Xantrex XPower Micro Inverter 200 User Guide

by

XPower Micro Inverter
200, 400 and 800

Owner’s Manual

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Xantrex Technology Inc. is a world-leading supplier of advanced
power electronics and control s w ith products from 50 watt mobile
units to one MW utility-scale systems for wind, solar, batteries, fuel
cells, microturbines, and backup power applications in both grid­connected and stand-alo ne systems. Xantrex products include
inverters, battery chargers, programmable power supplies, and
variable speed drives that convert, supply, control, clean, and
distribute elec trical power.

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XPower by Xantrex is a trade m ark of Xantrex International.
Xantrex is a registered tradem ark of Xantrex International.
Other tradema r ks, reg ist er ed tr ade mark s, an d pr od uct n ame s ar e th e
property of their respective owners and are used herein for
identification purposes onl y.

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XPower Micro Inverter 200, 40 0 and 800 Owner’s Manual

© July 2003 Xantrex Internati ona l . All rig ht s reserved.

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UNLESS SPECIFICALL Y AGREED TO IN WRITING, XANTREX

TECHNOLOGY INC. (“XANTREX”)
(a) MAKES NO W ARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY,

SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY TECHNICAL OR OTHER
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER
DOCUMENTATION.

(b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR
DAMAGE, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR
INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH
INFORMATION. THE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE
ENTIRELY AT THE USER’S RISK.

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July 2003 Revision B

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975-0071-01-01

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Telephone: [phone] (toll free in North America)

Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.xantrex.com

1-360-435-8826 (direct)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About the XPower Micro Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. Important Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Additional Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. XPower Micro Inverter Features. . . . . . . . . . . 7

AC (Front) Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DC (Back) Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Types of Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

XPower Micro Inve rter Accessories . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Connecting the XPower Micro Inverter . . . . 17

Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Connecting for Loads Under 150 Watts . . . . . . . . 19

Connecting for Loads Over 150 Watts . . . . . . . . . 21

5. Operating the XPower Micro Inverter . . . . . 25

Operating Conditions and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . 25

Shutting the Inverter Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Operating Normal Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Operating Loads Wit h High Surge Requirem e nts . 28

1

6. Maintaining Battery Condition . . . . . . . . . . . 30

7. Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Buzz in Audio Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Television Interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Troubleshooting Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

8. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

9. Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Return Material Authorization Policy . . . . . . . . . 50

Out of Warranty Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

10. Other Xantrex Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

2

1 Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a Xantrex XPower Micro

Inverter 200, 400 or 800. The XPower Micro Inverter
200, XPower Micro Inverter 400 or XPower Micro
Inverter 800 are part of a family of ultra-compact,

light-weight and modern power inverters from
Xantrex, the leader in high frequency inverter design.

About the XPower Micro Inverter

Connected to the 12 volt outlet in your car, truck, boat,
RV, or directly from a dedicated 12 volt battery (400
and 800 watt only), the XPower Micro Inverter
efficiently and reliably powers a wide variety of
household AC products, such as portable stereos,
laptop computers, TVs, VCRs, and other similar
products.

The XPower Micro Inverter uses reliable solid state
power electronics for years of safe, trouble-free
operation and includes the following automatic
features to ensure safe and trouble-free operation:

• Low battery alarm (400 and 800 watt only)

• Low voltage shutdown

1

• High voltage shutdown

• Overload shutdown

• Over temperature shutdown

• Short circuit protection

About This Manual

T o get th e best perfo rmance from y our XPower Micr o

Inverter, Xantrex recommends that you read this

manual before connecting and using the inverter, and
then save it for future reference.

This manual contains:

• Important safety information (page 3)

• Instructions for connecting the inverter (page 17)

• Operating guidelines (page 25)

• Troubles ho ot ing gui d e lin e s (page33)

• Specifications (page 41)

• Warranty and service information (page 44)

2

2 Important Safety Information

Misusing or incorrectly connecting the XPower Micro

Inverter 200, XPower Micro Inverter 400 or XPower
Micro Inverter 800 may damage the equipment or

create hazardous conditions for users. Read the
following safety instructions and pay special attention
to all Caution and Warning statements in the manual.

Warnings identify
personal injury or loss of life.

Cautions identify conditions or practices that may
damage the unit or other equipment.

Warnings and Cautions

WARNING: Shock hazard

Keep children away from the X Power Micro

Inverter . The inverter generates the same

potentially letha l AC po w er as a nor m al household
wall outlet. Treat the outlet with respect!

conditions that may result in

3

WARNING: Heated surface

The XPower Micro Inverter housing may become
uncomfortably warm, reaching 140° F (60° C) under
extended high power operation. Ensure that at least
2 inches (5 cm) of air surround the inverter. During
operation, keep it away from materials that may be
affected by high tempe r atures.

WARNING: Explosion hazard

Do not use the XPower Micro Inverter in the
presence of flammable fumes or gases, such as in
the bilge of a gasoline powered boat, or near
propane tanks. Do not use the XPower Micro

Inverter in an enclosure containing automotive-type,

lead-acid batteries. These batteries, unlike sealed
batteries, vent explosive hydrogen gas, which can be
ignited by sparks from electrical connections.

4

WARNING - Crash hazard

Vehi cle driver’s should not configure or
troubleshoot the XPower Micro Inverter while they
are driving the vehicle.

CAUTION - Output non-si nusoidal

Some chargers for small nickel-cadmium bat t eries
can be damaged if connected to the XPower Micro

Inverter. Do not use the XPower Micro Inverter

with the following equipment:

• Small battery-operated appliances like
rechargeable flashlights, some rechargeable
shavers, and night lights th at are plugged
directly into an AC receptacle to recharge.

• Battery chargers used in hand power tools.
These chargers display a warning label stating
that dangerous voltages are present at the
charger battery terminals.

5

CAUTION

Do not connect live AC power to the XPower Micro

Inverter’s AC outlets. Th e inve rter will be damage d

even if it is switched OFF.
Do not connect any AC load , wh ic h ha s its neutral
conductor connected to ground, to the XPower

Micro Inverter.

Additional Safety Guidelines

• Do not insert foreign objects in the XPower

Micro Inverter outlets or ventilation openings.

• Never connect the inverter to power utility AC
distribution wiring.

• Do not use the XPower Micro Inverter in
temperatures over 104° F (40° C).

• Do not expose the XPower Micro Inverter to
water, rain, snow, or spray.

Failure to follow these safety guidelines may cause
personal injury and/or damage to the XPower Micro

Inverter. It may also void your product warranty.

6

3 XPower Micro Inverter
Features

This section describes the main features of the

XPower Micro Inverter.

AC (Front) Panel

Figure 1 shows the AC panel of the XPower Micro

Inverter 200. Use Table 1 to identify the function of

items.

1

3

2

Figure 1

AC Panel of XPower Micro Inverter 200

7

Figure 2 shows the AC panel of the XPower Micro

Inverter 400. Use Table 1 to identify the function of

items.

1

3

2

Figure 2

8

AC Panel of XPower Micro Inverter 400

Figure 3 shows the AC panel of the XPower Micro

Inverter 800. Use Table 1 to identify the function of

items.

1

3

2

Figure 3

AC Panel of XPower Micro Inverter 800

9

Table 1

AC Panel Functions

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AC Outlets

1

XPower Micro Inverter 200

An AC receptacle is located on one end of the

XPower Micro Inverter 200. You can plug in

120-volt appliances with a combined total
continuous power co nsumption of 160 watts or
less when the inverter is turned on.

XPower Micro Inverter 400

Two AC receptacles are located on one end of the

XPower Micro Inverter 400. You can plug in

120-volt appliances with a combined total
continuous power co nsumption of 320 watts or
less when the inverter is turned on.

XPower Micro Inverter 800

Two AC receptacles are located on one end of the

XPower Micro Inverter 800. You can plug in

120-volt appliances with a combined total
continuous power co nsumption of 600 watts or
less when the inverter is turned on.

10

Table 1

AC Panel Functions

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On/Off Switch

2

When the On/Off switch is on, AC power is
available at the AC outlet.

STATUS LED

3

The green light is on all the time when the On/Off
switch is on.
The red light indicates that the inverter has shut
down. Shutdown is caused by low or high battery
voltage, overload, or excessively high temperatures.

Audible Alarm (400 and 800 watt only)
An audible alarm warns of an impending low
voltage shutdown.

Ventilation Openings

To prevent overheating, ensure that all the
ventilation openings on the unit are kept clear.

11

DC (Back) Panel

Figure 4 shows the DC panel of the XPower Micro

Inverter 200. Use Table 2 to identify the function of

items.

1

Figure 4

12

DC Panel of XPower Micro Inverter 200