Upgrading your meter

You can upgrade the firmware (operating software) and template on your meter using either Power Monitoring Expert or ION Setup.

General upgrading considerations

Upgrading to compatible firmware and template versions

Ensure that the firmware version that you are upgrading to is compatible with your meter and that the version number is greater than your existing firmware (or else you will downgrade your meter).

Ensure that the template you are upgrading to matches the feature set of your meter (in other words, if your meter is an ION8650A, the template must be an A-variant template). The variant is indicated in the template filename.

You can download meter firmware and templates from www.se.com.

Recording your device’s usernames and passwords

Ensure that you record your device’s usernames and passwords prior to upgrading the device firmware.

If your device’s front panel or user passwords are lost, you must return the device for factory reconfiguration, which resets your device to its factory defaults and destroys all logged data.

notice

data Loss

Record your device's front panel and user password information in a secure location.

Failure to follow these instructions can result in data loss.

 

See Cybersecurity for more information on the device’s security settings.

Using a laptop computer to upgrade

Laptop computers generally have different default power properties than desktop computers. Incorrect power options can adversely affect device upgrading because the connection between the laptop and the device must be maintained in order to complete the upgrade successfully. If the laptop’s hard disk shuts down or the laptop enters system standby mode, this connection is broken, and the upgrade procedure must be restarted.

If you are upgrading a meter using a laptop computer, follow these guidelines:

  • Plug the laptop computer into a wall outlet. Do not run the laptop on its battery.
  • Configure the hard disks so that they do not shut down after a certain period of time (for example, set to “never”).
  • Turn off power suspension (for example, system stand-by) and hibernate options.
  • Disable options that power down the laptop when it is closed. This prevents a shut down if the laptop is accidentally closed.
  • Disable the screen saver; screen savers can burden the CPU.

Upgrading devices via a ModemGate connection

The maximum acceptable baud rate for upgrading via ModemGate is 56.6 kbps. Ensure that the baud rate on the ModemGate communications port and the baud rate on the meter to be upgraded are set to this or lower.

Meter behavior when an upgrade fails

The meter allows three consecutive attempts to upgrade the meter. If the third attempt fails, an error is generated, and you must power cycle the meter before you try again. Wait 30 seconds for the meter to reset after power cycling it before you try to upgrade again.

Meter I/O module behavior

Your meter’s I/O modules may change state during a firmware upgrade. The meter’s I/O behavior is determined by how it is configured in the new template that has been loaded.

warning

HAZARD OF unintended operation

● Do not use the meter for critical control or protection applications where human or equipment safety relies on the operation of the control circuit.
● Be aware that an unexpected change of state of the digital outputs may result when the supply power to the meter is interrupted or after a meter firmware or template upgrade.

Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

 

Accumulated energy values and upgrades

The firmware upgrade process clears accumulated energy values in the meter.

If you want to retain these values across a firmware upgrade, you can use the Register Edit feature in ION Setup to manually restore pre-upgrade values back to your meter.

Upgrading firmware using ION Setup

Performing a device upgrade in ION Setup involves:

  • upgrading the device firmware, and
  • upgrading the device template.

You can download your device’s latest firmware and template from www.se.com. Save the files in the .../ION Setup/TEMPLATE folder for easy access.

Upgrading the device firmware and template

  1. Open the Setup Assistant for your meter in ION Setup. See ION Setup help for instructions.
  2. Select the Template screen.
  3. Click the Firmware Upgrade tab, then click Upgrade. Enter your meter password (if prompted) and click OK.

NOTE: If you want to retain customized meter template settings, other than those listed in the Template Paste Options dialog box (see Step 6), click on the Save to PC tab and click Save. Save your template as a .DCF file. Select this file in Step 5 instead of the file obtained from the website.

  1. Browse to the .UPG file (device firmware) that you downloaded from the website and click Open. Type your ION Setup password when prompted and click OK.
  2. Browse to the .DCF file (device template) that you downloaded from the website (or saved from your meter in Step 3) and click Open. The Template Paste Options dialog box appears.
  3. Select the options that you do want to be retained and clear any options that you do not want to retain then click OK.
  4. Track the progress of the upgrade.

    After the firmware download is complete, ION Setup attempts to verify the firmware. If the verification fails, contact Technical Support.

  5. Click Exit when you get a message that the upgrade is complete.

Upgrading firmware using Power Monitoring Expert

Power Monitoring Expert includes the Device Upgrader utility for upgrading devices.

NOTE: Supervisor-level access (level 5) is required to upgrade the device.

Before using Device Upgrader

Data stored in the meter's memory is lost during the firmware upgrade. This includes waveforms, Min/Max values, and information stored in the Data Recorder and Integrator modules. Ensure you save your meter’s data before you upgrade your meter.

You need the applicable upgrade (.upg) files for your meter, which are available from www.se.com. Save these files in a folder that is accessible from your Power Monitoring Expert computer.

For more information about using Device Upgrader, refer to Power Monitoring Expert help.

Using Device Upgrader

  1. Stop the ION Log Inserter Service and the ION Virtual Processor Service.
  2. Start Management Console.
  3. Select Tools > System > Device Upgrader. Type your username and password in the login prompt.

    A dialog box displays recommendations and warnings regarding the upgrade operation. Make sure you read and understand these warnings before you click OK. If you need to implement any changes because of the recommendations and warnings, close Device Upgrader, make the changes then re-open Device Upgrader and continue.

    The Device Upgrader utility appears.

  4. Select your meter type from the List Devices of Type box.
  5. Select the appropriate meter from Select Devices to Upgrade box. To select multiple devices, hold down CTRL while clicking each device.
  6. Click Select File in the Select Revision section. Locate and select the upgrade (.upg) file that you downloaded from the website, then click Open.
  7. Select or clear the Save/Restore Framework check box (selected by default). If selected, this keeps a copy of your current framework template during the upgrade. After the firmware upgrade is complete, Device Upgrader restores your framework template.

    NOTE: Device Upgrader loads new meter firmware that does not contain any framework templates. If you want to preserve customizations that you have made to your device framework, make sure you select Save/Restore framework. However, if you intend to replace the existing meter framework with a new one (for example, a new default meter template that you downloaded), clear Save/Restore framework.

    If you intend to replace the meter’s framework configuration with a new template, it is recommended that you upgrade using ION Setup. See Upgrading firmware using ION Setup for information.

  8. Specify how Device Upgrader responds to an unsuccessful upgrade in the Failure Handling section (you only need to do this if you are upgrading multiple devices):
    • Select Halt After, then enter a number in the box to specify how many attempts you want Device Upgrader to make before stopping during an unsuccessful upgrade. By default, the utility is set to stop after the first unsuccessful upgrade.
    • Select Ignore All to attempt to upgrade all of the selected devices regardless of the number of devices that do not upgrade successfully.

    NOTE: Firmware upgrade error codes are described in the Power Monitoring Expert online help.

  9. Click Select File in the Select Revision section. Navigate to the upgrade (.upg) file that you want to use and click Open.

    This file will be downloaded to all the devices that are highlighted in the Select Devices to Upgrade list.

  10. Click Upgrade to upgrade the selected device(s).

    The Upgrade Status box shows each stage in the upgrade process. The completed progress bar indicates what percentage of the upgrade is complete. Each completed upgrade is noted in the Upgrade Status box.

  11. Restart the ION Log Inserter Service and the ION Virtual Processor Service.

    NOTE: If connection to the device is lost, or if power to the device is interrupted during an upgrade, restart the Device Upgrade utility procedure.

Editing accumulated energy values using ION Setup

You can edit energy values such kWh and kVARh using ION Setup.

NOTE: Ensure you have recorded accumulated energy values before upgrading your meter’s firmware. You can then re-enter these values after the upgrade.

  1. Start ION Setup.
  2. Open the Setup Assistant for your meter.
  3. Select the Template screen.
  4. Click the Register Edit tab, click Energy then click Display. Enter your meter’s password (if prompted) and click OK.

    The Register Editor screen displays.

  5. Click Edit to enable editing.
  6. Enter values for kWh, kVAh and kVARh as required. Click Send to finish. Only values that have the checkbox selected will be sent to the meter.
  7. Click Close to close the Register Editor screen.