EMW JuiceBox

I have a Electric Motor Werks JuiceBox Premium, and I got the optional wireless module. I think I have it connected via WPS to my wireless access point, but I am not sure. The red, yellow and green LED's on the wireless module are flashing, and I think this is a good sign - maybe it is uploading the data it has logged so far?

Can anyone confirm this, or is it supposed to do something else?

FYI: I have it running at 30A (with the 32A J1772 cable) and the AC is with a 6/3 w/ ground on a 50A breaker. So far, so good - we have had it running for a couple of weeks, now.

If anybody has questions about the JuiceBox, feel free to ask on this thread. Or, share your installation details.

One way to tell if your WiFi JB is operating is to link it to the eMW webserver at the following URL address where the string of "X"es are replaced by your own JB's unit ID number.

http://www.emotorwerks.com/cgi-bin/...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&timeunit=3

First, of course, as you probably know, you must link your home network's WiFi router via the "WPS" function.

I think just a single green light on the WiFi board inside your JB will blink when you have made a good WiFi connection. If all LED colors are blinking, that probably means something is wrong.

Thanks, that's what I thought - it looks wrong, and I don't know how to clear it.

After I got my JB early last Summer, the WiFi module would not link to my WiFi Router either. As I recall the symptoms of the problem (all LED colors blinking) was the same as yours. Turns out the WiFi module had not been initially "programmed" by eMW before delivery to me. I live close enough to San Carlos, so I was able to take it back to them and have it programmed properly. Problem solved!

Thank you for that information. That would be disappointing, since I bought it with the optional wireless module from the factory.

I am still trying to get the wireless module in my JuiceBox Premium to connect via WPS to my wireless access point. I have physically moved the access point to within about 2 feet of the JB and still it is not working. I have been emailing them and getting some pointers, but nothing has helped, so far.

Does anybody on the Leaf Forum have this working?

Just thinking out loud . . . has eMW mentioned anything about their web server being over subscribed due to the PEV Sub-metering Trial? The reason I ask is that I don't seem to have an active link to their server anymore. It was working fine up until about a month or two ago. Of course, as you probably know, eMW has control over who can be linked to their server and I'm sure the JBs in the trial have the highest priority.

Neil, sorry to hear about your trouble. Could you please send an email to [email protected]?

I will email you - I have been emailing with someone, and it seems possible that my wireless module needs to be reprogrammed.

I am completely satisfied with my JuiceBox Premium in terms of charging, and I bought it because of it's charge data display, and because it is capable of 15kW charging.

NeilBlanchard said:

I will email you - I have been emailing with someone, and it seems possible that my wireless module needs to be reprogrammed.

I am completely satisfied with my JuiceBox Premium in terms of charging, and I bought it because of it's charge data display, and because it is capable of 15kW charging.

Click to expand...

Good to hear! We had a similar issue with a customer near Walnut Creek couple of months ago. Dorian ended up pre-programming a new WiFi module, and everything was fine after we installed it on site. I will bring it up with him later today. Please let me know if you had any other trouble.

For those of you not living close to EMW's office, you can reprogram JB and Wifi module on your own. You need to get a FTDI cable (eg. http://emotorwerks.com/products/online-store/product/show/68-ftdi-programming-cable-for-arduino-juicebox/related_product-171" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or any other place) and install Arduino SW on your PC (see the JB installation manual).

I had similar problem with my base JB w/ WIFI. My board version is 8.9. Here are the steps I took.
1. Connect the FTDI cable and start Arduino programmer SW.
2. Using the "serial monitor" to check the existing FW version. If your FW is too old, consider downloading the the latest one for your board from http://emotorwerks.com/JuiceBox_Public/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
3. Before DLing, check the file size. If it's >600KB, it contains all the libraries, so just DL it. If it's really small like 20KB, you need to DL it and the closest previous version which is > 600KB.
4. Unzip the files and copy and overwrite the libraries to Arduino's library directory (see the JB installation manual).
5. Open the FW file JB_firmware_V8_xx_x.ino from Arduino programmer. I was able to flash the V8.10.x FW onto my V8.9 board by commenting out the line //#define V810. Now compile and upload and wait for "Done uploading". You can use the "serial monitor" to check if everything was ok.
6. Open the file JB_WiFi_programmer_Public.ino (under JB_firmware_V8_xx_x\JB_LIBS\JB_WiFi_programmer_Public) from Arduino programmer.
7. Edit the lines mySSID[]="xxxx" and myPWD[]="xxxx" to match your WiFi security settings. Save, compile and upload. If you don't change these two line, you will need to use the WPS buttons later to pair.
8. After "Done uploading", open the "serial monitor" to check the results. It should say "successful". You can also check your router's DHCP table to see that "WiFly" is registered.
9. Redo step 5 to re-upload the FW and reinitialize the board.
10. Use "serial monitor" to check the JB_ID.
11. If all works, you can access your charging data from http://emotorwerks.com/cgi-bin/JuiceBox/JB_data.pl?ID=xxxxxxx&timeunit=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; where xxxxxx is your JB_ID.
12. If you didn't edit the mySSID/myPWD lines, you need to pair your Wifi using the WPS button now. But I found it not quite reliable, unless they are really close.

Thanks for the procedure. I have successfully done an earlier customized JB firmware update to V8.7.13b. I have a "basic" JB, but the firmware is for the "premium" model because it has the optional WiFi, LCD (and key fob) hardware installed. The display capability alone is probably worth the cost of updating the hardware.

Now, I believe there is a new - more powerful - WiFi module in the "werks" needed by the PEV Sub-metering Pilot units, as well as a companion device also presumably with WiFi capabilities. This device is made by another company. I'm sure this means that another new version of JB firmware will be coming soon. V8.11.x perhaps?

Ideally, JB's WiFi capabilities in the future will be able to support downloading/reprogramming over the Internet to alleviate the burden on end users. There have been an awful lot of past versions, and now there are H/W compatibility and updating dependencies as well.

Thank you for posting the instructions - I wondered if the wireless password was required. It seems like the programing cable should be standard issue, because we cannot run wifi without a password.

Question: the wifi module has to be removed from the JB, I am assuming?

Does the wireless access point need to be close to work when you input the SSID and password? If you have to pair it close, then can the wireless access point be moved to a place farther away? In other words, do they re-pair after being powered off and moved and restarted?

NeilBlanchard said:

I will email you - I have been emailing with someone, and it seems possible that my wireless module needs to be reprogrammed.

I am completely satisfied with my JuiceBox Premium in terms of charging, and I bought it because of it's charge data display, and because it is capable of 15kW charging.

Click to expand...

15 kW with a 240 V supply would be 62.5 amps. Please double check your input and output cables (and supply circuit) are capable before attaching that dual-charger Model S.

NeilBlanchard said:

Thank you for posting the instructions - I wondered if the wireless password was required. It seems like the programing cable should be standard issue, because we cannot run wifi without a password.

Question: the wifi module has to be removed from the JB, I am assuming?

Click to expand...

No. I don't believe so. If your wireless access point supports "WPS", you don't have to enter the SSID and password into the firmware code.

NeilBlanchard said:

Does the wireless access point need to be close to work when you input the SSID and password? If you have to pair it close, then can the wireless access point be moved to a place farther away? In other words, do they re-pair after being powered off and moved and restarted?

Click to expand...

Close proximity between the two WiFi devices should improve the effectiveness of using WPS. Pairing after a power cycle should be automatic after the first time using the WPS pairing method.

srl99 said:

NeilBlanchard said:

I will email you - I have been emailing with someone, and it seems possible that my wireless module needs to be reprogrammed.

I am completely satisfied with my JuiceBox Premium in terms of charging, and I bought it because of it's charge data display, and because it is capable of 15kW charging.

Click to expand...

15 kW with a 240 V supply would be 62.5 amps. Please double check your input and output cables (and supply circuit) are capable before attaching that dual-charger Model S.

Click to expand...

This seems to come up a lot.

It's NOT a 15kW or 62 amp unit with 30 or 40 amp capable components. It's sad that such techniques are used to sell this product.

Just because you can program it to 60 or even 80 amps doesn't change that fact. I can program ANY EVSE the same way, with a 120 volt lamp cord attached that will fry in seconds with a car that can pull 80 amps.

My wireless module is currently in a state with the green and red LED's flashing alternately, and the yellow LED flashing once every ~15s or so. I ordered the programming cable from EMW a couple of days ago, and I will see if I can get it reset to it's default mode, ready for pairing. I would like to try the method of inputting my SSID and password and if that works, I won't need to worry about getting the WPS to work.

I have purchased a wireless access unit that supports WPS (since my Verizon FIOS unit says it does, but in fact it does not work with WPS) but I was not able to get it working. I tried and tried several times - and that's how it got to the state of flashing LED's.

Tony, I feel the real issue is that a big part of the EVSE market tends to cater to "DIY" consumers, which in turn makes a lot of people think they can be D-I-Y (unlicensed) Electricians. However, with proper infrastructure wiring and selection of appropriately sized AC input-output cables often sold as "options", the nameplate rating of an EVSE can be hopefully maintained. Nevertheless, I concur the rating of the internal components may still be highly questionable (even in the case of a JESLA) when the EVSE is used in a greater than 10kW charging application, especially in a residential environment. Furthermore, amperages need to be derated for much higher ambient operating temperature environments. For that matter, I have yet to see ANY EVSEs with forced air cooling provisions, so in a sealed enclosure temperature rise of certain internal components may exceed their maximum operating temperature specs.

dsinned said:

Tony, I feel the real issue is that a big part of the EVSE market tends to cater to "DIY" consumers, which in turn makes a lot of people think they can be D-I-Y (unlicensed) Electricians.

Click to expand...

LOL

dsinned said:

For that matter, I have yet to see ANY EVSEs with forced air cooling provisions, so in a sealed enclosure temperature rise of certain internal components may exceed their maximum operating temperature specs.

Click to expand...

Why on earth would you need "forced air cooling" on a switch? That what an EVSE is, a switch.

If it needs that kind of cooling, I'm not buying. Of course, there is heating, but any engineer using components that can't handle the minor heating is a fool.

The singular heating issue that is important is high ambient temperatures with the sun beating on the EVSE and the cord coiled up. The other pertinent heating issue is faulty connections at the wall and car, so any heating in this area is a result of a FAILURE, not normal operation.

There are absolutely ZERO components in JESLA that are not rated for the job. None. It can fully handle 10kW with "normal" failure rates. We do not advertise it as 15kW or 20kW simply because there is some component inside that may handle that load.