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jimu avatar image
jimu asked

How to get BMV-712 Display to Auto-cycle V, A, SOC, etc.

  1. My new BMV-712 Smart is supposed to "cycle through status items" on it's display, according to the manual (section 3.11.1), by pressing and holding the "-" key for 3 seconds. It will not do this. I need this advertised feature. Unit is running version 4.01. Is this a glitch, or am I overlooking something?
BMV Battery Monitor
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4 Answers
jimu avatar image
jimu answered ·

Martijn, after several failed attempts to correct the auto-cycling display by upgrading the firmware, and re-installing the Victron Connect app, I stumbled onto why the feature would not work. I can get it to function now, only after discovering the programming flaw. As you mentioned, one must hold the "minus" key down for 4 seconds to get the auto-cycling going. Any button will stop it as soon as it's pressed. HOWEVER, don't hold the button more than 50 milliseconds longer, or else it will see a pressed button as a cancel command. Dont even hold it 4.1 or 4.2 seconds, or even 4.5 seconds! This should not require lightning fast reflexes of a user, just some good button latching/debouncing routines. I imagine once the 4 seconds has been satisfied, on the very next program scan it had better see the button released or it takes that as a cancelling press. The very thick wood I have the BMV-712 mounted in prevents me from hearing the faint buzzer, but as soon as I see the display change, I let go of the button as quickly as I can. Maybe some of the others that posted of the fact that they no longer have that functionality, can try this work around and see if it works for them. I can repeatedly turn this feature on now, although bothersome to require such "program scan" reflexes of the finger. Please verify that you too experience a "cancel" before cycling even begins, when the button is held even a quarter second too long. Thanks for getting back today, and reviving my interest after having given up.

Jim

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Paul B avatar image
Paul B answered ·

log on to it using the Victron connect app and under settings and thgen display setting there is a option to turn scrolling off or on, you can also turn on or off different items to display on that screen


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jimu avatar image
jimu answered ·

Paul, thanks for the reply, however, this doesnt address my issue. Everyone seems to confuse "scrolling" with "cycling through" the main status items "AFTER" parameters are set. The BMV-712 itself, along with the Connect App, allows you to vary the "Scroll Speed". This is merely scrolling long lines of "Setup text" on the 712 when setting up parameters while configuring the unit. This is what they refer to as scrolling. Section 3.11.1 in the manual describes how to have the local display change every couple seconds from voltage, to amps, to watts, or whatever you chose go have your unit display. It just doesn't require a press of a button. Sort of a "marquee" display. Victron claims the BMV-712 has that capability, but it doesnt work. Please someone with a BMV-712 try and verify this feature, on the hardware itself, and not the app. I cant get it to work as described.

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Paul B avatar image Paul B commented ·

I have just gone and check my unit and you are correct the auto screen change that I have seen working in the past now does not work, and there is no off or on in the app for that matter as well.

and even in the Demo app there is no option


hopefully Victron will notice this now that you have bought it to there attention

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jimu avatar image jimu commented ·

Thank you for checking Paul. I was hoping it was something I overlooked. I was counting on this feayure. As I can "view" my readout, just not comfortably reach it.

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Martijn Coster (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Martijn Coster (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hello @JimU and @Paul B

First of all sorry for the late reply. The scrolling feature is available in firmware version v4.01
I just tested it my self. You start it by pressing the - button for 4 seconds. It is then acknowledge by a beep. The screen will change every 2 seconds. Could you try again and let me know if it works

best regards
Martijn Coster - Victron Energy

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jimu avatar image jimu commented ·

Martijn, thank you for the reply. But the instructions you described, are exactly what is in the manual and is what I've been quoting that I've been doing without results. However, I just went out to the motorhome and tried it again for the 50th time. No results. and also with many variations. I know my buttons aren't stuck because they work as expected for setting parameters, etc. Another poster, (Paul B.) replied that he used to have this feature but now he doesn't with version 4.01 If I knew this feature did not work as advertised, I would not have bought a unit so tiny that only 1 status can be displayed. I would have bought a unit that display everything on one larger display, such as the Blue Sea Systems M2 series model 1830 https://www.bluesea.com/products/1830/M2_DC_SoC_Monitor

Several posters replied regarding the "scrolling" feature. Scrolling is not my issue. That is another feature, for scrolling a long sentence or parameter that won't fit on the screen at one time. I do not have a problem with scrolling.

I hope this clarifies my problem a little more, and is helpful getting to the bottom of this missing feature. If you have one that works properly, maybe you could ship it to me and I will gladly ship back the problematic unit.

Regards, Jim

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See your email for a video of the auto cycle function.
This function was not implemented in the first release of the firmware but it is in v4.01

gr. Martijn

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