Problem adding new batteries

[Rossi]

Hello, newbie here, thanks for the add.

I have searched far and wide and cannot find an answer to my problem, I'd really value some help please.

My system is:
PV array (2010)
Solar Edge single phase inverter (2019)
Sofar ME3000SP charge controller (2010)
Pylontech US2000 plus battery (2016) x1

The system was installed prior to my purchase of the house.

The system works perfectly fine. However, i have added Pylontech US2000C batteries x2 and i cannot get the system to work. I have tried every permeation, just one of the new batteries (tried both), just the new batteries, one old one new, all together, new battery first, old battery first. Any permeation that involves a new battery does not work. Returning the system to the original setup and it works fine.

What happens is 45s of standby after first turning the system on, followed by alarm code ID52 (battery communication fault). This resets and i might see a few minutes of operation, but the alarm trips at least every 4 minutes and the system spends most of the time in alarm or standby mode.

I have seen posts referring to connecting the batteries and/or charge controller to a device to extract information, but that is beyond my knowledge and the system presently is not WiFi connected, thus the only data i have is as above.

many thanks in advance.

[oregon_phil]

Did you read your charge controller manual?

I don't have any of this equipment, but I did read the charge controller and battery manual.

The attachment shows the battery DIP switch settings.

Your current battery is set up for a single battery and 9600 or 115200 baud rate.

If I had your set up with new batteries, I would verify each battery one at a time with the charge controller.

• On the NEW battery, set the DIP switches exactly like the OLD battery. HOW IS IT SET? Is it UP, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN or DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN?

The battery must be power cycled in order for DIP switch setting to take.

Verify each battery.

I assume you know the charge controller data cable goes to the CAN port on the master battery. When you link batteries, comm port Link 0 is open on the master battery, then each additional battery is linked from comm port Link 1 to Link 0 on the next battery. It is unclear to me whether or not DIP 2 needs to be switched to 1 when you have more than 1 battery in only one group.

Good luck.

[Rossi]

Many thanks for taking time to help.

The DIP settings is not something I understand, and have tried to work through the manual and on line info with a mate who is more electronics minded, and we drew a blank.

the old battery is set with all DIP switches set to off. Having the new batteries linked individually one at a time with the same settings does not generate the same result - the old works, the new do not.

what do you mean verify the new batteries please?

when I connected all batteries I kept all DIP settings off on all batteries. Is your advice to:

• have the first battery set to 1 - on, to change the baud rate?
• and possibly 2 - on, on the first battery?

I am confident with the link port connections; the original setup used B/RS485 rather than CAN and I haven’t changed that.

5C6E8A9E-6920-4DF9-8E24-5013E10E2C66.jpeg

[oregon_phil]

Many thanks for taking time to help.

The DIP settings is not something I understand, and have tried to work through the manual and on line info with a mate who is more electronics minded, and we drew a blank.

the old battery is set with all DIP switches set to off. Having the new batteries linked individually one at a time with the same settings does not generate the same result - the old works, the new do not.

what do you mean verify the new batteries please?

when I connected all batteries I kept all DIP settings off on all batteries. Is your advice to:

• have the first battery set to 1 - on, to change the baud rate?
• and possibly 2 - on, on the first battery?

I am confident with the link port connections; the original setup used B/RS485 rather than CAN and I haven’t changed that.

5C6E8A9E-6920-4DF9-8E24-5013E10E2C66.jpeg

Connections to the charge controller: If you connected one new battery with the same exact DIP switch settings as the old battery, that is what I mean by verifying the new battery. If the new battery doesn't work in this configuration, it's not going to work in a master/slave configuration.

But it seems like you have already tried that.

You have a 2010 charge controller, an older 2016 battery and new 2022 batteries. What is different between the OLD battery and new battery? There must be some version number reported when the battery boots up. And check your charge controller firmware version while you're at it.

At this point, I would verify with the charge controller manufacturer that the new battery firmware number works with your charge controller firmware version. Learning how to use your computer to communicate with the charge controller and battery would be something to learn. SoFar might ask you to upgrade your firmware. I googled SoFar ME300SP and found a post "Bricked Sofar ME3000SP?". You have to be comfortable with downloading firmware, changing out SD cards, etc. That's about all I can think of to do.