Hello, i’m looking for missing feature on CerboGX, i woudl like use Smart sense battery monitor (BT) with Cerbo GX, but is not possibile today. Ve.smart BT Lan is not supported by Cerbo GX , also indirect connection from other devices connected both to VE.direct & VE.Smart permit forward message from Smart sense.
Very small “Smart” really…, any idea or plans for sw upadate on CerboGX for VE.SMART connection ?
Officially the VE smart network is designed for systems without a GX. So not likely.
No need to start another thread.
We have looked into expanding Bluetooth support in the GX at several points, but each time the conclusion is that Bluetooth is just not the right solution when it comes to charging.
It has its place, and it’s very nice for setting up systems, but when it comes to maintaining a super reliable connection you can set up and forget to support charging, it just isn’t the right thing.
We have the GlobalLink520 product that offers Bluetooth connection to Victron components, and then send the details on to VRM. And it’s working nicely, but it’s done on an optimistic basis, and missing some signals here and there is acceptable for that context.
We also have some support for Ruuvi and other sensors, but they are purely for environmental monitoring, not battery charging control.
I don’t expect this situation to change soon.
The smart battery sense in combination with an MPPT, can work well, but then there is a special relationship using a voltage offset, combined with the reliable local voltage readings on the MPPT to make it work well. It’s more complicated and “smart” than one might think, and a specific solution for when there isn’t a hardwired GX.
I second implementing this in some limited way even.
2 ways come to mind:
- in some non critical applications where some dropped packets don’t matter much
- as a backup in case VE.Direct cable comes loose since they have no clip or anything that keeps them connected tightly (happens quite often in some scenarios)
Hi,
… that Bluetooth is just not the right solution when it comes to charging.
This statement is really weird.
1. Einführung states that ve.smart networking is exactly for that purpose. Charge controlling via isense/vsense/tsense and synchronized charging.
Hi Stewart,
thank for your effort in response. I understand , but as soft monitor case, not real control, can be useful. In my case i have CerboGX and i would like check the thruster battery voltage, distance is very long and hard to wire, more than i don’t see any solution at reasonable cost to monitor a battery voltage. System is 12V, thruster stack at 24, DC/DC charger doesn’t have connections for Ve direct. The only solution seem use a shunt on thurster, but make not sense, i need the unit 1000A , very expensive and very hard to connect wires of 100mmq…, and finally current measurement is not relevant information in this case. I buy BT battery sense, that sound good solution, but i have discovered that can’t be connecte toi Cerbo BT, and can’t be read by other device on BT VE.smart . Check Thruster battery voltage i suppose is common requirement on boat, manage BT sensor make sense, why not ? Any suggestion is welcome.
Hi @Kurs270,
It is, and I think to try and explain why it is different might not help much either.
But to try:
In the case of VE.Smart it was designed from the ground up with those limitations of Bluetooth in mind, and there were some very smart solutions to help, but then it is also still quite limited because of them.
You can see some of the effect of this when people are trying to mix VE.Smart and GX in the same system and there are conflicts and issues. And we clearly state this is not supported.
How the Victron product expects to behave with info from a VE.Smart network, vs how the GX expects it to behave when it is being controlled, are different.
Their approach is fundamentally different, and each working to their strengths.
With the GX it was from the beginning a different path that all the devices were hard wired, that is low latency and very reliable. There have been some products pushing at the edges of that, temperature sensors and other things from some 3rd parties. But at least for the Victron integrations we have kept it with the assumption it is wired.
It is software, so everything is eventually possible with enough effort. But that touches on another design philosophy of Victron, if we already have a solution that is working well, then we don’t focus much time on reproducing it again some other way.
The hardwired GX system is working really well.
The VE.Smart bluetooth network is working well enough, given it is low cost and usually quite simple.
In almost all cases there is no advantage to their integration.
That leaves some gaps though like as articulated by @roberto.buti where there is a nice small product, the Smart Battery Sense, and a perfect fit situation, and yet there is no nice integration yet. I agree on that, and I hope that gets some R&D time to make it nice, I think it’s also a good idea.
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