Tigo Communication Basics

Two Types of Communication

1. Flex MLPE - Wireless Communication

The first type of communication is wireless.  See below.  This is used with Tigo's TS4-M, TS4-S, and TS4-O.  These products can be mixed and matched in what we call Selective Deployment.

The TAP is like a Wifi hotspot.  It communicates wirelessly with the TS4 units.

The TAP is connected to the CCA (Cloud Connect Advanced) by an RS485 communications cable.  In a typical system, TAPs are mounted under the PV array, and CCAs are mounted near the inverter(s)

For more information on Tigo's wireless communication, see our article, "TAP and Mesh".

2. PLC Communication - TS4-F

The second kind of communication is PLC (Power Line Communications).  This is used with the TS4-F.  The TS4-F does only rapid shutdown.  It does not do module level monitoring or DC optimization.  The TS4-F can not be mixed with the Flex MLPE products above.  The TS4-F must be deployed on every module in the system.

This method uses a signal transmitted over the DC wiring.  That signal comes from the RSS Transmitter, which can be built in to the inverter.  See TS4-F Design Essentials for more information.

The RSS Transmitter has a magnetic core.  Either the positive or negative wire from each string passes through the core.  This allows the signal to be transmitted on the DC wiring.

The Tigo RSS Transmitter has a range limit.  The entire DC loop for each string, from the positive terminal on the inverter, out through the array, to the negative terminal on the inverter, should be less than 1000 feet (300 meters).

For more details on the TS4-F and the RSS Transmitter, see "Design Essentials for TS4-F/-A-F" and our "TS4-F/TS4-R-F Installation and Safety Manual"