--- title: "AERL Link — User Guide" revision: "1.0.0" publisher: AERL (Australian Energy Research Laboratories) url: https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/aerl-link-user-guide pdf: https://www.aerl.com.au/documents/manuals/AERL_Link_User_Guide_REV_100.pdf description: "Installing AERL Link, connecting a unit, every page and setting for each product, calibration, firmware updates, settings files, the support bundle and troubleshooting." --- # AERL Link — User Guide *Rev 1.0.0. Markdown copy of the AERL document at https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/aerl-link-user-guide; the PDF (https://www.aerl.com.au/documents/manuals/AERL_Link_User_Guide_REV_100.pdf) is the controlled version.* # AERL Link Configuration Software for Windows **SRX · SRX-R · EG-600 · EG-600-SC** **User Guide** Rev 1.0.0, 8 Nov 2026 ### Document | | | |---|---| | Revision | 1.0.0 | | Effective | 11 / 2026 | | Audience | Installers and service technicians | | Software | AERL Link for Windows 10 and 11 | | Products | SRX · SRX-R · EG-600 · EG-600-SC | | Download | aerl.com.au/professionals | | Format | A4 · 28 pages | This guide is for installers and service technicians who set up and service AERL products with AERL Link. It covers installing AERL Link, connecting a unit, every page and setting AERL Link shows for each product, calibration, firmware updates, settings files, the support bundle and troubleshooting. What each setting should be for a particular site comes from the product's user manual and the battery manufacturer. Read the product manual before you change a unit's settings: this guide explains what AERL Link does, the product manual explains what the product does. AERL Link is updated from time to time. Use the latest AERL Link: the pages in this guide are from the current release, and an older release can look different. The screenshots show AERL Link's demo units, so the readings in them are examples only. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners. ## 01 About AERL Link — What AERL Link does, supported products, what you need ### 1.1 What AERL Link Does AERL Link is AERL's configuration software for Windows. It connects to an AERL unit over USB and lets you: - see the unit's live readings and status, with an explanation of any warning or fault code; - set a CoolMax charge controller's battery charge profile and communication settings; - set an EarthGuard's trip sensitivity and earth type; - calibrate a CoolMax charge controller's battery voltage reading against a multimeter; - update a unit's firmware, on site and without an internet connection once the firmware has been downloaded; - save and load settings files, and step back through a unit's earlier settings; - save a support bundle for AERL support. ### 1.2 Supported Products | Product | Connection | Pages in AERL Link | |---|---|---| | CoolMax SRX | USB-B | Status, Output (charge profile), Comms, Calibrate; firmware update | | CoolMax SRX-R | USB-B | Status, Output (charge profile), Comms, Calibrate; firmware update | | EarthGuard EG-600 | USB-C | Status (two test circuits), Settings; firmware update | | EarthGuard EG-600-SC | USB-C | Status (one test circuit), Settings; firmware update | ### 1.3 What You Need - A PC running Windows 10 or 11, with a free USB port. - A USB data cable: USB-A to USB-B for a CoolMax SRX or SRX-R, USB-A to USB-C for an EarthGuard. Some USB cables carry power only and no data: AERL Link cannot see a unit through one of those. - An internet connection when you install AERL Link and before you go to site, so that AERL Link can download the latest firmware and battery presets. On site, AERL Link works without one. - A digital multimeter, for calibration and for any update that asks for calibration. - The product's user manual. ## 02 Installing AERL Link — Download and install, updates to AERL Link, USB driver ### 2.1 Download and Install 1. Go to **aerl.com.au/professionals** and open the AERL Link download page. 2. Click **Install** for the current release. Windows downloads and installs AERL Link, and adds it to the Start menu. 3. If the Install link does not start, download and run **setup.exe** from the same page instead. It installs the same release and also installs Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 if the PC does not already have it. 4. Start AERL Link from the Start menu. ### 2.2 Updates to AERL Link Each time AERL Link starts, it checks for a newer release. When there is one, it shows the new version and asks **Would you like to update now?** Accept it: a newer release can be needed to update a unit to its newest firmware, and it carries AERL's latest battery presets and help. The version you have is shown at the top of AERL Link's **SETTINGS** page. > **Note** > > AERL Link releases published before mid-2026 check an earlier update address and never offer the current release. If AERL Link has not offered an update for a long time, install the current release from the download page. ### 2.3 USB Driver Windows normally installs the USB driver the first time a unit is plugged in. If AERL Link does not detect your unit, download and run **Install Drivers.exe** from the AERL Link download page, then unplug the USB cable and plug it in again. The same driver works with every AERL Link release. ## 03 Connecting a Unit — Connect the USB cable, power the unit up, more than one unit ### 3.1 Connect the USB Cable AERL Link finds a unit by itself within a few seconds of the USB cable going in. There is no COM port to choose. ![Connecting AERL Link: a USB data cable from the PC to the unit's USB port.](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/software/software-link-connections.svg) **Figure 3.1** Connecting AERL Link: a USB data cable from the PC to the unit's USB port. **CoolMax SRX.** The USB-B port is inside the access cover, on the internal board. Remove the access cover as the SRX user manual describes, and plug in the USB cable. **CoolMax SRX-R.** The USB-B port is on the backplane board, beside the **USB Change-Over Switch**. Only one module talks over USB at a time: set the switch to the module you want to connect to ( **MPPT 1** or **MPPT 2**). To connect to the other module, change the switch over; AERL Link then lists the other module. ![CoolMax SRX: USB-B port inside the access cover.](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/aerl-SRX-USB-programming-port.png) **Figure 3.2** CoolMax SRX: USB-B port inside the access cover. ![CoolMax SRX-R: USB-B port and USB Change-Over Switch on the backplane.](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx-r/aerl-srx-r-usb-and-switch.png) **Figure 3.3** CoolMax SRX-R: USB-B port and USB Change-Over Switch on the backplane. **EarthGuard EG-600 and EG-600-SC.** The USB-C port is on the bottom edge. The EarthGuard can be powered from the USB-C port alone (4.5–5.5 Vdc), so you can set one up on the bench before you install it. ### 3.2 Power the Unit Up A CoolMax SRX or SRX-R must be powered up to talk to AERL Link: follow the start-up procedure in its user manual. For a firmware update or a calibration, the battery must be connected. ### 3.3 More Than One Unit AERL Link can have several units connected at once, each on its own USB cable. Each appears as its own card on the **DEVICES** page. Settings, calibration and firmware updates apply only to the unit whose page is open. ## 04 The Main Window — Menu, devices page, a unit's page ### 4.1 Menu The menu on the left of the window opens AERL Link's pages. ![AERL Link's window: the menu on the left, the open unit's serial number at the top, its readings and its tabs. Shown on a demo EG-600.](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/eg600/eg600-aerl-link-frontpage.png) **Figure 4.1** AERL Link's window: the menu on the left, the open unit's serial number at the top, its readings and its tabs. Shown on a demo EG-600. | Menu | What it shows | |---|---| | **DEVICES** | Every AERL unit connected to this PC over USB (the **LOCAL** list). Click a card to open the unit. | | **REPO** | The firmware AERL Link has downloaded from AERL and keeps on this PC (chapter 10). | | **DEMO** | Demo units, one of each product, with example readings. Nothing you do on a demo unit reaches a real unit. | | **SETTINGS** | AERL Link's own settings: the temperature unit, Beta firmware and the firmware lock (chapter 12). | | **HELP** | The user manual for the connected SRX or SRX-R, the help tours, the support bundle and AERL's contact details (chapter 12). | ### 4.2 Devices Page Each connected unit has a card that shows its name, model, serial number and firmware version. The card's colour follows the unit's status (section 5.2). Click a card to open the unit's page. ![A unit's card on the DEVICES page (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-device-list.png) **Figure 4.2** A unit's card on the DEVICES page (demo SRX). If no unit is connected, the page shows **NO DEVICES FOUND** and a **TROUBLESHOOTING** button, which lists the usual causes (chapter 13). ### 4.3 A Unit's Page A unit's page opens on its **STATUS** tab. The unit's serial number is at the top; the arrow beside it goes back to the **DEVICES** page. The tabs depend on the product: | Product | Tabs | |---|---| | CoolMax SRX and SRX-R | **STATUS**, **OUTPUT**, **COMMS**, **CALIBRATE** | | EarthGuard EG-600 and EG-600-SC | **STATUS**, **SETTINGS** | Changes on a settings tab wait on the page, flagged in orange, until you press **Apply**. Before it sends anything, AERL Link lists every change as *before → after* and asks you to confirm. The unit then restarts to take the new settings, and AERL Link reads them back to check that they were saved. > **Demo units** > > A demo unit's page shows **DEMO** and its firmware reads **Demo**. If you see these, you are not looking at your own unit: click **DEVICES** and open your unit's card. ## 05 CoolMax SRX and SRX-R: Status — Live readings, status indicator, common status codes ### 5.1 Live Readings The **STATUS** tab shows what the unit is doing now. It only reads: nothing on it changes the unit. - **Power (Watts):** the charge power into the battery. - **Solar:** the PV input voltage and current. - **Battery:** the battery voltage and current at the unit's battery terminals, and the battery temperature when the unit has one (from a battery's BMS over CAN or an AERL Battery Sense). - **Device:** the status indicator and the firmware version, and the unit's temperatures. ![The SRX STATUS tab (demo unit, readings not shown).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-status-page-layout.png) **Figure 5.1** The SRX STATUS tab (demo unit, readings not shown). ### 5.2 Status Indicator The status line gives the unit's state in plain words, with its code in brackets, for example **Charging [0]**. Its colour matches the unit's LED: | Colour | Meaning | |---|---| | Green | Charging normally. | | Blue | Waiting: starting up, asleep, or the sun is too low. | | Orange | Needs setting up, or charging is held by a setting or by the battery. The unit is not faulty. | | Red | A fault. | Where AERL Link can say more about a code, a **?** appears beside the status. Click it for what the code means, whether the unit will recover by itself and what to change. The full list of codes, with the LED patterns, is in the Troubleshooting chapter of the SRX and SRX-R user manuals. ### 5.3 Common Status Codes | Status | Code | What to do | |---|---|---| | Not Set Up | −26 | The unit has no charge profile. Set one on the **OUTPUT** tab (chapter 6). | | Starting Up | 100 | Wait: the unit is starting. | | Sleeping | −1153, −1158 | The PV voltage is too low to charge: normal at night and at dawn and dusk. | | Current Flow Disrupted | −1162 | The charge current stopped suddenly, for example a breaker opened. The unit restarts by itself. | | Config Out of Range | −1160 | The battery voltage does not fit the charge profile. Check the profile is for this battery's nominal voltage. A deeply discharged battery also causes it. | | Charge Held: Battery Voltage Limit | −1306 | Reported by some pre-release firmware: the absorption voltage is above the charge voltage the battery's BMS asks for over CAN. Charging resumes when the battery raises its limit. | | Charge Held: Battery Current Limit | −1307 | Reported by some pre-release firmware. Contact AERL support. | | Low Battery Temperature | −1103 | Charging is paused at or below the low-temperature cutoff. If no battery temperature is shown, the unit has none: turn the cutoff off (section 6.7). | | Earth Fault Detected | −1401 to −1403 | Isolate the unit and find the earth fault (SRX user manual, Ground Fault Detection). | | Unknown Status | any | AERL Link does not know this code yet. Update AERL Link, and quote the code to AERL support. | ## 06 CoolMax SRX and SRX-R: Charge Profile — The OUTPUT tab, battery presets ### 6.1 The OUTPUT Tab The **OUTPUT** tab holds the battery charge profile and the unit's protection settings. Each value opens an entry box: change it with **−** and **+** or type it, then **OK**. Nothing reaches the unit until you press **Apply**. ![The OUTPUT tab with an entry box open (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-battery-setting.png) **Figure 6.1** The OUTPUT tab with an entry box open (demo SRX). Set the battery preset or the battery voltage first: it sets the range every other voltage must sit in. AERL Link checks that the values fit together and suit the battery voltage before it sends them, and will not send a profile it cannot check. ### 6.2 Battery Presets **Battery Presets** lists AERL's profiles for common batteries. Choosing one fills in the charge voltages, the absorption time and the temperature compensation with AERL's recommended values. **Custom Charge Profile** keeps the values you set. AERL Link refreshes the presets from AERL each time it starts with an internet connection. > **Presets are a starting point** > > Check every value a preset fills in against the battery manufacturer's charge specification before you apply it, and set **Max Charge Current** yourself: no more than the battery manufacturer's recommended charge rate, and no more than the battery cables and fuse are rated for. ### 6.3 Charge Profile and Charge Stages | Setting | What it does | |---|---| | **Battery Voltage** | The bank's nominal voltage. The 48 V models take 24 V or 48 V banks; the 120 V models take 120 V banks. | | **Max Charge Current** | The most current the unit charges with. | | **Absorption Voltage** | The voltage the unit charges up to and holds during absorption. | | **Equalization Voltage** | The voltage for an equalisation charge (below). | | **Float Voltage** | The voltage the unit holds the battery at once it is full. Below absorption. | | **Absorption Duration** | The longest the unit holds absorption before it goes to float. | | **Tail Current** | Absorption ends early when the charge current falls to this: the battery is full. | | **Re-bulk Voltage** | If the battery falls to this while floating, the unit starts a new charge cycle. Below float. | The SRX and SRX-R user manuals (Battery Charge Profile chapter) show how the stages fit together. ### 6.4 Equalisation **Equalization Enabled**, **Equalization Voltage**, **Equalization Duration** and **Equalization Interval** (days between equalisation charges) control a periodic over-charge for flooded lead-acid batteries. > **Equalisation** > > Leave equalisation off unless the battery is flooded lead-acid and its manufacturer asks for it. Equalisation will likely damage LiFePO₄ and other lithium batteries. ### 6.5 Ground Fault Detection **Ground Fault Mode** must match how the system is earthed: **Floating Earth** where nothing on the DC side is earthed, **Positive Earth** or **Negative Earth** where that PV pole is bonded to earth, **Disabled** only for commissioning and test. The wrong mode hides a real earth fault or reports a false one on the earthed pole. The SRX and SRX-R user manuals (Ground Fault Detection) describe each mode. ![Ground Fault Mode on the OUTPUT tab (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-GF-mode.png) **Figure 6.2** Ground Fault Mode on the OUTPUT tab (demo SRX). On firmware 2.0.1 and later the controller trips at a fixed **50 kΩ** whatever the sensitivity buttons show. Units on earlier firmware had a Low / Mid / High sensitivity: update them to get the fixed 50 kΩ trip. Check that 50 kΩ meets your local standard. ### 6.6 Temperature Compensation and Cutoff **Temperature Compensation** lowers the absorption and float voltages as the battery warms, and raises them as it cools, by the amount set in mV/°C. The factory default is 50 mV/°C; lithium batteries usually need little or none. **Low Temperature Cutoff Enabled** stops charging while the battery is below the **Low Temperature Cutoff Point**, which many lithium batteries need. It is off by default. > **Both need a battery temperature** > > Temperature compensation and the low-temperature cutoff work only when the unit has a battery temperature: from a battery's BMS over CAN (for example an AERL LiFe²), or from an AERL Battery Sense. Without one, the unit charges to the uncompensated voltages, and with the cutoff on it reads the battery as 0 °C and holds charging (status −1103). AERL Link shows temperatures in °C or °F, set on its **SETTINGS** page. ### 6.7 Blackstart Guard and Output Enabled **Blackstart Guard** lets the unit start charging a battery bank whose voltage is below the unit's normal "no battery" threshold, such as a known-good lithium bank that has run flat. It is off by default. AERL Link asks you to confirm before it turns Blackstart Guard on, including when a settings file turns it on. > **Turn Blackstart Guard off again** > > Use Blackstart Guard only to recover a known-good bank, and turn it off once the bank has recovered. Left on, the unit no longer refuses to run into a disconnected or faulty battery. **Output Enabled** turns charging on or off. Leave it on for a working system; turn it off to hold the output off for maintenance. ### 6.8 Apply the Profile 1. Press **Apply** . AERL Link lists every change as *before → after* . 2. Check the list and confirm. AERL Link sends the profile and the unit restarts to take it. 3. After the restart, check on the **STATUS** tab that the unit shows the state you expect (charging, or waiting for sun) with no fault code, and that the battery voltage reads correctly. If AERL Link reports that the unit did not confirm the settings, they may not have been saved: check the USB cable, wait for the unit to reappear, and apply them again. ## 07 CoolMax SRX and SRX-R: Comms — Communication settings, CAN role ### 7.1 Communication Settings The **COMMS** tab sets the unit's addresses and bus speeds for Modbus RTU (RS485) and CAN bus, as far as the unit's firmware allows (section 7.3). The SRX and SRX-R user manuals (Communications Protocols) describe the buses and their wiring. ![The COMMS tab (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-comms.png) **Figure 7.1** The COMMS tab (demo SRX). | Setting | Range | Default | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | **RS485 ID** | 1–90 | 20 | The unit's Modbus address. Different for every unit on the bus. | | **RS485 Speed** | 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 baud | 9600 | The same for every device on the bus, including the master. | | **CAN ID** | 10–60 | 10 | The unit's CAN address. Units on a shared bus take a free ID automatically; 62 means not yet assigned. | | **CAN Speed** | 125, 250, 500 kbps | 500 | The same for every device on the bus. | Press **Apply** to send them. The unit restarts briefly. > **Update the master to match** > > A changed address or bus speed cuts the unit off from any master still using the old one. Change the master to match before you leave the site. ### 7.2 CAN Role **CAN ROLE** sets how the unit takes part on the CAN bus. It is locked. Change it only with AERL support, who will give you the password for your site; it then opens with **Unlock**. The CAN role appears only on units that can use it. ### 7.3 Settings the Firmware Can Store The **COMMS** tab shows only the settings the unit's firmware can store. On the current SRX and SRX-R firmware releases it shows the **RS485 ID** (and the CAN role) only: the RS485 speed, CAN ID and CAN speed keep their values, and a unit on a shared CAN bus takes a free CAN ID by itself. Contact AERL support if a site needs other bus settings. ## 08 CoolMax SRX and SRX-R: Calibration — When to Calibrate, before you start, procedure ### 8.1 When to Calibrate Every unit is calibrated at the factory. Calibration corrects the unit's battery voltage reading against your multimeter, so that the charge voltages are held where they are set. Calibrate when: - AERL Link asks for it after a firmware update that needs it; - AERL Link's **Battery Voltage Calibration Check** finds the reading does not match your meter (below); - the battery voltage AERL Link shows differs from your multimeter by more than 0.1 V. When a unit with solar input is first opened, AERL Link may show the battery voltage the unit reads and ask whether it is within 0.1 V of the measured battery voltage. Measure the battery voltage at the unit's battery terminals and answer. **No** starts the calibration. ### 8.2 Before You Start - A digital multimeter with 0.1 V resolution or better. - The battery connected, at a voltage in its normal range, and the battery breaker closed. AERL Link refuses to calibrate below 15 V on the output, or when the unit reports **No Battery Detected** . - A steady battery voltage: switch off or isolate other chargers, inverters and large loads on the same battery for the few minutes calibration takes. - The USB cable and power left connected until calibration finishes. ### 8.3 Procedure 1. Open the unit's page and click **CALIBRATE** . 2. AERL Link checks that a battery is connected and asks *Are you sure you want to start the calibration procedure?* Click **Yes** . 3. AERL Link switches the unit's output off and waits for the voltage to settle (a few seconds). With the output off, the voltage at the terminals is the battery's own. 4. Measure the voltage at the unit's battery (output) terminals with the multimeter. Enter the reading in the **Output Voltage** box and click **OK** . 5. AERL Link writes the new calibration, restarts the unit and checks the result. It then switches the output back on, and shows **Calibration complete.** ![The Output Voltage entry box (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-calibration.png) **Figure 8.1** The Output Voltage entry box (demo SRX). > **Do not interrupt calibration** > > Do not unplug the USB cable or switch off power during calibration. If calibration is stopped part-way, AERL Link gives the unit back the calibration it had before and switches its output back on. ### 8.4 What AERL Link Checks | Check | What it means | |---|---| | A battery is connected | The output must read at least 15 V and the unit must not report No Battery Detected. If the voltage falls below 15 V once the output is switched off, the earlier reading was the unit's own output, not a battery. | | The entry is close to the unit's reading | The entry box accepts only a value near the unit's own reading. A meter reading far from it means the meter, the probe position or the battery connection is wrong, not the calibration. | | The voltage holds steady | If the battery voltage moves by more than about 1 V while you enter the reading, AERL Link refuses it: something is still charging or loading the battery. | | The result agrees with your meter | After the restart, the unit's settled reading must agree with your entry within about 0.2 V on a 48 V battery (about 0.4 V at the top of the 120 V range). | | The values are in range | The unit accepts only calibration values within its own limits. | ### 8.5 When Calibration Is Refused | Message | What to do | |---|---| | **Output voltage too low to calibrate** or **The device reports No Battery Detected** | Connect the battery and close the battery breaker, then try again. | | **The battery voltage moved … while you were entering the meter reading** | The unit was still charging or had just restarted. Wait for the battery voltage to hold steady, then start again. | | **Calibration accuracy check failed: the device's output voltage never settled** | Something is still charging or loading the battery. Disconnect other sources from the DC bus and try again. | | **Calibration accuracy check failed: the device's voltage reading doesn't match your multimeter reading closely enough** | Check your meter (range, battery, probe contact) and measure again at the unit's battery terminals, then try again. | | **Calibration values out of the device's accepted range** | The reading would need a correction larger than the unit allows. Re-check the reading at the unit's terminals. If it is right, contact AERL support. | If a unit's reading still disagrees with a known-good multimeter after a successful calibration, save a support bundle (chapter 11) and contact AERL support. ## 09 EarthGuard EG-600 and EG-600-SC — Status, settings ### 9.1 Status The EarthGuard's **STATUS** tab shows the insulation of each test circuit: the EG-600 has two, the EG-600-SC one. - **Insulation:** a bar for each pole (+ and −) of each circuit. A full bar is good insulation; the bar shortens and turns orange, then red, as the insulation resistance falls. - **Test Circuit:** the circuit's **Voltage** , and its **Earth Resistance +** and **Earth Resistance −** in MΩ. During a fault, the faulted pole is named and its insulation is shown in kΩ. - **Device:** the **Status** and the **Firmware** version. ![The EG-600-SC STATUS tab (demo unit, example readings).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/eg600-sc/eg600-sc-aerl-link-main-page.png) **Figure 9.1** The EG-600-SC STATUS tab (demo unit, example readings). On some earlier EG-600 hardware, AERL Link marks the circuit voltage *\* Voltage readings can be subject to error*. Use a multimeter where you need the circuit voltage. ### 9.2 Settings The **SETTINGS** tab has two settings. Press **Apply** to send them; the EarthGuard restarts to take them (about 15 seconds). ![The EarthGuard SETTINGS tab (demo unit).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/eg600-sc/eg600-sc-aerl-link-sensitivity.png) **Figure 9.2** The EarthGuard SETTINGS tab (demo unit). | Setting | What it does | |---|---| | **Earth Fault Sensitivity** | The trip threshold: **High** < 100 kΩ, **Mid** < 50 kΩ, **Low** < 30 kΩ. The default is Low (30 kΩ). On EG-600 firmware 2.2.1, the current release, the trip threshold is fixed at 30 kΩ whatever this shows. | | **Earth Type** | **Floating** (default) where the DC bus is not bonded to earth anywhere; **Positive** or **Negative** where that pole is bonded to earth elsewhere in the system. | > **Earth type** > > Positive and Negative stop the EarthGuard monitoring the bonded pole. Use them only where that pole is deliberately and permanently bonded to earth; otherwise leave Floating. The EG-600 and EG-600-SC user manuals describe each mode and how to test the alarm. The EarthGuard has no Comms or Calibrate tab. Update its firmware as in chapter 10. ## 10 Firmware Updates — How AERL Link offers updates, before you update ### 10.1 How AERL Link Offers Updates AERL Link keeps a list of AERL's released firmware, and the firmware files themselves, on the PC. When you open a unit's page, AERL Link compares the unit's firmware with the list and, if a newer release is available for that unit, offers it: - **Firmware update available.** Click **Update** to install it now, or **Cancel** to carry on without it. AERL Link offers it again the next time you open the unit. - **Important firmware update available.** An important (critical) update. AERL Link installs it straight away, with the message **An important firmware update is being installed.** The offer names the unit and shows the release notes. If the update needs a calibration afterwards, the offer says so: go ahead only with a digital multimeter on hand. ![A firmware update offer (demo SRX).](https://www.aerl.com.au/docs/_assets/assets/images/srx/48/srx-48-aerl-link-fw-update-offer.png) **Figure 10.1** A firmware update offer (demo SRX). ### 10.2 Before You Update - Use the latest AERL Link, and start it with an internet connection before you go to site so that its firmware list is current. The **REPO** page shows when it last checked. - Connect the battery and power the unit up. - Use a PC on mains power or with a charged battery, and stop it from sleeping during the update. - Do not unplug the USB cable, switch off power or open the PV or battery isolators during the update. On an SRX-R, do not change the USB Change-Over Switch during the update. ### 10.3 During and After the Update 1. Click **Update** . The unit's page shows **Updating Firmware:** with the progress. The transfer usually takes 1–2 minutes. 2. While it runs, the unit stops charging and its LED flashes orange. 3. When the transfer finishes, the unit restarts on the new firmware. AERL Link reconnects and shows the new version on the **STATUS** tab. 4. If the update needs a calibration, AERL Link starts it: follow chapter 8. 5. Check the unit's settings and status. An update keeps the unit's settings. ### 10.4 If an Update Fails - **The firmware update was not started.** Something else was running on the unit (a save, a calibration). Open the unit again when it has finished to be offered the update again. - **The update stopped part-way** (cable unplugged, power lost). The unit keeps running its previous firmware. Power-cycle the unit, reconnect, and AERL Link offers the update again. - **The firmware update was not installed.** The firmware was sent, but the unit restarted on its previous version. Try the update again; if it happens again, contact AERL support. - **The device has not reported back after the firmware update.** The update itself completed. Power-cycle the unit and reconnect. If it does not reappear, contact AERL support. ### 10.5 The REPO Page **REPO** lists the firmware AERL Link has downloaded: one row per release, with the product, version, date and priority. AERL Link refreshes the list when it starts and every hour while it has an internet connection; **Refresh** checks now. Because the files are kept on the PC, AERL Link can update units on site with no internet connection. ### 10.6 Beta Firmware and the Firmware Lock Both are on AERL Link's **SETTINGS** page and need a password from AERL support. - **Beta Firmware:** off, AERL Link offers only Stable firmware. On, it also offers Beta releases: firmware that has passed AERL's release testing but has had less than six months of use in the field. Turning it off later does not return a unit to stable firmware: the unit keeps its version until a newer stable release is available. - **Lock Firmware:** holds each product at a highest firmware version, for example on a site that must stay on the version it was tested with. AERL Link then offers nothing above it. AERL Link never downgrades a unit's firmware. The AERL Firmware Update Guide covers every AERL product, including updates through AERL Cloud. ## 11 Settings Files and the Support Bundle — Export and import, undo and earlier settings, support bundle ### 11.1 Export and Import On the **OUTPUT** tab, **Export** saves the unit's charge profile to a settings file, and **Import** loads one, for example to set several units on a site the same way. - An imported file fills in the page; nothing reaches the unit until you press **Apply** . - AERL Link checks the file before it uses it, and checks that the file's battery voltage matches the battery connected. It warns you before it applies a file for a different battery voltage, or one it cannot check because no battery is connected. - If the file turns Blackstart Guard on, AERL Link asks you to confirm. ### 11.2 Undo and Earlier Settings AERL Link records each unit's settings every time they change, on the PC. **Undo** and **Redo** on the settings tabs step back and forward through them: each step fills in the page with the earlier settings as pending changes, flagged in orange. Nothing reaches the unit until you press **Apply**. ### 11.3 Support Bundle If AERL support asks for one, a support bundle gives them what they need to look into a problem. Save it from the **HELP** page, or from the unit's own page. 1. Click **Support bundle** . 2. AERL Link reads each connected unit's event log. This takes 2–5 minutes per unit; **Cancel** stops it and saves the bundle without the event log. 3. AERL Link saves a zip file named `AERL-support---