Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product Inverter Communications Adapter Xantrex
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Inverter Communications Adapter (ICA) M ICA Owner’ s Manual.
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Inverter Communications Adapter Owner’s Manual.
About Xantrex Xantrex T echnolo gy Inc. is a world-leadin g supplier of advanced power electronics and controls with pro ducts from 50 watt mobile units to one MW utility-scale systems for wind, solar , ba tteries, fuel cells, microturbines, and backup power applicatio ns in both grid-connected and st and-alone systems.
iii About This Manual Purpose The purpose of this Owner ’ s Manual is to provide explanations and procedures for in stalling, oper ating, maintaining, and troubl eshooting the Inverter Communications Adapter (ICA).
About T his Manual iv 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Conventions Used The following conventions are used in this guide. Illustrations Since software levels can change frequently to incorporate upgrades and improvements, it is recommended that you visit www .xantrex.
About T his Manual 975-0052-01-01 Rev A v Abbreviations and Acronyms AC Alternating Current ASC Authorized Service Center AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction COM COMmunications Port DC Direct Current DO.
About T his Manual vi 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Related Information Y ou can fi nd more info rmation about Xant rex T echnology Inc. as well as its prod ucts and services at www .
vii Important Safety Instructions 1. Before installing the ICA, read all i nstructions and cautionary markings on th e ICA, the inverter , the batteries, and all appropriate sections of this guide. 2. Do not expose the ICA to rain, snow , or spray . 3.
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ix Important Safety Instructions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vii 1 Installation Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 Features/Components -.
Contents x 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Help - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 LEDs and LCD Display - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 Multiple-Unit Dr.
xi Figure 1-1 Inverter Communicatio ns Ad apter (ICA) - - - - - - - - - - 3 Figure 1-2 Connecting Directl y to the Inverter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 Figure 1-3 Connecting the ICA t o a Computer u.
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xiii Table 3-1 Keyboard Commands - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 Table 3-2 Keyboard Commands (ICAP Only) - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 Table 3-3 Keyb oard Commands (Terminal Emulation Pr.
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1 Installation Chapter 1, “Installation” de scribes how to install the ICA cable with or without a modem. The following topics are covered in this chapter .
Installation 2 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Introduction The Inverter Communicati ons Ad apter (ICA) allows any Sine W ave Plus Inverter/Char ger to be connected to a computer serial port or directly to a modem to be controll ed and monitored over l ong distan ces.
F eatures/Compone nts 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 3 Figure 1-1 Inverter Communicati ons Adapter (ICA) ICA adapter DB-9 Serial port adapter 25’ phone cable.
Installation 4 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Connecting the ICA Cable The ICA converts the REM OTE port on the Sine W ave Plus Inverter/Charger into a standa rd RS232 type communications port interface. See Figure 1-2 for the location of the Remote P ort on the Sine W ave Plus Inverter/Char ger.
Conne cting the IC A Cable 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 5 Figure 1-2 Connecting Directly to th e Inverter AC Side of Sine Wave Plus inverter R EMOTE Port ICA Adapter (LED and RJ11 port) LED illuminates wh en the ICA is able to communicate with the inverter.
Installation 6 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Connecting the ICA to a Computer using a Modem The ICA can be connected directly to a modem for use in remote sites where a computer may not be ava ilable or desired.
Conne cting the IC A Cable 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 7 Figure 1-3 Connecting the ICA to a Computer using a Modem ICA Adapter.
Installation 8 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Connecting Mult iple ICAs to a Single Computer Up to eight ICAs can be used with a single computer serial port. The four phone cable c onductors are simply run in parallel using standard pho ne cable line “splitters”.
Conne cting the IC A Cable 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 9 Figure 1-4 Connecting Multiple ICAs ICA Adapter (8 maximum).
Installation 10 975-0052-01-01 Rev A P ositive Gr ound or PV Ground F ault Protection Installations When using the ICA in inverter installations t hat have DC ground fault p rotection (PVGFP-CF) or wh.
Conne cting the IC A Cable 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 11 RJ 11 connector on ICA Serial Port Adapter RJ 11 connector on 25-foot (4-conductor, teleph one standard) cable RJ 11 connector on ICA Adapter Figure .
Installation 12 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Additional P ossible Requirements The modem at the inverter lo cation ma y need to be DC powered if it is necessary to conn ect to the inverter during a fault condition where the inverter has shut of f its AC output.
2 Configur ation Chapter 2, “Configuration” de scribes how to install the ICAP software provided with the ICA and how to set up a modem (if used). The following topics are covered in this chapter .
Configuration 14 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Installing the ICA Software: ICAP The Inverter Communications Adapter software program (ICAP) is included on the CD in the ICA package. It allows a personal computer to operate as a virtua l control panel for up to eight Sine W ave Plus Inverter/Char gers.
Installing the ICA Software: ICAP 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 15 2. Click on the NEXT button to start the setup program. The License Agr eement screen should appear next. 3. Click on the ACCEP T button to accept the License Agreement and continue with the installation.
Configuration 16 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 5. The ICAP installation folder will default to the location shown in Figure 2-4. If you do not want the software installed at the default locatio n, enter the de sired location in the window below “Install f iles to this location” or use the BROWSE button to navigate to the desired location.
Installing the ICA Software: ICAP 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 17 8. The Ready T o Install screen should appear next. If you want to have a shortcut put on y our desktop, click in the small box next to the questio n “Do you want a sho rtcut on your desktop?” A small ch eck mark should appear in the box.
Configuration 18 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 10. After the setup program has updated your system, the Installed screen will appear to confirm that the installation was succe ssful. Click on the NEXT button to proceed to the final step. 1 1. When the setup program ha s finished installing the software the Readme Option screen will appear .
Installing the ICA Software: ICAP 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 19 Starting Setup Manually T o start the program fr om the CD if Autor un is disabled on your computer: 1. Insert the ICAP CD into yo ur CDROM drive. 2. Open W indows Explorer (or Click on My Comp uter) and navigate to the CDROM drive to view the contents of the disk.
Configuration 20 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Starting Setup From a Command Pr ompt T o start the pr ogram from a command pr ompt: 1. Insert the ICAP CD into yo ur CDROM drive. 2. Click on ST AR T and select “RUN”. 3. Enter the drive letter assig ned to your CDROM and the name of the installation program as shown in Figure 2- 10.
Setti ng Up a M odem Con necti on 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 21 Setting Up a Modem Connection Modem connection requires the use of a terminal emulation program. A modem is required at both the inverters and at the computer , with a phone line available to make the connection.
Configuration 22 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Establish the T y pe of Connection T o establish the type of modem connection: 1. In the Phone Number dialo g box (Figure 2-12), enter the following information. 2. Select one of th e following in the “Connect Using” drop down list: 3.
Setti ng Up a M odem Con necti on 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 23 Enter COM P ort Pr operty V alues T o enter the COM port values : 1. In the COM1 Properties dialog (Figure 2-13) enter the following: *This setting must be “fixed”. Some programs will over -ride this setting and will at tempt to find the fastest speed.
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3 Oper ation Chapter 3, “Operation” desc ribes how to operate the ICAP software, change the ICAP settings, test, and troubleshoot the connection. The following topics are covered in this chapter .
Operation 26 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Starting ICAP The ICA program can be started with either of the following methods. Method 1: If you allowed the setup pr ogram to put an application shortcut on your desktop: • Double click on the shortcut icon on your desktop.
User Interface F eatures 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 27 User Interface F eatures The ICAP User Interface has the following features. The user can either click on the virtual button s or use keyboard commands to navigate th rough the program .
Operation 28 975-0052-01-01 Rev A ICAP Menu Bar Use the features of the ICAP Menu Bar to access and/or alter programmable parame ters for the ICA Ad apter .
User Interface F eatures 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 29 Go P ast END MENU This command provides the mean s for the user to move past the END MENU of eac h menu map for the SW Plus Inverter . Pressing the virtual Navigation Buttons in ICAP will not take the user past the End Menu in each Menu Map like the ICM does.
Operation 30 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Communications This drop-down menu item provides a means to reset the RS232-port used by the ICA and select the number of ICAs attached. H ELP Access help information by using one of the following methods: • Click here on the Men u Bar • Press F1 • Press AL T + H + H T o leav e HELP , press ESC.
User Interface F eatures 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 31 Navigation Buttons Use the virtual Navigation Butto ns to move around within the Menu Maps. Navig ation buttons are groupe d into four categories: • INV or GEN buttons access Inverter or Generator features.
Operation 32 975-0052-01-01 Rev A T a ble 3-1 Ke y b o a r d C o m m a n d s K eystroke Function L, l Menu Headings (Previous Menu Heading ) R, r Menu Headings (Next Menu Heading) U, u Menu Item (Prev.
User Interface F eatures 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 33 T a ble 3-3 K eyboard Commands (T erminal Emulation Programs Only) K eystroke Function 1-8 Select inverter: 1 thro ugh 8 is the inverter ’ s ID number , 1 is the default. S Setup Menu - Accesses either “BEGIN BASIC SETUP” or “BEGIN ADV ANCED SETUP” Menus.
Operation 34 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Changing ICAP Settings ICAP enables you to change ce rtain settings to acc ommodate your specific configuration. Th is is done by using the ICA C OMMANDS and C OMMUNICATION commands on the ICAP Menu Bar . Use the ICA Commands to change configuration parameters for the ICA adapte r .
Changing ICAP S ettings 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 35 Identifying Single o r Multiple ICA s T o establish multiple inverters in ICAP , start ICAP and follow the steps illustrated in Figure 3-3. Figure 3-3 Identifyi ng the Number of ICAs atta ched 2. Click this dr op down box to display th e options.
Operation 36 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Assigning ID Numbers to the ICA If you are installing a multiple-i nverter system, you will need to identify each inverter to be monitored and assign an ID number to that inverter and IC A. It is recommended that you label each cable as well for ease of identification at a later date.
Changing ICAP S ettings 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 37 Figure 3-4 Assigning ID Numbers to the ICA Important: Y ou must click on the W RIT E New ID button to save changes made to the Advanced Configura tion Settings. Clicking on the OK button will o nly exit the wi ndow without saving the changes.
Operation 38 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Advanced Configuration Settings The Advanced Configura tion settings include the C ONFIGURATION PARAMET ER , the D ESELECT T IME , and the S ERIAL N UM BER and should only be changed as directed by Xantrex personnel.
Changing ICAP S ettings 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 39 Changing the PC’ s COM P ort Number T o change the COM port number , start ICAP and follow the procedure illustrate d in Figure 3-6. COM Port options range from 1 to 8. Figure 3-6 Changing the PC’ s COM P ort Number 2.
Operation 40 975-0052-01-01 Rev A T esting the ICA In order to test the ICA, it must be plugged into an inverter that is powered up on batteri es or other suitab le power supply . Press the first unit’ s ID number (1 is the default) on your computer keyboard.
T roubleshootin g the ICA 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 41 T roubleshooting if No Resp onse comes from the ICA Check ID If the ICA is not responding, ensure you have the correct “ICA unit number” selected on the ICAP user interface window , see figure 3-2.
Operation 42 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Reset Program Reset the program by closing the ICAP program. Then disconnect the ICA adapter and plug it back in, mak ing sure the phone cor d is securely plugged in. When you p lug in the ICA, the green LED on the ICA adapter should light up.
T roubleshootin g the ICA 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 43 Check Configuration W ith the ICAP software, only have one ICA adapter connected. Check the ICA adapte r ’ s configuration code (02) and deselected time (03).
Operation 44 975-0052-01-01 Rev A On the other hand, if the SW Plus in verter ’ s disp lay is parked on a static menu item, then wh en you startup, the software window may show a blank display for a few seconds. This condition is nothing to wo rry about and should correct itself in about 1 minute.
45 W arranty and Return Information Wa r r a n t y What does this warranty cover? This Limited W arranty is provided by Xantrex T echnology , Inc. ("Xantrex") and covers defe cts in workmanship and materials in your Inverter Communications Adapte r.
W arranty and Return 46 975-0052-01-01 Rev A What proof of pur chase is requir ed? In any warranty claim, dated proof o f purchase must accompany the product and the product must not have been disassembled or modified without prior writ te n authorization by Xantrex.
W arranty and Return 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 47 IN NO EVENT WI LL XANTREX BE L IABLE FOR ANY SPECI AL, DIRECT , INDIRECT , INCIDENT AL OR CONSEQUENTIAL D AMAGES, LOSSES, COSTS OR EXPENSES HOWEVER ARISING.
W arranty and Return 48 975-0052-01-01 Rev A Return Procedur e 1. Package the unit safely , preferably usi ng the original box and packing materials. Please ensure that your produc t is shipped fully insured in the original packaging or equivalent. This warranty wi ll not apply where the product is damaged due to improper packaging.
W arranty and Return 975-0052-01-01 Rev A 49 Information About Y our System As soon as you open your Inverter Communi cations Adapter package, record the following information and be sure to keep your proof of purchase. If you need to contact Customer Service, please record th e following details before calling.
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A Abbreviations an d Acronym s v C CD with ICAP Softw are 2 changing the COM port number 39 color coding for ICA phone cable 11 connecting multiple ICAs to a single computer 8 Customer Service prepari.
Index 52 975-0052-01-01 Rev A W warranty out of warranty service 48 terms and conditions 45 X Xantrex web site vi.
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Xantrex Technology Inc. 1 800 670 0707 Tel toll free NA 1 360 925 5097 Tel direct 1 360 925 5143 Fax direct customerservice@xantrex.com www.xantrex.com 975-0052-01-01 Revision A PC Printed in USA.
An important point after buying a device Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Xantrex Inverter Communications Adapter along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
