General navigation and use

The nx-interface a touch screen display. The navigation from one page to another is done by pointing/clicking on an element.

The main icons used for navigation are: 

	Access to main menu. This icon is on every screen and click on it to come back to the top level and navigate quickly
	Access to settings (level3). There are prepared graphical screens for setting and an access to the whole list of settings with the + symbol from there in EXPERT mode.
	Access to detailed lists of information (from info screen) or list of settings (from settings screen). The + is accessible only in EXPERT MODE for list access.
	ON/OFF of all the functions of the inverter. A confirmation is asked
	Back on the previous screen in the menu hierarchy
	Enable or mute the beeping of the remote and the inverters.
	Page indicator: you can swipe left/right to move to different pages of the same level. For example, when there are many solar chargers in the system, you can navigate from one to another.

Example for the information screen of solar: 

Screens map

The navigation on the nx-interface is organized as given by the picture below. A locked screen appears after some time of inactivity on the nx-interface. It is unlocked with a slide move or with a code. From the locked screen you go back to the last screen that was displayed before entering sleep mode.

The main menu is always accessible form any screens with the icon:  available on each screen.

The nx-interface screen is organized with screen levels

• LEVEL1: general view of the state of the energy system, the instant values, the history, and the message log.
• LEVEL2: Information about each component (AC-source, Battery, solar,...) 
• • Many detailed information that can be obtained from the next3 about the inverters operation. For example the AC-reactive power of the phase 2 on the AC-source connection can be seen by going on the AC-source from the main synoptic.
• LEVEL3: Programming: the settings about each component can be seen or modified.

Note: when on a configuration screen (Level 3), the settings are for a unique component. Per exemple there are two solar mppt entries on one next, the settings are accessed individually.

    For convenience and simplicity, not all information can fit on one screen. From the level 2, the “plus” button allows to access a list of detailed information.

From the level 3, the “plus” button allows to access a list of detailed settings.

The “plus” of level 2 and 3 is accessible at expert level only. The unique reference identification number are used in communication and to clearly identify the information/settings.

Navigation from the synoptics to the detailed information and settings of parameters:

Example with the battery

See the following chapter to have details about each component of the energy system (the solar, the AC-source, the AC-Flex, the battery, ...)

Embedded documentation

 The nx-interface has an embedded documentation about all information (level 2) and settings (level 3) available.

• Access to documentation about one setting/information by clicking on its name
• Change the settings by clicking on its value

The explanations about the received messages are also embedded by clicking on one message. 

The full list of information and settings with their default values, units, ranges, and explanations can be found in the Object Model description. Each parameter/setting/information has its own unique identification number starting with the prefix ID. The same documentation is embedded in the nx- interface.

Accessibility

User accessibility: can be changed in the nx-interface menu with user levels. The levels are:

• View Only: the user has access to levels 1 and 2 of the screens (dashboard, synoptic, graph, messages, view of components information). The configuration icon is not accessible and the user cannot change anything in the configuration of the system. Code is 00000.
• Basic: the user has accessed to the level 2 and 3 It is possible to modify the configuration of the next without the full list of settings (the full list icon is not accessible). The important settings for the standard operation of the next system are available on the prepared screens of level 3. Code is 815566.
• Expert: the user has accessed to all information and settings. Access is restricted for end-user as the grid code settings must be chosen by the qualified installer at commissioning and modifications are not allowed. The expert code is delivered only to qualified installers.

On the first commissioning the nx-interface is set to Expert to allows the use of the wizard process and then automatically set down to View Only.

The modification of the user level is done with codes in the nx-interface, in the remote control screen and then on the configuration menu ( → )

The codes are: 

            View Only                  000000
            Basic                           815566
            Expert                        For professionals only

Blocking access with customized code

The slider of the locked screen can be replaced by a code to unlock. This prevents the modification of the system by unwanted people.

The activation of this code is done in the remote control screen and then on the configuration menu

( → ). It is available for experts only. The unlock code can be freely chosen.

Displaying the state of the energy system

The actual and historical state of the energy system can be seen on the screens of Level 1 of the energy system.

The status of the energy system is seen with two screens the simplified dashboard of the synoptic.

Simple dashboard

Power fluxes and state of the battery can be seen. In one blink you know what your production is, consumption and general state of the system. All powers are the sum of all devices and all phases. The same general overview is on the “locked screen”.

Synoptic

The detailed synoptic gives access to the information and the programming of the various components (click on it):

• AC-Source: the AC-grid or a genset. There is only one AC-source connection in a system.
• AC-Loads: the consumers: there is only
• AC-Flex: A special entry that can be configured as
• • A second source, there is only one second source connection in a system. The AC- source has priority of connection over the AC-flex as second source.
  • A controllable load, in that case there are as many AC-Flex as loads than the number of nx device in the system.
• Battery: there can be many in a system.
• Solar: connect the two PV strings.
• Device and I/O (AUX contacts, Remote Entries, COMM ports, ...): on every nx device of a system.

From the dashboard or the synoptic, the details of each component are accessed by clicking on it. See the general screens map in previous chapter for an overview of the navigation.

Note that the AC-source as genset and the AC-flex as genset are missing on the figure above as we cannot display all the different configurations on the same screen.

An important alert on one of the components can be seen with a change of color. It is associated with a warning or error and with a message explaining what happens.

Detailed maps of levels 2 (information) and 3 (configuration) for the energy system:

Simple chart

The energies of yesterday (00:00 to 23:59)and today (00:00 to now) are shown in a bar graph.

Power and battery time series will appear with future updates. 

Messages

List of messages/events that happened to the system. 

The errors and warnings are in red when they appear and in green when they are cleared. It is possible to filter the message in function of their severity:

• Information: an normal event happened in the system and is logged
• Warning: something abnormal happens and the next3 operation can be restricted but the device is not stopped.
• Error: an event that stops the operation of one of the component of the next3 or the whole next3 happened.

Functionalities nx interface

The nx-control has 4 dedicated menus for settings and actions specific to the interface:

• Remote control: manage the nx-interface itself (user access, language, brightness of the screen, ...)
• Updates: update of the whole system is done with the nx-interface with by copying the new firmware on the usb key.
• Configuration of the installation: start a new configuration wizard here.
• Monitoring and internet: set connection to the Studer webportal and manage the datalog on the usb-key. The Modbus M2M communication for monitoring by external SCADA system is also managed here.

Remote control

This menu is for the nx-interface itself (Language, user level, brightness of the screen, ...). The physical connections are also shown, with the positions of the bus terminations on the nx-interface: very useful to find them as they are a little bit hidden under the nx-interface.

This menu give access to the user levels. The codes are:

• View Only: 000000
• Basic : 815566
• Expert : For professionals only

The connection view helps to locate the connectors on the side (usb) and under the nx-interface:

Date and time

The next3 features a real time clock that allows among others to have a correct date and hour for the datalogging records. This clock must be set using the remote control nx-interface. Thanks to an internal battery, this setting is retained even when the equipment is disconnected from its voltage source (battery or PV).

If the nx-interface is connected to the internet, the date and time is automatically updated if you accepted it at the initialisation (during the wizard).

USB memory stick management

Hot Plug of USB memory is possible. Always remove the USB using the EJECT button on the nx-interface. The eject button is available in different menu and has the same effect.

The USB-stick is also used for

• Datalogging backup
• • Procedure: see the monitoring section
• Update of the systems.
• • Procedure: see the update section
• Manual savings of the configuration and files (to come)
• • Procedure: see the configuration section

Update

This part describes the update of the next system (inverters, nx interface and accessories) using the nx-interface.

In the update screen, you can choose which source will the update come from:

• USB key: Download the latest software version from our website: https://www.studer- innotec.com/en/downloads/ in the support and download section, unzip and copy the whole folder called “next3-system-update” at the root of the key. The usb-key must not be removed until the end of the updating process. If for some reason the updating process is interrupted, restart it to let the process finish.
• Internet: The update via internet is available from version 1.2.x.x. For older version you’ll need to perform the update with the USB key first. The USB key is mandatory even for the internet update, as the files are copied on the USB key.

Press “search USB” and the nx-interface will check the USB key and the update server.

After the check, the screen informs you if an update is available. The current (black) and the available update (green) can be seen on the right side. Information are displayed in case of incompatibility.

Once the update ready, you are informed of the available versions, and you can start the update of the system with the “Start Update” button.

The update is performed in many steps: first the nx-interface is updated and then you must press again on the “start update” button for the next2 devices.

Installation configuration

In those pages you can reconfigure the next energy system from the start with the wizard, and also save and export configurations for your backup or to replicate it on other installations. The configuration pages are available at expert level only.

A summary of the system is available on the main screen and a list of all present devices of the system is situated on the left. The “Config details” button give access to numerous detailed technical information (list of all hardware used, list of all FID, ...) that may be necessary for support purposes.

For a factory setting reset, you must run the wizard again. It will reset all the values with the factory values according to your configuration.

Configuration Wizard

The standard configuration of the next3 energy system is done with a configuration wizard. It is possible to modify single settings individually later the pages dedicated to each topic of the converter. On the first commissioning of the next3, the wizard will be automatically started, and all steps must be followed. To restart with factory settings, you must run the wizard again on an installation.

All the settings previously set are forgotten when running a new wizard.

In the first steps of the process, the wizard asks the language that will be used for the configuration and later.

Then questions are given to configure the energy system itself. Comments are done about the steps in the corresponding sections of this manual, in the chapter “configuration and operation of the next”.

If you stopped in the middle of the process or the installation has changed, there will be an error message:

Finish or restart the wizard process in that case.

Back-up and restoration of the configuration (TO COME)

We invite the installer to perform a saving of its configuration at the end of the commissioning and keep it to restore the configuration (in case of device exchange, or unwanted modifications by the customer).
The backup is done with files copied on the on the usb stick. Keep the whole folder “nx-backup”

Note: if the configuration of the system is different (different types of devices, not the same number of devices, ...), the restauration of a configuration is not possible and config files will be refused. In that case you must start a new configuration with the wizard.

Monitoring & datalogging

See the monitoring section

Configuration 

Many settings can be changed to adapt the configuration of the next3 to the environment/system.

The nx-interface operates as a terminal and is not mandatory in a system. It can be plugged to the system and removed. When an inverter/converter setting is modified using the remote control (nx-interface), it is sent to the next3 and stored in the device permanently. If the nx-interface is removed from the system, this parameter continues to be used by the next3 with this modified value. If the next3 is de-energized and then energized again, the settings can be retrieved from the non-volatile memory. This allows for example to pre-program a next3 at the workshop and to supply it to a customer, ready for his specific application.

The settings are secured against inadvertent or unauthorized change by the user level. The change of the user level is protected by password and must not be done by unauthorized personnel.

The next3 cannot operate until a regional setting (grid code) has been selected during the configuration wizard. The configuration wizard shall be done by an authorized person. If the initial configuration is not finished, the inverter does not start and the ! red light of the front panel blinks permanently. That means without a proper selection/activation of the regional configuration the inverter doesn’t start and doesn’t connect to the grid.

Configuration wizard

At the first commissioning of the next3 a configuration assistant called the “Configuration Wizard” will be automatically started on the nx-interface. With a set of questions, the user is invited to configure the next3. Very specific settings can always be accessed later in each component’s menu.

The process with the wizard is mandatory for new installations and with multi-unit systems.

It is also possible to run it later by going to the nx-interface menu “Installation Configuration” (available at Expert level).

Path:     launch → 

It will reset all the settings with the factory values according to your configuration/answers to questions. Old configurations are completely erased with a wizard process.

After a few questions for the remote control / nx-interface configuration (time, date, …), a scan of the devices present on the communication bus is performed:

Check that all the elements you want in the system are connected. LEDs of front pannel of the next are all blinking during this process. If not, that means the communication cannot be established. Check the communication cabling (presence of cable and termination switch) and that all the units are powered on (energized from a battery).

 On a can bus, impedances are connected at the two ends of the communication line to “terminate” the line. Without those terminations as pull down resistors, the communication doesn’t work at all. If the system doesn’t see any nx3 in the system, check the nx bus termination switch on each device. It has to be on ‘T’ at the end of the line (when there is only one communication cable to the device) and on ‘O’ in between (when there are 2 communication cables to the device). 

In the next step, the system checks that 2 impdances are activated:

The termination switch is at the bottom of the next3: set T for terminated and O for open