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Jonno Sanderson-Smith avatar image
Jonno Sanderson-Smith asked

Multiplus-II with BlueNova BN52V-100-5.2k BP - What CAN Cable?

Hi,

I am looking to install a Multiplus-II / Venux GX with a BlueNova BN52V-100-5.2k BP but am unsure what the the correct CAN cable/wiring/ is as the available Victron documentation is not conclusive for me and does not exactly match the BlueNova specification:

  • The BlueNova user manual (https://www.bluenova.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/BN%20User%20Manual%20-%20RacPower%20BN52V-100-5.2k%20BP%20with%20CAN_v103.pdf) specified pins 1-6 disconnected, pin 7 - 7 and pin 8 - 8.
  • The Victron BlueNova compatibility page (https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:bluenova) does not specify a cable type or pin out.
  • The Victron Can cable page (https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:can-bus_bms-cable) has two different/additional pin outs and does not specify either Type A or B as compatible with BlueNova BN52V-100-5.2k BP batteries.

Can anyone provide a reference to the correct Victron CAN cable type to use or confirm if the BlueNova spec is correct?

In my testing I have been using the BlueNova recommended pin-out and I am seeing the battery appear as a connected device,

1661099992995.png

but the Details Page do not appear complete.

1661099922902.png


Can anyone confirm the correct CAN cable specification for this combination and any other relevant related configuration information?

The system has been set-up following this configuration as a Backup System.

Thanks in advance,

Jonno



Multiplus-IIVenus GX - VGXVE.Canbluenova
1661099922902.png (20.7 KiB)
1661099992995.png (16.9 KiB)
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4 Answers
nickdb avatar image
nickdb answered ·

Looking at the pinouts - GX is CAN H pin 7 and CAN L pin 8, which is the same as the battery so a normal straight cable can be used, not a type A or B.

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nickdb avatar image
nickdb answered ·

If the instructions here: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:bluenova

don't make any sense, then best to contact bluenova for advice.

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Jonno Sanderson-Smith avatar image Jonno Sanderson-Smith commented ·

Hi nickdb,

Thanks for your feedback.

Sorry if I was unclear in my post, I see the embedded URLs don't reflect so I'll edit that shortly

Those instructions makes perfect sense, they however mention nothing about the required CAN cable type from a Victron perspective, only the CAN comms settings. On the CAN cable page, https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:can-bus_bms-cable, BlueNova batteries are not specifically mentioned, hence my post to confirm the CAN cable requirement.

Hope that makes more sense now.

Thanks

Jonno

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ Jonno Sanderson-Smith commented ·
@jonnoss@gmail.com


The manual mentions the pinouts.

As @nickdb mentiones it is 7 and 8 the same on the GX. So unless you have the BMAC it is basically a straight cable.

If it does not talk to the GX put in the CAN terminator.

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nickdb avatar image
nickdb answered ·

@jonnoss@gmail.com the firmware may not be sending all the parameters, if it is connected that should be fine. Many batteries don't send details at all. You can check with BN if they have newer firmware.

If you have multiple packs, make sure they are connected right and started in the correct sequence, else the master may not discover them correctly.

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bob-bobson avatar image
bob-bobson answered ·

For what it is worth, my personal experience with this equipment

- BlueNova Racpower 5.2 KVAH, the BU type

- Victron Multiplus II GX

was as follows:

- with a straight through ethernet cable, the BMS and Victron were NOT communicating on the BMS Canbus (terminated with BlueNova's provided doodads), and there were dropped packets and other problems reported by the Victron, and - very importantly - the battery did not appear as a device in the Victron GX interface thingy;

- with the same cable cruelly butchered so as to leave connected only pins 7 and 8 (as described in the BlueNoca manual where it talks about the Cerbo GX, not the Multiplus II as such), the BMS came suddenly to life, the battery was listed as a device by the Victron, the battery readings made sense and both battery and inverter are ticking away merrily still. The cables I left intact were just the brown & white candystripe and the brown, but do look in the BlueNova manual where I noted above before you sacrifice a LAN cable.

For the record, as I recall, it made no difference whether the Canbus terminator doodads were connected or not: before I had disembowelled the ethernet cable nothing worked.

I left a review comment at my BlueNova merchant's site about this - the manuals could be much better, considering that Victron and BlueNova cosy up to each other in their manuals.

Oh, and you should see the horrible little cable that was provided to me by the vendor - it was so short I could not even test it, but it looked to me like a straight-through ethernet cable that had been sick.

I really like the products, you know, but this was really a poor show from both Victron and BlueNova.

Happy inverting!

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Herb avatar image Herb commented ·

I recently installed a second BP52V to my system (6 days ago), struggled a bit with battery configuration but Euginia from Blue Nova was very helpful. Since it's running 500 bit or something. The button no. 5 must be on both batteries for comnunication purposes. Now my battery capacity is showing 200AH. I think that the user manual is not clear enough. An update could assist a lot of people.


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