EG4 Lifepower4 48V Top Balancing Firmware.

[Markus_EG4]

There is a new firmware available on the EG4 website https://eg4electronics.com/downloads/

This is for the 48V Lifepower4 battery. This firmware will help keep the batteries Top Balanced when charging.

 

[goldserve]

Details of the changes would be nice and a writeup of how to update the firmware. I know the rs485 cable needs a different pinout but can you provide that pin out?

 

[Markus_EG4]

Details of the changes would be nice and a writeup of how to update the firmware. I know the rs485 cable needs a different pinout but can you provide that pin out?

It’s all in the file you download. A how to guide and what you need sir

 

[goldserve]

I see the change log, thanks. Do you have the RS485 pinout differences so I can just make one here without requesting one?

 

[Markus_EG4]

did you receive a cable for bms software for monitoring your batteries? Pins 1-2 for the battery. That cable is what is used.

 

[Zapper77]

I updated all my batteries last night.

Gained - the ability to communicate with 18kPV without the hub. (Primary battery must be 0)

Lifepower4 Communication Hub - Need to change baud setting to 19200 on the hub w/Battery firmware version 3.26


Changes Noted - BMS OV cell and Pack reduced to 57.6 and 3.6v (was 58 and 3.65 with V3.1 and 3.17) Charge Voltage increased to 58.4v

Note battery communication cable that shipped with my July 2022 purchase was unable to update battery firmware.

Cable that shipped with July 2023 battery purchase was able to update battery firmware on all batteries.

side (3.17) by side (3.26) changes in bms settings (note the 58.4v).

 

[Zapper77]

If you have issue updating firmware...check your cable.


Edit: Corrected example to align the pin numbers with correct cable image.

 

[Zapper77]

I'll add that the BMS seems to function completely different for top balancing! Appears to be a good thing.

 

[Madco]

I threw caution to the wind and just upgraded 12 of mine from FW 3.10 to FW3.26. A couple of notes:

The Get Boot Information function returns hardware version 0207 but the Upgrade File Information returns 0702. Looks like the bytes are swapped.

The software disconnects the port after grabbing the boot information. It has to be reconnected on the ConfigInfo tab before porting the firmware.

I used the cable that came with the unit. It uses the bottom most two pins when they are facing you with the cable to the right. In my case, all the talk about switching between pins 1&2 and 7&8 didn't apply.

Against the recommendation of setting each battery address to 0000, upgrading the firmware, then resetting the address, I just changed the device address in the Upgrade operation group box and the upgrade was successful. I did sever all rs485 communications to each battery before the upgrade to kill all other asynchronous 485 communications.

There is no information in the zip file indicating how to determine the hardware version and as a result, which file version to use.

I do have a question though. Does FM v 3.26 change any algorithms of the BMS or does it just change the default parameters indicated above?

 

[Madco]

It looks like the upgrade reset the SOH calculations up to between 99.8 to 99.9 on all my batteries. SOH had varied between 98.3 and 99.9.

Not that I trust the SOH info, but I guess it makes me feel better.

 

[Zapper77]

It looks like the upgrade reset the SOH calculations up to between 99.8 to 99.9 on all my batteries. SOH had varied between 98.3 and 99.9.

Not that I trust the SOH info, but I guess it makes me feel better.

Same here.

 

[Madco]

I won't have enough insolation to check out the balancing enhancement but the upgrade doesn't appear to have broken anything!

 

[ChillnGrill]

I updated firmware on all 6 of my batteries, what a pain in the ass. I even had tech support on the phone for over an hour. The batteries would read but not pull boot info. I finally got it to work. Now my problem is my eg4 communication hub wont read any batteries (just a blank screen)
Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Quattrohead]

Is it possible the default communications protocol has been changed and you need to change it now in your communication hub to match.

 

[Zapper77]

I updated firmware on all 6 of my batteries, what a pain in the ass. I even had tech support on the phone for over an hour. The batteries would read but not pull boot info. I finally got it to work. Now my problem is my eg4 communication hub wont read any batteries (just a blank screen)
Anyone have any suggestions?

Change Hub to 19,200 baud under settings

Notice the bottom right version number.



@Markus_SignatureSolar FYSA

 

[ChillnGrill]

Thanks zapper77!!! It works

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks zapper77!!! It works

Welcome.

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks zapper77!!! It works

What was the exact issue updating the firmware? Bad cable?

 

[ChillnGrill]

Not sure tried 3 versions of bms test. kept resetting and trying over and over with tech support. After over an hour they said send pics of my serial #'s and they will try again on Monday. Me being me I couldn't wait, so i kept trying till it read boot info on one of the 4 that wouldn't read before. Then I moved cable 1 by 1 until they were all updated. It took several hours for a 20 minute job. But its done now

 

[shopman]

Did the updates last night to all 6 batteries here. Took less than 15 minutes. You must use the pin 1&2 cable to do the upload as Zapper77 and Markus pointed out. A pin 7&8 cable will show the data from the battery but it will not pull up the version info nor will it allow you to upload the firmware. After updating the firmware I found that the pin 7&8 cable would no longer connect to the batteries. Everything seems to be working just fine after the upgrade.