Getting data from BMV-702 and SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr into Cerbo GX

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journeyman asked Oct 13, '20

Getting data from BMV-702 and SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr into Cerbo GX

Hello fellow Victron enthusiasts!

I need to confirm a few details hot to set up my Cerbo GX to pull data from BMV-702 and 2 Smart Solar controllers.

This is what I have:

2 battery banks. One primary bank and a smaller secondary that I will use to power the 4 G router and Cerbo GX for remote monitoring purpose only.

BMV-702 monitor - connected to a shunt (Not the Bluetooth smart shunt).

SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr - charges my main battery bank from 8 solar panels on the roof.

SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 (MC4 connections) - Charging my small secondary battery bank from 2 solar panels on my wall.

Phoenix Inverter 48 Volt - 3000 VA

This is what i want to accomplish:

I want to be able to monitor and control my system remotely when I'm not living in my cabin at winter. I need to be able to monitor my two battery banks, turn on or off my Phoenix inverter to conserve power on my primary battery bank when the solar panels get covered by snow.

The idea is to power my 4G broadband router, Cerbo GX from by secondary battery bank only that gets charged by 2 solar panels mounted on the wall to prevent them from being covered by snow.

The question is how to set up my Cerbo GX so it can pull data from the BMV-702 that is connected to my primary battery bank and also pulling data from the two SmartSolar MPPT controllers?

As i see it I connect the BMV-702 to my SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr using a 10 meter VE direct cable. But this will use the only VE connection available on the controller. How do i connect the SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr to my Cerbo GX? as well as pulling data from the smaller SmartSolar MPPT 75/15.

Must i use other cables/adapters? Or will it connect automatically via Bluetooth?

I hope I explain the situation well, let me know if anything seems unclear.

cerbo gx BMV Battery Monitor MPPT SmartSolar

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Answer 1 · 2020-10-13T21:19:16Z

Matthias Lange - DE answered · Oct 13, 2020 at 09:19 PM

Each device will be connected directly to the Cerbo GX.

Depending on which Phoenix inverter you have (a new smart or an older non-smart) it will be connected also via VE.direct or VE.bus.

If it is the smart Phoenix, one device has to be connected with a VE.direct to USB cable.

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Answer 2 · 2020-10-14T10:33:08Z

journeyman answered · Oct 14, 2020 at 10:33 AM

I don't have the smart Phoenix inverter. I have the Blue Power version with RJ45 connector, i'm not sure if that version have VE.direct? Since the inverter is located much further away than 10 meters from the place where I will install the Cerbo GX, I can't use VE.direct cables as they are maximum 10 meters. So my plan is to use a network cable to connect the inverter into the Cerbo GX, this should not be any problems right?

I need to verify that I have the correct cables, and/or adapters to connect all my devices to the Cerbo GX before i drive to the cabin this weekend.

If all other Victron devices must be connected to the Cerbo GX, what will happen if the Cerbo GX malfunctions? Might this cause the solar controllers to not being able to charge my batteries or not getting proper voltage, temperature data from batteries? Or have Victron taken this into consideration in the design?

My challenge is to make sure I have the monitoring solution "Cerbo GX" up and running using my smaller secondary battery bank consisting of two 12 volt AGM batteries in parallel each having 95 ampere hours. Because earlier winters my main 48 volt battery bank of 220 AH got almost completely drained when the solar panels on the roof got covered in snow. The inverter consumes 25 watts and on top of that I have 4G router, weather station and Cerbo GX.

This is why I need to be able to remotely turn off the inverter to make sure there are no loads on the main battery bank to prevent them from getting damaged by too low voltage.

Hopefully my smaller secondary battery bank can keep these devices running and they won't deplete the batteries faster than the sun can re-charge them from the solar panels on the wall.

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Matthias Lange - DE ♦ commented · Oct 14, 2020 at 11:32 AM

If you have one of this Phoenix' :
https://www.victronenergy.com/inverters/phoenix-inverter-12v-24v-48v-800va-3kva
it is one with VE.bus and it don't have VE.direct, so you have to use a RJ45 cable.

If the Cerbo stops working, the other devices are keep doing there job.

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Answer 3 · 2020-10-14T12:08:30Z

JohnC answered · Oct 14, 2020 at 12:08 PM

Hi @Journeyman

Please bear in mind that your Cerbo is really designed for one battery system, not two. But you might get away with it..

If your Phoenix has a RJ45 port, then that's VE.Bus. It's wired to the Cerbo VE.Bus. The Cerbo has 3x VE.Direct ports. One you'd use for the BMV, the other 2 for the mppts.

Forget bluetooth. Run wifi and/or ethernet from the Cerbo to your internet router.

Set/wire your BMV aux port to monitor your 'start battery' V.

Now, the Cerbo will assume both your mppt's are feeding your main bank. You can't deselect that, except by pulling the 75/15's VE.Direct cable.

Tick the 'Has DC system' in the Cerbo. The DC Power tile will then show the calculated difference introduced by the 75/15 as a load. You may find some variability shows there, but as a guide to what the 75/15 is doing it might suffice.

Don't use DVCC in this scenario. If you don't like it this way, disconnect the 75/15 from the Cerbo and let it run alone. You'll still see the 12V system's V from the BMV.

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