question

scottlykken avatar image
scottlykken asked

Does Cerbo GX output VE.Can data?

I am planning a system around the Cerbo GX that includes:

  • Victron Lithium batteries
  • VE.Bus BMS
  • Victron SmartShunt

I would like to interface with the Wakespeed WS500 alternator regulator that accepts VE.Can data to adjust charge rates/voltages.

Does the CerboGX VE.Can port output battery parameters (charge voltage, current limitation, battery current, etc)? Or does the CerboGX only listen on the VE.Can ports?

cerbo gxVE.Can
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Noah Taylor avatar image Noah Taylor commented ·

You ever find anything on this? I am looking at adding a Nations second alternator to my Victron system in my Sprinter.

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scottlykken avatar image scottlykken Noah Taylor commented ·

I was not able to determine that all of the parameters needed by the Wakespeed would be available on the CerboGX Ve.Can outputs. Even if they were, as bathnm describes, it seems like the system would be dependent on the state of various components to provide all the needed parameters.

Wakespeed still has some great functionality using their standard, non-Canbus Victron configuration.

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3 Answers
bathnm avatar image
bathnm answered ·

I have the same setup, 4 x 12,8/200 Smart Lithiums in a 24v/400A bank. I do not yet have the Wakespeed connected to the CAN bus. I do however have my Cerbo VE.Can port connected to my NMEA 2000 bus and my Raymarine Axiom chart plotter is displaying voltage and current from the Cerbo / BMV 712 and Smart Shunt I have connected.

Something to think about. While the Wakespeed will pick up voltage and current from NMEA 2000 I am not sure it will get a charge disconnect through. Do you want a critical shut down control on charge disconnect to maybe get through and be dependant on the Cerbo being operational! I have wired the Feature In cable to the BMS Charge Disconnect; I also connected the shunt inputs off the Wakespeed to the BMV 712 shunt on the Lithium bank and the voltage detection to the positive and negative of the lithium bank. I would rather the Wakespeed continue to work, rather than be dependant on the Cerbo doing a protocol translation to get the data through. I have already had one situation where the Wakespeed reacted to the Charge Disconnect event, but other devices didn't react and the charge voltage got a little too high for comfort. The only reason I know the BMS worked was due to the Wakespeed logs I was pulling at the time!

I do plan on connecting my Wakespeed to the BMS.Can port of the Cerbo, it will be more for monitoring the Wakespeed than the Wakespeed picking up voltage or current data.

There are a few changes to the default Victron Smart Lithium configuration on the Wakespeed site that are required to get the charge disconnect/feature in working, shunt and power matching when there is a load on the Lithium bank and float is being maintained. If you need any details please do make contact.

To answer your specific question of "Does the CerboGX VE.Can port output battery parameters (charge voltage, current limitation, battery current, etc)? Or does the CerboGX only listen on the VE.Can ports?". Yes it does as if you have a Victron MPPT that supports VE.Can it can be controlled and get information related to Voltage, Current and Charge Disconnect over the VE.Can port. Please not I have not yet tested as that part of my install is not yet complete. Again however I have taken the Charge Disconnect of the BMS direct to the units remote on/off so that it is not dependant on the information it receives over VE.Can. I am just using VE.Can to adjust for voltage drop in the line and to synchronise charging between the two MPPTs..

One thing to note, which I have found out during this week and can be found in various threads within this community. The Cerbo will get charge and load disconnect over the VE.Bus, but not direct from the VE.Bus BMS. It requires that your MultiPlus or Quatro be on and working, if it happens to be off the information will not get through. See this post and its associated links to other posts, I am also considering moving away from the VE.Bus BMS to smallBMS.

Take a look at this training information as it will highlight a few things that need to be considered.

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scottlykken avatar image scottlykken commented ·

Thanks for the detailed reponse!

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Patrick avatar image Patrick scottlykken commented ·

@Bathnm , is there another thread where you outline the system to monitor BMS disconnect without going through the Cerbo GX? I'd like know more about that approach.

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bathnm avatar image bathnm Patrick commented ·
@Patrick If you BMS has a ATC (Allow to Charge) signal. This can be routed into the Wakespeed through the feature in port. The Wakespeed will then change its charging regime based on configuration, It will either shut the charging own altogether, or swap into a much reduced voltage, get home mode.
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Patrick avatar image Patrick bathnm commented ·
Do you know if this is a standard feature of most BMS? When I search, it seems like its a term used in Victron's docs related to their Smart BMS, but not elsewhere. Maybe there is a more generic term?
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Patrick avatar image Patrick Patrick commented ·

Or maybe this is something one can get from the MODBUS output from a battery... In my EG4 docs, I see:

Address
Content
Comment
0022
Max charging Current
--
0025
Status
0x0000:Inactive/Stand by
0x0001:Inactive/Charging
0x0002:Inactive/Discharging
0x0004:Inactive/Protect
0x0008:Inactive/Charging Lmt
0x8000:Active/Stand by
0x8001:Active/Charging
0x8002:Active/Discharging
0x8004:Active/Protect
0x8008:Active/Charging Lmt
Front Byte 0x00: Heat State-Off
Front B yte 0x80:Heat State-On
0026
Warning
0x0001:Pack OV
0x0002:Cell OV
0x0004:Pack UV
0x0008:Cell UV
0x0010:Charge OC
0x0020:Discharge OC
0x0040:Abnormal Ambient Temp
0x0080: MOS Overheating
0x0100:Charge OT
0x0200:Discharge OT
0x0400:Charge UT
0x0800:Discharge UT
0x1000:Low capacity
0x2000: Float Stoped
0x4000:
0027
Protection
0x0001:Pack OV
0x0002:Cell OV
0x0004:Pack UV
0x0008:Cell UV
0x0010:Charge OC
0x0020:Discharge OC
0x0040: Abnormal
Ambient Temp
0x0080: MOS Overheating
0x0100:Charge OT
0x0200:Discharge OT
0x0400:Charge UT
0x0800:Discharge UT
0x1000:Low capacity
0x2000:Discharge SC
0028 Error



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hvdt avatar image
hvdt answered ·

Have a look at the batteries and bms from MG energy systems. They have integrated the wakespeed and victron with their bms over the can bus. Their bms (master lv) combines the functions bms/ shunt/ tempsense/ hvc&lvs relay and D.C. distribution for 4 connections.

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Patrick avatar image Patrick commented ·

April 2023
EG4-LL 24V 200 AH - $1700
MG Systems 24V 280AH - $6000

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bathnm avatar image
bathnm answered ·

As an update on this thread. If you use the Lynx Smart BMS, the Wakespeed will take CVL (Charge Vintage) and CCL(Charge Current) data from the Lynx Smart BMS. At present there is no means for the Wakespeed to take this from the Cerbo GX. One day maybe.

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lavignedavid avatar image lavignedavid commented ·

I am disapointed to hear this. Just purchased a WS500, an while I didn't expect full charge control - I had hoped that the WS <> Cerbo xover cable would send current/voltage/temp data back to the WS500. Oh well. @Bathnm , do you happen to know, without the Lynx BMS, will the xover connectio to cerbo at least display data from the alternator on the Cerbo & VRM?


My setup ... VE.Bus BMS (v2), CerboGX/ with GXTouch50 display, 4x VE 200ah 12v SmartLithium, Multiplus 12/3000/120, Balmar X250, along with the usual load & charge disconnects.

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bathnm avatar image bathnm lavignedavid commented ·
@lavigne.david@gmail.com Yes the WS500 will broadcast messages which the Cerbo GX will pick up and display. Do not use a crossover cable as that is not the correct cabling. Please take a look at the Cerbo GX manual and section on WS500 as that provides the cable PIN outs that you need to use. You will need to either make a cable or purchase one from Wakespeed.


The data you will get is all the normal data, namely current, voltage, field drive, mode, RPM, alternator temperature, etc. The current will depend on where you have wired the shunt and how you have then configured the WS500. It will run its own charge algorithm, just like the multiples and any connected MPPT controllers.

One day DVCC might be built into the WS500 and that would allow the Cerbo GX to send current targets, but with a VE.Bus BMS V2 you will never get the same level of integration as a Lynx Smart BMS

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lavignedavid avatar image lavignedavid bathnm commented ·
Thanks for the prompt response @Bathnm !! I have the VE SmartShunt monitoring my house loads now, but suppose I'll need to add another, BlueSea (or other) Shunt somewhere? DVCC is supported for the BlueSmart MPPT controllers isn't it? I'm using VE.Direct for those.
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