Aurora USB driver and Windows 7

[Rob Littiken]

Has anyone got the Aurora Communicator and Installer to work with Windows 7 32 bit through usb port?

I've been using my shop laptop with XP to talk to Aurora Inverters for some time now and would like to upgrade to a new computer and Windows 7.

[Ulf Hansén]

It works for me and ,but it is a 64 bit

Ulf

[Jim White]

Hi Rob,
Got it to work on Windows 7-64bit, Vista and XP: w/ and w/out USBto RS485 adapter: Windows 7-32 bit should be OK.

[Rob Littiken]

What USB driver are you using? Everytime I try and install the USB driver from their web site, it says can't open the install program.
Thanks
Rob L

[Ulf Hansén]

I didn't need a USB driver,windows installed the USB converter like a plug and play unit-
I used a R&R electronics converter

Ulf

[Rob Littiken]

Jim,
What usb driver are you using without the USB to RS485 adapter?
Thanks,
Rob

[Jim White]

Here is the link and instructions for the usb driver.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/2yud5nhh310dady/Direct%20USB%20Installation%20Guide%20rev.3.docx

Best Regards
Jim White

[Rob Littiken]

Thanks Jim

It's nice to see the distributers, You and Rob B, supporting their products.

Rob L

[Rob Littiken]

Just an FYI. This driver worked great, but Aurora Communicator or Installer caused a cpu usage issue on this PC using Window 7 32 bit Pro.

Even when they weren't being used the PC was show 50-70% cpu usage by explorer.exe

I read up some and discovered that some programs can cause this. I removed Communicator and Installer, cpu usage went back to 3-5%

I wish Power-One could get some better programmers. Maybe acquiring Fat Spaniel brought some good programmers with it. We can hope.

Rob L

[Rob Littiken]

Just an FYI. This driver worked great, but Aurora Communicator or Installer caused a cpu usage issue on this PC using Window 7 32 bit Pro.

Even when they weren't being used the PC was show 50-70% cpu usage by explorer.exe

I read up some and discovered that some programs can cause this. I removed Communicator and Installer, cpu usage went back to 3-5%

I wish Power-One could get some better programmers. Maybe acquiring Fat Spaniel brought some good programmers with it. We can hope.

Rob L

I reinstalled all the aurora software today and it doesn't seem to be effecting the cpu now. I had read in an Australian forum someone else having the same issue. Must just be a buggy install sometimes.

[Marek Klon]

do I need to connect 6kW aurora wind inverter to AC first to connect via USB ?
Also is there a way to turn on display on aurora without DC (turbine not ready ) ?
thanks

[Rob Beckers]

Marek, the inverter will only power up from the DC side (it has to exceed the startup voltage that the inverter is set at, which can be anything from 50 ... 350V). For programming we yank grid AC through a rectifier, and feed it to the DC input of the inverter (with the AC side of the inverter disconnected, very important or you'll get lots of sparks!).

Once the inverter fires up you can talk to it via USB.

-RoB-

[Marek Klon]

thanks Rob
simple rectifier (4 diodes like here - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Full-wave_rectifier4.png ) will do the job ?
or should it be smoothed by some capacitors to have a nice DC to power up aurora ?

[Rob Beckers]

Yes, that will work fine. No capacitors needed if all you want to do is program the inverter (if your turbine is single phase I would suggest adding capacitors, for 3-phase wind turbines that's not needed). We just use a PVI-Wind-Box to rectify the grid.

-RoB-