Installation
When installing your Noi gateway for the first time, please follow these steps.
1: Mounting
There are 2 mounting options for the Noi gateway:
Din Rail
If mounting to din rail, simply pull back the mounting tab on the back edge of the Noi gateway and slip it over the 35mm rail. No additional components are necessary.
Panel Mount
If you plan on panel mounting your Noi gateway, please alert your sales rep prior to purchase as this requires additional panel mount tabs. The tabs will insert on the left and right end of the Noi gateway, you should be able to see a pair of mounting holes on each side. Once inserted, you can mark and drill your panel, then bolt on the Noi gateway.
Antenna
The recommended Noi gateway model for the United States is our 4G LTE version. For global deployments there is also a 2G/3G model available upon request, but this isn't recommended for use inside of the states due to network shutdowns on these bands in the coming years.
Connexa offers an indoor and an outdoor antenna depending on your deployment. Please let your sales rep know if you have any questions on which to use.
Indoor
The indoor antenna will connect directly to the SMA connector of the Noi gateway. Keep it pointed as vertical as possible, refer to the spec sheet for more information on how to maximize performance.
Outdoor
The outdoor antenna comes with a seal and an SMA cable already attached. All you need to do is drill a hole in your enclosure and mount the antenna following the guide in the spec sheet. Be sure the SMA whip is within reach of where you mounted the Noi gateway.
2: Connecting to the Charge Controller
Warning
Before connecting to the charge controller please ensure dip switch 4 is 'closed' while switches 1, 2, 3, and 5 are 'open'. Failing to set your dip switches properly could interfere with data collection and possibly damage the system.
Serial Connection
The Noi gateway will communicate with your Charge Controller using MODBUS through its RS232 serial port. The following Charge Controller models will require the purchase of an additional MSC adapter:
The Noi gateway can communicate directly with these Charge Controllers, no additional components necessary:
Simply connect one end of the RS232 cable provided with your Morningstar product to the Noi gateway and the other end to your Charge Controller/MSC adapter. If using an MSC, also connect the provided RJ11 cable to both the MSC and the Charge Controller.
The charge controller must have MODBUS communication enabled and be set to slave address 1. See your charge controller's user manual for model specific instructions on how to accomplish this.
Notice
The MODBUS address 247 is reserved for Connexa's GPS addon. If communicating on a multi drop network, ensure none of your other slave devices are set to that address.
Notice
If you are supplying your own DB9 cable make sure it is less than 6 feet long. Noi is a low power device and its serial driver is not designed for long distance. If you need to communicate over a longer distance, consider converting your signal to RS485.
3: Power
It is considered best practice to connect your Noi gateway directly to your battery bank/power supply so that in the event of an LVD the Noi gateway will stay online. This will also allow you to remotely cycle the load without losing your connection. Provide 12-24V nominal DC.
4: Firmware Configuration
The first time you power up your Noi gateway it will have a special version of the firmware running to help it configure itself to your charge controller. There are some special LED signals during this process to let you know whether or not everything is going ok.
4.1: Bootup
The bootup process is the same as always until a cloud connection is established (breathing cyan). Please see the operation page to get more info on the booting procedure LED signals. It will breathe cyan for up to 30 seconds before entering the next step.
4.2: Scan for Connected Devices
Solid Yellow
Now that a cloud connection has been established, the Noi gateway will begin to scan for connected devices. The LED will turn solid yellow in this process.
Errors
Blinking Orange
This is signalling that there is a serial communication problem. Double check your serial connection to the charge controller and make sure everything is powered on. If using an MSC, it should have a green LED lit up. Some charge controllers may require you to change their dipswitches; go back to step 2 to verify your settings. If all this looks good it might be time to power cycle the system, remove power from both the Noi gateway and your charge controller for a minimum of 5 seconds then try again.
Blinking Red
This is signalling that there is a cloud communication problem. This could be due to poor cellular signal or an error in the security protocol. Please remove power from both the Noi gateway and your charge controller for a minimum of 5 seconds then try again. If the problem persists, contact support.
4.3: Waiting on Firmware
Solid White
This means your Noi gateway has successfully connected to your charge controller and is waiting on the new firmware configuration.This process will usually take about 15-30 seconds, but give it at least 3 minutes before taking any troubleshooting actions.
Errors
Solid Yellow
This means the device timed out and has gone back to step 4.2; let it run through the cycle once more and if it times out a second time remove power from both the Noi gateway and your charge controller for a minimum of 5 seconds then try again. If the timeout occurs more than 3 times in a row please contact support.
4.4: Downloading and Installing Firmware
Blinking Magenta
Once the Noi gateway has begun downloading the new firmware package, the LED will turn magenta and do a sequence of blinks. This means that all is going smoothly and you should soon have your Noi gateway up and running shortly. This usually takes about 30 seconds but give it up to 3 minutes without interrupting the process. Once finished, the Noi gateway will go through the standard bootup procedure and connect to the cloud. Please refer to the operation page for further instructions.
Errors
Blinking Red
If the LED blinks red during the updating process it might have run into an issue. This is a very robust process and typically it will self heal and continue to install the new firmware. Do not interrupt this process. Worst case scenario it will fall back to the factory default firmware and the process will begin again.