AURORA® MICRO PHOTOVOLTAIC INVERTERS
Contents
1. Note also any Frequently Asked Questions FAQ posted in the renewable energy section of the Power One website www power one com renewable energy in the AURORA MICRO section or on Resource Center pages 3 How to check the radio signal strength The AURORA MICRO CDD system must be installed and the inverters acquired and recognized as described in the Instruction manual and Quick Start Guide and set up for local monitoring as follows Note that local monitoring does not involve the AURORA Easy View program on the internet 1 Enter the IP address of the CDD in the URL address bar of an internet browser e g Internet Explorer Chrome Firefox Safari The IP address can be viewed on the CDD screen by pressing the ESC button on the right side of the CDD Figure 3 1 APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power one Renewable Energy Solutions Page 4 of 13 Figure 3 1 Right side of CDD unit showing ESC key 3 from top 2 This leads to the CDD web server home page which displays all the MICRO inverters in the system and their current energy output Click on View and RF Signals as shown in Figure 3 2 Output Power 0 7401 kW Total Energy 113 947 kWh CO Saved 0 06 t Plant Status I OK Figure 3 2 CDD webserver home page View gt RF Signals options 3 If prompted for a user name and password enter the information in the dialog box which po2. e CDD antenna extension cable order from Power One 105mm 4 13 The customer will need to supply the following items to create an external enclosure for the CDD Antenna e Weatherproof non metallic junction box sized to contain the antenna e g BUD Industries PN series 1336 e Waterproof cable gland assembly with seal and nut A min max 3 7 mm 0 118 0 275 See instructions below for attaching the antenna extension cable and creating the external enclosure APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA Page 9 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions Instructions for attaching the antenna extension cable 1 Unscrew the radio antenna from the top right side of the CDD Wi Fi antenna Radio antenna Figure 6 1 CDD Radio antenna right and WiFi antenna left not to be moved If not using the external enclosure for outdoor mounting skip step 2 and proceed to step 3 2 If the antenna is to be mounted outside thread the extension cable through the grommet and into the box An example is shown in Figure 6 2 though note that the exact cable received from Power One may vary in color and in other details The box and grommets will be those supplied by the customer Figure 6 2 Outdoor installation mounting the radio antenna and water tight grommet assembly in a plastic junction box APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception
3. Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power one Page 10 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 3 Attach the antenna to the extension cable Figure 6 3 Figure 6 3 45 radio antenna extension cable attached to radio antenna If not using the external enclosure for outdoor mounting skip step 4 and proceed to step 5 4 Fit the antenna in the enclosure and tighten the cable glands In the external enclosure the base of the antenna should be visible above the grommet Figure 6 4 leaving only the waterproof parts outside the box Figure 6 4 Outdoor installation base of radio antenna showing inside the weatherproof box A cable tie mounted inside the enclosure can be used to secure the antenna An example of a completed outdoor antenna assembly is shown in Figure 6 5 APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA powey one Page 11 of 13 VA Renewable Energy Solutions cable tie S y x Figure 6 5 Outdoor installation example of CDD radio antenna mounted inside a plastic box with watertight seal 5 Mount the antenna or outdoor enclosure box where desired with the antenna oriented sideways to the AURORA MICROs 6 Screw the other end of the extension cable in to the AURORA CDD radio antenna connector Figure 6 6 ig ee e ra Fi A A AURORA oe Figure 6 6 AURORA CDD with radio signal extension cable attached top view left and bottom vi
4. data packets were received in the last 15 minutes After 15 minutes of data collection there should be a 15 showing on each row rssi column The received signal strength indicator is a measure of the power in the radio signals received by the CDD The best system will have all rssi above 70 Average Plant Signal The percentage is a measure of the overall RF radio frequency communication link quality for each inverter CDD link e An average plant signal gt 70 indicates a well performing system e An average plant signal in the 40 70 range indicate a functioning system but it may have slower refresh rates and possible delays in internal data transfer e Average plant signals lt 40 are suboptimal indicating poor communication quality To summarize for reliable CDD operation the signal requirements are e msg 15 e average plant signal gt 40 preferably gt 70 aa APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power ON e Page 6 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 4 Boosting signal strength antenna orientation If the signal strength is less than desired the fastest and easiest item to check is the CDD radio antenna orientation see Appendix page 13 for the location of the radio antenna the one on the right when facing the CDD screen The radio antenna readily receives signals which come in from the side but has a dead zone at its top and bottom Figur
5. ay leave PV panels in need of cleaning APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA Page 8 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 6 Boosting signal strength CDD Antenna Extension Cable If a poor Average Plant Signal persists after all the recommendations in the Antenna Orientation and CDD location sections have been followed then a Power One AURORA CDD ANTENNA EXTENSION CABLE Power One Part Number ZLH 00563 may help boost the strength of the radio signals received by the CDD The radio antenna is attached at the end of the extension cable up to 45 from the CDD The CDD may then be placed in a convenient spot indoors while the antenna itself is closer to the inverters even outdoors bypassing metal roofs metal building structures etc The antenna extension cable is a coaxial cable approximately 45 15 meters in length has an outer diameter of 0 195 and coaxial terminals It is rated for temperatures 40 F to 167 F 40 C to 75 C If the antenna is to be mounted indoors special housing is not required only a mounting bracket of plastic or other non metallic material as metal may interfere with antenna reception and transmission If the radio antenna is to be mounted outdoors for example to bypass a metal roof the external antenna may be set up using the following items supplied by Power One e CDD radio antenna unscrew the radio antenna from the CDD
6. e 4 1 Because radio frequency signals bounce around there will still be some reception of signals from the top of the antenna but sideways orientation is better A clear line of sight from antenna to the inverters is best Nothing should be in contact with the part of the antenna above the base as that other item will reduce the signal strength Figure 4 1 CDD radio antenna black A showing the best orientation for signal reception green B and the worst red C 1 If the radio antenna is pointed straight towards the AURORA MICROs red X in Figure 4 2 below turn it broadside green V mark in Figure 4 2 2 After adjusting the antenna direction wait 15 minutes for the CDD to receive a complete set of data and refresh its average plant signal strength screen numbers on the Microinverter RF signals screen Figure 3 Check the msg and average plant signa 3 3 looking for msg 15 and for an improvement in the average plant signa APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power ON e Page 7 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions AURORA pa ka Figure 4 2 Correct orientation for CDD radio antenna sideways to the AURORA MICRO inverters 5 Boosting signal strength CDD location The best location for the CDD is as close as possible to the AURORA MICRO inverters though of course the location must be readily accessible to the use
7. ed and instructions which have already been completed APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power one Page 13 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 8 Appendix CDD components Figure 8 1 and Figure 8 2 show components needed by the CDD user These are reproduced from the user s Manual and quick start guide ii E E antenna Status LED Radio antenna Figure 8 1 User items on the front side of the CDD Ethernet port RI45 connector for RS 485 serial GoGo Relay connector Power supply connector Ethernet communication status LEDs Figure 8 2 Components on the bottom side of the CDD 9 Revision history Rev Origin Description Date JECO AA Power One Italy amp Initial release 13 May 2013 C28927 Phoenix Tech Docs APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA
8. ew closeup right 7 Check the Average Plant Signal again Section 3 starting page 3 waiting 15 minutes for the screen to refresh Figure 3 3 aaa E EE El APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power one Page 12 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 7 Power One Technical Support Line If problems persist call the Power One customer support line at 1 877 261 1374 from Canada the USA or Mexico The Customer Information Center is open Monday Friday excluding major holidays 6am 6pm Mountain Standard Time it does not switch to Daylight Savings Time in the summer An answering service responds to calls outside normal business hours taking call back numbers and other contact information Please have the following information available when calling 1 Serial number s and other information on the label on the back side of the MICRO s 2 Serial number MAC address and other information from the label on the back of the CDD 3 Name of the installer if an installer put in the system 4 Name of the site 5 Description of the problem is it a one time failure Occurs daily and when lIs it a hard failure 6 Conditions weather atmospheric electrical under which the problem occurs or occurred 7 List of things which have been tried to fix the problem and what effect they had 8 Sections of the Installation and Operations or other manuals to which the caller has referr
9. not be responsible for any damages including indirect special incidental or consequential damages caused by reliance on the content presented including but not limited to any omissions typographical errors arithmetical errors or listing errors All trademarks logos trade names service marks and copyrighted materials used in this document are the property of their respective owners Failure to designate a mark as registered does not mean that such mark is not a registered trademark The Power One name and logo are registered trademarks of Power One Inc in the U S A and other countries All rights reserved No licenses are conveyed herein implicitly or otherwise under any intellectual property rights Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC 3201 E Harbour Dr Phoenix Arizona 85034 United States of America eee ee SS SSS APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA Page 3 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions Contents 1 SCOPE ANG Tare Sl AU GI CMCC cacscanmswsientieoanoncndendunaipannnswes E T E E E ETE 3 2 WANE OC e A E E tise patna EE A E AA E E E E mene ranentetmacatantnceacautest 3 3 How to check the radio signal strength cccccsssccccsssccceecccseecccesensccssaesecseusecsseuecessuueceseuseeseuscessueeesauesessaaees 3 4 Boosting signal strength antenna orientation ccccccsssecccssseccecenscccaeececseuecccseecessuuecesauseeeseuecessauseesaesessaaees 6 5 Boos
10. power one Page 1 of 13 VA Renewable Energy Solutions AURORA MICRO PHOTOVOLTAIC INVERTERS 13 May 2013 Application note Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception MICRO 0 25 I and MICRO 0 3 1 READER NOTES e This document is to be used in conjunction with the original installation manual or Quick Start guide for MICRO 0 25 I and MICRO O 3 l e All safety precautions in the full manual must be read understood and followed APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA Page 2 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions Copyright 2013 Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC All rights reserved No part of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC makes no representations express or implied with respect to this document or any of the equipment and or software it may describe including without limitation any implied warranties of utility or merchantability for any particular purpose All such warranties are expressly disclaimed Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC its subsidiaries affiliates distributors and dealers shall not be liable for any indirect special incidental or consequential damages under any circumstances Power One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC reserves the right to make changes to this document without notice and shall
11. ps up on the screen user name is admin factory default password is admin however the password can be changed by the user APPLICATION NOTE Improving CDD Wireless Signal Reception Part Number BCA 00041 REV AA power one Page 5 of 13 A Renewable Energy Solutions 4 On the View RF Signals screen the signal strength from each inverter will be displayed Figure 3 3 Although information will be displayed on the screen immediately it takes about 15 minutes for the screen to acquire new data and refresh Home View Config Events Upgrade Microinverter RF Signals output power shone Average Plant Signal 79 total energy 5 6 5 9 3 9 kWh 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F5 F8 msg 15 rssi 94 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F6 5A msg 15 rssi 76 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F6 0B msg 15 rssi 97 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F5 D6 msg 15 rssi 47 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F6 82 msg 15 rssi 97 00 12 4B 00 01 F4 F6 28 CO2 saved 0 03 t plant status i OK 00 12 4B8 00 01 F4 F7 0C 00 12 4B8 00 01 F4 F8 BA CDO TIME STAMP US Mountsin GMT 7 17 09 12 09 28 30 00 12 4B8 00 01 F4 F6 04 00 12 4B8 00 01 F4 F5 86 Figure 3 3 Signal bar graph screen from View RF Signals page from the CDD web server There will be a signal strength bar for each AURORA MICRO inverter in the system The example in Figure 3 3 shows data for 12 inverters The following items will be of interest msg column The msg column shows how many
12. r and reasonably close to the Wi Fi router Obstacles between the CDD and its AURORA MICRO inverters will degrade reception Such obstacles are generally solid objects and include metal roof surfaces or other metal objects metal reinforced concrete and rebar building frames granite and other hard stone bulletproof glass some tinted class some reflective surfaces or even particle board Table 5 1 shows typical signal degradation due to various objects and materials compared to clear line of slight reception through open air across a distance of an 100 yards e g the length a football field Table 5 1 Approximate RF signal attenuation expected through various materials Obstacle material Signal degradation relative to an open field Upto 100 complete blockage of signal Metal reinforced concrete 10 90 depending on the amount of metal Stone particle board pressed cardboard 10 40 Wood plain glass 0 10 little degradation of signals If such items are in the way or if the CDD is far from the inverters try relocating the CDD though it needs to remain close to an electrical outlet for power close enough to the Wi Fi router to maintain the network connection and where the connectors on the bottom of the unit remain accessible Note that fog and rain can also affect signal transmission but PV panels are not likely to be producing energy when it s foggy or rainy Dust storms are not likely to affect signal transmission but m
13. ting signal strength CDD location ccccccccssssecccceessececcaeesececcaeseccesaeusecessaeeeeceeseeseeeeesaeaecessaaeeseeesagaeeeeees 7 6 Boosting signal strength CDD Antenna Extension Cable cccccssccccseccccesseccsenscccaeusecssaececsauseessaeseesaaesessaaess 8 7 Power One Technical Support Line ss ssssessssesseerssserssrressrressrressrressrresssressreessrressrerssreessresssreessrressreessreesseene 12 8 Appendix COD COMPONENT S merere EEEE E O TE eee 13 9 FR VISION OT E E T E E T EE E E E E es 13 1 Scope and Target Audience This document describes how to improve wireless communication between AURORA MICRO inverters and the Power One Concentrator Data Device CDD This application note is for installers and homeowners with Power One AURORA MICRO Systems who are familiar with basic CDD operations and who have a user s manual or quick start guide nearby for reference 2 Introduction AURORA MICRO inverters report their status to the receiver unit the CDD over a radio frequency wireless link If the signal strength is good the process will be completed faster than if the signals are weak The MICRO inverters and CDD automatically choose the best signal routing but as with any wireless communication signals may degrade due to obstacles or non ideal antenna orientation This application note discusses ways to check the signal strength seen by the CDD and offers suggestions for strengthening it if needed
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