Opentherm Gateway 4.0 alpha/beta testers wanted

[andre_OT]

I also have tested the firmware 4.0a6.

B= AWB Thermomaster VR24T
T= Isense version 23

The smartpower function is working perfect for me.I have removed the battery's from the Isense.

After 2 weeks testing I have some strange behaviors:
I had no error1, error3 and error4 failures in version 3,4.
In version 4.0a6 I have many.

Once in a while (after a few days) I see a F203 error on the Isense. (Comunication failure)
The boiler is constanty burning.

When I give the gateway a reset (GW=R) it start funcion normal and the F203 error is gone.
I already have replaced the thermostat cable to be sure thaht one is ok.
When this F203 is presence and i reset the gateway it always start on the same point:
It always has to do with the Year.

Code: Select all

07:05:05.276618	Command: GW=R
07:05:06.442747	OpenTherm Gateway 4.0a6
07:05:06.614330	T901607DD	Write-Data	Year: 2013
07:05:06.717998	B70160000	Unk-DataId	Year: 0
07:05:07.623001	T90150916	Write-Data	Date: 9 22
07:05:07.726428	B70150000	Unk-DataId	Date: 0 0
07:05:08.638446	T1002010B	Write-Data	Master configuration: 00000001 11
07:05:08.728238	B70020000	Unk-DataId	Master configuration: 00000000 0
07:05:08.739822	AD0020000	Write-Ack 	Master configuration: 00000000 0
07:05:09.663009	T80000200	Read-Data 	Status: 00000010 00000000
07:05:09.745325	Error 03
07:05:10.790066	T80000200	Read-Data 	Status: 00000010 00000000
07:05:10.790563	B40000200	Read-Ack  	Status: 00000010 00000000
07:05:11.651051	T00030000	Read-Data 	Slave configuration: 00000000 0
07:05:11.814074	B40030118	Read-Ack  	Slave configuration: 00000001 24
07:05:12.659823	T807F0000	Read-Data 	Slave product version: 0 0
07:05:12.836075	Error 03
07:05:13.756531	T807F0000	Read-Data 	Slave product version: 0 0
07:05:13.776847	Error 03
07:05:14.675630	T807F0000	Read-Data 	Slave product version: 0 0
07:05:14.775063	BC07F0190	Read-Ack  	Slave product version: 1 144
07:05:15.683281	T00050000	Read-Data 	Application-specific flags: 00000000 0
07:05:16.691655	T00050000	Read-Data 	Application-specific flags: 00000000 0
07:05:16.794913	B40058000	Read-Ack  	Application-specific flags: 10000000 0
07:05:17.699669	T00060000	Read-Data 	Remote parameter flags: 00000000 00000000
07:05:18.706681	T00060000	Read-Data 	Remote parameter flags: 00000000 00000000
07:05:19.720603	T00060000	Read-Data 	Remote parameter flags: 00000000 00000000
07:05:19.813582	B40060301	Read-Ack  	Remote parameter flags: 00000011 00000001
07:05:20.723855	T80640000	Read-Data 	Remote override function: 00000000
07:05:20.835849	Error 03
07:05:21.731954	T80640000	Read-Data 	Remote override function: 00000000
07:05:21.831168	B70640000	Unk-DataId	Remote override function: 00000000
07:05:21.853876	A40640000	Read-Ack  	Remote override function: 00000000
07:05:22.739702	T001D0000	Read-Data 	Solar storage temperature: 0.00
07:05:22.838860	BF01D0000	Unk-DataId	Solar storage temperature: 0.00
07:05:23.756797	T00300000	Read-Data 	DHW setpoint boundaries: 0 0
07:05:23.849326	B40304126	Read-Ack  	DHW setpoint boundaries: 65 38
07:05:24.772697	T80310000	Read-Data 	Max CH setpoint boundaries: 0 0
07:05:24.855139	B70310000	Unk-DataId	Max CH setpoint boundaries: 0 0

For now I want to go back to verion 3.4. I will wait a few hours before doing that.
Maybe if you want something to know, I can help.

Regards,
Andre

[hvxl]

Firmware version 4.0a7 is now available on the Alpha/Beta firmware page. I didn't get any reaction from the person asking about an outside temperature probe, so that didn't make it in. But there are a number of other features in this version:

• The 'IT=1' command is back because some people couldn't see much more than Error 01 with firmware 4.0a6. In fact, because of the number of people reporting problems, IT=1 is now the default.
• Some boilers simply acknowledge all messages. New commands UI and KI were introduced to instruct the gateway when it can inject its own alternative messages.

For more details, see the new features listed on the Alpha/Beta firmware page.

[hvxl]

I had no error1, error3 and error4 failures in version 3,4. In version 4.0a6 I have many.

Are your errors mostly #1, or mostly #3/#4? If #1, you may want to try firmware 4.0a7. For #3 and #4, I don't expect that will make much difference.

The log you provided starts with "Command: GW=R". Is there nothing before that? I.e. when the thermostat shows the F203 error, the gateway doesn't report anything (no messages, no errors)? It is possible that the gateway and thermostat disagree about the power level which would make them unable to communicate (darn, I should have added a command to query that in the new firmware).

It would be very helpful if you could catch a log of when the problem starts.

The Error03 seem to come from the boiler. Could you load the diagnostic firmware and run test #3 for a while and send me the output?

[andre_OT]

Schelte,

The most errors are #3, and sometimes #1, and #4.
I wil test the 4.0a7 after I have running the diagnostic firmware for you.

The F203 always happend at night when we were sleeping, and in the morning the log is not running.
The last time it was displying 'Write-Data Year: 2013' over and over again.
I it happens again I will try to save a log.

I will load the diagnostic firmware Test #3 for a while and send you the output in a PM.

Andre

[vanisher]

The log you provided starts with "Command: GW=R". Is there nothing before that? I.e. when the thermostat shows the F203 error, the gateway doesn't report anything (no messages, no errors)? It is possible that the gateway and thermostat disagree about the power level which would make them unable to communicate (darn, I should have added a command to query that in the new firmware).

It would be very helpful if you could catch a log of when the problem starts.

I have exactly the same problem once in a while, i have no logging either.
F203 an boiler burning...First time a didn't noticed until we came home from a weekend holiday.. it was 30 degrees inside.. (floorheating)

[hvxl]

I have exactly the same problem once in a while, i have no logging either.
F203 an boiler burning...First time a didn't noticed until we came home from a weekend holiday.. it was 30 degrees inside.. (floorheating)

Ouch! Did that start with 4.0a6 or did it happen with some earlier firmware as well?

[andre_OT]

for me it started at 4.0a6.

[hvxl]

for me it started at 4.0a6.

So 4.0a5 was OK? Or what was the last version that you tried that didn't show this problem?

[andre_OT]

Schelte,

Before 4.0a6 I used to have version 3.4.
Ran it for almost a year without a F203 error.

Andre

[Freeck]

I have exactly the same problem once in a while, i have no logging either.
F203 an boiler burning...First time a didn't noticed until we came home from a weekend holiday.. it was 30 degrees inside.. (floorheating)

Had the same problem last night...using version firmware version 3.3....I was experimenting a lot using my new gateway.
It seems activating File->Diagnostics corrupts the proper working of the gateway...After re-powering the gateway I uploaded v3.4. Then, after not using File->Diagnostics anymore, everything works OK (until now ).

[hvxl]

With a lot of help from André we managed to figure out that under certain conditions the gateway with alpha firmware may send a message with a wrong parity bit to the boiler. Because of the wrong parity, the boiler ignores the message and won't send a response back. Because the thermostat doesn't get a response, it repeats the same message. The gateway goes through the same code path and generates the same wrong message again. The end result is that there is no more communication between the thermostat and the boiler.

The set of circumstances leading to this problem are:

• The gateway runs alpha firmware version 4.0a3 or later.
• The thermostat sends a message which the boiler does not support.
• The message has data fields that have a value other than 0.
• The gateway has no alternative messages to send to the boiler.

Obviously I will fix this in the next firmware version. But for now, if you want to continue to use the experimental firmware, I suggest to make sure there is at least one message in the list of alternatives that your boiler supports. You can add a message ID to the list of alternatives with the AA command. Select a message that has been defined to be read by the opentherm master. For example: AA=25.

Remember to repeat this configuration, if necessary, every time you reflash the firmware.

I'd like to express my appreciation to André for being a great sport with regard to the alpha firmware messing up his central heating system during the testing we did to get to the bottom of this.

[andre_OT]

Schelte,

you're welcome!

I'm testing 4.0a7 with extra msgID 25 right now.
I will let you know if someting strange is happend..

Andre

[Rene]

Cheers guys for being that determined to fix the issue!

[hvxl]

Firmware version 4.0a8, now available on the Alpha/Beta firmware page, followed 4.0a7 so quickly to provide a few bug fixes:

• Don't corrupt messages to the boiler when the list of alternatives is empty.
• Provide the correct response to the thermostat for MsgID 2 if the boiler clears out the data bytes.

There are also a couple of tiny new features, and one old one is back:

• Request the power state of the opentherm line to the thermostat: 'PR=P'
• Unset the outside temperature stored in the gateway: 'OT=99'
• Connect a DS1820 temperature sensor for the outside temperature: 'GB=7'

As usual, more details are available on the Alpha/Beta firmware page.

[Dickuk]

Hi Schelte

I see on the release notes for v4 of the gateway s/w :

-> The gateway will autonomously generate opentherm messages towards the boiler if no opentherm compliant thermostat is connected.

Can I ask what commands the gateway sends and are they in a particular order or random?

Thanks

Richard