ProStar PWM

MODBUS® Specification
v2.0
22 March 2017

Morningstar Corporation
8 Pheasant Run
Newtown, PA 18940
www.morningstarcorp.com
[email protected]
General Information
The ProStar PWM supports the industry standard MODBUS® application protocol via its Meter RJ-11
interface. A Meterbus to Serial Converter (MSC) is required to adapt the Meter interface to an isolated RS-232
interface**. This document assumes the user is familiar with the MODBUS® protocol and its terminology.
Please refer to the documents listed in the References section for more information.

** The MSC adapter is a Morningstar accessory. Contact your dealer for more information.
MODBUS® is a registered trademark of Modbus-IDA (www.modbus-ida.org)

Parameters
The ProStar PWM supports RTU mode only.
16bit MODBUS® addresses (per the modbus.org spec)
The serial communication parameters are
 BPS: 9600 baud
 Parity: None
 Data bits: 8
 Stop bits: 2
 Flow control: None
All addresses listed are for the request PDU.
The ProStarPWM default server address: 0x01.

Floating point values are represented in half-precision (designated at f16 or Float16)

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Supported MODBUS® Functions

Read Holding Registers (0x03) and Read Input Registers (0x04)

RAM
PDU Logical Variable name Variable description Units Scaling or
Addr Addr Range
0x0000 1 sw_ver Software Version -
0x0001 2 n_sys_v Battery Voltage Settings multiplier (1 for 12V nominal, 2 -
for 24V nominal)
0x0002 -
3-4 RESERVED
0x0003
RAW ADC
0x0004 5 vdd_actual 3.3V Supply Voltage V Float16
0x0005 6 adc_fgdrive Gate Drive Voltage V Float16
0x0006 7 adc_pmeter MeterBus Supply Voltage V Float16
0x0007 8 adc_vrefint Internal Reference Voltage V Float16
0x0008 9 adc_FN3 Negative Supply rail for current measurement V Float16
0x0009 10 adc_gload Load FET gate voltage V Float16
0x000A 11 adc_gatepv Array FET gate voltage V Float16
0x0009 -
12-16 RESERVED
0x000F
FILTERED ADC
0x0010 17 RESERVED
0x0011 18 adc_ia Array Current A Float16
0x0012 19 adc_vbterm Battery Terminal Voltage V Float16
0x0013 20 adc_va Array Voltage V Float16
0x0014 21 adc_vl Load Voltage V Float16
0x0015 22 RESERVED
0x0016 23 adc_il Load Current A Float16
0x0017 24 adc_vbsense Battery Sense Voltage V Float16
0x0018 25 adc_vb_f_1m Battery Voltage, slow filter (60s) V Float16
0x0019 26 adc_ib_f_1m Battery Current (net), slow filter (60s) A Float16
TEMPERATURES
0x001A 27 T_hs Heatsink Temperature ºC Float16
0x001B 28 T_batt Battery Temperature (Either Ambient or RTS if connected) ºC Float16
0x001C 29 T_amb Ambient (local) Temperature ºC Float16
0x001D 30 T_rts Remote Temperature Sensor Temp. ºC Float16
0x001E-
31-33 RESERVED
0x0020
CHARGER STATUS
0x0021 34 charge_state Charge State -
0x0022 35 array_fault Array Fault Bitfield -
0x0023 36 vb_f Battery Voltage, slow filter (25s) V Float16
0x0024 37 vb_ref Battery Regulator Reference Voltage V Float16
0x0025 38 RESERVED
0x0026 39 Ahc_r_HI Ah Charge Resettable, HI word Ah n*0.1
0x0027 40 Ahc_r_LO Ah Charge Resettable, LO word -
0x0028 41 Ahc_t_HI Ah Charge Total, HI word Ah n*0.1
0x0029 42 Ahc_t_LO Ah Charge Total, LO word -

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 3/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

0x002A 43 kWhc_r kWh Charge Resettable kWh n*0.1

0x002B 44 kWhc_t Kwh Charge Total kWh n*0.1
0x002C 45 Tb_lo_limit_100 Battery Temp Foldback 100% Output Limit ºC Float16
0x002D 46 Tb_lo_limit_0 Battery Temp Foldback 0% Output Limit ºC Float16
LOAD STATUS
0x002E 47 load_state Load State -
0x002F 48 load_fault Load Fault Bitfield -
0x0030 49 V_lvd Load Current Compensated LVD Voltage V Float16
0x0031 50 V_lhvd Load HVD Voltage V Float16
0x0032 51 Ahl_r_HI Ah Load Resettable, HI word Ah n*0.1
0x0033 52 Ahl_r_LO Ah Load Resettable, LO word -
0x0034 53 Ahl_t_HI Ah Load Total, HI word Ah n*0.1
0x0035 54 Ahl_t_LO Ah Load Total, LO word -
MISC
0x0036 55 hourmeter_HI Hourmeter, HI word hours
0x0037 56 hourmeter_LO Hourmeter, LO word -
0x0038 57 alarm_HI Alarm Bitfield – HI word -
0x0039 58 alarm_LO Alarm Bitfield – LO word -
0x003A 59 dip_switch DIP Switch Settings at Power On (switch[1..8] in bits[0..7]) -
0x003B 60 led_state SOC LED State -
0x003C-
61-65 RESERVED
0x0040
LOGGER
0x0041 66 Vb_min_daily Minimum Battery Voltage (daily) V Float16
0x0042 67 Vb_max_daily Maximum Battery Voltage (daily) V Float16
0x0043 68 Ahc_daily Ah Charge (daily) Ah Float16
0x0044 69 Ahl_daily Ah Load (daily) Ah Float16
0x0045 70 array_fault_daily Array Fault Bitfield (daily) -
0x0046 71 load_fault_daily Load Fault Bitfield (daily) -
0x0047 72 alarm_daily_HI Alarm Bitfield (daily), HI word -
0x0048 73 alarm_daily_LO Alarm Bitfield (daily), LO word -
0x0049 74 time_ab_daily Time in Absorption (daily) sec 0 to (216-1)
0x004A 75 time_eq_daily Time in Equalization (daily) sec 0 to (216-1)
0x004B 76 time_fl_daily Time in Float (daily) sec 0 to (216-1)
0x004C 77 Va_max_daily Maximum Array Voltage (daily) V Float16
MISC 2
0x004D 78 charge_led_state Charge Status LED State -
0x004E 79 lighting_should_be_ In lighting mode, non-zero indicates load ON -
on

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 4/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

EEPROM
PDU Logical Variable name Variable description Units Scaling or
Addr Addr Range
CHARGE SETTINGS
0xE000 57345 EV_reg Regulation Voltage @ 25ºC V Float16
0xE001 57346 EV_float Float Voltage @ 25ºC V Float16
(Set to zero to disable float)
0xE002 57347 Et_float Time Before Entering Float (Absorption Time) sec 0 to (216-1)
0xE003 57348 Et_floatlb Time Before Entering Float due to Low Battery sec 0 to (216-1)
(Absorption Extension Time)
0xE004 57349 EV_floatlb_trip Voltage Trigger for Low Battery Float Time V Float16
0xE005 57350 EV_float_cancel Voltage to Cancel Float V Float16
0xE006 57351 Et_float_exit_cum Exit Float Time sec 0 to (216-1)
0xE007 57352 EV_eq Equalize Voltage @ 25ºC (Set to zero to disable equalize) V Float16
0xE008 57353 Et_eqcalendar Days Between EQ Cycles days 0 to 255
0xE009 57354 Et_eq_above Equalize Time Limit above EV_reg sec 0 to (216-1)
0xE00A 57355 Et_eq_reg Equalize Time Limit at EV_eq sec 0 to (216-1)
0xE00B - 57356 -
RESERVED
0xE00F 57360
0xE010 57361 Evb_ref_charge_lim Reference Charge Voltage Limit V Float16
0xE011 - 57362 -
RESERVED
0xE012 57363
0xE013 57364 RESERVED
0xE014 - 57365 -
RESERVED
0xE019 57370
0xE01A 57371 EV_tempcomp Temperature Compensation Coefficient V Float16
0xE01B 57372 EV_hvd High Voltage Disconnect @ 25ºC V Float16
(Set to zero to disable HVD)
0xE01C 57373 EV_hvr High Voltage Reconnect V Float16
0xE01D 57374 Evb_ref_lim Maximum Charge Voltage Reference (0 disables) V Float16
0xE01E 57375 ETb_max Max Battery Temp Compensation Limit ºC -128 to +127
0xE01F 57376 ETb_min Min Battery Temp Compensation Limit ºC -128 to +127
0xE020 - 57377 -
RESERVED
0xE021 57378
LOAD SETTINGS
0xE022 57379 EV_lvd Low Voltage Disconnect V Float16
0xE023 57380 EV_lvr Low Voltage Reconnect V Float16
0xE024 57381 EV_lhvd Load High Voltage Disconnect V Float16
(Set to zero to disable HVD)
0xE025 57382 EV_lhvr Load High Voltage Reconnect V Float16
0xE026 57383 ER_icomp LVD Load Current Compensation Ω Float16
0xE027 57384 Et_lvd_warn LVD Warning Timeout sec 0 to (216-1)
0xE028 - 57385 -
RESERVED
0xE02F 57392
MISC SETTINGS
0xE030 57393 EV_soc_g_gy LED Green to Green&Yellow Limit V Float16
0xE031 57394 EV_soc_gy_y LED Green&Yellow to Yellow Limit V Float16
0xE032 57395 EV_soc_y_yr LED Yellow to Yellow&Red Limit V Float16
0xE033 57396 EV_soc_yr_r LED Yellow&Red to Red Flashing Limit V Float16
0xE034 57397 Emodbus_id Modbus ID - 1 to 247
0xE035 57398 Emeter_id Meterbus ID - 1 to 15
PWM SETTINGS
0xE036- 57399- RESERVED

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 5/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

0xE037 57400
0xE038 57401 Eic_lim Charge Current Limit A Float16
0xE039 - 57402 -
RESERVED
0xE03F 57408
READ ONLY SECTION
0xE040 57409 Ehourmeter_LO Hourmeter, LO Word hours 0 to (232-1)
0xE041 57410 Ehourmeter_HI Hourmeter, HI Word
0xE042 57411 EAhl_r_LO Ah Load Resettable, LO Word Ah n*0.1
0xE043 57412 EAhl_r_HI Ah Load Resettable, HI Word -
0xE044 57413 EAhl_t_LO Ah Load Total, LO Word Ah n*0.1
0xE045 57414 EAhl_t_HI Ah Load Total, HI Word -
0xE046 57415 EAhc_r_LO Ah Charge Resettable, LO Word Ah n*0.1
0xE047 57416 EAhc_r_HI Ah Charge Resettable, HI Word -
0xE048 57417 EAhc_t_LO Ah Charge Total, LO Word Ah n*0.1
0xE049 57418 EAhc_t_HI Ah Charge Total, HI Word -
0xE04A 57419 EkWhc_r kWhc Resettable kWh n*0.1
0xE04B 57420 EkWhc_t kWhc Total kWh n*0.1
0xE04C 57421 EVb_min Battery Voltage Minimum V Float16
0xE04D 57422 EVb_max Battery Voltage Maximum V Float16
0xE04E 57423 EVa_max Array Voltage Maximum V Float16
0xE04F 57424 Etmr_eqcalander Time Since Last Equalize days

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 6/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Logged Data
The PS-PWM stores up to 256 days of data. This data is stored in a circular buffer where the oldest data is over-
written by the newest data. The log data must be requested and sorted into correct order before the data will be
useful.

• The logged data is mapped from 0x8000-0x8FFF

• The data consists of up to 256 blocks of data.
• Each block is 32bytes (16 modbus variables)
• It is written in a circular buffer format. All blocks must be read and then put in linear order via the
hourmeter field. Ignore blocks w/ hourmeters of 0x000000 or 0xFFFFFF. The largest hourmeter block
is the most recent.

PDU Addr Logical Addr Variable name Variable description

0x8000-800F 32769-32795 logger[0]
… …
0x8FF0-8FFF 36848- 36863 logger[255]

Data is stored in big endian format.

struct {
Uint32 hourmeter;
Uint32 alarm_daily;
Uint32 load_fault_daily;
Uint32 array_fault_daily;
Float16 Vb_min_daily;
Float16 Vb_max_daily;
Float16 Ahc_daily;
Float16 Ahl_daily;
Float16 Va_max_daily;
Uint16 time_ab_daily;
Uint16 time_eq_daily;
Uint16 time_fl_daily;
}

Byte Variable name Bytes Variable description Units Scaling or

Offset Range
0 hourmeter 4 hours 0 to (232-1)
4 alarm_daily 4 Alarm Bitfield – daily -
8 load_fault_daily 4 Load Fault Bitfield – daily -
12 array_fault_daily 4 Array Fault Bitfield – daily -
16 Vb_min_daily 2 Battery Voltage Minimum – daily V Float16
18 Vb_max_daily 2 Battery Voltage Maximum – daily V Float16
20 Ahc_daily 2 Ah Charge – daily Ah Float16
22 Ahl_daily 2 Ah Load – daily Ah Float16
24 Va_max_daily 2 Maximum Array Voltage – daily V Float16
26 time_ab_daily 2 Time in Absorption – daily min
28 time_eq_daily 2 Time in Equalize – daily min
30 time_fl_daily 2 Time in Float – daily min

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 7/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Read Coils (0x01), Read Discrete Inputs (0x02), Write Single Coil (0x05)
PDU Logical Variable description
Addr Addr
0x0000 1 Equalize triggered
0x0001 2 Load disconnect (1 will force load into a disconnect state)
0x0002 3 Charge disconnect (1 will force charger into a disconnect state)
0x0003 - 4 - 16
RESERVED
0x000F
0x0010 17 Clear Ah Resettable (set only, will always read 0)
0x0011 18 Clear Ah Total (set only, will always read 0)
0x0012 19 Clear kWh Resettable (set only, will always read 0)
0x0013 20 RESERVED
0x0014 21 Clear Faults
0x0015 22 Clear Alarms
0x0016 23 Force EEPROM Update (set only, will always read 0)
0x0017 24 RESERVED
0x0018 25 Clear kWh Total (set only, will always read 0)
0x0019 26 Clear Vb (Battery Voltage) Min/Max
0x0020 27 Lighting Mode Test - when lighting mode is enabled, turns on load output for 10
minutes (set only, will always read 0).
0x0021 - 28 - 254
RESERVED
0x00FD
0x00FE 255 Factory Reset - revert settings to factory defaults (display settings are not reset)
0x00FF 256 Reset Control

Write Single Register (0x06)

Any write to EEPROM will set an “EEPROM changed” fault. The control must be reset to clear this fault.
Note: No verify is performed on the write.

See EEPROM table in Read Input Registers(0x04).

Read Device Identification (0x2B, subcode 0x0E)

Only supports “basic device identification (stream access)” (ID code 0x01)
Object Id Object Name/Description Typical Value
0x00 VendorName “Morningstar Corp.”
0x01 Product Code “PS-PWM-15”
“PS-PWM-15M”
“PS-PWM-30”
“PS-PWM-30M”
0x02 MajorMinorRevision “v01.01.01”
(hardware major.minor. software revision)

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 8/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Variables and Definitions

Variable_name
[Logical Address][PDU Address] (Units). Short description.
Definition.

Read Holding and Read Input Registers

Located in processor RAM, updated continuously.

ver_sw
[1][0x0000] (-). Software version.
Firmware version for the controller. The value is stored in binary coded decimal (BCD) format.
Decimal version 12 is thus stored as 0x0012 not as 0x000c.

n_sys_v
[2][0x0001] (-). Battery Voltage Settings Multiplier.
Multiplication factor for charging and load voltage settings. Voltage settings are stored as 12V nominal
in the controller. A value of 1 indicates these settings are used unmodified. A value of 2 indicates these
settings are multiplied by 2 for use in a 24V nominal battery system.

RAW ADC
vdd_actual
[05][0x0004] (V). Internal 3.3V Supply Voltage.
Voltage of the internal 3.3V power supply.

adc_fgdrive
[06][0x0007] (V). Internal Gate Drive Voltage.
Voltage of the internal MOSFET gate drive.

adc_vmeter
[07][0x0008] (A). Internal MeterBus Supply Voltage.
Voltage of the MeterBus supply.

adc_vrefint
[07][0x0008] (A). Internal voltage Reference
Voltage of the internal voltage reference.

adc_FN3
[07][0x0008] (A). Negative supply rail for current measurement
Voltage on the Negative supply rail for current measurement.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 9/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

adc_gload
[07][0x0008] (A). Load FET gate drive
Voltage on the Load FET gate drive

adc_gatepv
[07][0x0008] (A). Array FET gate drive
Voltage on the Array FET gate drive

FILTERED ADC
adc_ia
[18][0x0011] (A). Array Current.
Current into the array terminal connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_vbterm
[19][0x0012] (V). Battery Terminal Voltage.
Voltage measured at the battery terminal connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_va
[20][0x0013] (V). Array Voltage.
Input voltage measured at the array terminal connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_vl
[21][0x0014] (V). Load Voltage.
Output voltage measured at the load terminal connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_il
[23][0x0016] (A). Load Current.
Current out of the load terminal connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_vbsense
[24][0x0017] (V). Battery Sense Voltage.
Voltage measured at the battery sense connections of the ProStar PWM.

adc_vb_f_1m
[25][0x0018] (V). Battery Voltage, slow filter.
Slow filtered value of the battery voltage. 60 second filtering time.

adc_ib_f_1m
[26][0x0019] (A). Battery Current (net), slow filter.
Slow filtered value of the net battery current into / out of the battery terminal connections of the
ProStar PWM. 60 second filtering time.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 10/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

TEMPERATURES
T_hs
[27][0x001A] (C). Heatsink Temperature.
ProsStar PWM Heatsink temperature. Reported in degrees C.

T_batt
[28][0x001B] (C). Battery Temperature.
Battery temperature measured by the ambient temperature sensor or the optional RTS (if connected).
Reported in degrees C.

T_amb
[29][0x001C] (C). Ambient (local) Temperature.
Ambient temperature measured by the local ambient temperature sensor. Reported in degrees C.

T_rts
[30][0x001D] (C). RTS Temperature.
Temperature measured by the optional Remote Temperature Sensor(RTS). Reported in degrees C.

CHARGER STATUS
charge_state
[34][0x0021] (-). Charge State.
Reports the present charge state.

Value Charge State

0 START
1 NIGHT_CHECK
2 DISCONNECT
3 NIGHT
4 FAULT
5 BULK
6 ABSORPTION
7 FLOAT
8 EQUALIZE

array_fault
[35][0x0022] (bit-field). Solar Input Self-Diagnostic Faults.
Reports faults identified by self diagnostics. Each bit corresponds to a specific fault.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 11/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Array Faults Table

BIT FAULT
0 Overcurrent Phase 1
1 FET(s) Shorted
2 Software Bug
3 Battery HVD (High Voltage Disconnect)
4 Array HVD (High Voltage Disconnect)
5 EEPROM Setting Edit (reset required)
6 RTS Shorted
7 RTS was valid, now disconnected
8 Local temp. sensor failed
9 Battery LVD (Low Voltage Disconnect)
10 DIP Switch Changed (excl. DIP 8)
11 Processor Supply Fault

vb_f
[36][0x0023] (V). Battery Voltage, slow filter.
Slow filtered value of the battery voltage. 25 second filtering time.

vb_ref
[37][0x0024] (V). Battery Regulator Reference Voltage.
Present target battery voltage. The controller is attempting to charge the batteries to this voltage.

Ahc_r (HI / LO)

[39-40][0x0026-0x0027] (Ah). Amp-Hours Charge Resettable.
Resettable counter which reports charging amp-hours. Reset of this counter is achived with a Coil
Command (see Coil information section above).

Ahc_t (HI / LO)

[41-42][0x0028-0x0029] (Ah). Amp-Hours Charge Total.
Counter which reports charging amp-hours. This counter can also be reset using a Coil Command (see
Coil information section above).

kWhc_r
[43][0x002A] (kWh). kiloWatt-Hours Charge Resettable.
Resettable counter which reports charging kilowatt-hours. Reset of this counter is achieved with a Coil
Command (see Coil information section above).

kWhc_t
[44][0x002B] (kWh). kiloWatt-Hours Charge Total.
Counter which reports total charging kilowatt-hours. This counter can also be reset using a Coil
Command (see Coil information section above).

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 12/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Tb_lo_limit_100
[45][0x002C] (C). Battery Temp Foldback 100% Output Limit.
Upper limit for low temperature charging foldback. At this temperature, 100% charging output is
provided to the batteries.

Tb_lo_limit_0
[46][0x002D] (C). Battery Temp Foldback 0% Output Limit.
Lower limit for low temperature charging foldback. At this temperature, 0% charging output is provided
to the batteries.

LOAD STATUS
load_state
[47][0x002E] (-). Load State.
Reports the present load output state.

Value Load State

0 START
1 LOAD_ON
2 LVD_WARNING
3 LVD
4 FAULT
5 DISCONNECT
6 LOAD_OFF
7 OVERRIDE

load_fault
[48][0x002F] (bit-field). Load Output Self-Diagnostic Faults.
Reports faults identified by self diagnostics. Each bit corresponds to a specific fault.

Load Faults Table

BIT FAULT
0 External Short Circuit
1 Overcurrent
2 FET(s) Shorted
3 Software Bug
4 High Voltage Disconnect
5 Heatsink Over-Temperature
6 DIP Switch Changed (excl. DIP 8)
7 EEPROM Setting Edit (reset required)
8 FP10 Fault
9 Processor Supply Fault

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 13/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

V_lvd
[49][0x0030] (V). Load LVD Voltage.
Low voltage disconnect setpoint, current compensated.

V_lvd
[50][0x0031] (V). Load HVD Voltage.
High voltage disconnect setpoint.

Ahl_r_HI / Ahl_r_LO
[51, 52][0x0032, 0x0033] (Ah). Load Amp-Hours Resettable.
Resettable counter which reports load amp-hours. Reset of this counter is achived with a Coil Command
(see Coil information section above).

Ahl_t_HI / Ahl_t_LO
[53, 54][0x0034, 0x0035] (Ah). Load Amp-Hours Total.
Counter which reports load amp-hours. This counter can also be reset using a Coil Command (see Coil
information section above).

MISCELLANEOUS
hourmeter (HI / LO)
[55,56][0x0036, 0x0037] (hrs). Hourmeter.
Reports total hours of operation since installed.

Alarm (HI / LO)

[57, 58][0x0038, 0x0039] (bitfield).Controller Self-Diagnostics Alarms.
Reports alarms identified by self diagnostics. Each bit corresponds to a specific alarm.

Alarms Table
BIT ALARM
0 RTS Open
1 RTS Shorted
2 RTS Disconnected
3 Ths (heatsink temp sensor) Open
4 Ths (heatsink temp sensor) Shorted
5 Heatsink Hot (active temp limiting)
6 Current Limit
7 I Offset
8 Battery Sense Out of Range
9 Battery Sense Disconnected
10 Uncalibrated
11 Battery Temp out of range
12 FP10 Supply Out of Range

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 14/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

13 FET Open
14 IA Offset
15 IL Offset
16 3V Supply Out of Range
17
Reserved
18
19 Reset
20 LVD
21 Log Timeout
22 EEPROM Access Failure

dip_switch
[59][0x003A] (bit-field). DIP Switch Settings.
Each bit in the bit-field corresponds to an individual DIP switch setting. Useful for remote applications
where access to ProStar PWM to verify DIP positions is not feasible. Bit 0 (LSB) corresponds to
settings switch 1. (Only valid for DIP settings at controller power-up)

LED_state
[60][0x003B] ( ).
Reports the State-of-Charge LED state.

Value LED State

0 LED_START
1 LED_START2
2 LED_BRANCH
3 EQUALIZE (FAST GREEN BLINK)
4 FLOAT (SLOW GREEN BLINK)
ABSORPTION (GREEN BLINK,
5
1HZ)
6 GREEN LED
7 GREEN / YELLOW LED
8 YELLOW LED
9 YELLOW / RED LED
10 BLINK RED LED
11 RED LED
12 R-Y-G ERROR
13 R/Y-G ERROR
14 R/G-Y ERROR
15 R-Y ERROR
16 R-G ERROR
17 R/Y-G/Y ERROR
18 G/Y/R ERROR
19 G/Y/R x2
20 OFF
21 G/Y/R x2 – GREEN x2

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 15/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

22 G/Y/R x2 – RED x2
LOGGER
Vb_min_daily
[66][0x0041] (V). Today’s minimum battery voltage.
Minimum battery voltage measured today (value resets after dark).

Vb_max_daily
[67][0x0042] (V). Today’s maximum battery voltage.
Maximum battery voltage measured today (value resets after dark).

Ahc _daily
[68][0x0043] (Ah). Today’s total charge amp-hours.
Total charging amp-hours accumulated today (value resets after dark).

Ahl _daily
[69][0x0044] (Ah). Today’s total load amp-hours.
Total load amp-hours accumulated today (value resets after dark).

Array_fault_daily
[70][0x0045] (bit-field). Today’s solar input self-diagnostic faults (sticky).
Reports array faults identified by self diagnostics that occurred today. Each bit corresponds to a specific
fault. If a bit is set, that fault occurred at least once today. Bit order is identical to the Array_fault
bitfield.

Load_fault_daily
[71][0x0046] (bit-field). Today’s load output self-diagnostic faults (sticky).
Reports load faults identified by self diagnostics that occurred today. Each bit corresponds to a specific
fault. If a bit is set, that fault occurred at least once today. Bit order is identical to the Load_fault
bitfield.

alarm_daily (HI / LO)

[72, 73][0x0047, 0x0048] (bitfield). Today’s controller self-diagnostics alarms (sticky).
Reports alarms identified by self diagnostics that occurred today. Each bit corresponds to a specific
alarm. If a bit is set, that alarm occurred at least once today. Bit order is identical to the
alarm_hi/alarm_lo bitfield.

time_ab_daily
[74][0x0049] (s). Cumulative time in Absorption today.
Reports the cumulative number of seconds the battery has been in the Absorption charge stage today.
Counter resets at night.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 16/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

time_eq_daily
[75][0x004A] (s). Cumulative time in Equalization today.
Reports the cumulative number of seconds the battery has been in the Equalization charge stage today.
Counter resets at night.

time_fl_daily
[76][0x004B] (s). Cumulative time in Float today.
Reports the cumulative number of seconds the battery has been in the Float charge stage today. Counter
resets at night.

Va_max_daily
[77][0x004C] (V). Array Voltage max today.
Reports the maximum array voltage seen today. Value resets after dark.

MISCELLANEOUS 2
LED_state
[78][0x004D] ( ).
Reports the Status LED state.

Value LED State

0 LED_START
1 LED_START2
2 LED_BRANCH
3 EQUALIZE (FAST GREEN BLINK)
4 FLOAT (SLOW GREEN BLINK)
ABSORPTION (GREEN BLINK,
5
1HZ)
6 GREEN LED
7 GREEN / YELLOW LED
8 YELLOW LED

lighting_should_be_on
[79][0x004E] ( ). Lighting (load) on/off indication
A non-zero value here indicates that the load output should be ON. A zero value indicates the load
output should be OFF.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 17/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

CHARGING SETTINGS

Diagram A Charging stages and defining variables.

EV_reg
[57345][0xE000] (V). Regulation voltage (absorption), @ 25ºC.
The battery will charge at 100% charge current until battery voltage reaches this setpoint. The controller
will begin to taper input current so that this setpoint is maintained, but not exceeded. See diagram A.

EV_float
1. [57346][0xE001] (V). Float voltage, @ 25ºC
After Et_float seconds in absorption, when the battery is fully charged, the battery will transition to this
lower voltage charge setting to reduce gassing. See diagram A.
Set to zero to disable float stage

Et_float
[57347][0xE002] (s) Time before entering float.
Defines the length of time in absorption before transitioning to the float stage. See diagram A.

Et_floatlb
[57348][0xE003] (s) Time before entering float due to low battery.
If the battery voltage drops too low during the previous night, this value allows the user to specify a
longer period of time before entering float stage.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 18/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

EV_floatlb_trip
[57349][0xE004] (V). Voltage that triggers low battery float time.
Battery voltage that will trigger a longer period of time before entering float. - See Et_floatlb -

EV_float_cancel
[57350][0xE005] (V). Voltage that cancels float.
Specify the battery voltage that will cancel float for the next charge cycle. If the battery discharged too
low the previous night, the user may want to cancel float for the next day.

Et_float_exit_cum
[57351][0xE006] (V). Exit float timer.
Specify (cumulative) amount of time below float voltage before exiting the float stage. Battery voltage
may drop below the target float voltage due to insufficient charge current or a system load draws more
current from the battery than the array can provide.

EV_eq
[57352][0xE007] (V). Equalize voltage, @ 25ºC.
Battery equalize voltage. Periodic equalization equalizes cell voltages, bubbles the electrolyte, and helps
prevent sulfation of the battery. See diagram A.
Set to zero to disable equalization

Et_eqcalendar
[57353][0xE008] (days). Days between equalize cycles.
Specify the number of days between equalizations. Equalizing on a calendar basis ensures proper
maintenance of batteries.

Et_eq_above
[57354][0xE009] (s) Equalize time limit above Vreg.
Equalization will timeout after the specified number of seconds above PWM regulation voltage. If the
battery is charged above absorption voltage but has not yet reached the equalization setting, this value
serves as a safety timeout to prevent partial equalizations for extended periods of time. See diagram A.

Et_eq_reg
[57355][0xE00A] (s) Equalize time limit at Veq.
Equalization will stop after the specified number of seconds at the equalization setpoint voltage. See
diagram A.

EVb_ref_charge_lim
[57361][0xE010] (V). Reference charge limit.
Battery charge voltage limit.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 19/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

EV_tempcomp
[57371][0xE01A] (V/ºC). Temperature compensation.
Battery chemistry changes with temperature. Temperature compensation coefficient specifies the
amount that regulation voltage will be shifted with temperature. 25ºC reference, the negative is implied
(write a positive value). 12V lead-acid battery temperature compensation is approximately 0.03 V/C

EV_hvd
[57372][0xE01B] (V). High Voltage Disconnect, @ 25ºC.
Flag a fault/alarm if the battery voltage exceeds this setpoint. Also attempts to open the MOSFETs to
stop charging. Set to zero to disable HVD

EV_hvr
[57373][0xE01C] (V). High Voltage Reconnect.
The HVD fault/alarm will be cleared once the battery voltage drops below this setpoint.

Evb_ref_lim
[57374][0xE01D] (V). Maximum regulation limit
An absolute limit on the battery regulation voltage. This is not a temperature compensated value.
Protects high voltage sensitive system loads. Set to zero to disable.

ETb_max
[57375][0xE01E] (C). Maximum temperature compensation limit.
Maximum temperature to clamp temperature compensation.

ETb_min
[57376][0xE01F] (C). Minimum temperature compensation limit.
Maximum temperature to clamp temperature compensation.

ETb_lo_limit_100
[57377][0xE020] (C). Battery current limit upper temperature.
Battery temperature limit for 100% charging output to batteries. Battery temperatures above this value
will allow for up to 100% charging current. Linear charging current taper from ETb_lo_limit_100 to
Etb_lo_limit_0. ETb_lo_limit_100 must be greater that ETb_lo_limit_0 to operate.

ETb_lo_limit_0
[57378][0xE021] (C). Battery current limit low temperature.
Battery temperature limit for 0% charging output to batteries. Battery temperatures below this value will
provide 0% charging current. Linear charging current taper from ETb_lo_limit_100 to ETb_lo_limit_0.
ETb_lo_limit_100 must be greater that ETb_lo_limit_0 to operate.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 20/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

LOAD SETTINGS
EV_lvd
[57379][0xE022] (V). Low Voltage Disconnect.
Setpoint to determine the load turn off voltage. When the battery has discharged too far, the load should
be turned off to prevent over-discharge of the battery.

EV_lvr
[57380][0xE023] (V). Low Voltage Reconnect.
Battery setpoint that determines when the load will be reconnected. After the battery recharges to this
setpoint, the load will be reconnected.

EV_lhvd
[57381][0xE024] (V). Load High Voltage Disconnect.
Disconnect the loads if the battery voltage rises too high. This function can protect DC loads that are
sensitive to high input voltage. Set to zero to disable HVD

EV_lhvr
[57382][0xE025] (V). Load High Voltage Reconnect.
Setpoint at which the loads will reconnect after a high voltage condition.

ER_icomp
[57383][0xE026] (V/A). LVD Load current compensation.
The LVD setpoint can be compensated in proportion to load current, lowering the disconnect value
when the battery is under load. Note that the LED setpoints are also compensated accordingly.

Et_lvd_warn
[57384][0xE027] (s). LVD warning timeout.
Defines the period of time to wait before disconnecting the loads, once battery voltage has dropped to
the Low Voltage Disconnect setpoint.

MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS
EV_soc_g_gy
[57393][0xE030] (V). LED green to green/yellow limit.
LED transition setpoint. Specifies the battery voltage at which the LED state will change from Green to
Green/Yellow.

EV_soc_gy_y
[57394][0xE031] (V). LED green/yellow to yellow limit.
LED transition setpoint. Specifies the battery threshold voltage at which the LEDs will change from
Green/Yellow to Yellow indication.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 21/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

EV_soc_y_yr
[57395][0xE032] (V). LED yellow to yellow/red limit.
LED transition setpoint. Specifies the battery threshold voltage at which the LEDs will change from
Yellow to Yellow/Red indication.

EV_soc_y2r0
[57396][0xE033] (V). LED yellow/red to blinking red limit.
LED transition setpoint. Specifies the battery threshold voltage at which the LEDs will change from
Yellow/Red to Blinking Red indication.

Emodbus _id
[57397][0xE034] ( ). MODBUS ID.
MODBUS address which uniquely identifies the controller on the MODBUS network.

Emeter _id
[57398][0xE035] ( ). MeterBus ID.
Address which uniquely identifies the controller on the Morningstar proprietary Meter Bus network.
Devices are daisy-chained on the Meter Bus network via the RJ-11 connections. Addresses are limited
to the range of 1-15
Warning: do not change this value unless necessary.

PWM SETTINGS
Eic _lim
[57401][0xE038] (A). Charge current limit.
Specify a battery charging current limit. 0-15A for 15A models, 0-30A for 30A models.

READ ONLY VARIABLES

Ehourmeter (LO / HI)
[57409,57410][0xE040,0xE041] (hours). Hourmeter.
Cumulative hours the controller has been running. Non-volatile, written every 24hrs.

EAhl_r (LO / HI)

[57411,57412][0xE042,0xE043] (amp-hours). Load resettable Ah.
Cumulative amp-hours typically used for short-term logging. Resettable.

EAhl_t (LO / HI)

[57413,57414][0xE044,0xE045] (amp-hours). Load total Ah.
Cumulative amp-hours for long term logging. Can be reset if needed.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 22/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Eahc_r (LO / HI)

[57415,57416][0xE046,0xE047] (amp-hours). Load resettable Ah.
Cumulative amp-hours typically used for short-term logging. Resettable.

Eahc_t (LO / HI)

[57417,57418][0xE048,0xE049] (amp-hours). Load total Ah.
Cumulative amp-hours for long term logging. Can be reset if needed.

EkWhc_r
[57419][0xE04A] (kWh). Charge Kilowatt hours resettable.
Cumulative charging kilowatt hours typically used for short-term logging. Resettable.

EkWhc_t
[57420][0xE04B] (kWh). Charge Kilowatt hours total.
Cumulative charging kilowatt hours for long term logging. Can be reset if needed.

EVb_min
[57421][0xE04C] (V). Minimum battery voltage.
Minimum battery voltage over last 24 hours. Written once every 24hrs.

EVb_max
[57422][0xE04D] (V). Maximum battery voltage
Maximum battery voltage over last 24 hours. Written once every 24hrs.

EVa_max
[57423][0xE04E] (V). Maximum array voltage.
Maximum array voltage over last 24 hours. Written once every 24hrs.

Etmr_eqcalendar
[57424][0xE04F] (V). Equalize calendar timer.
Number of days since last equalize.

COILS
Equalize Triggered
[01] [0x0000]
Trigger an equalize charge. Controller must be configured to a battery type that has equalization stage
and the equalize DIP switch must not be set to “disabled”. After the equalize charge has been
administered, the equalize calendar will be reset.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 23/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Load Disconnect
[02] [0x0001]
Forces load controller into disconnect state. Load will remain off until this coil is cleared.
Values:
0 = normal operation
0xFF00= load disconnect

Charge Disconnect
[03] [0x0002]
Forces charge controller into disconnect state. Charging will cease until this coil is cleared.
Values:
0 = normal charging
1= charging stopped

Clear Ah Resettable
[17] [0x0010]
Resets solar and load Ah (resettable) counters back to 0.
(set only, will always read 0)

Clear Ah Total
[18] [0x0011]
Resets solar and load Ah (total) counters back to 0.
(set only, will always read 0)

Clear kWh Resettable

[19] [0x0012]
Resets kilowatt hours charge (resettable) counter back to 0.
(set only, will always read 0)

Clear Faults
[21] [0x0014]
Clears active faults
(set only, will always read 0)

Clear Alarms
[22] [0x0015]
Clears active alarms
(set only, will always read 0)

Force EEPROM update

[23] [0x0016]
Force the controller to update EEPROM with RAM values.
(set only, will always read 0)

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 24/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Clear kWh Total

[25] [0x0018]
Resets total solar kilowatt-hour counter back to 0.
(set only, will always read 0)

Clear VB Min/Max
[26] [0x0019]
Resets battery voltage minimum and maximum.

Lighting Test
[27] [0x0020]
If lighting is enabled, turns on lighting output for 10 minutes.
(set only, will always read 0)

Factory Reset
[255][0x00FE]
Reverts controller back to Factory Default settings.

Reset control
[256] [0x00FF]
Reset control will force a reboot of the processor software.

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 25/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

Examples
Read Holding Register, 2 Word values
Variable (RAM): hours (hourmeter)
LO Register Address: 0x0037
HI Register Address: 0x0036
Scaling for this variable: none

1. read LO Register value(hex): 0x13D8

2. read HI Register value(hex): 0x0022
3. combine register values(hex): 0x002213D8
4. Convert to decimal: 2,233,304 hours

C Float32 Conversion to Float16 example

// Convert a float32 (IEEE754 Single precision binary32) to float16 (IEEE754 half precision binary16)
#include <stdint.h>
#include <math.h>

uint16_t F32ConvertToF16(float f32) {

uint16_t f16 = 0;
uint32_t f32_u = *(uint32_t*)&f32;
unsigned sign = (f32_u & 0x80000000) >> 31;
unsigned exponent = (f32_u & 0x7f800000) >> 23;
unsigned fraction = (f32_u & 0x007fffff) >> 13;
//check for inf and NaN
if (exponent == 0xFF) {
if (fraction == 0) { //inf detected
f16 = (sign == 1) ? 0xfc00 : 0x7c00;
} else { // NaN detected
f16 = 0x7c01;// output a NaN
}
} else {
//verify the number if within range
if (((int)exponent - 127) >= 15) {
//overflow, if exponent values are too high, we should return an inf
f16 = (sign == 1) ? 0xfc00 : 0x7c00; // negative and positive infinity, respectively
} else if (((int)exponent - 127) <= -14) {
//underflow
} else {
// normal numbers
f16 = (sign << 15) + ((unsigned)((int)exponent - 127) << 10) + (fraction);
}
}
return f16;
}

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 26/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

C Float16 Conversion to Float32 example

// Convert a float16 (IEEE754 half-precision binary16) to float32 (IEEE754 Single precision binary32)
#include <stdint.h>
#include <math.h>

float F16ConvertToF32(uint16_t f16) {

float f32 = 0;

unsigned sign = (f16 & 0x8000) >> 15; //extract out the sign
unsigned exponent = ((f16 & 0x7C00) >> 10); //extract out the exponent
float fraction = (f16 & 0x03ff) / 1024.0; //extract out the fraction

//check for inf & NaN, 0x7F800000 = +inf 0xFF800000 = -inf

if (exponent == 0x1f) {
if (fraction == 0) {
int positveInf = 0x7f800000;
int negativeInf = 0xff800000;
return (sign == 0) ? *(float*)&positveInf : *(float*)&negativeInf;
}
else {
return 0.0 / 0.0; //use 0.0 to generate NaN
}
}
//check for 0 or subnormal
if (exponent == 0 ) {
if (fraction == 0 ) { // if it is 0
if(sign == 1 )
return -0.0;
return 0.0; // use 0.0 to return a zero in float
}
else {
f32 = fraction * pow(2.0, -14.0);
if (sign == 1)
f32 *= -1.0;
return f32;
}
}
//the number is not a NaN or 0 or subnormal
f32 = (fraction + 1.0) * pow(2.0, ((int)exponent - 15));
if (sign == 1)
f32 *= -1.0;

return f32;

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 27/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

JavaScript Float16 conversion example

/*
Converts an integer read by modbus to float16 (IEEE754 half-precision binary16)
Modbus result is likely sign extended but we will ignore that
*/
function ScaleF16(passedVal)
{
var s = 0; // sign
var e = 0; // exponent
var currentVal = 0; // mantissa/result

currentVal = (passedVal & 0x03ff) / 1024.0; // 10 bit mantissa (normalized)

passedVal >>= 10;
e = (passedVal & 0x001f); // 5 bit exponent (stored w/ 15 offset)
passedVal >>= 5;
s = passedVal & 0x0001; // 1 bit sign

if (e == 0) { // zero or subnormal
if (currentVal == 0) return(0); // zero

// else subnormal (no leading 1.xxx)

currentVal *= Math.pow(2.0,-14);
if (s != 0) currentVal *= -1.0;
return (currentVal);
}

if (e == 0x1f) { // infinity or NaN

if (currentVal == 0) {
if (s==0) return(Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY); // +infinity
else return (Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY); // -infinity
} else return(Number.NaN); // NaN
}

currentVal += 1.0; // add in leading 1

currentVal *= Math.pow(2.0,e-15);
if (s != 0) currentVal *= -1.0;

return (currentVal);
}

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 28/29 22 Mar 2017

ProStar PWM MODBUS Document MS-001838 v2.0

References
• Visit http://www.modbus-ida.org/ for full protocol documentation, news, and technical resources
• MODBUS® Protocol Reference Guide, Modicon, June 1996, PI-MODBUS-300 Rev.J
• MODBUS® Application Protocol Specification, modbus.org, 8May02,
• Modbus_application_protocol_v1

Document Revision History

v01: First Release
v02: 2nd Release

http://www.morningstarcorp.com 29/29 22 Mar 2017