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Sunny Island SI-6048 BMS communication

Trukinbear

Trukinbear

Solar Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 28, 2020
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301
Help! How do you get the SI6048 to communicate with external LiFePo4 BMS?

I've networked the Aolithium packs, set the comm dips as instructed by Aolithium and connected the Canbus cable from Aolithium out to SMA CAN in....
But I don't know what to do from there - it obviously isn't communicating. The BMS, Whizbang Jr, and my Classic 250s all agree @100% SOC, but the SI says 34%. What have I missed?
 
kommando said:
Have you set up the SI to see a new battery and selected the liIon_Ext_bms option.
Click to expand...
I set 'new battery' with the new parameters.... Except what kind of Sunny Island do you have? On my SI-6048-US-10 the battery options are VRLA, FLA, and Ni-Cad... If I had a lilon_ext_bms option I probably wouldn't need to ask... Well shoot, my spare inverter is; identical (of course)
 
Trukinbear said:
I set 'new battery' with the new parameters.... Except what kind of Sunny Island do you have? On my SI-6048-US-10 the battery options are VRLA, FLA, and Ni-Cad... If I had a lilon_ext_bms option I probably wouldn't need to ask... Well shoot, my spare inverter is; identical (of course)
Click to expand...
What firmware version is on your units?
 
The SI 6048US I bought 3 years ago (DC Solar inventory) have Li BMS option.

The 5048US I bought years before do not.

The 5048US do talk to SIC-40 (and would talk to Midnight through its data converter).

I haven't checked whether 6048US talk to SIC-40.

Midnight said a firmware update to SI broke the communication with their adapter. I don't know if that communications and Li-BMS were ever both supported at the same time.

You can download the latest firmware from SMA. Either put it on and SD card and use that to update SI, or connect to SI from PC (I use RS-485 and WebBox). This should give you Li BMS communications but will break communications with your Midnight.

Alternatively, if you use your shunt for SI, that should let it see current into and out of battery.


(I see your avatar is updated!)
 
Well fudge - yes after my last firmware update I see I do have that option. I did new battery and chose the lithium external BMS option, I started the system - nothing, just a warning that external BMS timed out. Now Im in the dark. I've reset everything but the inverter remains dark - yes I've verified that I've got 51.2 v at the inverter.

Help!
 
Trukinbear said:
Well fudge - yes after my last firmware update I see I do have that option. I did new battery and chose the lithium external BMS option, I started the system - nothing, just a warning that external BMS timed out. Now Im in the dark. I've reset everything but the inverter remains dark - yes I've verified that I've got 51.2 v at the inverter.

Help!
Click to expand...
Means the inverter is not communicating with the bms.

You need to get with the battery manufacturer and reverify the settings. Are you sure the batteries can communicate with the sma?


Alternatively you can just use open loop control like some of us do.
 
Okay, I'm not in the dark anymore. I found that there was residual voltage on the board and released it with a device I made for equalizing the batteries in my Prius. It'll start it's running but it will not run in the lithium BMS mode. It just goes red light and shuts off
 
Well, the literature and manuals say it speaks to SMA with the DIPs (5&6) at 00. 'Technical support' is anything but technical support - English is likely their 3rd language, and they fail to understand ANY questions, but then sales did the same thing and played games for 3 weeks until I accused them of elder financial abuse, and mentioned my grandson in-law was some mucky-muck at the FBI cyber crime division (he is), and the batteries arrived in 2 days - suddenly they spoke perfect English.

Open loop - I guess that's where I'll end up, I just remember that the 'i-loop' setting was necessary to make my system stable some 5-yrs ago...
 
Trukinbear said:
Well, the literature and manuals say it speaks to SMA with the DIPs (5&6) at 00. 'Technical support' is anything but technical support - English is likely their 3rd language, and they fail to understand ANY questions, but then sales did the same thing and played games for 3 weeks until I accused them of elder financial abuse, and mentioned my grandson in-law was some mucky-muck at the FBI cyber crime division (he is), and the batteries arrived in 2 days - suddenly they spoke perfect English.

Open loop - I guess that's where I'll end up, I just remember that the 'i-loop' setting was necessary to make my system stable some 5-yrs ago...
Click to expand...
Do you have the can Terminator in the sunny island?

Also, try the pylontech protocol, 5 off 6 on see if that works.
 
1201 said:
Do you have the can Terminator in the sunny island?

Also, try the pylontech protocol, 5 off 6 on see if that works.
Click to expand...
Yes, I am terminated. After spending nearly an hour panicking because my SI wouldn't power on... until I saw residual voltage and eliminated it, and then the restart was shaky... I'm kinda afraid to restart another couple of times. I've had the flickering LCD issue since SMA swapped out a used replacement for our 1 year old unit 4 years ago....
 
Trukinbear said:
Yes, I am terminated. After spending nearly an hour panicking because my SI wouldn't power on... until I saw residual voltage and eliminated it, and then the restart was shaky... I'm kinda afraid to restart another couple of times. I've had the flickering LCD issue since SMA swapped out a used replacement for our 1 year old unit 4 years ago....
Click to expand...
I understand.
 
On my JK BMS they got the Pinouts wrong and it worked as soon as I changed Can-L for Can_H and visa versa.
 
Reverting to older firmware, if you can't get Canbus to work and want to go open loop and use the Midnight again (assuming comms been lost with your latest firmware update, if not then do not bother just change back to battery type VRLA) plus have a copy of the old firmware.

Picked this up on the SMA site. It should carry over to the SI6048 as I use SI6048 firmware on my SI5048 but I have never tested this procedure.


Description
The article describes the firmware update for Sunny Island SI5048.
Note: An update / downgrade always results in the loss of all parameter settings.

Procedure
Save the Update.bin file on the SD card of the Sunny Island.
Switch off (disconnect DC) the Sunny Island and wait approx. 30 seconds (until the display is completely dark).
Insert the SD card into the Sunny Island.
Start the Sunny Island (connect DC).
When starting, press and hold the down arrow key.
As soon as "Update 1/2 Erase" appears on the display, the down arrow key can be released.
When the Sunny Island goes into standby mode, the update has been carried out.
Afterward, check the parameters #312_02 and #312_08 (must correspond to Update.bin).
The Sunny Island can be started again.
 
Well, she's up and running in open loop, BUT when I recommissioned the system the batteries were at 99% SOC, BUT the SI6048 started out at ~ 35% . The SI says the current sensor agrees with the Whizbang Jr.... But my SI says (8 hrs later) that we're at 24%, and the Classics, WB Jr, and BMS says we're at 100%

How do I get the SI to start out agreeing?
 
Trukinbear said:
Well, she's up and running in open loop, BUT when I recommissioned the system the batteries were at 99% SOC, BUT the SI6048 started out at ~ 35% . The SI says the current sensor agrees with the Whizbang Jr.... But my SI says (8 hrs later) that we're at 24%, and the Classics, WB Jr, and BMS says we're at 100%

How do I get the SI to start out agreeing?
Click to expand...
What's the soc error. Everytime you setup a new battery system si is just guessing the soc. It will eventually reset to full of the voltage stays at your float settings long enough.
 
I think you should:

1) Have SI connected to a battery shunt.
2) If Classic no longer has working data connection to SI, then Classic should connect to SI side of shunt.
3) Bring battery to a full charge, high enough voltage that SI resets to full. Maybe go through SI menu "new system" so it starts over (but you tried and didn't work).

What are your SI settings for the battery, nominal voltage (48V being 24 lead-acid cells, or 46V being 23 lead acid cells) and what are your bulk, float, any other voltages per cell?
You need to give dummy VRLA cell voltages for 24s or maybe 23s lead-acid battery to match 16s LiFePO4 battery.

I know you had to fix Classic to shunt connections before, but I think it needs to go back to previous configuration now if communication no longer works.
 
Shunt connected along with Whizbang Jr, Classics networked together 'follow me' and and no longer connected to SI - they are behaving flawlessly I might add.

VRLA 200Ah 51v nominal
54.5v boost, full and absorb, 53.5v equalization

Unfortunately the SI won't let me pull the battery below what it thinks is 20%, and triggers an SOC calibration reset.

Currently the BMS says 100%SOC, along with the Classics... But SI says 49.5% SOC @ 58.7% SOC error.
As it operates now, after the sun goes down the SI shuts off in Battery Protection Mode when the batteries are still above 75%SOC. I can't make it through the night without SI starting the recalibrate over again. :-(

Id run the generator but the BMS shuts off current when it's done, so no more charge current running through the shunt.

Is there a way to trick the shunt?
 
You have a shunt with Whiz Bang Jr, which lets Classic see current into battery.

What shunt is wired to SI, and how are SCC connected to that shunt?
SI can't know about SCC current into battery unless SI has a shunt connected (or it has comms to BMS).
 
Hedges said:
You have a shunt with Whiz Bang Jr, which lets Classic see current into battery.

What shunt is wired to SI, and how are SCC connected to that shunt?
SI can't know about SCC current into battery unless SI has a shunt connected (or it has comms to BMS).
Click to expand...
The Midnight Solar 500A/50Mv that the Whizbang Jr is also attached to - calibrated and commissioned by SI
 
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