PROBLEMS with DC switches at or near FM tower locations

[canpandave]

20151224_WS-12-250-DC Power.png (135.42 KiB) Viewed 10387 times

20151224_WS-12-250-DC Ports.png (156.94 KiB) Viewed 10387 times

20151224_WS-12-250DCStatus.png (154.31 KiB) Viewed 10387 times

20151224-WS-12-250-DC-DeviceStatus.png (137.13 KiB) Viewed 10387 times

We are experiencing really strange things with this switch, errors saying fan failure (but it is not failing), error reading temp sensor, then the switch performs a cold reboot.

System has 150ah of battery connected

Firmware 1.3.8

Here is the log, attached are screen shots. Switch is in a VERY remote location


Any ideas?

Dec 24 10:22:38 switch[786]: Error reading temp sensor
Dec 24 10:22:40 switch[835]: Detected cold boot
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 1, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 5, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 6, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 7, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 8, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:41 switch[835]: PoE enabled on port 9, PoE Smart is starting cable check
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 1 cable check results: Ok, Ok, Short, Short
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 1 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 5 cable check results: Ok, Open, Open, Ok
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 5 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 6 cable check results: Ok, Ok, Ok, Abnormal termination
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 6 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 7 cable check results: Ok, Ok, Short, Short
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 7 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 8 cable check results: Open, Open, Ok, Ok
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 8 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 9 cable check results: Open, Open, Open, Open
Dec 24 10:22:46 switch[835]: Port 9 passed PoE Smart cable check, turning on power
Dec 24 10:23:34 switch[786]: Fan 1 is failing (0 RPM, cooling level 255)
Dec 24 10:24:58 sSMTP[961]: Sent mail for (221 2.0.0 Bye) uid=0 username=outbytes=462

[canpandave]

Just noticed another poster with similar problems.... This switch is colocated at an FM transmitter site....

[sirhc]

Yea we are investigating possible FM broadcast towers messing with the DC Switch models, mainly the I2C communications between the DC power supply and the switch board.

There is some enhancements in v1.3.8rc8 to the I2C error handling, please try this version and see if it helps and let us know.

We also are working on a shielded I2C cable which I could also send you after the New Years if the software does not help you.

None of our AC switches are affected by FM Broadcast towers, just the WS-8-250-DC and WS-12-250-DC

[canpandave]

I am not willing to try a firmware upgrade at the moment, it is Christmas Eve and we need 24-48 hours to book transportation to the site (top of a Volcano).

Could we build our own type of 'faraday' cage around it next week when we can get up there?

Thx

Dave

[sirhc]

You could but the problem is only with the I2C cable between the switch board and the DC power supply so a Faraday cage would be overkill. The 6" I2C cable is picking up RF noise from the FM broadcast and causing errors but the new firmware will help with but it may not be enough in very hard RF environments so we are developing/experimenting with a shielded I2C cable.

Sadly I have to take a trip on Monday and will be away until next Saturday or I would send you a prototype cable next week.

But I think the firmware will help a LOT and you may not need the cable?

I could also send you some pictures and talk to you on the phone about how to properly shield your existing cable your self if you have a little MacGyver in you?

[canpandave]

It would be great if you could send the pictures and give me a call after that...

I will PM you my number

Thanks

[canpandave]

Hey!

Whats happening? I sent my number by PM on Dec 25th and nothing since????

[sirhc]

Hey!

Whats happening? I sent my number by PM on Dec 25th and nothing since????

I was away on vacation all last week

Playing catch up.

[canpandave]

OK so I have a guy enroute to the Volcano with a new switch, upgraded to 1.3.9rc13, with shielded 2IC cable. He was an hour away so I thought I would try and upgrade the existing switch to the RC13 and see if the RF interference issue would go away. Upgrade went OK according to the webpage but when switch went into reboot, it did not come back.

No way to know if the firmware alone would have fixed the issue.

Sure glad I did not try the upgrade without having someone within an hour or so from the site.

I will report how the new switch works once deployed.

/d

[sirhc]

We are working on a solution but at this point we do not have one....yet.

I do want to point out that out of several thousand DC units there is only 5 people who have had this issue and all of them are at AM/FM/TV broadcast towers.

Now 1 is too many and we are continuing to work towards a solution, it might not happen over night but we will continue to try and come up with a solution for these difficult installations.

But for all those other people out there not installing the DC units on towers that co-locate with AM/FM/TV broadcast you should not experience this problem.