EasyPlus, VE.Bus Smart Dongle, SmartShunt 500 Temperature Sensing confusion

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amidships asked Aug 13, '21

EasyPlus, VE.Bus Smart Dongle, SmartShunt 500 Temperature Sensing confusion

Hello,

I am playing in my lab with my new setup to be installed in a campervan. The setup is as follow (questions listed later):

200Ah LiFeP04 battery:

EasyPlus Compact 12/1600/70:

- Temperature sensing cable connected to battery minus pole

VE.Bus Smart Dongle:

- RJ45 connected to EasyPlus

- B- connected to battery minus pole

- B+ and T- connected to battery plus pole using cable "Temperature Sensor for BVM-702/712

SmartShunt 500A:

- Aux and Vbatt+ connected to battery plus pole using cable "Temperature Sensor for BVM-702/712

Interface MK3-USB:

- RJ45 connected to EasyPlus

Questions:

1) Temperature is being read in three places (EasyPlus,Ve.Bus Smart Dongle, and SmartShunt)

Can I simplify the cabling by removing some of the temperature sensors? I.e. can EasyPlus Compact use the temperature readings from either VE.Bus Smart Dongle or SmartShunt 500A? Please note that I will also add a SmartSolar MPPT75/15 and that one for sure will need either the SmartShunt 500A or the VE.Bus Smart Dongle for temperature sensing (using VE.Smart Network)

2) How come that the temperature cable from the EasyPlus has to be mounted on the negative pole whole the ones from VE.Bus Smart Dongle and SmartShunt 500A goes on the positive pole? Can I attach it to the positive pole as well. Since I am using the shunt, I rather not attach anything between the shunt "To battery minus" and the battery minus pole

3) on VE.Bus Smart Dongle the B- should be connected to battery minus pole (according to documentation)

Could I attach it on the side "To system minus" of the shunt? Again to avoid (as best practices) having anything between the shunt and the battery minus pole.

4) can EasyPlus Compact 12/1600/70 read from the attached VE.Bus Smart Dongle or SmartShunt 500A (using VE.Smart Network) to get temperature information and battery monitor status? I know I can enable "Enable battery monitor" in the EasyPlus, but how does it play with the other components? In general, can EasyPlus pull information from other components?

Thanks!

SmartShunt VE.Bus Temperature Sensor EasyPlus

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Answer 1 · 2021-08-14T00:49:49Z

Mike Dorsett answered · Aug 14, 2021 at 12:49 AM

Whatever you do DON'T attach the temp sensor from the EasyPlus to anything but a negative terminal!! Last time I did that, it blew the control board in the EasySolar, despite the manual saying that these sensors are isolated!!

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amidships commented · Aug 14, 2021 at 04:59 PM

Thanks for the heads up @Mike Dorsett.

I was actually thinking of entirely removing the temp sensor. But it's unclear to me if:

a) The easyplus will then use the VE.Bus Smart Dongle for temperature sensing

b) If I need a temp sensor at all given that I have a lithium battery (when configuring the easyplus for lithium, I get a message that temp sensor is not use during charge)

Any idea?

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Matthias Lange - DE ♦ amidships commented · Aug 14, 2021 at 05:08 PM

It's "b" with lithium batteries the EasyPlus won't use the temperature.

If you have a GX device it might be interested to see the temperature in the VRM portal.

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/temperature_sensors

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amidships Matthias Lange - DE ♦ commented · Aug 14, 2021 at 05:13 PM

Thanks @Matthias Lange - DE , then given that I can read the temperature from my shunt and from my VE.Bus Smart Dongle with temperature sensing can I physically disconnect the temp sensor cable from inside the easyplus and from the battery minus pole?

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Mike Dorsett amidships commented · Aug 14, 2021 at 05:35 PM

I've not worked with the smart dongle, but the multiplus can use temperature on the VE bus. With lithium, temp sensing is not needed for vharge voltage adjustment, but is required for low temperature protection of the batteries, where the charge and discharge currents are very limited at low temperatures. In the tropics, where I am, this isn't a problem, but you also can benefit from temperature sensors in the battery pack to detect an unusual rise in temperature - usually indicating that a cell is going down. What are you using for a BMS? It is usually the BMS function to control the temperature and voltage related issues with the Lithium battery.

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amidships Mike Dorsett commented · Aug 15, 2021 at 11:48 AM

Thanks @Mike Dorsett , I have now removed the cable sensor attached inside the EasyPlus terminal and it turns out to be identical to this one https://www.victronenergy.com/accessories/temperature-sensor-qua-pmp-venus-gx just wrapped around a little ferrite core near the terminal attachment.

My VE.Bus Smart Dongle is connected to the EasyPlus so I hope the charger will pick up any temp reading it needs.

In addition, the battery on board BMS has the following specs and as far as I understand it should take care of the scenario you mention

Voltage	Charging voltage	DC:14.4V 3.6V/Cell (CC/CV)
Voltage	Balance voltage for single cell	3.60±0.05V
Current	Balance current for single cell	116±10mA
	Current consumption	≤600μA
	Maximal continuous charging current	150A
	Maximal continuous Discharging current	150A
Over charge Protection	Over charge detection voltage	3.75±0.05V
	Over charge detection delay time	0.5S—2S
	Over charge release voltage	3.6±0.1V
Over discharge protection	Over discharge detection voltage	2.2±0.1V
	Over discharge detection delay time	10mS—400mS
	Over discharge release voltage	2.7±0.1V
Over current protection	Over current detection current	500±50A
	Detection delay time	5ms—60ms
	Release condition	Cut load,charge release
Short protection	Detection condition	Exterior short circuit
	Detection delay time	200-800us
	Release condition	Cut load,charge release
Resistance	Protection circuitry	≤50mΩ
Temperature	Operating Temperature Range	-40～+85℃
Temperature	Storage Temperature Range	-40～+125℃

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