Well, I went out and decided to try and install the RS485 comm. Since SMA tech support was of no help, decided that there is only 2 wires to hookup, worse case I swap them. Well, does not work. I have tried everything. I am a little upset right now, because its hard to go back because these folks make you clip some 1 ohm resistors to install this thing. I have data going to the SunnyBoy unit, but the software will not detect it. The documentation is absolutely terrible. I mean nothing about what to hookup with what, except a bogus diagram that is not correct. Do you think they would show hooking to the RS485 converter that has a simple A,B and shield hookup. Of course not. They show some stupid method of using the RS232 is some screwed up orientation that I do not think anyone has ever done before. The software, when I told it to use RS485 instead of RS232, comes back with something in German that must be a warning message or something. I can't speak German nor do it want to. I cannot believe this outfit. As long as its just plug and play, everything is ok. You would think that when you call tech support, that they would know exactly what to do. They are as blind as I am on this. I would have bought the line modem, much simpler to install and no cabling, but no, I can't order it. But yet another gentleman said he was able to get it. Right now I am a little pissed. Even with Henry who has not responded to any of these posts. Must work for SMA I guess. I have dealt with German companies in the past from software to hardware issues, and never once I have ever been able to talk to anyone that seemed to know anything. You might get a sales rep maybe who says he will get back to you and never does. Then he/she will not respond back to you at all. That's your punishment for contacting them in the first place.

[ 08-06-2003: Message edited by: dzldan ]

You need to take a chill pill

First Off , I Don't work for SMA and if you have read some of the posting for the last YEAR you would see I worked under contract last fall/winter to redesign the Suntie ..

The RS485 works as I used it to have two inverters data logging when doing my Suntie work. It is very straight forward and the RS485 connections are in the installer manual which is avaiable online

I used a cheap rs232 > rs485 converter which MUST be externally powered. I used the older Sunny Data Software, told it it was connected to RS232 and had it do a search and it found the units.

I have used , RS232 , RS485 and Powerline modems , only RS485 works with using a single PC to watch more than one inverter directly. The powerline requires the Sunny Control , which I think sucks and I sent it back to SMA

I sold both my Sunnyboys last year and have been running a pair of Sunties , both being data logged by a single PC using FishBowl , which I wrote and offer for free on this site

So read the installer manual , make sure your rs232->rs485 converters are externally powered , use sunnydata and you should be all set

Henry

[ 08-03-2003: Message edited by: Solar Guppy ]

There is nothing in the installation manual about what wires to hookup to what. Unless you have differnet manuals or on a differant page in the online one, I have no idea. It says in the installation manual to run the wire thru the case with connector provided, and attach the wires. Thats it, nothing else. If you have a link to the exacat page, I would appreciate it. Not in the tech apps, installation or anywhere else that I can find.

You need to stop asking to be spoon fed ..

Its on page 29 in the Sunny Data Control Manual ...

The reason it is there , is SMA expects you to use the Sunny Data to handle multi-units

As I previously replied , us a 232->485 converter , wire correctly as shown in the manual and you can directly monitor your inverters

Next time try reading before going off and remember , this is a free site , paid for and supported bu me , and I don't get anything for doing this.

When your done , why don't YOU type up instructions and post so the next fellow can have it easy

Found the problem I believe. Still have not comm. to the units yet. But I was using the SunnyControl Data. They do something funny by bypassing the RS485 to the SunnyControl. Since I am not using the SunnyControl, then you use the SunnyData program, not the SunnyControl Data program. Supposedly this code will talk to the Integrity Inst. device, the tech support guy says he uses it in his lab. Thank God, maybe this will work after. He appologized, said that it is not clear on the web site.

RS485 up and running. The pin outs from the Integrity RS485 converter are as follows:

pin 2 goes to A
pin 7 goes to B
pin 5 goes the shield

The pin numbers are the contact points in the SunnyBoy unit itself. The jumpers on the Integrity Inst. converter must be installed. Then the SunnyBoys must have the last jumper installed at the end of the strings.

You must run the SunnyData program also. Its not intuitively obvious how to set up the displays in using the program, but again, once you do it its simple. Until then its a nightmare. I hope this helps anyone who is trying to do it. I sure went thru hell.

The SMA tech support did help. The first guy I talked to did not sound promising. But then I talked to someone who had it setup in their lab, which made me feel a lot better.

[ 08-06-2003: Message edited by: dzldan ]

[ 08-11-2003: Message edited by: dzldan ]

I decided to not buy any of SMAs communication or software, because it is too expensive and doesn't run on my Macintosh computers anyhow. That is, I purchased SMA SB2500U. I'm satisfying the California Energy Commission's metering requirements by installing electronic power meters and mechanical counters made by Integrated Metering Systems in Florida, instead.

Software is free. The comm. card was around $150. I did the meter route also, only trouble is you have to go out and read them, gets boring. I wanted to log on my computer because its on all the time anyway. Yes, Mac's do have trouble in running common everyday stuff. Nice computers, I have 2 of them, 2 dual G4's. Tried Virtual PC on them and it is ok, except when hooking things up like USB etc. for Windows. Someday they will get it right. Apple even took off the serial ports off their computers. Who the hell would want serial ports on a computer. Apple amazes me sometimes. One other feature I do is I have the SunnyData running and I get to my comuter from work via RealVnc program. So I can see whats happening all day long.

I've downloaded the Sunny Data software and am contemplating the RS-232 unit. I'm afraid the software isn't very exciting without it. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] I do notice that I could open a .sou file if I had one. Is there a sample file posted anywhere that you know of? Thanks.