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grunkern avatar image
grunkern asked

Integrating Smart Battery Sense Bluetooth with Venus OS on Rpi

Dear Reader,

I have a Raspberry PI 3 with A BMV712 currently connected via USB to VDE Lead
I also have a MPPT 100/30 Non-Bluetooth that I am going to connect with a second USB to VDE Lead

Thirdly I have a Smart Battery Sense Bluetooth and wish to integrate this so the MPPT Controller can work with the Battery when temperature is low.

Is there any way to make this happen ? OR could I potentially split the VDE port of the solar controller into TWO and connect a Bluetooth Adaptor to one and the USB to VDE to the Other ?

Thanks in Advance

Robert

MPPT ControllersVenus OSRaspberry PiBluetoothTemperature Sensor
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4 Answers
nebulight avatar image
nebulight answered ·

No, you can't split the cable. However since you have the BMV712 (and I assume a temp probe) and the MPPT hooked up to the Pi (assuming with the Venus OS on it), you should be able to enable DVCC and shared temp. Then you can program the MPPT to cut off charge below freezing with victron connect because it's getting the temp from the BMV.

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grunkern avatar image grunkern commented ·

As I wrote I have a BMV712 and also a SMART Battery Sense which is bluetooth. The PI Can be plugged into both the BMV712 and also the MPPT 100/30 which is NOT Bluetooth via USB Cables, however the temperature Monitor is Bluetooth and I cannot see how the BMV712 picks up the Data from this and then transmits it back to the PI with Venus.

Thanks for your answer but I think you are presuming that I have a Temperature Probe like this https://www.victronenergy.com/accessories/temperature-sensor-for-bmv-702
WHEREAS what I have in the system is this:
https://www.victronenergy.com/accessories/smart-battery-sense

SO the only way I can see that this would work is if I use the Bluetooth dongle for the MPPT so that it can pick up data from the Smart Battery Sense, otherwise I cannot see how the BMV-712 gets this Data as it seems to not transmit to that but rather the Solar Controller. If I don't have the MPPT Solar Controller plugged into the PI then I get no Data from it. Any other ideas or am I basically fubared because what I really need is the Bluetooth version of the MPPT 100/30 and then everything would work ??

Thanks for your answer though

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nebulight avatar image nebulight grunkern commented ·

Sorry, I read your question incorrectly; I understand your issue now. As you stated, you can't connect to the smart sense while having the MPPT hooked up to the Pi. What I would suggest since you don't have a smart MPPT with built in bluetooth is just purchase the temp sensor for your BMV and remove the Smart Battery Sense all together. Since both the BMV and MPPT are hooked up to your Pi, they can communicate with each other once you enable DVCC and enable shared Temp Sense and shared voltage sense. It will accomplish the same thing (to get the temp of your battery to your MPPT). After that is done, you can configure the MPPT to have a low temp cut off.

See the manual: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/smart_battery_sense_manual

When can I use Smart Battery Sense ...and when should I avoid using it?

  • Check the VE.Smart Networking compatible products list for compatible Solar Chargers.

  • Smart Battery Sense is not needed, or allowed, in systems which are already controlled by a Color Control GX or Venus GX, see FAQ Q6 for more info.

  • Smart Battery Sense is not needed for installations which already have a BMV-712 (battery monitor) with a temperature sensor accessory.

  • For installations using a BMV-702 together with its optional temperature sensor accessory - for wireless connectivity consider adding a VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle instead of a Smart Battery Sense.

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grunkern avatar image
grunkern answered ·

@nebulight - Sorry for delay and thanks for the response.
I have asked another question and tagged you in it

I will at some stage just get the wired non bluetooth battery monitor but as my batteries are NOT litium the temperature parameters are not as important as they would be in a Lithium system

I am not sure what you mean by enable DVCC ??

Thanks
Robert

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ed-kok avatar image ed-kok commented ·

Does this help:
https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ccgx:start#dvcc_-_distributed_voltage_and_current_control

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grunkern avatar image grunkern ed-kok commented ·

Thanks @Ed Kok

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Bill avatar image
Bill answered ·

I am using the SBS and a 712 without temp probe as I wanted to monitor my chassis battery. It appears to be working correctly after I disabled the ve Networking on the 712. When I had the 712 connected to the ve network with the mppt's and sbs it didn't appear to be using the SBS temp/voltage data.

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grunkern avatar image grunkern commented ·

SBS ? what do you mean by SBS please ?? @bigbillsd

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Bill avatar image Bill grunkern commented ·

SBS=Smart Battery Sense (from Victron)

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danny01 avatar image
danny01 answered ·

Is ist possible to monitor only a battery (without any other equipment) using the Smart Battery Sense via Bluetooth with Venus OS on Rpi 3? Pairing OK, connection OK, but I do not see a datatransfer!

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented ·

No, this is not possible.

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