Problem Solver Wizard - version 3.5.1 1 What is the nature of your problem?ýData communication problem. No data coming in or lots of communication errors.ü5ýInverter errors or warnings reported from Mate. Program continues to run.ü55ýSome data values are missing or do not look right.ü12ýMore options... (part 2)ü2þ2 What is the nature of your problem? - Part 2ýProgram gives an unrecoverable error message and then aborts.ü11ýProblem with text or plot log files or viewing past data.ü51ýProblem with remote program.ü17ýMore options... (part 3)ü3þ3 What is the nature of your problem? - Part 3ýProblem with sending commands to Mate.ü18ýProblem with the Mate Settings dialog box.ü19ýProblem with licensing or software activation/expiry.ü20ýMore options... (part 4)ü4þ4 What is the nature of your problem? - Part 4ýProblem with program configuration or setup functions.ü21ýThe program does an unexpected or undesireable thing.ü13ýThe program does not do something that I think it should.ü6ýI have a question, comment, or suggestion.ü6þ5 What kind of data communication problem are you experiencing?ýProgram does not appear to be getting any data from the Mate. Communications time out.ü8ýReceiving data, but getting excessive communication errors.ü7ýMonitor program not seeing data from Remote program.ü17ýThe data values coming in do not seem right.ü12þ6 Contact intellact Please contact us here at intellact. We are very responsive to feedback and are always looking to make improvements to the WattPlot software. Please email us at the address shown below. You might also want to visit our web site at: www.intellact.ca/energyþ7 How would you describe the communication errors that you are getting?ýThe same error repeated over and over, regularly.ü26ýThe same error intermittently.ü27ýA variety of communication errors.ü28ýTell me what the communication errors mean.ü14þ8 Is "PC Communications" turned ON in the Mate settings?ýNot sure. How do I check this?ü9ýNo.ü9ýYes.ü23þ9 PC Communications setting on Mate The default setup of the OutBack MATE is *not* configured to transmit performance data. You must turn on this feature. From the main menu on the MATE select SETUP. (You can get to the main menu at any time by carefully pressing the first and second buttons simultaneously.) From the SETUP menu, select MATE, then PG2, then COMM, then PC, and then ON, to activate the serial communications port on the MATE.þ10 Inverter Warnings and Errors The Mate can detect a wide variety of warning and error conditions with your system. These are handled by WattPlot in two ways: 1. They can be displayed and/or logged in an Alert log (if these options are turned on - see Options...Log Settings) 2. An appropriate data value (if applicable) is highlighted on the snapshot bar in yellow (for warnings) or red (for errors). This highlighting will go away when the warning or error condition goes away. Note that a number of the thresholds for these warnings can be set by you on your Mate. For a further explanation of what they mean or why they are happening, please consult your Outback product manual or contact Outback Power Systems for assistance. *** Note that you can send WattPlot log files to others for technical support for viewing if you think that would help them solve the problem. (The Viewer is a free download from our web site: http://www.intellact.ca/energy/wattplot.htm ) Simply attach the appropriate .log file(s) to your email.þ11 Unrecoverable errors usually signify a problem in our software - either a bug or a condition that we never anticipated and could not resolve internally. Resolution of this kind of error is an extremely high priority for us. Please email us right away if you receive one of these errors. Typically, the error will also ask you to attach a file to your email to help us solve your problem. This file is usually c:\postmort.txt A screen shot is also often useful, acquired by minimizing this Problem Solver window and then holding down the Alt key and pressing the PrintScrn key. (You can then Paste the screen shot into an email or Word document, sent as an attachment.) Rest assured that we will work hard to get your issue resolved as soon as possible.þ12 Where is performance data missing or where does it not seem right?ýUnexpected modes and/or zeroes on BOTH Mate and in WattPlot.ü59ýData in snapshot bar at top.ü29ýData in pen plot window.ü30ýMore options... (part 2)ü58þ13 Contact intellact We apologize for the difficulties that you are experiencing with WattPlot. Please contact us here at intellact. We are very responsive to support issues and feedback and are always looking to make improvements to the software. Please email us at the address shown below. You might be able to help us by attaching a screen shot to your email, illustrating your issue. You can acquire one by minimizing this Problem Solver window and then holding down the Alt key and pressing the PrintScrn key. (You can then Paste the screen shot into an email or Word document, sent as an attachment.)þ14 Communication Errors Defined ** Communications timed out Status lines should be sent by the Mate every second. If WattPlot does not detect any data coming from the Mate within about 9 seconds, it will log a time-out message. If nothing is received for about a minute, then the program will give-up. ** Invalid status line from MATE All valid status lines from the Mate begin with a LineFeed character (ASCII 010). If a different character is detected as the leading character, it is noted and this error is logged. ** Communication delimiter check failed Mate status lines begin with a linefeed character (ASCII 010), end with a carriage-return character (ASCII 013), and are divided into separate fields by delimiters (commas). Everything else is a numeric character. Taking away all of the numeric characters should leave the same delimiters every time. If it doesn't, then the status line is invalid and this error is logged. ** Communication delimiter positions check failed Mate status lines are divided into separate fields by delimiters (commas) in fixed positions. If all of the commas are not in the expected positions, then the status line is invalid and this error is logged. ** Communication check sum failed Every status line sent by the Mate has a check-sum to ensure data integrity. If the check-sum test does not pass, it suggests that some data corruption happened with that packet and the check-sum error is logged. ** Component address undefined The Mate can send data for a number of components. Each status line corresponds to a single component, identified by an address. WattPlot received a status line for a component that was not defined in the WattPlot System Components screen. All components attached to the Mate or OutBack Hub should be defined so that WattPlot can expect the data and handle it correctly. ** Component address invalid The Mate can send data for a number of components. Each status line corresponds to a single component, identified by an address. WattPlot detected a status line with an invalid component address, suggesting data corruption or a Mate problem. ** Communication packet too short All status lines sent by the Mate should be 49 characters (bytes) long. Wattplot detected a status line that appeared to be missing characters. ** Too much invalid data If WattPlot is unable to get a valid data packet after 1 minute of attempts, it will generate this message and close the communication link. NOTE that some versions previous to 3.4.7 were encountering this condition in specific circumstances, where WattPlot could not get resynched with the Mate. This has now been resolved as of version 3.4.7.þ15 No further help available from this problem solver Unfortunately, it seems that we have not yet anticipated your particular problem, or have not yet created the logic in this problem solver to fix it. Please contact us here at intellact, and we will work with you to solve your problem or correct the issue. We have a number of tools available to us in order to accomplish this. We don't monitor a support phone number at this time, but you can email us at the address shown below.þ16 Log or history problems Please email us at the address shown below, describing the problem and attaching a copy of the .log file in question.þ17 Remote program problems At this point we don't have enough users of the remote program reporting problems, in order to anticipate what to address with this tool. Please contact us by email with a description of your difficulty, at the address shown below.þ18 Command problems You can send certain commands to the Mate from the Command Sender of the User Activity/Commands window (accessible from the File menu). Sending commands to the Mate is an inexact science. The Mate does not directly confirm receiving a command. WattPlot determines receipt by observing the desired change in the system status, as reported by the Mate. Commands will be sent repeatedly by WattPlot until this change is detected, or until the command transmission has been attempted 20 times or more with no apparent effect. The result is either a Successful or Failed Request message.þ19 Mate settings problems The Mate Settings dialog box (accessed from the Options menu) keeps an unverifiable COPY of your Mate settings. It is provided simply as a convenience. The actual Mate does not support any software READING any settings from it, NOR can any software SAVE any changes back to it. Changes made here must therefore also be made on the Mate itself (and vice versa for this information to be up-to-date). The data fields of the dialog box are designed to mimic the Mate in terms of increments and limits.þ20 What is the nature of your licensing problem?ýProblem entering Mate serial number.ü42ýProblem entering activation code.ü43ýProgram says serial number is invalid.ü44ýProgram says the software license has expired.ü45þ21 Configuration or setup problems At this point we haven't had any problems reported in this area, making it difficult for us to anticipate what to address with this tool. Please contact us by email with a description of your difficulty, at the address shown below.þ22 Plot not showing modes or time-of-day in tool-tip help A quirk of the present software requires that your computer screen settings support 32-bit color in order to have time values and modes included in the tool-tip. See your Windows Help for information on changing "screen settings".þ23 If the Mate PC communications is turned on, then the next thing to check is the Serial COM port. Are you certain that the selected Serial COM port is correct?ýNot sure if COM port is correct. How do I check this?ü24ýThe program is giving me a COM port error.ü34ýYes, the COM port is definitely correct.ü25þ24 Setting the right COM port If you are not sure which serial COM port the cable is plugged into on your computer, start with COM1 and attempt to run the program. If no activity is detected, or if you get an error, try setting WattPlot to the next higher port. If no ports seem to do the trick, click the "<-- Back" button of this screen, select "Yes, the COM port is definitely correct", and read about some other tools for finding and checking the COM port. For more COM port troubleshooting information, see "Appendix C - Troubleshooting Serial COM Port" in the WattPlot User's Guide.þ25 If the Mate PC communications is turned on, and appropriate serial COM port is selected, then there some other things to try:ýConfirm that the connection is good. How do I do this?ü38ýCheck for a cabling issue.ü33ýEverything checks out 100%, but I still get no data.ü15þ26 Getting a regular and repeated communication error A time-out error might appear several times if no data is being received by WattPlot. Other errors repeatedly showing up indicate a more serious communication problem. We suggest that you click the "<-- Back" button of this screen, and read some of the other topics on communication errors.þ27 Receiving the same error intermittently WattPlot can sometimes generate a communication error or two when first starting up, until the software and the Mate get synchronized. If you are receiving an intermittent communication error, there may be a poor connection in the cable, or a problem with your Serial COM port, or a problem with the Mate. Try another using cable or another COM port. You might also read what causes the error, by clicking the "<-- Back" button of this screen, and selecting "Tell me what the communication errors mean". þ28 A variety of communication errors Most serious communication problems can generate a variety of errors until they are resolved. If these problems persist, make sure your Comm. Errors' "On File" box is checked in your Log Settings, and send us a copy of your Alert.log file to the address shown below so that we can look into the problem for you. In some versions previous to version 3.4.7, WattPlot was unable to get past certain communication errors, and eventually it would close the connection with a "Too Much Invalid Data" message. This has been resolved as of version 3.4.7.þ29 Suspect incorrect data in snapshot bar The data values in the snapshot bar, for the most part, come directly from the Mate and are not calculated or altered. Typically any of these values can be confirmed by going to the Mate itself and finding the corresponding entry in the appropriate STATUS screen. (A bug found in versions previous to 3.4.5 resulted in Sell and/or Inverter Amps not being displayed in certain modes. The same modes may have resulted in incorrect AC Load amps and incorrect Buy/Sell amps for reporting sets. If you are on an earlier version, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htm) If there is any other discrepancy, then we definitely want to know about it. Please contact us with the details.þ30 What is the nature of the pen plot window problem?ýPlotted values seem to be incorrect.ü39ýWattage tallies at bottom seem to be missing or incorrect.ü40ýTool-tip help not showing values for all lines (when mouse hovers over data points).ü41ýPlots are not showing modes or time-of-day in tool-tip help (when mouse hovers over data points).ü22þ31 What is the nature of your summary spreadsheet data problem?ýLines of data (for certain days) appear to be missing.ü48ýExtra MX spreadsheet files appear in base Logs directory (mmm-yyyy__PowerUsage.csv).ü46ýValue in Run Time Hours is too high.ü62ýOther problem not listed above.ü47þ32 Suspect problem with text log file Please send us a description of the issue and attach a copy of the log file in question. You can reach us by email at the address shown below.þ33 You may have a cabling issue. Ensure that all cable ends are securely seated into the connectors under the Mate, at your computer, and at any joins. Sometimes cables are "straight-through" (pins 2 and 3 go in one end as 2 & 3 and out the other as 2 & 3), and sometimes they are crossed (2 & 3 get swapped in the cable). There is a cable diagram in Appendix B of the WattPlot User's Guide. You can use a volt meter and test continuity from both ends on all of the required pins. You may also have to check for shorts in any wires. Note that serial cable lengths in excess of 25 feet are not recommended, as they often lead to increased communication errors.þ34 Which COM port error are you receiving?ýPort Already in Use by Another Program.ü35ýInvalid Port Number.ü36ýNo Serial COM Ports accessible from Windows environment.ü37ýOther problem not listed above.ü15þ35 Port Already in Use by Another Program Your serial port may already be in use by another program. If you have other MATE monitoring software, PDA synchronization software, or a serial mouse, any one of these may already be using the serial port selected. You will have to select a different serial COM port and ensure that the cable from your MATE is plugged into the port selected.þ36 Invalid Port Number The COM port selected does not exist or is not accessible. WattPlot typically does not include such ports in the dropdown list of your System Components screen, so this error is rare. Go to the System Components screen (from the Options menu), and select the correct COM port that the Mate cable plugs into.þ37 No Serial COM Ports accessible from Windows environment Either there are no serial ports on your computer, or Windows did not detect them. To check this outside WattPlot, (in most Windows environments) right-click on the My Computer icon and choose Properties. From the Hardware tab, click on Device Manager. There should be an entry called Ports (COM & LPT). Expand the entry to see the list of ports detected and look for problems that Windows may have detected. Right-clicking the port icon and choosing Properties will give you more information about a specific port.þ38 How to confirm that the serial connection is working There is an excellent freeware diagnostic tool, which may be downloaded from http://bray.velenje.cx/avr/terminal/ 1. First, close down WattPlot, since the two programs cannot both access the COM port. 2. The OLD instructions were: Go to http://bray.velenje.cx/avr/terminal/dl.php and download the file term20041226.zip. 3. Extract the file terminal.exe from the zip file, and run it. 2 & 3. The NEW instructions are just download Terminal.exe from that web address, and run it. 4. Across the top, select the COM port you wish to test and select a baud rate of 19200. (The other settings of 8 data bits, parity of none, 1 stop bit, and handshaking of none are the defaults.) 5. In the very bottom right corner of the window there are two buttons labeled DTR and RTS. Click the DTR button to change it to green. 6. Now click on the Connect button at the top left of the window. 7. If you see strings of numbers and commas (as shown below) appearing every second, then the data is coming through from the MATE on the COM port selected at the top left. 0,00,00,01,123,123,00,10,000,02,262,008,000,034 0,00,00,01,123,123,00,10,000,02,262,008,000,034 0,00,00,01,123,123,00,10,000,02,262,008,000,034 0,00,00,01,123,123,00,10,000,02,262,008,000,034 8. If there is no activity, then either the COM port is incorrect or not working, or your Mate is not transmitting, or you have a cable issue between the Mate and your computer.þ39 What is the specific plot inconsistency? (You may have to go back and forth on these topics until you find your solution.)ýPlot lines seem to jump from one value to another.ü61ýSome values are unexpectedly zero.ü59ýThere are gaps in my plots or values are zero/missing that should be higher.ü50ýMore options... (part 2)ü60þ40 Wattage tallies at bottom seem to be missing or incorrect The wattage tallies below the pen plots are incremented every minute or so, and should automatically reset to zero at midnight. They will only show the values accumulated when WattPlot has been receiving data. If the program is re-started, it is designed to 'remember' tallies from earlier in the same day, and add on to the previous values. Wattage tallies do NOT appear on historical plots opened for viewing. To see the final values for past days, consult your PowerUsage summary spreadsheet files. A bug found in versions previous to 3.4.3 might result wattage displays not being reset at midnight. This bug only affected the display, and any new non-zero value did update the field. A bug found in versions previous to 3.4.1 might result wattage "kWh" captions not being reset at midnight to "Wh". The actual data values are correct. If you are on a earlier version, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htmþ41 Tool-tip help not showing values for all lines The tool-tip help on the pen plots shows the values for the particular column of data that the mouse is over. Any values that are zero are not included in the text and may not appear on the plot. If one plot line happens to cover another one, the tool-tip will generally only show the value for the line on top. Moving the mouse slightly to a point where the lines do not overlap should show both values.þ42 Problem entering Mate serial number The first time you run the program, it will ask you for the serial number of your OutBack MATE unit. This is printed on a sticker found on the back of your MATE unit. It is also generally written in the documentation that you received with your Outback components. It is important that the entire number be entered in the correct format, with the 'MA' and all zeroes: MAnnnnnnþ43 Problem entering activation code WattPlot can ONLY be used on the computer that you sent us the unique ID for. (Changes to certain hardware components on your PC might also cause activation errors.) It is important that activation codes be entered EXACTLY as sent. We recommend that you copy-and-paste the code directly from our email. If you continue to experience problems, please contact us at the address shown below.þ44 Program says serial number is invalid WattPlot can ONLY be used on the computer that you sent us the unique ID for. (Changes to certain hardware components on your PC might also cause this error.) If you feel that there is a problem with your license, please email a copy of the EXACT wording of the error message to the address shown below. You can also attach a screen shot, acquired by minimizing this Problem Solver window and then holding down the Alt key and pressing the PrintScrn key. (You can then Paste the screen shot into an email or Word document, sent as an attachment.) If the software must be moved to a new machine or if you have changed hardware components, please email us at the address shown below with an explanation of the circumstances.þ45 Program says the software license has expired There are two kinds of activation codes that you can receive from intellact. Both kinds can ONLY be used on the computer that you sent us the unique ID for. The first is an evaluation activation code that is free-of-charge, and activates the software for about 15 days FROM THE DATE WE SEND YOU THE CODE, NOT FROM WHEN YOU FIRST ENTER IT. The second is a permanent activation code that gives you unlimited access to the WattPlot program on that system, sent to you once we confirm receipt of the appropriate licence fee. You can order a permanent license code at http://www.intellact.ca/energy/order.htm If your evaluation license has expired and you require an extension to your trial period, please contact us at the address shown below.þ46 Extra summary spreadsheet files (for non-identified MX) in Logs folder This problem was caused by a bug found in versions previous to 3.3.5. If you are on an earlier version, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htm The extra files have no component ID (e.g. Jul-2006__PowerUsage.csv), have no meaningful data, and may be deleted.þ47 Suspect or missing data in summary spreadsheet Please send us a description of the issue and attach a copy of the summary spreadsheet (mmm-yyyy_?X-n_PowerUsage.csv file). You can reach us by email at the address shown below.þ48 Blank summary spreadsheet lines where data was expected There are two possible explanations for this phenomenon: 1. You had the spreadsheet file open somewhere (like Excel) when WattPlot was attempting to update it. In this circumstance you have not lost the data. WattPlot will write the daily summary to another file ending in "PowerUsageA.csv" (or "PowerUsageB.csv", etc.) instead of "PowerUsage.csv". The latest file will have all of the relevant data. Wattplot will automatically attempt to delete these extra files and maintain the data in the expected file, if it is not open elsewhere. 2. A bug found in versions previous to 3.3.5 might result in missing data in certain circumstances (such as skipping a day or more of monitoring). If you are on an earlier version, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htmþ49 Plotted values seem to be incorrect Information coming from the Mate is generally in Volts and Amps. We log this data, as received, and it is plotted as watts (calculated as Amps * Volts). To check particular values, you can hover the mouse over the pen-plot to see all values for the horizontal position.þ50 Resolved PAST bugs in Pen Plotting If you are on an earlier version than 3.3.7, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htm Tiny Gap when Toggling Data Compression Previous to version 3.3.7, a bug was found that was resulting in a single-pixel plot line gap when toggling from compressed data to per-second data. This gap will NOT show up on historical plots or when a plot is refreshed. Zero Gaps or Values Too Low Previous to version 3.3.6, a bug was found that was resulting in plot line gaps or values zero/missing that should have been higher, during periods of volatile activity. This bug did affect logged data, so historical plots may contain some inaccuracies. MX Charger Wattage Plotted Wrong Previous to version 3.3.3, a bug was found that was resulting in incorrect MX Charger wattage values. This error is NOT apparent with historical data viewed with later versions.þ51 What kind of file/data has the problem?ýHistorical plot log file, opened for viewing.ü57ýAlert Log.ü53ýGeneral Log.ü32ýMore options... (part 2)ü52þ52 What kind of file/data has the problem? - Part 2ýMaintenance Log.ü32ýCurrent Pen Plot log.ü30ýPower Usage Summary file.ü31ýOther file/data not listed above.ü15þ53 What is the nature of the Alert Log issue?ýCommunication errors.ü7ýInverter Warnings/Errors.ü10ýHow do I delete old entries?ü54ýOther issue not listed above.ü16þ54 Clearing (deleting) old log entries In earlier releases of WattPlot, the "Clear Display" button of the Log Viewing window will clear the existing entries from the display, but they remain on file, and will reappear when WattPlot is exited and restarted, UNTIL they have been archived. There was no official way to delete log entries permanently, other than manually deleting the log file or an archived file. In later releases of WattPlot (currently), the button was relabeled as "Delete Log Entries", and it will clear the log display AND delete the unarchived entries on file. You can archive log entries manually with the "Archive & Clear" button (labeled "Archive Entries" in earlier releases) of the Log Viewing window, OR you can setup the log to Auto-Archive at midnight (in the Logging Setup dialog box). (If WattPlot is not running at midnight, then auto-archive takes place when WattPlot is restarted on a new day - as of version 3.3.7.) There is no official way to delete log entries permanently, other than manually deleting the log file or an archived file.þ55 What is your Inverter Warning/Error issue?ýWhat do these errors or warnings mean?ü10ýWhy am I getting a low AC Input Warning?ü56ýOther issue not listed above.ü15þ56 WARNING: Input VAC low It has been noted that FX inverters occasionally detect an induced voltage on the AC Input terminals of up to 10 volts, even if they are not connected to an AC source or the grid is down. The FX itself treats this as a warning condition, which WattPlot faithfully reports. Outback is aware of the problem, and we are looking into better ways of handling this condition.þ57 What is your historical plot log issue?ýThe data in the pen plot window seems incorrect.ü30ýOther issue not listed above.ü16þ58 Where is performance data missing or where does it not seem right? - Part 2ýData in summary spreadsheet.ü31ýData in one of the text logs.ü32ýOther issue not listed above.ü15þ59 Modes seem wrong or unexpected zeroes on both Mate and in WattPlot The Outback Mate is a great performance monitoring tool. Unfortunately, one of its biggest drawbacks is its data resolution. Don't be fooled by the "0.0" on the Mate. Despite the presence of a decimal point and zero on some meter screens, the resolution on most systems is still just 1 amp. Combine that with the fact that its accuracy is +/- 1 amp, and you could have activity at ~1.8 amps, that will register as zero. This also seems to impact inverter mode changes that might be expected but do not take place at very low power thresholds. For example, on a grid-tied inverter able to put power back on the grid, it will not display "Sell" unless it sees a measurable amount of current flowing out its input. Due to the resolution and accuracy described above, there could be ~200W actually being sold by the inverter and it might still say "PassThru" or "Support". Another thing to keep in mind is that at low powers, the system is operating very low on its efficiency curve. A 3600W inverter that is only converting ~100W is probably running at ~50% efficiency, meaning that activity may actually be less than half that value that the inverter's meters can detect and display.þ60 What is the specific plot inconsistency? - Part 2 (You may have to go back and forth on these topics until you find your solution.)ýMX Charger wattage values seem wrong.ü50ýOther issue not listed above.ü49þ61 Plot lines seem to jump from one value to another The most common cause of this is WattPlot not being run continuously. Although it will remember data that it collected earlier in the day if it is stopped and restarted, WattPlot has no access to data sent when it is not running. If you hover the mouse over the pen plot before and after the gap, you might see a jump in the time of day between the two lines (if your system supports WattPlot time-of-day logging.)þ62 Value in Run Time Hours is too high The Run Time Hours value in the Power Usage summary spreadsheet indicates for how many hours WattPlot was actually receiving data on any given day. A bug found in versions previous to 3.4.3 might result in incorrect Run Time Hours in certain circumstances (such as starting and stopping data reception). If you are on an earlier version, please upgrade by going to http://www.intellact.ca/energy/update.htmþ