problem to communicate with XANTREX SW5548 inverter with ASCII Object

[normandie76]

Hi
I have a solar system and I try to communicate with my new inverter Xantrex 5548 to create a data logging tool. This equipment does not use a real protocol and it comes with a RS232 serial interface to take control of the inverter remotely with a PC.
By pressing keystroke with the hyperterminal, it is possible to have access to the inverter menu. The first part of the response is always an identification text (Battery voltage for example) followed by the value associated. To access a certain value (battery voltage, current measurment etc...), you have to navigate through the menu until the inverter send the correct information.
I try to use the ASCII object in Lookout  and my problem is that sometimes I receive the first part of the response (text) but I have to simulate another keystroke like menu down to receive the value saved on the buffer. Unfortunately, at this time what I read in Lookout does not  correpond to the information displayed on the inverter panel anymore.
I have tried to change the receive gap in the serial port settings without success. If I try to reduce the baud rate (9600), I have communication failure.
Any idea to receive the complete response in one request ?
Thank you in advance for the help

Chris

[Khalid]

Chris,

How do you navigate this menu in HyperTerminal?  Whatever command you are sending in HyperTerminal is what you should be sending from the ASCII Object as well. 

Regards,

-Khalid

[normandie76]

Hello Khalid
The Xantrex 5548 has a 2*16 lines LCD panel with pushbuttons to navigate through menus.
The inverter interface is coming with a old fashion DOS programm that reproduce the inverter panel.
My wish is to reproduce the control panel with Lookout and also create a data logging tool to monitor my solar installation.
The serial interface allows to control the inverter panel  remotely, nothing else, with a 9600 baud serial connection.
Menus are organized in horizontal and vertical menus.
Horizontal menus are main menus : Menu 1 Inverter mode, menu 2 generator mode, etc ...
To navigate to main menu you need to use the following keys with the hyperterminal :
R menu right
L menu left

Vertical menus are developpment of main menus . To access to those menu, you need  to enter the following keys.
D menu down
U menu Up
In the attached file, I have monitored the more interesting menus (menu 4 = Meters and menu 5 = Error cause) that I would like to use in Lookout.

I have develop a small Lookout application that use ASCII object and push buttons that simulate keys described above to navigate through menus.
Upon request, the inverter send a response about every second.
My problem with lookout is when inverter responds continuously (Battery actual volt DC for example), I receive the first part of the message, sometimes with the value associated, sometimes without (see file included in my previous post). Lookout seems to put the infos in a buffer, but does not save enough informations in this buffer or I do not know how to access properly to this buffer
I already try to modify COM settings without success.

Thanks in advance for your help regarding this matter.

Chris

 

[Khalid]

Having seen the log file, my first reaction would have been to increase the Receive Gap considerably.  Looks like Lookout is not getting the entire data back. 

How is the response in HyperTerminal to the same menu commands? 

Also, you will want to take a look at the incoming data using a Serial-port monitor to ensure everything is being returned from the inverter.  Portmon is a good Serial port monitor that can be downloaded from http://www.sysinternals.com/utilities/portmon.html

Hope this heps.

-Khalid