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rldoose avatar image
rldoose asked

BMV-712 connected to two heads (Color Control & RPi)

I have my victron system (Multiplus, ve.can solar charge controller, BMV-712) connected to a Color Control GX. I have also configured an RPi with Venus OS Large, connected to my multiplus via MK3-USB and my Solar Charge Controller via ve.direct to USB cable. So far, so good. But I can not come up with a way to get data from the BMV-712 to the RPi. There are no open connections on the BMV-712. Could I use ve.direct to usb cables for the CCGX, BMV, and RPI connected by a USB hub?

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Michelle Konzack avatar image
Michelle Konzack answered ·

Who should communicate with the BMV712?


The ColorControl GX or the RPi?


This can not work.


If you have a logger only, you can connect a read only wire to the TX wire of the VE.Direct bus and get the streaming data, but you can not connect two Controller to it as they will conflict each other.

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rldoose avatar image rldoose commented ·
My main purpose for the RPi is to use Node-Red and Signal K, so I don't care about making changes to the BMV via the RPi. So I think your solution for the using the TX wire only would work. What would be the best way to accomplish this in your opinion? My thinking is cut the line between the CCGX and BMV and tee in the connection to the RPi using a ve.direct to USB cable omitting the TX wire from the RPi connection. Would this work?
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Michelle Konzack avatar image
Michelle Konzack answered ·

On my electronic board I have simply two of the VE.Direct sockets in parallel, hence in one I connect the cable comming from the BMV and the second goes to my ColorControl GX.

And then I grab the TX (from the BMV) and point it to my isolator and electronic. This is easier as fidling around modifying cables.

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rldoose avatar image rldoose commented ·

Roger that. I don’t have a separate board, but I bought a connector kit for the ve.direct cables. It will be easy for me to wire up the config you describe without modifying my ve.direct to USB cables. Thanks for putting me on the right track!



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VE.Direct protocol FAQ