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Victron Connect (Win 10 PC) cannot detect any devices

Set up:

  • Two separate battery units each with a BMV-702 battery monitors
  • Serial connections to a common Phoenix terminal server.
  • Laptop connected (via Ethernet) to the terminal server
  • Laptop has COM port setup to the terminal server.
  • All software and COM ports are correctly setup
  • Open PuTTY terminal software and connect to the assigned COM ports and they connect OK, and data from the BMV-702 can be seen - al good, setup confirmed.
  • Open older BMV reader software, choose the COM port and the BMV data can be observed.
  • So the setup is 100% OK..
  • Open Victron Connect (tried versions 5.3, 5.8, 5.52) none of them will detect the BMV-702's
  • Interestingly, while the Victron Connect is open, it is holding the two COM ports, so it has detected the two COM ports ok (and held them) but fails to progress. I know they are held because I cannot connect by PuTTY while Victron connect is active.
  • We tried another Win 10 laptop - same issue.
  • All Windows firewalls were disabled, etc.
  • To me it looks like the issue is with the BMV-702 (firmware?), because I have the same setup working OK last year on another system that was built


any suggestions...very welcome

it would be really good if the Victron Connect allowed you an option to assign the com ports to use...

BMV Battery MonitorVictronConnect
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3 Answers
Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) avatar image
Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) answered ·

Hi

Can you perhaps make a service report and post that in a comment here? The procedure is described here: https://ve3.nl/VictronConnect_How-to-create-a-VictronConnect-Service-Report

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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Hi @Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff)

I will endeavour to do so..and update ASAP
Please also see more details in my post below


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@Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff)
Here is some more information:

Setup

  • We have two battery modules each with a BMV-702 (FW3.11)
  • The BMV-702 are connected to a Phoenix Terminal server (Ethernet to RS232) via RS232-VE.Direct cable
    (REF: https://www.victronenergy.com.au/accessories/ve-direct-to-rs232-interface)
  • COM Port redirection is setup on the PC with the Phoenix Terminal server.
  • This then enables a the PC (Win 10) to monitor the battery modules using Victron Connect (v5.52)
  • This was all previously working early last year.
  • The setup of the Phoenix Terminal server and COM ports are OK
  • If I use a terminal software (like PuTTY) I can connect to the two BMV’s and see the data stream
  • If I use older BMV Reader software, I can select the COM ports and it connects to the BMV’s and I can see the data.
  • However if I use Victron Connect, it cannot detect the BMV’s – BUT interestingly, it does hold the COM ports, but cannot seem to resolve the device?
  • I have captured this in a short video:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tGZqzB60Y9JaVmTq8_M8bV5VfkyUA2jZ/view?usp=sharing

This is the diagram below:

setup.jpg



Checks:

Part 1: Direct Connection

Connected the PC to the one of the BMVs directly using a USB-VE.Direct cable

(REF: https://www.victronenergy.com/accessories/ve-direct-to-usb-interface)

This worked OK – Victron Connect can detect and connect to the BMV
checking-1.jpg

Part 2:

  • Removed the Phoenix terminal server from the equation.
  • Connected the PC to a generic USB-RS232 Adapter cable, then connected the Victron RS232-VE.Dircct cable to between the adapter cable and the BMV, as shown.
  • PuTTY terminal can see BMV data OK
  • This time BMV Reader could not connect

Victron Connect could not detect, but again was holding the COM port, so testing with PuTTY could not access the COM port while VC was open.

checking-2.jpg



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Hi @Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff)

good news...problem solved....
Cabling...
The PuTTY and BMV Reader had us fooled and chasing ghosts...

Cabling had also been checked, but this was the issue.

In our two battery modules, we use a 1/2 of a VE.Direct - VE.Direct cable in each one... and on this build we got the "wrong half" which meant the colours/pin outs were reversed...

Once the orientation of the connections was reversed the Victron Connect worked :)

bms-comms-setup.jpg

No more action required... good day to all!

victron-connect-now-working.jpg


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