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jacola avatar image
jacola asked

Control Multiplus directly via VE.Bus/MK3 - no Venus/Cerbo

All, since now about 1/2 year i am plagued with a 3 phase installation (3x Multiplus 48/5000 and Venus, Pylontech Batteries) which quite often goes in a "havoc" mode where the Inverters start to go haywire, invert into the grid without observing their setpoints. Although it is very clear this happens in the Inverters (i monitor the Ve.Bus and can see that the setpoints given by Venus are correct), i am a bit desparate, obviously. So one possible solution to circumvent the error might be to control the Inverters direct.
Victron seems to not give support on this, so i ask here - does anyone have experience with this ?

I have the Pylontech CAN protocol sorted out and hacked, so i have all in need from the battery side, and i use an energy meter connected via Ethernet - the only missing link is to use the Mk3 to correctly deal with the Multiplus Inverters. I think i know about what to do, and i get all active data from the VE.Bus by just listening to it - but if there is someone out there with experience, please let me know.

Also i offer my knowledge and insights if someone has similar issues, wants to eavedrop on the VE.Bus or needs help receiving Pylontech's CAN data (in parallel to a Venus for example).

Johannes


multiplus ve.bus
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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ commented ·

@jacola

Do you have ess programmed on the system?

If so have you tried without ess? And just a set amp draw from grid?

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jacola avatar image jacola Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Hi Alexandra, tried with ESS Mode 3, also ESS Mode 2 .. no idea how to disable the ESS altogether and set amp draw - wouldn't that be ESS Mode 3 (just providing setpoints) ?

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ jacola commented ·

@jacola

Ess dynamically changes the input current limit based on ac load. So you may be experiencing a side effect in your setup from that.

I have seen it is worsen when not all the components have been updated and some of them are.

You can delete the assistant completely and try without it and set the input current limit still with the venus. Switch of the dynamic input current limiter.

There are quite a few threads I have read where the energy meter is also the cause of some of the havoc. For troubleshooting maybe remove it from the system for a bit to eliminate it as the cause

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2 Answers
bathnm avatar image
bathnm answered ·

If you look at the white pages section of the Victron downloads, there is one on interfacing with VE. bus

I suspect it will be hard work, and Venus OS should deliver what you need as it has a full VE.Bus interface

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jacola avatar image jacola commented ·

Hello Bathnm, thanks - i studied this and already built a "VE.Bus Sniffer" using the Mk3 and an external controller. From what i see there, Venus works correctly (and provides setpoints) BUT there are unexplainable bus errors happening on that VE.Bus. Exchanging the Venus against a Cerbo did not solve that (yes, could be my interpretation of the traffic also but i dont think so). To rule out problems on the venus side i think it might make sense to control direct - even if this is only an interim solution to help find the issue.

So i was hoping someone here has done it before .. i can offer a working Pylontech interface solution in return :)

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jschz answered ·

Hi @jacola . I want to do the same. I have a Raspberry pi and I want to communicate with it using a python script that implements the mk2/mk3 protocol. If you were able to do it and could help me, I would really appreciate it.

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