3-L units: Using the DIY version, how can you tell what firmware version you have? Do I need the full installer access for this?