What is the max length of the UTP cable for the BMV 712?
Other than having an RJ12 connector with all 6 wires in a straight through configuration, are there any other requirements for this cable?
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What is the max length of the UTP cable for the BMV 712?
Other than having an RJ12 connector with all 6 wires in a straight through configuration, are there any other requirements for this cable?
Thanks! I searched the forum and found questions about modifying, but not about the length of that particular cable. I did find info about the VE.Direct cables not being able to be longer.
Follow-up question: Can the cables for the "auxiliary battery" voltage monitoring be extended? The included ones are quite short.
Typically, extending the cables will affect the accuracy of the monitor's readings as they are designed to operate best within specific electrical design parameters. Same can be said for introducing soldering joints or other connection types that will impact the cable characteristics, even if only by a little. It may be worth looking at the smart battery sense for the auxiliary battery or if you have time and patience, experiment with it (temporary extensions) to see if any variation is acceptable, but also acknowledging any modifications to parts will invalidate the item's warranty. Maybe someone else has already tried it and can chirp in?
Can the UTP cable be shortened to 3 feet or so without issues?
This is not advice, and your mileage may vary, but I made an experimental cable using shielded cat 6 cable, run underground from the battery shed to the cabin. I crimped my own RJ12 6 pin connectors on both ends. It has been working great even though it is well over 30 meters.
There are 3 things to consider, latency, attenuation, and interference. If you use high quality shielded cable with a larger conductor size (Cat 7 would be an excellent choice) then you reduce or eliminate the last two issues, so latency would be the only issue, and I think that my test shows that latency isn't a problem at that distance.
Thanks,
Kienan
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