Ampt 31570002 Communications Gateway for Solar PV Converter User Manual Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

Ampt, LLC Communications Gateway for Solar PV Converter Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

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31570002 User Manual HTML Version

Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

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TheSPTOperatorManual

SmartPanelTechnology

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CONTENTS

Information&Disclaimer..............................................................................................................................................6

ReadthisFirst............................................................................................................................................................7

FCCcompliance..........................................................................................................................................................7

ImportantSafetyInformation.......................................................................................................................................8

messagefromampt:......................................................................................................................................................9

WhySPT–whygetampt?...................................................................................................................................10

SmartPanelTechnologyOverview..............................................................................................................................11

Insimpleterms,theSPT:.....................................................................................................................................11

Here’showitworks:............................................................................................................................................12

TheoryofOperation............................................................................................................................................14

SPTFundamentals:..............................................................................................................................................15

IntroductiontoLogicMatrix(summaryversion).................................................................................................16

Valuepropositionlist...............................................................................................................................................17

Testresults..............................................................................................................................................................18

Internaltesting....................................................................................................................................................18

Thirdpartyvalidation..........................................................................................................................................18

Safetyandconveniencefeatures............................................................................................................................18

Fullsystemdiagram.............................................................................................................................................19

Energyvspower......................................................................................................................................................19

LCOE.....................................................................................................................................................................19

MaximumPowerPointTracking..............................................................................................................................20

SPTSystemComponents.........................................................................................................................................22

SPT–distributedpowerconverters....................................................................................................................22

HRD–homerundiodes.......................................................................................................................................22

Gateway...............................................................................................................................................................22

FC–FieldComputer............................................................................................................................................22

HandHeldFC.......................................................................................................................................................23

GUI–graphicaluserinterface&SoftwareUserManual.........................................................................................24

Overview..............................................................................................................................................................24

Databaseandtrendanalysis...............................................................................................................................27

CompletesystemlayoutandWiringDiagram.........................................................................................................28

DesigningyourSPTsystemsolution....................................................................................................................30

Orderinginformation–SampleSalesOrder........................................................................................................31

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QuickInstallGuide.......................................................................................................................................................32

SPTInstallation........................................................................................................................................................36

MechanicalmountingSPTtothePVmodule......................................................................................................36

WiringSPTtothePVmodule...............................................................................................................................36

Completingthestringwiring...............................................................................................................................36

HRDInstallation.......................................................................................................................................................37

MechanicalmountingtheHRD............................................................................................................................37

WiringtheHRD....................................................................................................................................................37

Completingthehomerunwiring.........................................................................................................................37

GatewayandFC.......................................................................................................................................................37

Locationdetermination.......................................................................................................................................37

Systemrequirements...............................................................................................................................................37

ACpower.............................................................................................................................................................37

InternetAccess....................................................................................................................................................37

Mechanicalmounting..........................................................................................................................................37

Electricalwiring....................................................................................................................................................37

SPTSystemCommissioning.........................................................................................................................................38

Mappingyoursystem..............................................................................................................................................38

UsingtheHandHeldFC.......................................................................................................................................38

PoweruptheFC......................................................................................................................................................38

Verifygatewayoperation....................................................................................................................................38

TestingthesignalstrengthtotheGateway.........................................................................................................38

AccessingtheFCthroughtheinternet................................................................................................................38

SettinguptheGUI...................................................................................................................................................38

Definingusersandadministrativefunctions.......................................................................................................38

Choosingtheuserdefinedparameters...............................................................................................................38

AlertThresholds...................................................................................................................................................38

Scriptchoices.......................................................................................................................................................38

Summarypage.....................................................................................................................................................38

Settingupthedatabase..........................................................................................................................................38

OperatingInstructions.................................................................................................................................................39

ReadingtheGUI.......................................................................................................................................................39

Controlfeatures.......................................................................................................................................................40

Normaloperation....................................................................................................................................................40

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Whatyousee.......................................................................................................................................................40

Howtointerpret..................................................................................................................................................40

Howtomodify.....................................................................................................................................................40

Accessingthedatabase...........................................................................................................................................40

Sortingthedata...................................................................................................................................................40

Definingusertemplates.......................................................................................................................................40

Interpretingalertmessages.....................................................................................................................................40

Troubleshooting..........................................................................................................................................................41

SPToperationalissues.............................................................................................................................................41

GUIoperationalissues.............................................................................................................................................41

TechnicalData.............................................................................................................................................................42

SPTspecificationssheet...........................................................................................................................................42

SPTPhoto.................................................................................................................................................................42

SPTMechanicalDrawing.........................................................................................................................................43

HRDspecificationssheet.........................................................................................................................................44

HRDIllustration........................................................................................................................................................44

HRDMechanicalDrawing........................................................................................................................................45

FCspecificationssheet............................................................................................................................................46

HandHeldFCspecificationssheet...........................................................................................................................47

GUIparametersandsystemrequirments...............................................................................................................49

TechnicalSupport........................................................................................................................................................50

InformationRegardingtheSPT:...........................................................................................................................50

InformationRegardingthePVmodules:.............................................................................................................50

LimitedWarranty.........................................................................................................................................................51

WarrantyConditions............................................................................................................................................51

ExclusionofLiability.............................................................................................................................................51

forWarrantyReturns&InstallerReplacement:..................................................................................................51

Appendix:.....................................................................................................................................................................53

FAQ..........................................................................................................................................................................53

InstallationMapping................................................................................................................................................53

WiringDiagrams......................................................................................................................................................53

Orderingspareorreplacementparts......................................................................................................................53

Returnprocedures...................................................................................................................................................53

WhitePapers...........................................................................................................................................................53

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Presentations...........................................................................................................................................................53

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INFORMATION&DISCLAIMER

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Nopartofthisdocumentmaybereproduced,retransmitted,orcopiedinanyformwithouttheexpressedand

writtenpermissionofAmpt.



Amptmakesnorepresentations,expressedorimplied,thatwithrespecttothisdocumentationoranyofthe

equipmentand/orsoftwareitmaydescribe,including(withnolimitation)anyimpliedwarrantiesofutility,

merchantability,orfitnessforanyparticularpurpose.Allsuchwarrantiesareexpresslydisclaimed.Amptshallnot

beliableforanyindirect,incidental,orconsequentialdamagesunderanycircumstances.(Theexclusionofimplied

warrantiesmaynotapplyinallcasesundersomestatutes,andthustheaboveexclusionmaynotapply.)



Thefollowingspecificationsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice,eventhougheveryattempthasbeenmadeto

makethisdocumentcomplete,accurateandup‐to‐date.Readersarecautioned,however,thatAmptreservesthe

righttomakechangeswithoutnoticeandshallnotberesponsibleforanydamages,includingindirect,incidental

orconsequentialdamages,causedbyrelianceonthematerialpresented,including,butnotlimitedto,omissions,

typographicalerrors,arithmeticalerrorsorlistingerrorsinthecontentmaterial.



AmptLLC

4850InnovationDrive

FortCollins,Colorado80525

Tel970‐372‐6950

www.ampt.com





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READTHISFIRST

Thisoperatormanualcontainsalloftheinformationneededtoinstall,commissionandoperateanAmptSPT

distributedpowerconversiondevicewithinagrid‐tiedphotovoltaic(PV)installation.



Tohelpavoidproblemsduringthesysteminstallation,familiarizeyourselfinadvance,withtheinstallationprocess

byreadingtheentireInstallationGuidebeforestartingtheinstallation.



Bealert!ThereareextremelydangerousandlethalvoltagespresentatvariouspointsinaPVsystem.For

safetyreasons,itisrecommendedthatonlyqualifiedpersonnelinstallandoperatethisequipment.



FCCCOMPLIANCE



AmptSPT‐ThisequipmenthasbeencertifiedascompliantwiththelimitsforaClassBdigitaldevice,pursuantto

Part15oftheFCCRules.Theselimitsaredesignedtoprovidereasonableprotectionagainstharmfulinterference

inaresidentialinstallation.Thisequipmentgenerates,uses,andcanradiateradiofrequencyenergyandifnot

installedandusedinaccordancewiththeinstructions,maycauseharmfulinterferencetoradiocommunications.

However,thereisnoguaranteethatinterferencewillnotoccurinaparticularinstallation.



TheuseriscautionedthatchangesormodificationsnotexpresslyapprovedbyAmptLLC.couldvoidtheuser’s

authoritytooperatethisequipment.



***

AmptSPTFCCID#XLQ31570001

SPTModelNumber:31570001



ThislabelisfoundoneachAmptSPTenclosure.

Theboxistwopiecesandisnotmeanttobeuserservicedoropenedinanyway.



***

AmptGatewayFCCID#

GatewayModelNumber:31570002



ThislabelisfoundoneachAmptGatewayenclosure.

Theboxissmallerthanpalmsize,thusthefollowingtextisonlyprintedhere:

Thisdevicecomplieswithpart15oftheFCCrules.Operationissubjecttothefollowingtwo

conditions:(1)thisdevicemaynotcauseharmfulinterference,and(2)thisdevicemustaccept

anyinterferencereceived,includinginterferencethatmaycauseundesiredoperation.

Theboxistwopiecesandisnotmeanttobeuserservicedoropenedinanyway.



***

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IMPORTANTSAFETYINFORMATION



SAVETHESEINSTRUCTIONS



ThismanualcontainsimportantinstructionsfortheAmptSPTdistributedpowerconversiondevicethatshallbe

followedduringinstallationandmaintenanceofthemoduleandaffiliatedhardwareandsoftware.TheSPThas

beendesignedandtestedaccordingtointernationalsafetyrequirements,butrequirescertainprecautionsare

observedwheninstallingand/oroperatingtheAmptSPTproduct.Toreducetheriskofpersonalinjuryandto

ensurethesafeinstallationandoperationoftheSPT,pleasebesureyoucarefullyreadandfollowallinstructions,

cautionsandwarningsinthisoperatormanual.



Warnings

AWarningidentifiesahazardtoequipmentorpersonnel.Itcallsattentiontoaprocedureorpractice,which,ifnot

correctlyperformed,couldresultindamagetoordestructionofpartoralloftheAmptequipmentand/orother

equipmentconnectedtotheAmptequipmentorpersonalinjury.

DANGERindicatesahazardoussituationwhich,ifnotavoided,willresultindeathorserious

injury.



WARNINGindicatesahazardoussituationwhich,ifnotavoided,couldresultindeathor

seriousinjury.



CAUTIONindicatesahazardoussituationwhich,ifnotavoided,couldresultinminoror

moderateinjury.



NOTICEindicatesasituationthatcanresultinpropertydamageifnotavoided.



InadditiontothesafetyandhazardsymbolsthefollowingisalsousedinthisOperatorManual:



Information‐Thissymbolaccompaniesnotesthatcallattentiontosupplementary

informationthatyoushouldknowandusetoensureoptimaloperationoftheAmptsystem.



GeneralWarnings:



AllelectricalinstallationsmustbedoneinaccordancewiththelocalandNationalElectrical

CodeANSI/NFPA70.



TheAmptproductcontainsnouser‐serviceableparts.Forallrepairandmaintenancealways

returntheunittoanauthorizedAmptServiceCenter.BeforeinstallingorusingtheAmpt

SPT,readalloftheinstructions,cautions,andwarningsontheSPT,thePVarray,inthis

InstallationGuide.BeforeconnectingtheSPTtotheelectricalutilitygrid,contactthelocal

utilitycompany.Thisconnectionmustbemadeonlybyqualifiedpersonnel.PVarrays

produceelectricalenergywhenexposedtolightandthuscancreateanelectricalshock

hazard.WiringofthePV‐arraysshouldonlybeperformedbyqualifiedpersonnel.

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MESSAGEFROMAMPT:



ThefirstproductsthatAmptisintroducingarearesultoflookingatrequirementstorealizemaximumenergyat

thelowestcost–fromasystemlevelperspective.

Thisinitialpremiseisthatthemaximumenergycannotbeharvestedfullywithouttherightgranularity.Webelieve

thatthisrequirespowerconversiontobedoneatthemodulelevel.Ourcustomersrequireminimallostharvest

fromlocalsoiling,shading,orpanelimbalance–sowithregardstolocalpowerconversion,thereisnomore

suitableeconomicalternative.

Webelievethatthepowerconversionhastobeextremelyefficientoveraverywiderange–soourproductsare

over99%efficientovergreaterthan3:1inputrange.Toputthatintocontext,theAmptSPTconsumesonly,upto

2Woftheenergygeneratedbya200Wmodule–relativelyspeakingthatisthesamelossasexpectedfromenergy

travelingthrough3feetofconventionalwirecabling.

WebelievethathighspeedMPPisverycriticaltomaximizeharvest–wehaveover99.9%accurateMPPin100

milliseconds.Therefore,wecancapturethepowergainfromtheedgeofacloudandtherefractedirradiationona

module.

Webelievethatmaximizingthenumberofmodulesperstringisimportant.TheAmptproductisdynamically

controlled,andwecancommunicatewirelesslytoourfieldadaptablefirmware.

Webelievethatreliabilityisahugedriveofeconomics–sowehaveanenvironmentallyvalidated(not

superficiallymodeled)1000yearMTBF.

Webelievethathighaccuracyandstableinstrumentationcombinedwithrobustcommunicationiscrucialfor

large‐scalearraysandbeneficialforallsmallerarrays.Itlowersinstallationcosts,andradicallyreducesO&Mwhile

maximizingtheeconomicsofharvesting.Wehaveabetterthan1%fieldcalibrate‐ablemeasurementsystemthat

includesmultiplechannelsofcriticalelectricalandtemperatureparameters,aswellasidentityinformation–per

module.

Webelievethatcommunicationaloneisn’tsufficient.Theseapplicationsneedscalabilityandrobustnessthatdoes

notdependonproblematicconnections.Wedesignedahighlyrobustwirelesssystem.

Webelievethatifthesystemisdesignedwiththerightgranularity,withtherightcomponents,withtheright

interfacesandtherightarchitecturethatitbecomesunlimitedinitsabilitytooperateatanyscale.Wehave

designedthissystemtoallowscalingfromonemoduletoaboveamillionmodules.

ThankyouforContinuedSupport–welookforwardtoworkingwithyou!

WeareAmpt.





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WHYSPT–WHYGETAMPT?



Whatismaximumpower?

Isitdefinedbytheenergyoutputoftheweakestmoduleinastring,

orthecombinedoutputofeverysinglemoduleoneverystring?

Isitdefinedbyanalyzingenergyharvesteachdayatonesite,

oreverysecondoneverypanelatonemillionsites?

Isitdefinedbythemonitoringofinformationwithinanarray,

orthecommunicationofknowledgethatleadstoimprovedperformancewithineverymodule?

Byansweringwhatnooneelsehasevenyetasked,Amptisnotjustincreasingenergy,

buthelpingyoutorealizeenergyyouneverknewpossible.



Congratulationsonputtingtheabsolutebestcommunicationsandpowerconversionequipment

availableonyourPVsystem!





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SMARTPANELTECHNOLOGYOVERVIEW



AmpthasdevelopedSmartPanelTechnologyTM‐SPT‐astheoptimalsolutionforenergyharvestingfromanyPV

system.

ThefirstimplementationofAmptSPTisinastandalonedevicethatisplacedindirectconnectionwiththePV

moduletodeliverMPPT(MaximumPowerPointTracking)whichistheharvestedenergy.ConventionalPVsystems

havesolarmodulesseriesconnected,andaretherebylimitedbytheweakestmoduleinthestring.Thesestrings

arewiredtoabulkDC‐ACinverterwhichusesalgorithmstoattemptamaximumharvestgiventhepotentialfrom

eachstring.

TheAmptSPTputstheMPPTlogicwhereitbelongs,oneachsolarmodule,andallowseachmoduletoproduceits

maximumpower.TheneachSPTdevicecombinestoprovidethebulkinverterwithitshighestefficiencyinput

power.Theresult:thehighestenergyfromeachmodule,operatingwiththehighestefficiencyofthebulkinverter.

INSIMPLETERMS,THESPT:

• ReceivesthepowerfromthemoduleatitsMaximumPowerPointTracking(MPPT)regardlessof

normalorproblematicoperatingconditions

• DeliversmoduleMPPTpowerintoanyimpedancedeterminedbytheremainderofthestringandthe

inverter

• Solvestheproblemofhavingpanels(currentsources)inseriesbeinglimitedbytheweakestpanelin

thestring‐improvesstringsightingoptions

• Ensureseverypanelproduceswhateveritcanregardlessoftheremainderofthesystem

• Allowstheinvertertooperateatitshighestefficiencypoint

• Provideswirelesscommunicationoneachmodule,reportingmorethanjustpanelvoltage,current

andtemperature.Additionalinformationisresidentsuchasmoduleserialnumberand

Page12of53

manufacturinginformation

• Wirelesscommunicationalsoprovidesdiagnosticinformationformaintenance,andthroughradio

commandstheoutputcanbeturnedon/off



HERE’SHOWITWORKS:

EachsolarmodulewillhaveadedicatedAmptSPTdeviceconnectedtothemoduleoutputs.TheAmptSPTdevices

thenareconnectedinseriestoeachotherandwillmakeupa“string”ofmodules.Eachstringisthencombinedin

paralleltoconnectwiththebulkinverter(intoday’sconventionalarray).

WhensolarraysareabsorbedbythePVmodule,energyisproduced.TheSPTmaximizestheharvestableenergy

fromeachPVmodule,andconvertsittoausefuloutputthatisthendeliveredtothestring(regardlessofthe

environmentaloroperationalconditionsaffectingthatparticularpanel).Thestringsarethencombinedasanarray

anddeliveredtothebulkinverteratitspre‐determinedimpedancerequirement.Itisimportanttonotethatthe

conventionalbulkinverterdynamicallyissearchingforMPPT(maximumpowerpointtracking),andmaychangeits

impedancerequirementsevery4+seconds.TheAmptSPThoweverisadjustingitsMPPT8timespersecondto

againmaximizetheharvestableenergyproducedoneachPVmodule.

InconventionalPVinstallations(withouttheAmptSPT),withseriesconnectedmodules,oneweaklinkinastring

causessignificantenergyharvestdegradation,andwilllowertheproducedpowerproduced.Ifthereissufficient

obstructiontotheamountofsolarinsolationabsorbedbyasinglemodule(oroverseveralmodules),itispossible

thattheentirestringcollapses(electrically),andnetszeropoweroutput.

Page13of53



TheAmptSPTsolvesthisproblembymaximizingthepowerharvestateachmoduleregardlessoftheconditions,

andconvertsthattoaviableoutputtherebyeliminatingtheweakestlinkphenomenon.WithAmptSPT,evenalow

powerproducingmoduleisvaluable,andcontributestothenetpowergenerated.

Ofcourse,ifthemoduleisdamagedorobstructedtothepointwhereitsinternalcircuitcannotproducepower,

AmptSPTcannotcorrectthiscondition.Withthewirelesscommunicationlinkthough,theowneroperatorcan

identifythiscondition,andmakethenecessarycorrections.Inthemeantimethough,thebalanceofthestringis

stilloperationalandgeneratingasmuchpowerasrequiredbythebulkinverter.

EachSPTisaccessiblebyahostcomputerthroughawirelessAND“gateway”interface.Thisgatewayallowsthe

owner/operatortospeakspecificallytoeachSPT,andprovidesabi‐directionalwirelesscommunicationlinkwhich

isthevehicleforcommand/controlanddataacquisition.

TheANDGUI(graphicaluserinterface)isthenutilizedtoobservetheperformanceandcontroltheSPToperations.

ExamplesofthisGUIareshownbelow:



Page14of53



TheGUIhasalotofdatapresentedandwilllikelychangeforincreasedusability,butatpresentdemonstratesthe

kindofinteractionandreportingavailable.

Asyoucansee,eachmodule(andcorrespondingSPT)ismappedoutpertheirinstalledlocation.Note:eachSPTis

barcoded,andduringthefieldcommissioningprocess,abarcodescannercanbeutilizedtologicallymapoutthe

organizationofmodules.ItisalsopossiblethatthebarcodereadercaninterfacetotheSPTthroughaseparate

gateway,andtherebycontrolitson/offstateforfieldpersonnelsafety.

That’sit.Withasimpleinstallation,theAmptSPTproductsoperateimmediatelyandautomaticallyenhancethe

powergeneratedbythePVinstallation.Ongoingmonitoringandcommandcontrolfeaturesareavailabletothe

owneroperation,butregularinteractionisnotrequiredtogetmaximumpower.



THEORYOFOPERATION



TheAmpt SPTisdesignedtomitigateirregularities

betweenthemodulesinanarrayandthebulk

inverter.Specifically,theSPTcanfixitsoutputto

matchtheoptimalinverterinputvoltageand

broadentheperformancerangeofconventional

PVmodules&invertercombinations.Byproviding

localizedDC‐DCconversionalongwithwireless

communication,theSPTenablesinstantaneous

controlandfeedbacktothesystemandthereby

maximizesenergyharvesting.

Page15of53

SPTFUNDAMENTALS:



• TheSPTmoduleputsMPPwhereitbelongs,oneverypanel,andproducesthemaximumpowerthatis

availableregardlessofpanelcondition,andregardlessoftheremainderofthesystem.Ifthereispartial

shade,dirtorpanelimbalance,everypanelstillputsoutitsmaximumpower.

• TheSPTmodulereceivesthepowerfromthepanelatMPP.Itdeliversthepowertoanyimpedance

determinedbytheremainderofthestringandtheinverter.Thissolvestheproblemofhavingpanels(current

sources)inseriesbeinglimitedbytheweakestpanelinthestring.

• TheconventionalbulkpowerinvertermayimpressanyvoltageitwantsandbecausetheSPTisdeployedasa

localizedDC‐DCconverter,thepanelfieldwillsimplyoutputMPPfromeverypanel.Thisallowstheinverterto

operateatitshighestefficiencypoint.

• Goingforward,SPTbasedinstallationscanenablebetterbulkinverterdesignsthatdeliverhigherefficiency,

greaterreliability,smallerandlighterastheywouldnolongerberequiredtoincludeanMPPstage.

• OneofthemostsignificantelementsoftheSPTistheinherentwirelesscommunicationscapabilities,which

enablesinstantaneouscommunicationandcontrol.Theradioandubiquitouswirelessmeshnetworkformed

bySPTmoduleswillnotonlyreportpanelvoltage,currentandtemperature,butalsoprovideoperational

benefitsbytogglingthepaneloutputsonandoff.

• Otherinformationcouldalsoresidetheresuchasserialnumberandmanufacturinginformation.

• Thewirelessradiowillalsoprovidediagnosticinformationformaintenanceandtrendanalysisthusallowing

intelligentdecisionsonwhatrequiresserviceandwhen.





Page16of53

INTRODUCTIONTOLOGICMATRIX(SUMMARYVERSION)

Page17of53

VALUEPROPOSITIONLIST



 Temperaturecoefficientpowerlosses‐TemperatureEffect/FillFactorManagement

 Panelobstruction/shading(leaf/snow/haze/birdgifts)‐Dynamicstringadjustmenttocapitalizeon

unbalancedpanelproduction

 Panelpowervariation(mismatch/aging/broken/defect)‐diverseutilizationandimbalancecorrection

 Installedefficiency(placement/wiring/opens)‐MoreKWhr/KWproduction(12‐15%moreharvesting)

 Bi‐polarbalancing‐+/‐operationsforAdvancedEnergyInverterapplications

 VariableInverteroperatingalgorithmsandefficiency–deliversMPPTtoinverterhighestpointof

efficiency

 Improvesstringsightingoptions(notsoPOAlimited)

 Conventionalinverterlimitations‐Greatercompatibilitybetweenconventionalinvertersandall

moduletypes(fromC‐SI,througha‐SI,CDTe,CIGSandfuturedesigns)

 Realtimecommandandcontrol‐WirelessCommunicationsSystem&Diagnostics–nolongerrelianton

dispatchedanalysisanderrorcorrection

 ImprovesSafety‐enablinginstantaneouson/offcyclingfortheentireSystem/atargetedString/or

individualPanelModule

 EnablesSoftstartforsomeinvertertypes





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TESTRESULTS

INTERNALTESTING



1. InitialMTBFcalculationscompleteandindicate>2Mhours



2. Demonstratedlifetestplanned

108units,1000hours,10%acceleration

GoaltoproveMTBF>4.4Mhours

(ThiswouldtranslateintoaonethousandyearMTBFforunitsoperating12hours/day)

THIRDPARTYVALIDATION



1. Sandia

2. SWTDI(NMSU)

3. BEW

Testreportsavailablebyrequest



SAFETYANDCONVENIENCEFEATURES



Currently,oneproblemfacinginstallersandmaintenanceprovidersofPVSystemsissafety.Sinceconventionally,

allpanelsareconnectedinseriesandinstallationandmaintenanceworkisdoneduringperiodsofirradiance,the

voltageacrossthepanelsmightreachdangerouslevelsexposingfieldpersonneltoarealdangerofelectrocution.

Amptprovidesa“convenience”modewhichsupportsan“on/off”modeofoperation.Thismodeofoperation

essentiallyenablesordisablestheSPToutputandcanfacilitatesysteminstaller/operatorsduringinstallation,

diagnostics,andmaintenancetasks.Itisimportanttorecognizethatthisisaelectricalcircuitlogicchangeandis

nottobeconfusedwithahardswitch.Thisconveniencefeatureisdesignedtoenhancetheprotectionofmodule

handlers,includingtheinstaller,maintenanceproviderandpotentiallyemergencypersonnel(ie.Fire

Department)."



Page19of53

FULLSYSTEMDIAGRAM



ENERGYVSPOWER



LCOE

Page20of53



MAXIMUMPOWERPOINTTRACKING



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



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SPTSYSTEMCOMPONENTS

SPT–DISTRIBUTEDPOWERCONVERTERS



HRD–HOMERUNDIODES



GATEWAY



FC–FIELDCOMPUTER

Page23of53



HANDHELDFC





Page24of53

GUI–GRAPHICALUSERINTERFACE&SOFTWAREUSERMANUAL



OVERVIEW

TheAmptsoftwareisawebbasedmanagementapplicationforviewingthereal‐timeperformanceand

managementofyoursolarinstallationatthearray,string,andmodulelevel.

INTRODUCTION:

TherearetwoviewsavailableformanagingyourSolarArray;summaryandstringview.TheSummaryview

providesanoverviewofthestateofthesolararray.ItincludescurrentDCenergyoutputinWatts,Volts,and

Amps,powerbystring,SPTstatus,andestimatedACPower.

TheStringviewprovidesdetailedinformationontheperformanceofeachSPT.Itprovidesperformance

informationatthestringlevel;DCenergyoutputinWatts,Volts,andAmps.Bothviewsautomaticallyrefresh

aboutevery15seconds.

DETAILS

SUMMARYVIEW

TheSummarypage(figure1)presentsinformationatthearraylevel.Thebuttonacrossthetop“Lock/Unlock

WholeStation”allowsyoutodisablecommandstothesystem.Thisisusefulasasafetyprecautionwhenservicing

thestation.Totherightisthetimetheinformationyourviewingwaslastupdated.Thisisbasedonyourlocal

computer’stime.Thestringsareorganizedaroundthephysicalandlogicallayoutascloselyaspossibleandlistthe

statusofthemodule,onoroff,andstatusoftheMaximizePowerPointfeature,MPP,onoroff.Clickingonthe

stringandmoduleareawilltakeyoutotheStringView.

Belowthestringandmoduleareaisabarchartshowingthepoweroutputforeachstringinthearray.Thepower

outputdetailsforthearrayareshownontherightedge;includingestimatedkWhours.Atthebottomisagraph

ofEnergy,powerandtemperature.Thescaleforthetemperatureislistedontherightedgeofthegraph.Youcan

positionyourmouseoverthelinestoseethetimeandvalueofthemeasurement.Thetimescaleofthegraphcan

bechangedusingthecontrolstotherightofthegraph.Youcanchangethetimeintervalaswellasgobackand

forwardtimeperiods.

Page25of53



FIGURE1

STRINGVIEW

SimilartotheSummaryview,thestringsareorganizedaroundthephysicalandlogicallayoutascloselyaspossible.

InStringviewthestatusofthemoduleisshownindetail.There’salegendonthenextpagethatcoversthe

meaningofdifferentbackgroundcolors.

• MaxPower–MaximumpoweroutputfromSolarModulewithSPTTechnology

• Vmp‐IN–VoltageoutputfromSPTModule

• I‐Out–AmpsoutputfromSPTModule

• V‐Out–SolarModulevoltageoutput

• Temp–TemperatureinsidetheSPTModule

• OverV–OverVoltagesettingforSPTModule

• ModON–SPTModulestatus(on/off)

• MppON–MaximizePowerPointTechnologystatus(on/off)

• ID–UniqueidentifierfortheSPTModule

Page26of53



FIGURE2

TotherightofthestringlayoutisPoweroutputdetailsforeachstring;Power,Voltage,Current,andEnergy.There

aremultiplecontrolsonthefarrightedge.

• SetOverV–SetOverVoltagelimitforalltheSPTModules.

• ON–TurnstheSPTModuleonallowingcurrentandvoltagetopassthroughdevice.

• OFF‐TurnstheSPTModuleoffblockingcurrentandvoltageoutput.

• WARNING***Moduleisstillproducingvoltageandlookingforapathwaytoground.***

• MPPON–EnabletheMaximizePowerPointfeatureoftheSPTModule

• MPPOFF–DisabletheMaximizePowerPointfeatureoftheSPTModule

• DownloadDbData–Downloadthedatathatiscurrentlybeingviewedinthegraphatthebottom.

GUILEGEND

TheSPTmodulebackgroundcolorvariesbasedonthepoweroutputofthemodule.



Page27of53

0to39.9W40to79.980to119.9W120To159.9WOver160W

AreddishbackgroundmeansSPTisnottalkingtothegatewayandfieldcomputer.

Ie.Nodataisbeingcapturedforthatmodule.



BrownindicatesthatamodulepositionisreservedGUIbutnoSPTinstalled.



DATABASEANDTRENDANALYSIS





Page28of53

COMPLETESYSTEMLAYOUTANDWIRINGDIAGRAM



Page29of53





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DESIGNINGYOURSPTSYSTEMSOLUTION





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ORDERINGINFORMATION–SAMPLESALESORDER



Page32of53

QUICKINSTALLGUIDE

Forthosewhoalreadyknowthebasicsandjustwanttogetgoing.

INSTALLATIONSEQUENCEOFEVENTS

1. Unpackingandinspection

2. Propersystemgroundingpriortoinstallation

3. Installationofthefieldcomputer

a. Mounting

b. ACPower

c. InternetconnectionviaEthernet

d. ConnectiontotheGateway

e. Connectiontoalaptop

4. SPTmountingandmechanical

a. Mountingchoices

i. Planeofarray

ii. Perpendiculartoplaneofarray

iii. Other

b. InstallingtheSPTtothebracket

c. Installingthebrackettothemountingstructure

i. Hardwareandtorques

ii. Grounding

d. Usingthehandhelddevicetorecordserialnumbers

5. HRDmountingandmechanical

6. Electricalconnectionsandcommunicationwithhandheld

a. ProperconnectionwithMCconnectors

b. ModuletoSPT

i. Establishingcontactwiththehandhelddevice

ii. TurningontheSPT

iii. Measuringmodulecharacteristics

iv. TurningofftheSPT

c. SPTtoSPTCabling

d. SPTtoHRDbox

e. Cablehandlingandsecuring

7. GraphicalUserInterface



UNPACKINGANDINSPECTION



CarefullyunpackandinspecteachSPT,HRDandcablefordamage.

Inspecteachfieldcomputerfordamage

InspecteachMCconnectorbeforemakinganyelectricalconnections.Properconnectorsshouldbeclean

andfreefromdamage.Insertpictureshere.



PROPERSYSTEMGROUNDING

Page33of53



INSTALLATIONOFTHEFIELDCOMPUTER



a. Mounting

b. ACPower

c. InternetconnectionviaEthernet

d. ConnectiontotheGateway

e. Connectiontoalaptop



SPTMOUNTINGANDMECHANICAL

MountandgroundrackingorsupportstructureperNECArticle690andmanufacturer’sinstructions.

EnsurethatsupportstructureisgroundedbeforemountingmodulesorSPTs



Planning

UseonlystainlesssteelfastenerstosecuretheSPTbrackettothemountingstructure

Chooseflatbracketsor“L”bracketsfortheinstallation.

InserttheSPTinthebracketbypushinguntilthepushpinholesalign

Installmountingpushpins

PlantomountSPTatleastoneinch(2.5cm)fromthebackofthemodulesurfacetoallowforadequate

coolingairflow.

PlantomountSPT,modulecables,andSPTconnectioncablinginalocationthatwillnotbesubjectto

physicaldamage,andwillnotbesubjecttosnoworotherdebrisslides.(reword)



Mountingintorailswith3/8or1/4slots

Page34of53

Ifmountingtoastructurewithrailslots,insert3/8or1/4inchhardwareintherailslotbeforemodulesor

“L”feetorstanchionsaresecured.EachSPTrequirestwobolts,twonuts,twoflatwashers,andtwolock

washers.Whizznutsarenotrecommendedasthegalvanizedcoatingofthebracketmaybecompromised.

Secureeachbracket,makingsurethateachlockwasherisfullycompressed.Torque3/8inchfastenersto

XXXinch‐poundsand1/4inchfastenerstoYYYinch‐pounds.



Mountingintorailsorbraceswithoutslots

Checkwithrackingormodulesupportmanufacturerforsuggestedmountingprocedure.

Checkwithalocalstructuralengineerand/ortherackingmanufacturerifanymodificationstothe

structure(ie.Drillingholes)

Usethebracketasaguideforanypre‐drilledholes.

Insert3/8or¼inchhardwareintherailslot.EachSPTrequirestwobolts,twonuts,twoflatwashers,and

twolockwashers.Whizznutsarenotrecommendedasthegalvanizedcoatingofthebracketmaybe

compromised.

Secureeachbracket,makingsurethateachlockwasherisfullycompressed.Torque3/8inchfastenersto

XXXinch‐poundsand¼inchfastenerstoYYYinch‐pounds.



HRDMountingandMechanical



Electricalconnectionsandcommunicationwithhandheld



Mountandgroundmodulepermodulemanufacturer’sinstructions.

ConnectthemoduleleadstotheSPT

InspectMCconnectorforwatertightseal

Establishcommunicationwiththehandheldunit.

PlaceSPTin“On”mode.

Page35of53

CheckmoduleVocfortemperatureandirradianceadjustedvaluefrommodulenameplatereading.

PlaceSPTin“Off”mode

RepeatfornextSPT’sinstring

ConnectSPT‐SPTcable.

SecuremoduleandSPT‐SPTcablestosupportstructureormoduleframewithUVratedwiretiesand/or

stainlesssteelclipsorstrainrelief



f. MounteachSPTaseachmoduleisinstalled.ModulesperformancemaybetestedwiththeSPTas

eachmoduleisinstalled.

g. ChoosetomounttheSPT’seitherparallel,perpendicular,orinafashionthattakesadvantageofthe

modulesupportstructure.TheSPTissuppliedwithaflatandan“L”shapedbracket.Bracketshave

3/8”and¼”pre‐drilledtotheplaneofthearray.

h. 

i. Mountingchoices

i. Planeofarray

ii. Perpendiculartoplaneofarray

iii. Other

j. InstallingtheSPTtothebracket

k. Installingthebrackettothemountingstructure

i. Hardwareandtorques

ii. Grounding



Page36of53

SPTINSTALLATION

MECHANICALMOUNTINGSPTTOTHEPVMODULE



RACKINGSYSTEMS

MOUNTINGDIRECTLY

USINGFLATORLPLATE



WIRINGSPTTOTHEPVMODULE



COMPLETINGTHESTRINGWIRING



Page37of53

HRDINSTALLATION

MECHANICALMOUNTINGTHEHRD



WIRINGTHEHRD



COMPLETINGTHEHOMERUNWIRING

GATEWAYANDFIELDCOMPUTER

LOCATIONDETERMINATION



SYSTEMREQUIREMENTS

ACPOWER

INTERNETACCESS

MECHANICALMOUNTING

ELECTRICALWIRING



Page38of53

SPTSYSTEMCOMMISSIONING

MAPPINGYOURSYSTEM

USINGTHEHANDHELDFC

POWERUPANDDOWN

READINGTHEDISPLAY

TURNINGMODULESONANDOFF

RECORDINGSERIALNUMBERS

DOWNLOADINGDATA

POWERUPTHEFC

VERIFYGATEWAYOPERATION

TESTINGTHESIGNALSTRENGTHTOTHEGATEWAY

ACCESSINGTHEFCTHROUGHTHEINTERNET

SETTINGUPTHEGUI

DEFININGUSERSANDADMINISTRATIVEFUNCTIONS

CHOOSINGTHEUSERDEFINEDPARAMETERS

ALERTTHRESHOLDS

SCRIPTCHOICES

INSTALLATIONMODE

COMMERCIALOPERATIONMODE

RESIDENTIALOPERATIONMODE

UTILITYOPERATIONMODE

MAINTENANCEMODE

SUMMARYPAGE

MAPPINGOUTYOURARRAY

CROSSCHECKINGYOURMODULEPOSITIONS

SETTINGUPTHEDATABASE

Page39of53

OPERATINGINSTRUCTIONS

READINGTHEGUI



Page40of53



CONTROLFEATURES

NORMALOPERATION

WHATYOUSEE

HOWTOINTERPRET

HOWTOMODIFY

ACCESSINGTHEDATABASE

SORTINGTHEDATA

DEFININGUSERTEMPLATES

INTERPRETINGALERTMESSAGES



Page41of53

TROUBLESHOOTING

SPTOPERATIONALISSUES

GUIOPERATIONALISSUES



Page42of53

TECHNICALDATA

SPTSPECIFICATIONSSHEET



SPTPHOTO

 

Page43of53

SPTMECHANICALDRAWING





Page44of53

HRDSPECIFICATIONSSHEET



HRDILLUSTRATION





Page45of53

HRDMECHANICALDRAWING





Page46of53

FCSPECIFICATIONSSHEET



ManufacturedbyDMPElectronicsInc

• ModeleBox‐3300

• CPUMSTIPDX‐600(1GHz)

• MemoryOnboard256MBDDR2

• GraphicsXGIZ9swith32MBDDR2

• External15‐pinD‐typefemaleVGAconnector

• EthernetIntegrated10/100MbpsLAN

• Built‐inPXEdisklessbootfunction

• 2ndEthernetchipRealtekRTL8100B10/100

• Base‐TEthernet(optional)

• I/O44pinIDEx1

• MicroSDx1

• CFSlotx1

• USBPortx3(2infront)

• RJ‐45x1

• PS/2x1Keyboard/Mouseshared

• MiniPCISocketx1(optional)

• RS232x2(optional)

• AudioMicinandLineout

• Power+5V@2A(10W)

• Dimensions115x115x35mm

• Weight505g



Page47of53

HANDHELDFCSPECIFICATIONSSHEET



ManufacturedbyMotorola



PhysicalCharacteristics

• Dimensions:6in.Lx3.3in.Wx1.7inD(15.24cmLx8.4cmWx4.4cmD)

• Weight(includingStandard1.5Xbattery:14.9oz./422g)

• Display:Transflectivecolor640x4803.5”fullVGAwithbacklight

• TouchPanel:Glassanalogresistivetouch

• Backlight:LEDbacklight

• MainBattery:RechargeableLithiumIon3.7V,3600mAhSmartBattery

• ExpansionSlot:microSDslot(maximum2GB)

• NetworkConnections:Ethernet(viacradle);full‐speedUSB,hostorclient

• Notification:VibratorandLED

• KeypadOptions:26‐keyNumeric;44‐keyQWERTY

• Audio:Speaker,receiver,microphone,headsetjack

PerformanceCharacteristics

• CPU:XScale™PXA270624MHzprocessor

• OperatingSystem:Microsoft®WindowsMobile®6.0

• Memory:128MBRAM;256MBFlash

• Interface:RS‐232,USB1.1

UserEnvironment

• OperatingTemperature:14°Fto122°F/‐10°Cto50°C

• StorageTemperature:‐40°Fto140°F/‐40°Cto60°C(w/obattery)

• Humidity:95%non‐condensing

• DropSpecification:5ft.droptoconcrete,atambienttemperature73°F/23°C;

• Sealing:IP54

• IrDA:Integrated

• Clock:Integratedrealtimeclock

Baselinefeatures:

Page48of53

• EachHandHeldComputerwillbecapableofcommunicatingwiththeSPT/IJBandFieldComputer

throughouttheexpected20yearsinatypicalinstallationlifetime

• WWANRadio:GSM:3GHSDPA;CDMA:EVDORevA

• GPS:IntegratedAssisted‐GPS(A‐GPS)

• WLANRadio:Tri‐modeIEEE®802.11a/b/g

• ColorCameraResolution:2megapixel

• ElectricalSafety:CertifiedtoUL/cUL60950‐1,IEC/EN60950‐1

• FCCClassBEMICertified

• Environmental:RoHS‐compliant





Page49of53

GUIPARAMETERSANDSYSTEMREQUIRMENTS



Page50of53

TECHNICALSUPPORT

BychoosinganAmptproduct,youhavealsochosencomprehensivetechnicalsupport&service.Inordertoattend

toyourneedsinasflexibleamanneraspossible,weofferyouthefollowingservices:

• TheAmptTechnicalSupport&ServicePhoneHotline:970‐372‐6947

• Replacementservice:970‐372‐6950

• On‐siteservice:970‐372‐6950

• Comprehensivewarrantyprogram



Withthisofferyouenjoyadefinitiveadvantage:Amptsupportsyoufromtheinitialplanningphaseonward–and,

ofcourse,duringtheentireoperatingtimeofthePVsystem.

InordertobetterassistyouwhencontactingAmpt,pleaseprovidethefollowinginformation.Thisinformationis

requiredforserviceassistance.

INFORMATIONREGARDINGTHESPT:

• Serialnumber

• ModelNumber

• Shortdescriptionoftheproblem

• BlinkingCodeordisplaymessage

• WhaterrorcodeisindicatedviatheAmptGUI?

• DClinevoltage

• Canyoureproducethefailure?Ifyes,how?

• Hasthisproblemoccurredinthepast?

• Whatweretheambientconditionswhentheproblemoccurred?

INFORMATIONREGARDINGTHEPVMODULES:

• ManufacturernameandmodelnumberofthePVmodule

• Outputpowerofthemodule

• Opencircuitvoltage(Voc)ofthemodule

• Numberofmodulesineachstring

Page51of53

LIMITEDWARRANTY

TheAmptSPTiswarrantedagainstdefectsinworkmanshipandmaterialsforaperiodof1yearfromdateof

shipment,providedthattheproductremainsunmodifiedandisoperatedundernormalandproperconditions.

The25yearoperationalwarrantycoversanyrepairorreplacementpartcostsincurredduringtheagreedperiod,

beginningonthedevice’spurchasedate,subjecttotheconditionslistedbelow.

WARRANTYCONDITIONS



Ifadevicebecomesdefectiveduringthe25yearAmptwarrantyperiod,oneofthefollowingservices,asselected

byAmpt,willbeperformedatnochargeformaterialsorlaborcosts:

 RepairatAmpt,or

 RepairOn‐Site,or

 ExchangeforaReplacementDevice

Inthecaseofanexchange,theremainderofthewarrantyeligibilitywillbetransferredtothereplacementdevice.

Amptgenerallywillprovideanequivalentreplacementdevice,packagedappropriatelyfortransport,within48

hours.ThedefectivedeviceistobepackedinthistransportpackagingforreturntransporttoAmpt.

EXCLUSIONOFLIABILITY

Warrantyclaimsandliabilityfordirectorindirectdamageareexcludedifarisingfrom:

• TransportDamage,

• IncorrectInstallationorCommissioning,

• failuretoObservetheMaintenanceRegulationsandIntervals,

• Modifications,ChangesorAttemptedRepairs,

• IncorrectUseorInappropriateOperation,

• InsufficientVentilationoftheDevice

• failuretoObservetheApplicableSafetyRegulations,

• forceMajeure(e.g.lightning,overvoltage,storm,fire),or

• CosmeticShortcomings(whichdonotinfluencethesupplyofenergy)

Further‐reachingoradditionalclaimsduetodirectorindirectdamage,includingclaimsforcompensationfor

damagesduetolossofprofitsorduetocostsarisingfromdisassemblyandmounting,areexcluded.

FORWARRANTYRETURNS&INSTALLERREPLACEMENT:



AmptwillcompensateinstallersforexpensesassociatedwithreplacingSPTproductsunderwarrantyperthe

followingregistrationandwarrantyprocess:

1.InstallermustcontactthetechnicalsupportteamatAmpttoregisterthesupportissueandseek

assistance.AmptTechnicalsupportwillprovidetroubleshootingassistanceandiscommittedtoresolving

theclaiminoneofthefollowingways;

Page52of53

a.Situationwillberesolvedtotheinstaller’ssatisfactionoverthephoneorviatheAmptwireless

communicationlinktotheSPT

b.AmptoroneoftheAmptcertifiedfieldservicetechnicianswillbedispatchedtothesitefor

additionaltroubleshootingandrepairoftheSPT

c.Amptwilldeterminethattheunitshouldbereplacedandwillprovidetheinstallerwithan

RMAnumbertoproceedwithwarrantyreplacementoftheunit

2.OncetheRMAnumberhasbeenissuedbyAmpt,therearetwooptions;

a.TheinstallercanuseanexistingunitfrominventorytoreplacethefailedSPT

or

b.Amptcansendoutanadvancereplacementunit

3.Ineithercase,thereplacedunitmustbereturnedtoAmptforissueconfirmation,rootcauseanalysis

andcorrectiveactionplanning

4.AnyexceptionstothisprocessmustbeapprovedinadvancebyanauthorizedAmptrepresentative





Page53of53

APPENDIX:



FAQ

INSTALLATIONMAPPING

WIRINGDIAGRAMS

ORDERINGSPAREORREPLACEMENTPARTS

RETURNPROCEDURES

WHITEPAPERS

PRESENTATIONS



Ampt 31570002 Communications Gateway for Solar PV Converter User Manual Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

Ampt, LLC Communications Gateway for Solar PV Converter Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

Exhibit D Users Manual per 2 1033 b3

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