Configuring Cerbo GX

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juha-pennanen asked Aug 11, '23

Configuring Cerbo GX

I have an off-grid system, installed Cerbo and connected all "smart" things to it: 2 x MPPT, 1 x smart inverter, 3 x smart shunt. Out of the 3 smart shunts one for battery, one for a "dumb" Phoenix inverter and one for windmill controller. Cerbo sees all of them and their values, but thinks obviously that the windmill and the Phoenix (Big inverter) are also batteries.
How do I tell Cerbo, that one of the shunts is a DC producer and one is load?

PS The Small inverter is currently missing form the picture as I did not have USB hub here....

cerbo gx

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pwfarnell answered · Aug 11, 2023 at 07:28 AM

You need to set up the SmartShunts as "DC Energy Meter" using Victron Connect.

See the manual

https://www.victronenergy.com/media/pg/SmartShunt/en/all-features-and-settings.html#UUID-a8b42cd2-2e6d-c938-d60c-4ae2beea0e0a

If you wish to use the battery monitor to monitor individual DC circuits rather than as a whole-of-system battery monitor, you can change the "Monitor mode" setting in the "Misc" menu from "Battery Monitor" to "DC Energy Meter".

If "DC meter" is selected, you can select the following types:

Solar charger, Wind charger, Shaft generator, Alternator, Fuel cell, Water generator, DC-DC charger, AC charger, Generic source, Generic load, Electric drive, Fridge, Water pump, Bilge pump, DC system, Inverter, Water heater.

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Answer 1 · 2023-08-11T15:51:41Z

juha-pennanen answered · Aug 11, 2023 at 03:51 PM

Do I have to do this using the Victron Connect app? The system is in remote location so I cannot at this time have a BT connection. Could it be done using the console of the Cerbo - I have a remote Console connection available?

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pwfarnell commented · Aug 11, 2023 at 04:05 PM

You can do it remotely if the Cerbo GX is connected to the internet and VRM.

Open VictronConnect and on the opening screen select VRM at the top rather than LOCAL. Then select your Cerbo GX from the list, then when the Cerbo opens select DEVICES from the top, then you should be able to select devices connected to the Cerbo and edit their settings

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Answer 2 · 2023-08-11T16:47:53Z

juha-pennanen answered · Aug 11, 2023 at 04:47 PM

Hmm - Victron Connect opens and VRM is showing Cerbo (Overview), but hitting Devices I do not get anything....VRM online portal does open and there I see Devices, but cannot do anyting (except Delete...). Same list of devices I see also on my PC with VRM

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pwfarnell commented · Aug 11, 2023 at 04:53 PM

Use the Victron Connect app on your Smartphone. If you follow my instructions then you get to the settings page just as you would do if you were using Bluetooth. It does not work on the PC. I will add some screes if you still have trouble.

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juha-pennanen pwfarnell commented · Aug 12, 2023 at 06:00 AM

Still no success.... I'm using Victron Connect app.

Hitting VRM I see this

Hitting DEVICES gives me this

And touching the text explains me this

Now it may be the "VRM two-way communication is not enabled"... I tried to "Go to Settings", but which settings? The only option the app offers, is "VRM ONLINE PORTAL" and the GENERAL has setting, but nothing about "two way communication"....

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pwfarnell juha-pennanen commented · Aug 12, 2023 at 07:42 AM

The VRM 2 way communication is set up in the Cerbo, so on the OVERVIEW screen press the blue VRM ONLINE PORTAL button to go to VRM. Then on VRM Click on "Remote Console" which then gives you a replica screen as though you were using the Cerbo itself. You can also do this on the PC logging into VRM. However, this may not work if you do not have 2 way communication enabled. If it works you need to go into settings menu for VRM. If it does not work you need to do this on the Cerbo itself not remotely.

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juha-pennanen pwfarnell commented · Aug 14, 2023 at 12:33 PM

I know all this - not problem having the Remote Console on VRM Portal. But where do I enable the "2 way communication"? Can I enable this remotely - and if so how?

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pwfarnell juha-pennanen commented · Aug 14, 2023 at 02:03 PM

If you can connect to the Remote Console, go to menu by tapping the bottom right corner of the screen, then select menu, scroll down and select settings, scroll down and select VRM Online Portal, scroll down and turn 2-way communication on.

If 2 way communication is off then this may not work and you will need to do it local using the same procedure.

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Answer 3 · 2023-08-11T16:58:50Z

Kevin Windrem answered · Aug 11, 2023 at 04:58 PM

Note that the devices reported as DC Meters currently only appear in the device list on Cerbo. However, I have a GUI enhancement called GuiMods that provides a flow overview with additional components. Select the DC Coupled enhanced view.

https://github.com/kwindrem/GuiMods

GuiMods also fills in the inverter tile with VE.Direct inverters but I do not think the inverter's DC meter will show up in the flow. It all depends on what device Venus OS assigns to that shunt.

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Answer 4 · 2023-08-11T17:05:09Z

juha-pennanen answered · Aug 11, 2023 at 05:05 PM

... sorry being such a clueless.... :-(

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