I have installed various Victron components in my campervan: an EasySolar 12/1600/70, a shunt and an Orion 50A charger/booster. Everything works perfectly so far; the EasySolar also charges the LiFePO4 battery from mains power via the CEE socket. However, it is still necessary to configure a charging profile for these LiFePO4 batteries. Based on what I have found in my research so far, this apparently means installing a Cerbo GX. As a layperson, I am now a little confused about which products are needed for this. Unfortunately, the product manual isn’t clear enough on this point. I can’t find a USB or LAN connection directly on the EasySolar — do I need to open it up? Would I then need a VE.Direct USB, or an RJ45 LAN cable? And is the Cerbo GX MK 2 the right component for this?
I hope someone can point me in the right direction
The GX - easysolar connection is via a VE bus connection, though this uses the regular RJ45 connector and UTP cables, it is not compatible with ethernet.
The Solar MPPTs will use a VE direct connection to the GX device.
Adding to Mike’s point: you don’t necessarily need a Cerbo GX just to configure the charging parameters on the EasySolar.
The EasySolar is essentially a Multi/inverter-charger combined with a solar charge controller. The charging parameters for the Multi section are normally configured via the VE.Bus connection, using an MK3-USB and VEConfigure on a computer. The RJ45 socket is for VE.Bus, not LAN/Ethernet. Do not plug it into a router or switch.
A Cerbo GX MK2 is nevertheless useful if you want to monitor the system centrally: connect the EasySolar/Multi to the Cerbo using a VE.Bus cable, the SmartShunt to the Cerbo via VE.Direct, and the MPPT section—depending on the EasySolar version—via VE.Direct as well. However, for simply switching to a LiFePO4 charging profile, it is probably not the tool you need.
Important: don’t set the exact voltages based on guesswork; use the battery’s data sheet or the BMS manufacturer’s specifications instead. If you need to access the connection compartment to do this, disconnect the mains/shore power and the battery properly beforehand, as some devices also have 230 V terminals nearby.
You don’t necessarily need to install a GX just for this setting. A Mk3 adapter is sufficient for changing the settings on the EasySolar’s inverter. The settings can then be adjusted via a PC using VE.Configure or VictronConnect.
Alternatively, a VE.Bus Smart Dongle will also work, but settings can only be changed via a PC with that as well. It would, however, give you the option of controlling the inverter via VictronConnect on a mobile phone.
No, the VE.Bus Smart Dongle cannot be used to change ANY settings on the MultiPlus.
It only gives you access to a few current values, ON/OFF/Charger-only/inverter-only and the input current limit.
First of all, many thanks to everyone for your advice and contributions on this topic! I really appreciate it!!
Okay, strictly speaking, a Cerbo isn’t needed at all to configure a charger identifier; all you need is a specific cable and the VEConfigure app. But on closer inspection, it does round off the whole system nicely and probably makes it easier to keep track of and adjust some parameters — especially with the future in mind. I converted a brand-new Jumper into a motorhome, and it still has many years and modifications ahead of it, so this would probably be a false economy…
The batteries are from Redodo (2 × 100 Ah in parallel with Bluetooth), and unfortunately this manufacturer isn’t included in Victron’s list. The BMS occasionally shows values that are almost identical to those on the SmartShunt, but the voltage is causing me some concern overall. Once the remaining capacity drops below 30%, the voltage falls below 13 V, down to 11.5 V — I can’t get it up to 14.2 V even with a full charge… but that’s a different problem from the one I’m asking about here! Naturally, I’ll set the parameters according to Redodo’s datasheet, rather than going by gut feeling. As an electrical layperson, I wouldn’t even have one of those
I’ll order the required components (i.e. a VE.Bus cable, 2× VE.Direct and a Cerbo) and, if necessary, post here afterwards to say whether I managed to get everything working.
Many thanks again for your detailed and prompt help and explanations!
I have another question about the MK3 USB cable. Do I need a USB-C or USB-A cable? I assume I won’t be able to see the connector on the MultiPlus (i.e. in my EasySolar) until I’ve taken the unit apart. That’s a bit more work and would effectively immobilise the van, so I wanted to wait until the order arrived first.
The USB port must be compatible with the existing PC/laptop. You will also need a simple patch cable (network cable) to connect to the VE.Bus port (RJ45) on the EasySolar.
Thanks for the reply!
But now I’m out of my depth. I hope that by PC/laptop for the USB connection, an Android tablet is also meant!? In my case, the RJ45 then connects to the Cerbo, right?
Am I missing a guide from the manufacturer that explains all of this in relation to an EasySolar II? I can’t find anything on YouTube either that specifically shows me what goes where and why. Sure, Victron isn’t aimed at complete beginners, but even a trained tradesperson doesn’t automatically have experience with Victron components…
Yes, Android can work in principle, but the connection is slightly different from what you might initially think.
In short:
The MK3-USB is the adapter for configuring the VE.Bus device. So: EasySolar/Multi VE.Bus socket (RJ45) → standard RJ45/UTP patch cable → MK3-USB → USB to the computer/tablet.
Whether it is USB-A or USB-C depends only on your computer/tablet. If your Android tablet has USB-C, you will generally also need a USB OTG/USB-C adapter so that the tablet recognises the MK3-USB as a USB device.
The RJ45 on the EasySolar/Multi is VE.Bus, not Ethernet. So do not plug it into a router/switch/LAN.
The Cerbo is a separate option for monitoring/operation: connect the EasySolar to the Cerbo using a VE.Bus cable. For configuring directly with the MK3-USB, I would connect the MK3 directly to the VE.Bus socket, not “via” the Cerbo.
In VictronConnect, the configuration mode for VE.Bus products works with the MK3-USB, according to Victron; a VE.Bus Smart Dongle is not sufficient for such settings.
Victron has a “VictronConnect guide to VE.Bus configuration” for this. It also explicitly states that an OTG cable/adapter may be required for Android.
And since you say you are a layperson: If you need to access the connection compartment for this, make absolutely sure to disconnect both the mains supply and the battery properly beforehand. Depending on the EasySolar version, there may be 230 V connections nearby.
Many thanks to the last two posters! I had to read busbum’s text twice, but I understood it in the end and am very glad I didn’t have to work this out myself by researching countless PDFs, probably through “trial and error”…
Regardless of the option of perhaps getting Android working via an OTG cable, I actually still have a functioning Windows tablet to hand (my wife still uses one or two programmes on it), with USB-A and USB-C ports.
I’ll take Hannus’s advice and use the DIP switch setting for now, to bridge the next few days until there’s a complete solution (Cerbo, cabling and apps).
Thanks also for the 230 V warning! Through wiring everything up and familiarising myself with all the components, I’ve probably progressed a little beyond being a complete novice, but in general I’m still very cautious, of course. Regarding shore power in general: it’s sufficient just to switch off the two-pole RCD/MCB, isn’t it?
Now I’ve made some progress. Perhaps you could look at the installation in the picture and tell me whether I’ve done anything wrong. There is now a patch cable connected at the top left of the board (according to the schematic in the appendix, both RJ45 ports should have the same output!?), routed out of the EasySolar at the bottom, so that I can also use the MK3 to USB (already connected there) with a computer in future. The Cerbo is next to it, powered directly from the battery terminals (or is there a DC option on the EasySolar?), and it is visible via Bluetooth and VictronConnect on my phone. I haven’t got any further yet, partly because I’d like to have this setup confirmed here first. Perhaps someone would be kind enough to help
Almost forgot: I can of course see the DIP switches, but I couldn’t work out from the manual which switch position would be correct for LiFePO4. Especially since the description only covers lead-acid/AGM.
Thanks! So it seems that the factory default DIP switch settings are correct after all (DS3 and DS4 set to “off”). At least the charging and float voltages are within the manufacturer’s recommended range with those settings.
The patch cable isn’t a problem, of course; I just need to order a longer one, as I only had some surplus, very short patch cables for switches and the like on hand. However, I hadn’t quite realised that after programming with Mk3->USB->PC->VE.Configure, the cable is then supposed to go into the Cerbo. What will it be able to do there in future that isn’t already useful to me now? Connect to the inverter and/or MPPT (the solar panels will be installed shortly)? All in all, I still really don’t understand what is controlled, when, and why, and via which connection/app. What exactly can the Bluetooth connection do at the moment? In VictronConnect, I can now see the Cerbo alongside the SmartShunt and Orion XS, and I can connect it to a Wi-Fi network. But other than that, nothing works!? Sorry for the probably silly questions, but at the moment I don’t find the “Victron” product ecosystem and the way the devices connect to one another particularly accessible
At present, the Cerbo has no connection to the EasySolar, so it is merely a decorative object.
To be able to control and read data from the EasySolar’s inverter using the Cerbo, a VE.Bus connection between the two is required.
The same applies to the EasySolar’s MPPT: for the Cerbo to be able to read data from and control it, a VE.Direct connection between the two is required. The same also applies to the Orion XS and SmartShunt.
The Cerbo cannot read data from any of these devices via Bluetooth, in case that was the idea here.
What are you actually planning to do with the Cerbo? If it’s only about operating the MultiPlus or configuring shore-power support, you’d be better off with a control panel. With that, you can adjust the maximum shore current using a rotary knob.
