Get data from XW Config or Schneider Electric Communication Gateway

[Jose_Perez]

Hello, I am currently working witn Schneider electric's Xantrex inverters in a grid-tied fuel cell system. The system is monitored in most places by national istruments and labview modules. I would like for labview to project the information gained from the inverter's interphase. However, the hardwares used to get that information ot the computer and/or online is the XW config or the communication gateway. Both of these hardwares have their own software to view the information from the inverters, but I want to be abble to upload that infomation (or at least display it) in the labview program that we are using to monitor the fuel cell system. 

Is there a way I can do this?

[lfelias]

Hi Jose Perez,

I have been reading about it, I will be easier to find an answer if we can know the model of the devices you are using on this application, to see if we have or if any driver exists already. If not, we can also communicate it via Serial Data but we need to decode it, which is not easy.

I hope we can find something useful!!!

I will be waiting for the models, or the way the devices send the data to the computer!

Regards,

[Jose_Perez]

Hello,

Sorry for the delay. The inverter charger that we are using are Xantrex rated at 6kW, we are using the communication gateway for these components. I attached the specification sheets of both components. The people of Schneider electric informed us that it was possible to upload the information from these inverters to LabVIEW via the communication gateways, I just don't know how to get that information once they are connected.

Jose

[Jackie_B]

Hi Jose, 

Please refer to the following tutorial that explains how to interface LabVIEW with 3rd party software. If you run into any errors, try researching on our website, which contains a wealth of information on error explanation as well as how to do specific tasks in LabVIEW. Good luck!

Connecting LabVIEW to 3rd Party Software: http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/10060

Regards,

Jackie 

[Jose_Perez]

Hello, 

I did some research and called NI support and together it was understood that in order to read any data from the communications gateway I would have to use the Modbus functions. I managed to create a simple VI that writes and reads "Buffers"; however, I've noticed how after every run I get less and less results. I'm not sure if the Modbus communications work by collecting data and, thus, every time you run the program you get only the data that was recently collected or remains in memory.

However, I want to be able to understand how this form of programming works, but I just started learning about modbus communications. If there is anyone that can help me understand the way that this system works I would be very grateful. I attached the VI and two images that demonstrate what I was mentioning earlier.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Jose

[Private_Citizen]

Message from Xantrex:

You still need the gateway to interperet the Xanbus data and convert to modbus. You need to

remove the wireless/network card in order to enable this functionality. Disonnect the unit, remove

the retaining screw below the RS485 port and pull on the base of the antenna. The board should

slide out. We do not have any recomendations for a modbus to modbus over TCP converter.

I am looking at BF-430 or US Converter Serial Ethernet Pro for modus to TCP Communications.

Using a Modbus Address Search program one can ping the comm addresses automatically and individually to find out what modbus addresses respond, then using map information found in document Gateway_Modbus_Serial_.pdf, Document Number 503-0068-01-01 prepared by Karl Isham (2007) [104 pages] one can map Modbus I/O, pick out the addresses to be used. I have not written a program yet for displaying the information collected. When I do, I will make it available for others to use. There are a few free programs out there, and several that cost.

One thing I have discovered through experimentation is that if you set your xantrex to grid support with zero volts/amps out to the grid the xantrex will provide all power you are using with exception of about 45 watts, up to the xantrex power limit for the unit you have. However load shave settings, I find should be OFF, because of unexpected loads that overpower the inverter which detaches all loads until the inverter recovers. My setup (Xantrex 6048, 18 Evergreen 215 watt panels, 16 US-USL16HC-1P Batteries works good and without problems). I actually need about 32 Panels to be complely qualified for supplying the Grid and my own uses. I am not currently supplying anything to the Grid. Where I live supplying power to the grid does not make money only saves money as credits are given for later use for power supplied. Insurance costs are required as is inspection by licensed electrician.

Also, Have made hardwire designs for notification for loss/connect of grid/inverter power. Will probably upgrade from hardwire to network/wireless alarm system when writing the program for monitor/control of inverter. Drawings available.

[yoyo_yoyo]

Hi Private_Citizen,

Any updates on your comunication with the xw?

[wombat44]

I tried the Gateway but couldn't find any documentation for pinouts or baud rate on the unit from Schneider.  The ModbusTCP on the Gateway seems to password protected, so you can enter a password and then write to some registers for a time period.  I assume that using the "not supported" RS485 port, this restriction is eliminated.

I was able to use modbusTCP to the XW6048 with the Conext Combox that Schneider sells.  You just have to use the property node to set ID and then write to the addresses listed in the inverter modbus map you can actually find on the Scheider website.  Hooray for documentation, down with proprietary data transfer formats like Xanbus!  

[Shehzaada]

Hey guys!

I'm also using MODBUS TCP to communicate with the Conext ComBox. The XW+ is a slave within the network, and while I can read values from this device just fine, I can't write to any of the r/w registers. Using the NI Labs API (https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-30140) I get an error code that says Error 538172 - The data returned did not match the data sent for that function. Interestingly, when I try to read the register, I get 65535. This leads me to believe that there's something wrong with the configuration of the MODBUS server. My colleague mentioned that they were able to write to the inverter using web services. Does anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

[Shehzaada]

Sorry guys, I was just writing to the wrong slave ID!