Q: I have a Trace SW-Series inverter with a software version prior to V4.01. Will WinVerter™ work with it?

A: It may work with older versions but we can't say for sure without testing. We do know that it will not work with Trace SWCA Communications Adapter software prior to V1.01.

Q: What if my older version of inverter software doesn't work with WinVerter™?

A: Xantrex has provisions for upgrading software in their sine inverters (except for the very early units). If you are handy with tools and know a little bit about electronics you can do this yourself. Otherwise you can pay Trace to do this for you.

Q: Is WinVerter™ available for Apple Macintosh, or Unix/Linux computers?

A. No, not at this time because we do not posses the development tools necessary for Macs or Unix/Linux. However, if there is enough demand we may do so (send request to ideas@RightHandEng.com).

Q: I don't access my inverter settings much so I often forget what each setting does. Does WinVerter™ include an on-line manual describing the use of the inverter settings?

A: Not at this time. But if there is sufficient demand we will try to add an on-line manual in a subsequent release. If you want it please drop us a line at ideas@RightHandEng.com

Q: I plan on using a Trace sine-wave inverter but I don't have one yet. How can I see exactly what these inverter settings do?

A: You can download the Trace inverter manuals from their web site (www.traceengineering.com) in Adobe (.pdf) format. These are rather large files so if you don't have land-line modem access, you may wish to order a manual from Trace.

Q: How far separated can the inverter and PC be?

A: The SWCA is supplied with a 25 ft. connectorized cable. You can make your own cable to go further (up to 400 ft. perhaps) but if its over 100 ft. we recommend using shielded cable. The conductors inside the shield can be solid or stranded, twisted or straight but not less than 24 AWG in diameter. We recommend that you use our SWCA Surge Protector on your serial com signals if you extend the standard cable or if you run the signals between buildings. If you need to avoid running new cables or digging trenches we can also provide wireless RS-232 devices.

Q. I have a modern laptop that has a USB port, but no RS-232 port. How can I adapt it to communicate with the inverter via the SWCA?

A. Fortunately there are USB-to-RS232 converters available. These can be purchased at most local computer stores for about $40. Or you can web order such a device from www.bb-elec.com, item number UC232A. Note that we are not able to troubleshoot problems with USB converters so you should contact the converter manufacturer if you experience problems.

Q: Will WinVerter™ support dial-in modem access to remote sites which have a Trace sine-wave inverter?

A: This may be done by dialing in from a remote computer to the host computer which is directly connected to the SWCA at the remote site. To do this you can use remote PC access software such as pcAnywhere, VNC, or CoSession.

Q: When I try to run WinVerter™, I get an error message "Port already open", but there is nothing plugged into the RS-232 com port. What is the problem?

A: The message indicates that some other software is using the com port. Palm and handheld PC synchronization software, once installed, typically runs in the background at all times and is holding on the com port to see when the palm or handheld PC is docked. Such software hogs the com port and does not permit other software, such as WinVerter™ from using it. You should either try to use a different com port (if your PC has one), or terminate the conflicting software. Synchronization software usually shows up on the Windows task bar as an icon. If you right click the synchronization icon you will usually see a menu that allows you to terminate, close or exit the software. This should free up the com port for use by WinVerter™. However, you will need to shut down WinVerter™ and re-start the synchronization software if you plan to re-synchronize your palm or handheld PC.

We recommend that you use our SWCA Surge Protector on your serial com signals if you extend the standard cable or if you run the signals between buildings.

Q: What does WinVerter™-Setup SW do and not do?

A. It programs the 45 Setup Menu parameters in menus #9 through #18, plus the Inverter Mode menu #1, the Generator Mode menu #2, the Time of Day menu #6, and the Generator Timer menu #7. All other menus are informational only and are not settable. If you wish to view and monitor the informational Meter menu #4, then you will want WinVerter™-Monitor SW.

Q: Will WinVerter™-Setup SW work on Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000?

A: Yes, both have been tested.

Q: Can I run two instances (copies) of WinVerter™-Setup SW at the same time? This could be handy when setting up two stacked inverters.

A: Not at this time. But you can easily reconfigure Unit ID or Serial Port designation so that you can redirect communications between multiple inverters connected to a single PC.

Q: Will WinVerter™ run on Windows 2000 or Windows XP?

A: Yes, it has been tested to work on both of these newer operating systems.

Q: What speed of computer will I need?

A: A 90 MHz or higher Pentium or better processor will work just fine as long as it is running Windows 95 or later. You will also need about 10 MB of free hard-disk space plus an additional 1 MB space for each 100 days of logging.

Q: Will I have to leave my PC running?

A: Not if all you want is a snap-shot of your system status, but Yes if you want alarming, watt-hour information or hourly file export.

Q: What if I need to shut down or re-configure my inverter?

A: If you need to access your SW-series inverter front panel or run WinVerter™-Setup SW, then you must temporarily suspend operation of WinVerter™-Monitor SW during that time, which may produce inaccurate information for the log files covering the period. WinVerter™-Monitor SW takes control of your inverter’s front panel while running. To access your front panel you may temporarily unplug the cable to the SWCA.

Q: What Inverter software revisions are supported?

A: We know for sure that WinVerter™ will work with SW-Series inverters with V4.01, 4.04, 4.10 and 4.20 software, and PS-Series inverters with V5.0 and 5.1 software. It may work with other versions but we can’t say for sure without testing. It also requires Trace SWCA Communications Adapter V1.01 or V1.02 software.

Q: I have a stacked set of two Trace inverters for 240 volt output. Can I monitor both inverters?

A. For simultaneous monitoing you will need an SWCA for each inverter and two serial com ports on your PC (or two PCs).

You can then run two instances (copies) of WinVerter™-Monitor SW to simultaneously capture data from both inverters. Note that two is the limit at this time. If you have a need to monitor more than two, drop us a line at ideas@RightHandEng.com.

Q: I don’t have grid power. Can I afford battery power if I leave my PC running?

A: It depends. The biggest power-hog for most computers is the CRT monitor. You can turn off your CRT when you are not viewing system information. As long as you leave your CPU running it will continue to gather data. You can also purchase a used laptop/notebook computer for around $250. These typically have very low power consumption (some as low as 15 Watts in low power mode) and some even run directly from 12 VDC. To find out more about conserving PC power download our article "How to Conserve PC Power" in Adobe .pdf format.

NOTE: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or later installed on your computer in order to view and print the order form. If you need Acrobat Reader (and you probably will, sooner or later), you can get a free copy by following this link: <http://www.adobe.com>.

Downloading Instructions: Newer versions of common browsers will treat the Acrobat Reader program as a plug-in and will simply display the article in a new window. Older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer may open a dialog box asking if you want to open the .pdf file or save it to disk. Either is acceptable,  just be sure to remember where you put it on your hard disk if you chose to save it. Older versions of Netscape may open a dialog box informing you that you are attempting to view a file of an unknown type. Again, you can choose to either save the file to disk, or pick the application (Adobe Acrobat Reader) to open the file.

Q: What does WinVerter™-Control SW do and not do?

A: It allows you to do anything you can do from the control panel on the front of your SW inverter, or anything you can do using the SWRC remote control panel. This includes on/off control of the inverter and generator, viewing meters (one at a time), and manual setup of the inverter.

Q: Will WinVerter™-Control SW work on Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000?

A: Yes, both have been tested.

Q: I have a stacked pair of inverters. How many SWMAs will I need?

A: You will need one for each inverter. Unfortunately, the SWMA is not wired to be shared in this way.

Q: I have a remote control panel (SWRC) or communications adapter (SWCA). Can I still use it with the SWMA?

A: Yes. The SWMA replicates the inverter's "Remote" port that it plugs into thus providing a place to plug in any accessory you were previously using.

Q: I have a remote cabin and am gone for more than 2-weeks at a time. Is there some way to add a bigger backup battery to the SWMA so that it will last for much longer?

A: We can only warrant the SWMA as designed. However, if you are electrically savvy and don’t mind voiding the warranty of your SWMA (and possibly your inverter too), you might consider replacing the backup battery pack with a bigger battery. However, please note the following: 1) The wire with the white stripe must be connected to the battery positive. The wire without the stripe must connect to the battery negative. 2) The battery may NOT be one of the batteries in the inverter’s big battery bank. The backup battery must NOT be electrically connected to the inverter in any other way. 3) The voltage from the backup battery must NEVER exceed 6.25 volts DC under any circumstance. If the voltage is allowed to be greater than this, it WILL effect the inverter’s internal battery bank voltage measurement and will likely effect the operation of the inverter.

Q: Does Download requires Registration?

A: Currently Freeware and Evaluation products requires one-time registration. Once you registered with a valid e-mail address, you can download all available Freeware and Evaluation products here.

Q: How do I verify that the downloaded file is not corrupt?

A: Here are some guidelines may help you to do the verificaition: (1) Verify downloading from the correct web site. (2) Verify selecting the desired product and/or the correct item. (3) Save the binary on local disk before running it without verifications. (4) Verify the file size and/or the MD5 data as displayed on the Download page. (5) After downloaded, use anti-virus software to scan the local copy.

Q: What is MD5?

A: MD5 stands for Message Digest 5. MD5 is an algorithm that accepts a sequence of bytes and generates a 128-bit digital "fingerprint" that uniquely identifies the provided data. The MD5 algorithm was developed by Professor Ronald L. Rivest of MIT, and was published as Internet RFC 1321 in April of 1992 (See http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1321.html). MD5 is the underlying algorithm used to generate the 27 character alphanumeric Content Address. You can search on Google to download a freeware tool from a trusted source.