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martin-fi avatar image
martin-fi asked

Victron EV Charging Station - RFID - Multiple Stations --> Energy Management

I´ve seen the brand new Video presentation of the EV Charging Station on youtube and have two Questions:


What functions does the RFID Interface has? Can the Station just be turned on/off with a RFID chip or can it also be used to monitor the consumption for different users ?


When we have more than one EV Charging Station connected to one CerboGX. How is it managed, that the Stations share the Excess Power ? Is this possible ?

battery charging
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Hi, there is no RFID interface, soon, multiple users can be configured using a pin code, that will be typed on the LCD screen.

Yes, you can have multiple devices connected to the same GX



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9 Answers
Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hi, the latest BETA GX is 2.90~5, as you can see below1652107158068.png


1652107158068.png (9.2 KiB)
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ppr avatar image ppr commented ·
EV Charger is so far 1.21 C026 if I am right?
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1.21 c025
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matthias-roetzer avatar image
matthias-roetzer answered ·

Hi @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ,

I've seen the video about "EV charging station" as well.

Although it seems to be a very nice product there remain open questions.

Does the "EV charging station" switch automatically between 1~ and 3~ phase supply for covering a wider power range in automatic mode?

~3 phase, 5A to 32A gives ~ 3.4 kW to 22 kW

when switching automatically to 1~ it is possible to go down to 1.15 kW

which is essential in small PV installations.

Best regards,

Matthias


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Hi, no, switching between 1 and 3 phases is not possible, there is only relay one inside. The range is 6 to 32A, that's what all the vehicles we tested are accepting.
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matthias-roetzer avatar image matthias-roetzer Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
Hi @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff)

Many thanks for your very much appreciated reply.

Is Victron planning to implement automatic 1~/3~ switching in a future hardware revision of the EV charger? (SolarEdge has announced such a wallbox for end of the year 2022)

Meanwhile I'm thinking of workarounds with your wallbox. If I understand the datasheet correctly, your EV charger will work as well if supplied with 1~ only. right? If so I can switch off phase 2 and 3 by means of an external relay. Please let me know your thoughts regarding such a procedure.

Thanks,

Matthias


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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ matthias-roetzer commented ·

Hi, yes, we are planning to add support for 1/3p. If you check our video, - https://youtu.be/H7rQLGDTOM8?t=139 you can see there are 2 control relays. For now, only one it's used. The second one was designed for that kind of setup. Are you already using our charging station?


1651215003131.png

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matthias-roetzer avatar image matthias-roetzer Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
HI @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff)

not yet using your wallbox, but I'm actually in the process of buying one.

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michaelvh avatar image michaelvh Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Hello @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) , do you have a time estimation when automatic 1 to 3 phase switching will be implemented? When the summer ends and there will be less solar energy, this will be essential. Will current charging stations need a hardware modification? Thank you.


I am in the process of placing an order but delivery is expected in november only

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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ michaelvh commented ·
@MichaelVH yes the hardware will be different - a second contactor inside, I hope we can have something for Q4 2022 - Q1 2023
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matthias-roetzer avatar image matthias-roetzer Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
@Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) , finally got my EV charger and put it into operation today. Should be easy to wire a second contractor inside. Hope there will be a mod-kit with wiring schematics soon.



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schaka avatar image schaka Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Hello @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) . I use the ev charging station in my victron 3-phase ESS System. It works after a little bit trouble with wlan. And i dont understand why victron builds a system without cable LAN.

My only question is, i m interested in 1 P / 3 P switching. Can i upgrade my EV Charging Station. And if yes, i hope yes, the station was expensive, when is it available?

thanks for your help,

cya Schaka


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ppr avatar image
ppr answered ·

Hi All

I got two stations yesterday. What i figured out yet. Firmware wise still beta? If Wireless LAN is hidden, it does not work. even if you broadcast the SSID, configure it and disable broadcasting again, it does not work. VRM is detecting the device but can not be managed yet - like firmware update. If I add the second station - how can I protect that station that it can not be used from random people? Do I see both stations in VRM and can I name them? Without 1/3 phase switching, is it really possible to charge just the amount of power what would been feed in?

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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hi @ppr! Please update the firmware through VRM (devicelist/fw update). You will have to update the GX also to the latest beta so it detects the EVCS after update. After doing so, the charging station can be managed through VRM, you'll be able to disable screen input, you can name them.
If you have any issue, please contact me and I can assist.


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ppr avatar image ppr commented ·
Hi

Thank you for your answer. is that version 2.85? Please confirm. I will check that out and bring the EV Charger to the latest release after. Is hidden SSID fixed in that relase as well?
What abou the 1 / 3 phase switching. If hardware side is prepared, do you plan that this station can be upgraded to that?

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martin-fi avatar image
martin-fi answered ·

Meanwhile our 2 EV Charging stations arrived and we are going to test them.

How will the energy management be when I connect 2 or more EV Charging stations to the GX ?


Will the amount of excess PV Energy be simply divided or is there a Master / Slave Modus ?




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For the moment there in no communication between charging stations for energy management, but it's coming.
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martin-fi avatar image martin-fi Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
ok thanks
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ppr avatar image
ppr answered ·

This is unbelievable. I have not even one running out of my two. On GX firmware 2.85 the charger is found, I can set everything up, VRM sees the station but I can not update the charger from 1.19 to 1.21 - won't upload.
If I update to 2.90-6 - station is gone. Not anymore visable in VRM and GX is not working with it. Holy Victron - why do you sell hardware in beta stadium??????? Should really we as a customer figure out all the issues?
1. How can I update the firmware on the EV charger standalone? I have no menu for it. My Zoe - whatever I do, is not charching. Whatever I do. Nothing.

Victron - any suggestion? It is deeply frustrating. I dont think yet I will use the second station.

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Hi, please add me as admin on your system on VRM, so I can have a look — lpopescu@victronenergy.com
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ppr avatar image ppr Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
just sent you an invite
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ppr avatar image ppr ppr commented ·
And many thanks for your assistance. Help is appreciated. Hope you can figure something out what helps you in development
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ppr avatar image ppr Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
Thank you for Help and Support.

Could finaly solve the issue.

To all, having issues with the EV Charger. Dont fiddel around with the Modbus ID.
Venus OS Beta v2.90~8 or higher and you can upload latest firmware to the EV Charger.

Configure it and you are all set.

Thank again Lucian Popescu for your very helpful helping hand.

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boostech avatar image
boostech answered ·

hello, I have a similar problem. The length of the password for wifi is limited. The error I have searched for ages, until I even got the charger in my wifi network. now I can access the Ev Charging station via the ip, but in the remote console of the cerbo gx the station is always short to see and then disappears immediately again. but the station shows the existing connection to the cerbo, all data seems to be correct. so I can not install the update. the cerbo has the version v2.90-10, so the latest.

i wonder why they deliver such a completely unfinished product to the customers with a beta software that does not work even a little bit? How are our customers who don't know much about the technology supposed to get it right?

We are actually used to better from victron.

I need help now please to get the update on the station.

regards

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Hi, please add me as admin in VRM - lpopescu@victronenergy.com


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boostech avatar image boostech Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

hi, i sent you an invite. i have taken an extra cerbo that hangs with in our network. this makes the bug search a little easier.

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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ boostech commented ·

Can you make sure remote console is enabled? 1653562491979.png

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boostech avatar image boostech Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

I sent you a new invite from another cerbo, sorry was my mistake.

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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ boostech commented ·
No problem, is the charging station in the same network as the cerbo? Can you please tell me the ip address for the ev charging station?
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boostech avatar image boostech Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

yes, the ev charging station is in the same network. the ip is: 192.168.168.76 . i can access the station through the browser. i have tested the same error with 3 cerbos, so it can't be the cerbo or the network for this error.

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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ boostech commented ·
Thanks, in 30 min I can have a look
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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·
You have an email from me
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boostech avatar image boostech Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

great, lucian has solved the problem. it was a bug in the communication from the cerbo to the EV charging station. Who has problems contact lucian. thanks for the support.

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matthias-roetzer avatar image
matthias-roetzer answered ·

@Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) after installation of my EVcharger I'm wondering why the built-in webserver is http only. Nowadays https is state of the art. I strongly suggest to upgrade this.

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Hi, probably the reason is processing power, the microcontroller used is not powerful enough. But maybe we can do that later, thanks!
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matthias-roetzer avatar image
matthias-roetzer answered ·

Hi @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ,

I've been using the EV charger for quite a while now. While doing so I faced two major issues:

a) when PV power is fluctuating eg because of clouds the EV charger start in my opinion too late and stops too early. One approach to deal with this is to make the counters "Starting in sec" and "Stopping in sec" separately configurable.

b) the light ring is annoying my neighbours very much during night. Please implement a main config switch to keep the light ring dark. So simply not to use it. Another approach could be to implement a time schedule for the light ring or even better make it based on sunrise and sunset.

Please think about it. Thanks.

Best regards,

Matthias


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Hi!

a. we have those parameters but not configurable for the users, so maybe we can change that.

b. you can completely disable the light ring from the light ring menu by modifying the brightness to 0 or to a lower level if you want. Isn't that good enough? 1668536209656.png

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matthias-roetzer avatar image matthias-roetzer Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

Hi @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff)

Many thanks for your quick answer.

regarding a) great if made available to users.

regarding b) Well, ofc I've seen this possibility but I have to set this in about eight lines to make it dark in all working modes. If I then want to activate the light ring again I have to put all the settings again. Ok there is import / export function but thats actually not what I would like to do because I don't want to change config. Config should stay as it is. I'd simply like to switch the light ring completely off or on by a main switch (eg choice box). If it could be enabled / disabled based on time schedule would be very great if it could be disabled on sunset and enabled again on sunrise, even better. These are just a few thoughts about users expierience. It's definately not a knock out criteria but it's a nice to have.

Best regards,

Matthias



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matthias-roetzer avatar image matthias-roetzer matthias-roetzer commented ·
Hi @Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff)

Is there news on a)?

So making start and stop timeout configurable to users?

I was enthusiastic to install the recent FW update, but then apperently no settings available according to a).

Best regards,

Matthias



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Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ matthias-roetzer commented ·
No, the latest update was adding Victron Connect Bluetooth communication and scheduled charging. Next one will be "Auto" mode related.
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