Victron Multiplus 2

[Bernd]

Hi all,

I´m in the stage of connecting my Victron Multiplus 2 - 24V 3kVA to my 4p8s 280Ah Eve Battery and here´s where I am lost at the moment.

I know the multiplus can turn on/off load and charge via SBMS0 separately.

Load is easy to find out, as it has the standard victron remote on/off plug.

This works fine.

Also it seems (not sure) that Victron ended the VE Configure support and replaced it via the Victron Connect PC Application (works fine here as well).

I use Victron Connect v5.41

Does someone know, how to connect SBMS0 to Multiplus 2 for Charge ON/OFF?

I know it will work via a AUX port, but which and how do I configure this?

I read these pages

https://www.victronenergy.de/inverters-chargers/multiplus-ii#manuals

https://www.victronenergy.de/upload/documents/Manual-Connecting-other-lithium-battery-systems-to-Multis-and-Quattros-EN.pdf

But both seem to be not up to date? Any idea? 

[Dacian Todea]

Bernd,

Is there no setting to add an assistant in the Victron connect PC Application ?  If there is then that is what you need to do add the "Two-signal BMS assistant" then configure that the same as in the document you linked except for the last two settings where you select disable charger.

[nebulight]

You need to use VE.Configure software which you can download from Victron in order to load assistants. There is only PC software, no mac software.The second link you posted will have the information you need. Be sure to set the action for the charger to disable the charger rather than set to float. That's my personal preference, but I think Dacian might agree. If you want if this is a mobile application, you may consider float, but that's up to your install.

[Don Fukushima]

I am planning on installing a Multiplus 24/3000 and could not find the answer to my simple question even after reading many Victron documents. Do I need additional accessories to configure, use, and monitor the Multiplus? One place I read use the switches on the device. Other mentions include VE.Bus, VE.Net, VE.Bus, MK3-USB, VE.Bus Smart Dongle. Then there is the methods for communicating with it, BT is mentioned, so is that built-in the Multiplus? Also some vague mention of WiFi? Just looking for what I need to get it installed and running, thanks

[nebulight]

Hey Don,

The easiest way to program is with a MK3-USB adapter (https://www.victronenergy.com/accessories/interface-mk3-usb). That will plug into the Multiplus and the other end will plug into a windows PC. You use the software ve.configure which can be downloaded here: https://www.victronenergy.com/support-and-downloads/software

There are other methods, for instance if you have a GX device (like a color control or cerbo). Once the GX is online and the multi is plugged in, you can download the config of the Multi over the internet, then use the same VE.Configure software to modify the multi, then reupload it back to the multi over the internet. You can see the details here: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/vrm_portal:remote-veconfigure

Having an MK3 is a good investment should you not have a GX or internet connection.

There is a ve.bus smart dongle, but that will not allow you to program assistants (two-wire BMS assistant is what we need for the SBMS) yet, so that's more for general programming of the inverter/charger/battery settings.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Matt

[Don Fukushima]

Thanks Matt,

Kind of sucks you need another product to make the other one function as desired. But I get their system design is modular and has components to fit into and serve throughout. 

The MK3 is for Windows only, I'm on Mac.

Looking at GX/cerbo for systemwide data collection, monitoring, and device management. Seems the more capable option and should serve as the hub if other devices are plugged in.

Meanwhile, I need to figure out if the defaults and what I can modify standalone provide sufficient configuration for my system. Key specs on my system are 12kWh of Li-ion storage 24vx480aH fed by PV array and SBMS0, connected to the Multiplus and wired to the house subpanel. Hoping it can run out of the box initially. 

[Bernd]

Hi all,

thanks for all your comments to sort this out...

Here´s is my current summary of the MultiPlus 2 implementation.

I have a 24V 3000VA Multiplus 2 and both the MK3 and the VE.BUS smart dongle and use a PC with Windows 10 & Victron Connect v5.41 and a Samsung S20 with the Victron Android App. 

1.) Installation the MultiPlus 2 (MP2) without configuration to my house grid as a charger for my battery, resulted in my house breakers jumping in, as the current was too high. I did not check if the MP2 tried to pull really 32A at 220V, but it was more or less unlimited in the standard setting from victron -  i believe. I think to change this, you need the MK3 device and the victron qualified person password. 

2.) VE.BUS smart dongle is more a less a read-only device. It let´s you change only very limited values on the MP2. 

3.) The MK3 with Victron Connect let´s you change MOST of the values for using the MP2 in various application. This is nice, sometimes slow, but gives lots of options. Victron stated the this software will step by step cover all options of their devices. For the moment it does not cover ALL options.

3.) To turn ON and OFF the charger part of the MP2 with SBMS0, it seems you need at least once and for the moment also the VE.Configure software from Victron. I will still need to dive into this. The software seems to be rather vintage.

Any info is welcome :-)

Bernd

[Don Fukushima]

Bernd,

Did you evaluate the GX series products? I'm looking into the Cerbo GX as the communication hub between the Victron devices and LAN and WAN displays. I understand the MK3 can do most of the configs but is lacking in integration and WiFi connections and dashboard features.

My dealer offered to lend me a MK3 if needed to get the MultiPlus configured with my system.Very nice of him to offer that out for only cost of some shipping.

I love my SMBS0 and have it presenting data via the HTML interface to various devices on the local LAN. Fine for now.

The remote on/off capability between SBMS0 and MultiPlus seems fine for now to manage over/under voltage issues, etc.

For those who have already blazed the trail ahead, what configurations are you happy with for connecting MultiPlus to config and monitors as well as running the PV/.batery on the SBMS0 side?

thanks

[Bernd]

Don,

thanks for your comment. I managed to use VEConfigure yesterday and connected SBMS0 to "assist" the MP2 for charger and inverter. It didn´t work in the first try and I needed to stop working on it.

I discovered a bad cell connection (causing high voltage reading on one cell) which led into End-Of-Charge event after one or two seconds.

Need to fix the cell connection maybe tonight and do another test with the MP2.

It seems the assistant functions only work for temperature, AUX1 and AUX2 connector and not for the remote control port (which is the one I expected to use). But this port cannot be selected in the Battery State inputs in the Two Signal BMS options.

But this was just a suprise, no big deal at all. Just changing 2 wires...

What I´ve learned is, that this is the way to go and I´ll for sure, get it working. Hopefully without magic smoke :-)

Regarding Victron devices for logging, connections and visualisation: Th0ye look great and are ready-to-use products.  But this is not what we want, here :-) Right? Just kidding...

As the SBMS0 needs to control everything, I currently have no knowledge about values, events or data, that only victron components have, when used with SBMS0.

I will go the way to read all data from SBMS0 until I miss something, which is only available in another data source.

Here´s my way:

I have a Raspberry Pi with IObroker. It reads the data from the RAWDATA page (might switch to MQTT later) and this works great - apart from the / or \ character bug in my SW release on the SBMS0 :-)

The Pi is also connected to KNX and has telegram integration. I will be able to see all data on my mobile phone and trigger events as well manually and automatically.

Based on available power, my house is planned to run a comfort level that controls power consumption by turning on/off single devices via IObroker / KNX based on SBMS0 data.

Victron components are great, but they never have / show / offer individual cell data and cannot by the leading system!

Bernd

[Don Fukushima]

VEConfigure - I need to do more reading on this specific "thing" and what it offers to us Victron/dacus hybrid integrators.

I've not got to the finer points like the temperature sensor. I just run  the system when I know it's within operating range. lol

magic smoke? Yeah, I hate the gut feeling when you see that poof. you know you just got screwed. 

Again, you are way ahead of me with integrating data feeds from disparate systems. My plan for the time being is to have the Victron and SBMS0 report separately, especially each system operates in different spheres; SBMS0 - bms and charge controller, MutliPlus on the battery (DC) to house circuit side. 

Pi - I'll follow along with your findings.

don

[Sergio Veltri]

In setting up the Battery state inputs VE Configure gives me 3 options. Auxiliary input 1, 2 and Temperature sense input.

I want to use Temperature sense input for the temp cable the Multi came with so I will try to use Aux 1 and 2, although when I select Auxiliary input 2 it puts it in red Auxiliary Input 2 as if the Multi didn't have that physically but it does.

Anyways to late to keep testing, going to bed...

[Dan Karau]

Sergio...did you manage to get Aux 1 and 2 to function as a means to turn the charging off/on and the Inverting on/off?

[Sergio Veltri]

Hi,

Sorry I just saw this message. Yes I got it to work perfectly using T-Sense. See picture below. 

[Dan Karau]

Thanks...I did manage to get it working using both EXT IO3 and EXT IO5...one to control the charging and one to control the Inverting.   At first I couldn't get my computer to recognize VE Configure3 but once I loaded the driver it worked perfectly.

[Richard Lussier]

Just got my Multiplus II 24v 3kVA 2x120 today, figured out and everything works fine.... nice machine, expensive but seems sturdy and reliable. Followed the assistant for two signal BMS, I/04 on aux1 and I/o3 on aux2 ... 

SBMS0 is so clean and simple to setup. My second setup and still amazed !!! Thank you guys for guiding me, not obvious to get the assistant working...never sure if it works or not...

Richard