I have run a split phase 240V & parallel system using 4ea Multiplus 24V 3000/120 Inverter/Chargers for my main loads, and then added a Phoenix 24V 1200VA inverter for my smaller critical loads (Internet Gateway, Pool Controller, and few others). The 4 Multiplus units were daisy chained directly on the VE.Bus to the Cerbo, and the Phoenix was connected using the VE.direct to USB adapter to the USB port on the Cerbo. This worked flawlessly for the last 2 years as all inverters were visible and could be controlled remotely using the VRM (albeit the Phoenix has much more limited controllability).
I recently upgraded to a 2 x Quattro 48V 5000/120 configured split phase for primary loads and added a 3rd Quattro for an expanded list of critical loads (added refrigerators and freezers and a few more). Now I can only connect either the 2 Quattro split phase or the 1 Quattro Critical load to the the Cerbo and I have lost visibility / remote control of the second system. As a workaround, I have connected the Critical loads Inverter through a MK3 to the USB port on the Cerbo, and can see most operating parameters, but cannot use the VRM to update configuration, and the Inverter is not seamlessly intergrated in the dashboard and Remote Console displays.
Is there any way to have both systems with fully functional VE.Bus connections?
Below are the relevant VRM displays for the system.
No.
As per the docs you can connect them for monitoring via a mk3 usb to the gx.
You can use dvcc to control them as a charge source.
If you want full control you need two cerbos.
Existing topics on this already available with a little searching.
I had researched the existing topics and found the referenced post and others but thought my system was a little different.
The MK3 to GX for monitoring will be ok for now as it gives me most of what I need and it is better than separate GX devices and having to toggle between 2 VRM installations. I tweak the low battery shutoff so the main system shuts down well before the critical loads should I have a power failure. I had hoped Victron has at least considered this issue and included a more seamless workaround.
Seems minimal VRM and/or remote console configuration could go a long way to make this work much better. If you can see it in the VRM the ability should exist to integrate it better in the displays. We know it’s an inverter, running off the same battery bank, so I would assume the loads and DC usage would show up in the right boxes in the overviews.
Thing is Victron has never supported independent systems sharing a battery, so there is unlikely an appetite for this.
You could use shunts and energy meters to get integration into VRM but you would be better off with two devices.
There are options like nodered or HACS to create consolidated dashboards and enable automation from one system to another.
Takes a bit of integration effort to get that right though.
The DC loads / DC Power Boxes on the Remote Console and VRM Dashboard displays seems to tell me what the Critical loads inverter is using and I guess i can infer from there. I already use Node Red for a couple other things (Think you pointed me in that direction last year on another question), I’ll look through that as well.
Indeed, DC loads will do some maths and give you an approximation. As long as your loads aren’t too small that is probably fit for purpose. A shunt would make it more accurate.
What you can do now in nodered is use virtual devices and switches. You can send registers from the secondary inverters to a suitable virtual device, these can appear on the main VRM dash and be charted in advanced widgets. Virtual switches could set values on the secondary device giving some control.
Virtual AC load or Virtual Energy meter may help get you closer to what you want.
