New member - Reviving a 2 megawatt solar thermal array using WebCTRL v4

[MaxBurn]

Take the file you found and send it to virus total. Odds are its fine,AV just doesn't like how it arrived on your machine. Maybe have VT test the rest of the stuff you found too.

[control$]

Starting to reprogram the 3rd party BACnet Development Kits. This site was programmed using Atmel AVR Studio 4. I found it and downloaded & installed the program with SP1 and SP2. Upon running the program, it failed with a message "...can not find BCGCBPRO103090.dll..." file. So I found it on the web but our Anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-allthatstuff blocked the download sites claiming "...possible dangerous site..."

Does anyone know about the dynamic link library file BCGCBPRO103090.dll ? Maybe I should rebuild the Windows XP computer before going forward. Any comments?

Be careful to what you ugrade your computer to. Keep it at XP if your keeping WebCTRL 4.1 to prevent more headaches.

[Captain Dean]

In the end, I removed AVR Studio 4 and reinstalled it. It works now but without SP1 or SP2. My next step is to learn how to use this program. There must be videos on YouTube University that explains it. Not sure yet if I have the source code or just the compiled files.

Can anyone recommend a de-compiler for Windows XP Pro and AVR Studio 4? Not sure if it matters, but these programs apparently communicate via ARCnet over BACnet using MS/TP. (Did I just speak gibberish?)

Dean.

[orion242]

Would poke around https://www.avrfreaks.net/ for questions on AVR Studio.

[Captain Dean]

New Information. Steve Kragg is apparently a very familiar name in the BACnet industry. He also sells the BACnet Development Kit uController boards we have in the solar array. Steve was good enough to share the source code and libraries from the initial solar plant design. It seems Steve wrote a program (freeware) to control a solar trough array. So, now we have the source code and can identify how to change the addressing in the solar array. We have also become successful in setting up ARC Studio 4 and ARC Studio 7 and communicated with the BACnet Development Kit. We have uploaded a fresh program into the Kit and the program indicated it loaded successfully. Next week we will install that uController in the array and see what happens.

[Captain Dean]

I'm Baaaaccckk!

Hello everyone, here is the latest, and I need some help. My last post was Oct 25, 2019.

We have slowly gotten the solar plant running while also renovating offices and buildings, and building two new offices inside big coverall buildings. Oh yes, while also keeping the seawater flowing and fixing leaks in the distribution pipes. COVID affected us too. We are finally on our last 6 weeks of allowable time to get the place up and running.

And it runs! We replaced the 4500-gallon heat storage tank, overhauled a 1-Meg thermal heat exchanger. We can track the sun, pump oil and collect heat, exchange the heat from the oil to water and pump it to our tenant whom will desalinate seawater.

Need some help, though. One of our Automated Logic Control boards fried and we need to get it repaired, or replaced. It is an ALC M0100 control module. Is there anyplace in Hawaii that repairs ALC modules or sells them? Next best location is the west coast of USA, and beyond.

Dean.

[unonut]

I'm Baaaaccckk!

Hello everyone, here is the latest, and I need some help. My last post was Oct 25, 2019.

We have slowly gotten the solar plant running while also renovating offices and buildings, and building two new offices inside big coverall buildings. Oh yes, while also keeping the seawater flowing and fixing leaks in the distribution pipes. COVID affected us too. We are finally on our last 6 weeks of allowable time to get the place up and running.

And it runs! We replaced the 4500-gallon heat storage tank, overhauled a 1-Meg thermal heat exchanger. We can track the sun, pump oil and collect heat, exchange the heat from the oil to water and pump it to our tenant whom will desalinate seawater.

Need some help, though. One of our Automated Logic Control boards fried and we need to get it repaired, or replaced. It is an ALC M0100 control module. Is there anyplace in Hawaii that repairs ALC modules or sells them? Next best location is the west coast of USA, and beyond.

Dean.

What exactly does the M0100 do. You may be able use a different board to achieve the same results. For example a s6104 also has 10 available inputs but is limited to one program. There are many ways around this. Or you may be able to relocate the inputs to another board that has spares. Not to mention the system is Bacnet compatible.


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[control$]

You shouldn't have a problem finding one on ebay.

[Captain Dean]

What exactly does the M0100 do. You may be able use a different board to achieve the same results. For example a s6104 also has 10 available inputs but is limited to one program. There are many ways around this. Or you may be able to relocate the inputs to another board that has spares. Not to mention the system is Bacnet compatible.


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The M0100 Control Module is similar to a M4106 Control Module, and they both have Point Expanders below them. You may be correct in that I can swap a 4106 into the spot of the 0100. Thanks for the suggestion. I will check the books first before actually doing it.

Dean.

[unonut]

The M0100 Control Module is similar to a M4106 Control Module, and they both have Point Expanders below them. You may be correct in that I can swap a 4106 into the spot of the 0100. Thanks for the suggestion. I will check the books first before actually doing it.

Dean.

Dean it wasn’t a question. It was a statement. I am very familiar with ALC systems. Think we chatted when you were trying to get everything communicating. Is it the whole stack that has failed or is it some and not others. I ask cause you may have some options your not aware of.


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[unonut]

The M0100 Control Module is similar to a M4106 Control Module, and they both have Point Expanders below them. You may be correct in that I can swap a 4106 into the spot of the 0100. Thanks for the suggestion. I will check the books first before actually doing it.

Dean.

Also are you able to get a Modstat at from the m0100. There is actually a battery located behind the cover on those modules and if it does the module will lose all programming during a power failure.


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[Captain Dean]

Unonut,

Thanks for the help. I swapped out the M0100 module and installed the M4106, and changed the MAC address. It downloaded successfully and we started getting data from the solar array temperature sensors again. Oddly, the rest of the system went to Question Marks (?) again. After 10 minutes, the relocated M4106 was getting errors and displayed 'download needed' message in red.

We're wondering if the physically last on the network wire (M0100) has a termination resistor (Biasing resistor). The Arcnet network has become very unstable.

Original wiring: MAC 0,1:LGR250 (Arcnet=MAC 0,2:M4106, MAC 0,4:M4106, MAC 0,3:M0100) ...aprox 250 ft.
Revised wiring: MAC 0,1:LGR250 (Arcnet=MAC 0,2:M4106, MAC 0,4:[Empty M4106 connector], MAC 0,3:[M4106 re-addressed, downloaded for MAC 0,3])

It was the end of the day so I powered everything off. Will start again tomorrow (6/30).

Dean.

[MaxBurn]

If you are replacing the M0100 with the M4106 make it the same address as the old module and download it inside WebCTRL. Make sure all the input jumpers are the same and you should be good on that.

Yes BT485 at both ends. If you have the older DIAG485 in the middle the resistors alone go at both ends.

[Captain Dean]

Thanks for the help guys. It works now.

Added a 120-ohm resistor at the bitter end of the network (between + and -) and that stabilized the communication real well.

Installed the M4106 at the end, set the MAC address to the original M0100 and set SW1 to same as the M0100 (needless?) and it works fine. We now have 80 data points of solar field temperatures again. Still have some work to do on the temp probes & transmitters, but that is easy maintenance.

2 questions: (Temp meter, M-series access cord)
What is a well-proven meter to use in the field to test and calibrate temperature probes and transmitters?
Where can I get a USB Link Kit to connect a PC to an M-series control module? (ALC M0100 control module, ALC M4106 control module, ALC LGR250 router)

I've seen some USB Link Kits but it wasn't clear what they actually were. Maybe aftermarket for ALC M-Series?

Dean.

[control$]

I still use my trusty APT and barrel connector I got in 2001. I've never seen an after market one, but I bet ebay has a used one with cable. Or try https://abcgreymarket.com/main-brand...troller-parts/
Setup for 38.4k at com port and control.

[unonut]

Thanks for the help guys. It works now.

Added a 120-ohm resistor at the bitter end of the network (between + and -) and that stabilized the communication real well.

Installed the M4106 at the end, set the MAC address to the original M0100 and set SW1 to same as the M0100 (needless?) and it works fine. We now have 80 data points of solar field temperatures again. Still have some work to do on the temp probes & transmitters, but that is easy maintenance.

2 questions: (Temp meter, M-series access cord)
What is a well-proven meter to use in the field to test and calibrate temperature probes and transmitters?
Where can I get a USB Link Kit to connect a PC to an M-series control module? (ALC M0100 control module, ALC M4106 control module, ALC LGR250 router)

I've seen some USB Link Kits but it wasn't clear what they actually were. Maybe aftermarket for ALC M-Series?

Dean.

Got a pile of them. Hit me up


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[MaxBurn]

The cable to the M series is going to be hard because you need the round multi pin connector. The old apple serial printer cable was physically the same thing. BUT you shouldn't need it unless you need to do execB upgrade or something like that. The LGR has an Rnet screw terminal connector you can use instead. Pretty much any RS485 adapter works on that, and you really only need it to set the IP address as the rest of the parameters are in the memory download.