Help setting up Multiplus II, Cerbo GX and Fogstar 32kWh batteries

DIY
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Hello and thanks in advance for any help/pointers.

I’m trying to setup the above system.
I’ve loaded ESS settings with VEconfigure with no battery support.

I’ve set a charging schedule but that doesn’t work. Both batteries are at slightly different SOC’s but no SOC is showing in VRM. I’ve made my own VE can to BMS cable and double checked continuity. If I pull the cable I get a BMS disconnect warning so I guess the cable works OK.

I have 2x ET112 meters connected via Waveshare Industrial USB TO RS485 adapters. Power lights are on and continuity of A & B are correct but they don’t appear in the console.

I’ve also got an EVCS which I lost 4 hours of my life last night before I found out I needed to deny it’s in the UK (I’m in the UK) before it worked! I guess having a continental car charger is de rigueur. The weird thing is that it doesn’t appear in VRM, but only in local through bluetooth. It works OK and can be seen in the Cerbo GX console but I’d like to access remotely.

The setup process is more in-depth than I thought it’d be and I need a little help.

Thanks, Matt

2

The other way to check is does the battery appear in the device list on the GX

Then check the battery appears as rhe battery momitor in system set up on the GX

3

No it doesn’t. I made a type B cable initially but I’ve just made a type A but no difference.

I tested correct continuity both times. Anything else I can try?

4

There are people on this forum who have Fogstar batteries. Search and reach out to them directly to ask how they connected them to Victron.

5

Change the can port speed.

6

At 500kbit/s I get ERROR-ACTIVE and at 250kbit/s I get ERROR-PASSIVE under network state

7

Maybe try make the cable with only h and l connected -skip the ground. Remember they flip over.

8

Just an update on this, in case anyone else is having issues with the same setup:

My homemade VE can to BMS cable was wired OK but the connection between the 2 batteries (with standard ethernet cable) was not. There’s nothing in the Fogstar manual but the master battery, with BMS to the Cerbo GX, needs to have the joining cable in RS4852 and running to the RS4851 port in the slave battery. Without this correct connection it looks like nothing works at all.

I gave up with the Waveshare RS485 to USB converters (I’m sure they can be configured with enough tine and patience) and went with the Victron ones - they worked straight away.

Thanks for the help

2 Likes
9

Did you use 2 Victron rs 485 to usb converters?

Each battery with a rs 485 converter to the Cerbo?

I have here the same issue but the Bms is made by JK; no communication with the slave battery.

Now trying it with the Victron converters, one for each battery.

10

You should only need 1 can bus to BMS cable and then daisy chain standard ethernet cable between batteries. I recommend disconnecting all slave batteries from the master and get that working first.

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