Frequently asked questions

FA356703

27 May 2023

Question:
How to upgrade the firmware of a PM8000 meter
 
Product String Reference:

1. Top Level > Product Category > Buildings & IT > EcoBuilding Transactional > Power Solutions > Optimum Intermediate
2. Top Level > PR_Product_OPS_Structure > Power and Energy Monitoring System > Integrated Power Quality Meters > PM8000 series

 
Objective:
The objective of this video is to provide guidance of how to upgrade the firmware of a PM8000.
 
Product Line:
PTSOL - POWER SOLUTIONS
 
Environment:
ION Setup
 
Resolution:
Firstly, we need to check what firmware version our PM8000 meter is. This is done via the meter itself. To do this:
1)      Press the “Home” button
2)      Scroll down until you reach the “Nameplate” menu option and press enter.
3)      The next screen will now display the meter details, including model, serial number and firmware version.
 
Now that we know that this meter requires a firmware upgrade, we need to know the IP address of the meter. This is integral to being able to set up a connection between a computer and the meter. The IP address of the PM8000 meter can be found in the Communications Setup Menu. To find this menu:
1)      Press the “Home” button
2)      Scroll down until you reach the “Setup Menu” option and press enter
3)      Now select the “Communications Setup”
4)      Take note of the IP address and Subnet mask which is 192.168.1.11 and 255.255.255.0 respectively.
Before we set up your computer to communicate with the meter, ensure that you have connected said computer with the PM8000 meter via an Ethernet cable. 
 
Ok, so up to this point, we know that the meter needs a firmware upgrade. We know the IP address of the meter, but for successful communication, we need to set up the IP address of your computer.
1)      To do this, open the “Network Sharing Centre” to change the adaptor settings currently set up.
2)      Right click on the Ethernet connection to the PM8000 meter and select properties.
3)      Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
4)      Manually set up the IP address for your computer.
a.      Ensure that the IP address is on the same network as that of the meter you are communicating with, so the first three sections of the IP address are required to be the same as the meter (192.168.1). The last digits are up to you. For this instance, we will set it as 10 as it is easy to remember.
b.      We will set the subnet mask as 255.255.255.0
5)      You have now set up your computer to communicate with your meter. To confirm that we have set up the IP addresses appropriately, we can ping the IP address in the command prompt window
 
Before we are able to upgrade the firmware of your meter, please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of the following files:
1)      The Template file with extension: .dcf and
2)      The Firmware file with extension: .upg
These files can be sourced from the Schneider Electric website.
The Firmware file allows you to upgrade your meter’s firmware to get new features.
The Template file allows to replace your meter’s existing template with an updated template with
new features.
Ensure that you can easily find these files on your computer.
 
Now that we have the Template and Firmware files saved onto our computer in an easy to locate place.
1)      Go to PowerLogic ION Setup application, selecting the “Ethernet” connection type. Input the IP address of the meter you are communicating with.
2)      Select Template in the “Setup Assistant window and go to the Firmware Upgrade tab. Take note of the firmware version of the FAC1 Template. In this instance, we can see that the Template file is not the latest and needs to be upgraded. Select the “Upgrade” button.
3)      You will now be prompted to upload the template file, extension .upg. Once the Template file is uploaded, a warning message will appear detailing that this operation causes the meter to reset and loss of data will ensue. To avoid any loss of data, please make sure that you have backed up all requisite information.
4)      You will be prompted to upload the Firmware file, extension .dcf.
5)      The Template Paste Options window will now open. Make sure all options are selected before pressing the “ok” button
 
The meter will now perform the upgrade process. This may take up to half an hour or longer to complete, so please do not be concerned.
 
Once the upgrade process has been completed, you will be returned to the Setup Assistant window. Double check that the version of the FAC1 Template has changed to the latest version. Exit this window once verified.
 
You have now upgraded your PM8000 meter to the latest firmware.