Connect 4 VE.Direct Victron devices to one USB port. Save space and isolate all your devices!

I'm testing the USB-UART Converter with 4 separate and isolated ports. The converter is plug and play in Venus OS and works with a Raspberri Pi and other GX devices from Victron. It can save you a lot of space and USB ports as it connects 4 different Victron devices with VE.Direct port to only one USB port on your GX device.
Thank you, Mick for recommending this converter to me. It is a great product and works well.
More info and product links/specs for the USB - UART Converter with 4 isolated ports (also the JST cables are on this website too):
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[@gregliebig2240]

After ordering one of these and it getting lost in Norway the maker sent another one and I finally got it installed and IT FREAKING WORKS!!! I have 2 smart shunts in my RV. One for Chassis battery and the other for the House batteries. I've been struggling for over a year with one or the other shunts dropping off network after 20 mins to 3 hrs. This has been running for a week without a problem. Thank you!!!

[@martijnheeroma5492]

Thanks Andy, this is great info.

[@matthiasblum8402]

Danke dir Andy für dein super Video, hätte ich das mal 5 Monate gewusst hätte ich mir nicht 3 originale gekauft 😅

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Ja, ich auch 😁 Sollen aber in 3-4 Wochen wieder verfuegbar sein, schreiben die hier in the Kommentaren. Dann schlagen wir zu!

[@TrevorFraserAU]

Thank you Andy, some good awesome sauce once again!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Trev.

[@Fix_it_y]

Andi you bought the last one 😉! Now I'm sure a lot of people want this cool piece, if I'm assuming. Thanks theoretically 9 more devices for my setting.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I'm sure, I didn't buy the last one. I have mine since April/May this year and there were plenty of available. I hope it's not the chip shortage which causes that.

[@Duppadotnet]

Thank you a lot for the video, that was unexcepted! At the moment the board is again out of stock, i will received the new one in 3 - 4 weeks!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you guys. It's a great product you have there and very useful. So please let everyone know once it's back in stock. You may get some orders then 😉

[@Duppadotnet]

​ @Off-Grid Garage I have added the board in pre-order and i have also managed to make the cable!

[@Clarifix]

@@Duppadotnet just ordered the board on your site with the JST connector and the JST cable. This is a perfect solution. Thanks.

[@raystone4673]

I just received my ordered device in mail today. I'd like to give supplier Duppa 5 stars, not only for fast delivery to NSW, but for the rapid response to a mistake I made. I accidentally ordered the "pin connector" version together with 4 JST cables. I realised 13 hrs later after confirmations etc, and emailed to correct it to JST sockets. Simone said "No problem" soon after. Just 7 mins later I got email saying it was shipped. Disbelieving, I double checked it, and she confirmed "she put them in". Very happy.

[@bnk28zfp]

Andy greetings from usa! thank you for this video!!! i was able to make 1 blue cable work!!!! i did also order uart board!!! finally 🎉🎉🎉 it works!!!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Glad I could help!

[@bl0wfish]

Crazy. Was going to order one of these last week. Wanted four ports with isolation. Ill watch this video first andy :)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Good luck getting one atm...

[@bl0wfish]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia i will have to wait. I had no luck with diy serial cables on my rpi running solar-assistant. Cable worked for everything else but the smart shunt. This one off tindle caught my eye.

[@sinusgolf]

Thanks Andy this USB hub is very interesting for me,I am a radio operator and have many issues with RF energy going through the USB ports,

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you. Hope you can get one...

[@taulli1]

Fantastic episode.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you.

[@ottoofr1493]

Hallo Andy, danke für den Tip, ich hatte immer Probleme mit Verbindungsabrissen der Ladegler zum Raspi. Seit ich diese Woche zwei der USB - UART Converter bekommen habe läuft mein Systhem endlich stabil. 👍 Gruss aus dem winterlichen Oberfranken. -2°C brrrrrrrr

[@voelxen]

Thank you very much for your valuable tip Just delivered from Milano. Quite expensive. 1 circuit board, 4 cable, including postage, 69 euro. Works perfectly. No more problems. ciao, ciao, Pfusch am Bau ;-)

[@SkypowerwithKarl]

Andy Great info. Ahead of the curve as usual. You may have solved the problem at the charge control by isolation of its data feed but it may be something other than a ground loop involved. You may be getting a surge from an inductive load like a pool pump, hvac or other traveling into the rest of your system. Over 75% of household electronics surge damage is caused by something inside the house(load side) not nearby lightning. I had weird things happening and installed whole house surge protection on both sides of my inverters grid and house and and the moment I did problems went away. It’s been rock solid for six months since I’ve installed them. I don’t know if you already have something but I thought I’d mention it just in case. The ones I got are model Square D HEPD80.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Karl, I will test it out and see if this resolves the issue. Victron said it's unlikely that the -1°C problem comes from using not-isolated cables but it's better anyway to use the isolators.

[@steventaylor6294]

Thank you, super helpful!

[@danfitzpatrick4112]

Awesome device and explanation! That's pretty cool!. As for the cables.. personally I wouldn't think having non shielded cables would bring any interference with such short runs myself. We dealt with those same discussions at the Amazon data centers I worked at (Temperature control installs). BUT, it I will say that it surely is a better install and certainly could only help.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

OK, that's a good point. Even the longer 10m VE.Diect cables don't have any shielding so it may not be an issues...

[@gumpster6]

Interesting little adapter. Thanks for sharing.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for watching!

[@johannesgross1732]

That gap below the opto couplers ist not just a symbol for isolation. There are two specifiction for isolation. One is creeping distance and the other is arc-over. Electric charges can creep along surfaces esaily - especially if those surfaces are a bit dirty or coverd with moisture. The distance between input and output of those opto coulpers is not sufficient in order to provide safety required. Hence the poor creeping distance was interrupted by a air gap providing enough safety for the arc-over issue.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for the explanation. That makes totally sense.

[@wayne8113]

Thanks Andy

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you, Wayne.

[@dirkityourself]

Thank you for the tip and the great video. But I have to activate the Klugscheißer-Modus for minute 4:52 ... The good old Cerbo-GX has three isolated ve-direct ports in addition to the two usb ports! 😎

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The Cerbo has most of its ports isolated but what do you do if they are all in use already?

[@jackoneil3933]

Interesting segment Andy. The thought of possible ground loops, but more likely stray currents, EMI, static charge and other 'circulating currents had crossed my mind, but not knowing the details of your system I assumed they were likely well addressed by Victron's design. Having worked quite a bit with industrial instrumentation and controls, one of the continual challenges was controlling stray currents on signal cables.Heavily shielded and grounded signal cables were often very noisy, not because of external EMI but because of fluctuating ground and signal potential differences between connection points. In most cases I found it was due to cable shielding and grounding conductors being bonded at both termination ends inducing circulating current and noise between connection points, due to static or induction currents from other equipment. Typically signal cables should be grounded and bonded at one end to avoid inducing such currents. Sometimes isolating shield and ground conductors and establishing separate isolated signal and equipment grounds were implemented. Installing good-sized ferrite chokes on signal cables are typically a cheap and reasonable precaution. in extreme cases I sometimes had to install properly grounded inductor isolation and drain coils on and between signal grounds and shields.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The Cerbo for example has all its ports fully isolated but as we use a Raspberry Pi, it's a different story and this converter may come in handy.

[@TRS-Tech]

Agreed. I have found that failure to use twisted pair for common mode rejection is the most common issue. Shielded cables can be more of a problem than a help. Ground termination should only be at one end and all common with the same ground. 99% of the time it's failure to maintain the above that creates problems.

[@jackoneil3933]

@@TRS-Tech Indeed. Good point about twisted pairs. I seem to recall that all the shielded signal cables were made with some twist to the signal conductors, so perhaps some of the issues I encountered were related to shielding. I do recall isolating shield on both ends of some problematic cables and having noise issues become worse.

[@TRS-Tech]

@@jackoneil3933 In theory if the twisting ratio / impedence is correct then sheilded cable should not be needed. I think cable routing plays a big part to. Its easy for mains cables to induce noise for example. In theory the rejection from the twisted pair should be enough... that's in theory of corse. As you appear to be talking about PLC I assume you were mostly using RS485. We're the pairs terminated with a resistor on the end ? I know the official Victron cables are just twisted pair and not shielded but as Andy pointed out the Cerbo does have opto isolation, that seems to be the best solution. I do remember from uni that as you correctly stated above the shielding should be common and only terminated at one end.

[@jackoneil3933]

@@TRS-Tech Good points again. I was involved in the Oil and Gas and Nuclear industries, and hundreds of feet, run in dedicated instrumentation cable trays, so bare twisted pairs were generally not used but I recall a few short runs in conduit. Rarely did we have long runs of serial data cables such as RS485 which was short runs in control centers and rooms for PLC's and data transmitters. Most of our signal cables were for 4-20ma control, so what I typically encountered was induced current from various sources.We used a lot of 24, 48 and 125 VDC control and I occasionally saw stray current on control lines from static and circulating currents between locations which typically contained megawatts of motors, generators, restive and inductive loads. I understand most solar and victron installations are a bit different but in the oil and gas industry I am familiar with was in very dry arctic and desert conditions, with a lot of wind blowing over metal buildings larger but similar to what Andy has, and circulating currents due to static caused by wind were a common cause of issues. As an example I was once installing a cable tray between to two large oil and gas modules the size of large office buildings mounted on vertical supports and when I went to connect two long sections of cable tray they arced and welded slightly together from static charge alone I later connected a VOM between the two long runs of of cable tray and saw voltage fluctuate between -60 o + 200VDC an initial static capacitive discharge of over100amps, and 20 to 60 amps DC between the two sections of cable tray that were carrying the static charge between the two large modules, so I would not be surprised to see static potential and current between even Andy's metal buildings.

[@mrgruisinge]

See, you make nice videos and other people send you ideas. Along with your ideas and theirs I get lots of information for free. Rather like my Victron devices too. Thanks.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, I know, the list of ideas just gets longer and longer though...

[@olafschermann1592]

Thats what i was looking for. Thanks. From italy to austria it is only 1m. 😎

[@martinmooren9536]

Be careful with the ve connector pinout because on smaller solar controllers it is mounted upside-down. Interesting converter, now I want to make my own isolated cables again... 😄

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The connector in the controller has a notch so should be easy to identify the pins and connect them correctly but thanks for pointing this out.

[@repairman2be250]

Andy, you spend so much time doing what you doing. How about your wife? Is she busy as well? Perhaps you can dedicate a video just for her and thank her for being exceptionally patient with you.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

My wife? Oh, sh!t, my wife... I totally forgot about her.... 😂 She's fine with that. I'm not in the garage all the time. She as an artist spends most of the time in her studio as well.

[@repairman2be250]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia All good then.

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, that is a nice and handy divice have to keep that 1 in mind

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, that is a really great device. I have on installed for over a year and no problems.

[@evil17]

Good info Andy, these comms issues are a bit above my pay grade Im afraid, it gets frustrating at times to say the least, it would be nice to see some more wireless type communications/options available to help simplify and overcome some of these type issue. Cheers

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I think wireless connections would make it even worse as there is nothing you can troubleshoot. Here, I can at least disconnect some cables to isolate the devices and test if it makes a difference.

[@bnk28zfp]

41 eoro ordered from duppa cannot wait to try it

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I've got two of them in my setup and they work without any problems ever since I installed them. Great little devices.

[@RichDJ2012]

Great find. Isolation much needed and auto voltage and single usb usage win win. Now on the waiting list

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Should be back in stock in around 3-4 weeks they are saying...

[@junkerzn7312]

Isolated cables probably have no effect. USB A uses differential signal lines and the transceivers are typically good for +/-60V of common mode. So even though the 'ground' line will be really noisy (and I do mean REALLY noisy), it will have no effect on the data signaling integrity. Twist the differential pairs on your home made USB A cables though. Its GND, D+, D-, and PWR. So at the very least you should twist the two inside wires together on your home made cable. That ensures that the differential data signal lines will reject outside noise and EMI. You can use ethernet cable for your home-made USB cables. The wire pairs are already twisted and the ethernet cable will meet the signaling specs for USB (probably up to around USB 3.0).

[@jankomuzykant1844]

But it is usb to serial isolated adapter, as I think, then there are tx and rx signals instead D+ and D- (no differential pair)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for sharing these tips. Great!

[@erwa8729]

It's available again!

[@extremeacc101]

Hi Andy. Just a suggestion for another video. Try and find a reliable USB and HDMI extension for the CERBOGX to operate its touch screen/50 and 70. I’m sure there would be many people out there interested in this one. If you do not own a touch 50 or touch 70. Feel free to get in contact with me. Thanks, Andy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

A wireless HDMI connection for these screens would be great. I really hate this cable connection. I'm always using my old tablet to connect to Venus. At least I don't need any cables then and it works pretty much the same... Thanks for the offer!

[@SylwerDragon]

Hello Andy. If you check specs you will find VE_Direct are isolated connectors..so no need to worry.. so not a problem there...only USB and VE CAN are not isolated..and there is limit how many VE Direct connection you can make..if i remember it is 5 only

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The Cerbo can handle 15 USB connected devices, it says in the manual. So that should cater for even very large systems. My new MPPTs will have CAN ports, so I will use that to connect to the Cerbo at some stage. But for now, VE.Direct it is... Afaik only using the Victron VE.Direct to USB adapter is isolated, not the DIY adapters we're using.

[@SylwerDragon]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia aa yes that has sense..btw i used to have all connected with Can ports..and to be honest..it was fine till i had some ground loop connection problem..it wasn't fun from that moment :) lool.

[@davebrannigan3401]

Hi Andy, I just bought one of these little USB to quad UART adapters and they are great. One thing to maybe point out is that if you order one with JST connectors already soldered in place it will come with a socket with 2.45mm pitch, not the same as the 2mm pins of the Victron Direct connector so dont but one pack expecting it to do both ends as it wont. I'm considering putting an AC meter on my boat to measure shore power import and I note that the Victron offering ET112 has and RS485 output. Victron say to use an RS485 to USB converter to interface them but I'm thinking that I ought to be able to hook Pins 3, 5 and 7 of the RS485 lead directly to one of the UART inputs. Am I right to think this?

[@sonnen-strom]

Interessantes Thema

[@shanonedser1]

About your generator you can put a storage additive in the fuel such as Stabil Storage which can get you up to 18 months of storage otherwise regular petrol will last about 6 months reliably. I would run the carburettor out of fuel each time you run the generator before you store it away. You can run it out by just turning off the fuel valve (but not the ignition) when you want to shut it down. It will cough and splutter when it runs out of fuel which is perfectly normal and will not cause it any damage. No need to get it serviced unless you really have a problem with it except the oil, spark plug and air filter change which you can easily do yourself. There really isn’t much to those little generators.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I don't have a generator. We don't need to burn stiff to make energy 😉

[@OkoblitzBF]

Hi Andi mein Englisch ist schlecht deswegen schreib ich in deutsch. Ich habe 4 STK. 100-20mppt an einem 3000er GX. Ich hatte massive Probleme mit den Selbstbau Kabeln und diversen USB Hubs. Selbst ein Aktives USB Hub für 26€ landete zum Schluss im Mülleimer. Ich musste später den WR sogar einschicken. Erst als ich 65€ ausgegeben hatte und die USB Kabel von Victron gekauft habe läuft nun alles perfekt seit 12 Monaten .

[@michaeld4502]

Andy where is the Red 5v wire connector getting it's power? Through the Victron plug or external supply?

[@peteralexon8139]

Andy, any limit on the length of the USB cable between the RPi and the isolated converter? This may be a good solution so if RPi+Screenare10-15 or 20 feet away from the power set up.

[@DavidBowen]

I need to know this as well. All my equipment is located in one place except my BMV-712. It is about 20' away mounted inside my 5th Wheel. The 712's port is on the back of the monitor and NOT on the shunt like the Smart Shunt is. So I need to run the cable 20' or so in order to connect it. Have you found a solution?????

[@theborednerds]

Do you have a video on VE Direct vs VE Smart network? Pros and cons of each? If everything is VE Smart capable, should we just use it? Or is there a benefit of using VE Direct? (Also does VE Smart work with RPi?)

[@chuxxsss]

Had an idea to use a opto coupler with your usb connection to isolate the two voltages, but could not find one on ali express. From cloudy flooded Victoria hi Andy. More rain next week.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I know, right. My son just moved down there and we have the total sunshine up here. Stay safe down there!

[@chuxxsss]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks mate, what town is your son in?

[@w.r.doublefun565]

Hello Andy, I follow your videos with enthusiasm. A question from Germany: I had the converter sent to me from Italy and connected it to one of my Mppts with a VE-Direkt cable and connected it to the USB port of the Cerbo GX. The white LED on the C port of the converter lights up white, meaning the converter is receiving power from the Cerbo. However, no LED lights up to indicate the receipt of data from the MPPT. What am I doing wrong ? Best regards from Germany, Wolfgang

[@lionel66cajppppp0]

They are now back in stock 30th may

[@peteradshead2383]

I put my 5 victron usb to ve-direct cables to a powered hub and the only problem with it is when you reboot , you get some of the devices assigned to different usb port which normally is a problem until you use node-red and find most of your flows don't work now , because of the reorder .

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I had this as well in the past and was wondering why this happens. Argh, that's not good...

[@pacmanAUS]

I dont use the DYI cables and I had the same -1 issue on my MPPT I only use the cables I bought directly from Victron here in Netherlands and the only things connected in this network is a Victron Smart Shunt a Victron Global Link 520 and Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/20 the only way I could get charging back was to disable the temp as directed in your previous video

[@kevinosborn6927]

same -1C issue here on a new installation with Lynx shunt (wires switched for batteries on right, lynx distributor on left). I use only Victron cables. Turning off/on DVCC/SVS did not correct, but firmware updates, or the process of updating the firmware resolved the issue. Another very similar, but 2 year old installation with a BMV712 did not encounter the -1C issue, but updating the firmware of its MPPTs and shunt could have pre-empted the -1C.

[@extremeacc101]

Andy, all of the ones where I have had an issue on this temperature problem they were actually running standalone with no Ve direct port to a CERBOGX device. They were only running on their own. I am still yet to receive a reason from VictronLED. They were replaced under warranty.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Do you use smart shunts in your systems? They investigate in this direction at the moment...

[@extremeacc101]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia yes…

[@retrozmachine1189]

Isolated connections also prevent wiring fires if a - side problem ever arises in the system. Imagine the thin communications 'ground' wire trying to carry 15A or more to return a high current load. Everyone puts breakers and fuses in the + wiring but no protection in the - wiring.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The thin wire would act like a fuse, I guess but yeah, it could get really hot at some stage if the current is large enough but not too large. I have used isolator breakers in my installation, double pole DC circuit breakers. I like to isolate when I shut something off, not just disconnect the circuit.

[@retrozmachine1189]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia The thing to worry about is the insulation. Insulation on light wiring is rarely flame inhibiting. It takes only moments for a wire to heat to the point where the insulation ignites and from there things can rapidly go down hill. The possibility of high current flowing on comms wiring etc is usually overlooked. I have some photos I took years ago floating around here somewhere where this exact thing happened. A main - terminal had come loose due to incorrect installation and comms wiring tried to carry the return current. In that particular case there wasn't a fire but it was pretty clear it was only sheer luck that there wasn't. The wire bundle with the comms wiring in it was severely damaged.

[@renevanderlugt7270]

Could you use this converter also for, for example Daly BMS UART output?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, it should also work with that. but you still need the additional driver then to install on your Pi or Cerbo.

[@markbrettnell3503]

Thanks again for relaying to us all, how to fix and run things. But I really don't get why in 2022, that in order to plug in a bunch of Victron gear in this example, that they haven't made their equipment a simple plug and play without all the extra fancy peices. Whether it's the victron cables that are over priced, or just with what all Andy has shown. By now you would think Victron especially should be just a simple usb plug and play setup. This is a major reason why I myself have no intrest in trying to hook everything up together. WAY to complicated for something that should be brain dead simple. Thanks again though Andy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks, Mark. I think all Victron gear is pretty much plug'n play and all of the ports around the Cerbo GX are already isolated. So, in this case a simple USB hub would work as well if you need more USB ports for your devices. I can see this now when I compare this to the Raspberry Pi. With the Cerbo for example. you just plug something in and it works right away. And yes, it gets quite complicated after a while. You start with one connection and keep adding more and more devices. It won't get easier and adds to the complexity and maintenance requirement of your system. But what's the alternative?

[@markbrettnell3503]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia very good point. There really is none. I do hope that Victron continues with their work and tries to be the first that keeps it simplified as much as they can and continues to address the issues that come up. No one else is really doing that these days.

[@thk4711]

In my system I also had many strange problems when I was using the cheep not isolated usb serial adapters. After I switched to isolated ones (which you can get from Amazon) the problems went away. DSD TECH SH-U09C3 This does not require power from the Victron devices because it has an isolated power supply on board as well.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Oh, wow, nice one. For certain application pretty useful. Thanks for sharing.

[@KPTnVAN]

I could not find any description of the original Victron inverter concerning isolation. It is also not isolated I’m afraid.

[@philipj3486]

Maybe a bit off-topic well, sort of. But I'm trying to find a way to some way of switching an AC socket on when my battery gets to float. Any ideas would be great. I have looked for a DC voltmeter for my battery. My system is 24v, It would be nice if their was a tuya or a similar device, but I can't find one anywhere.

[@jonasgranlund4427]

Hi Andy, great content as always. I was wondering something that you probbably know. Deye have come out with a new range of 3-Phaze hybrid inverters that can handle 160V-800VDC batteries, and I was thinking that maybe it would make sence to build 4 of the modules you have with an individual BMS like the JK BMS, but then connect these 4 packs in Serie in to the Deye inverter. The power output and and DC input that I will need force me to buy two or even 3 of the48V Hybrid inverters so that is 3000-6000USD extra cost compared to build a 192VDC battery and use the high voltage inverters. Do you see any problem with such build and is there something I dont see with 4 pieces of series 16S instead of a 64S BMS? I'm thinking it might be some problem if it is not properly insulated between ground on the internal power of BMS and the negative on the power-side if that has ie.96V higher potential. Thanks :)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Jonas. That would be far out of the DIY zone. 160V DC is super dangerous already and I would not recommend building such a battery. The JK-BMS cannot handle such a series connection, the MOSFETs are not designed for that. In fact, most (if not all) of the available BMS won't withstand that and you may need an expensive Batrium (not even sure if it would handle that either) or some custom made BMS. A series connection of BMS is not a reliable solution. If one trips, the whole system would stop working. I would not design such a system without redundancy. I don't see any advantage for having such a high DC voltage battery. 48V is totally fine and works with all the gear and devices out there.

[@CollinBaillie]

As Andy says, being able to connect lithium batteries in series depends on the BMS. You'll find some pre-built Lithium batteries will say no series connection, while others may say 2 in series or 4 in series. It comes down to the MOSFETs used (as well as supporting components). An ultra cheap 12v BMS will use MOSFETS rated for maybe 18 or 20v, since a "12v" battery is really 14.xv and you design with some buffer for slightly over-expected operation, and use the most commonly available parts. Better BMS boards will be rated for a 12/24v setup and so will use MOSFETS rated for the higher configuration. If you use these for a 12v pack, that gives you the possibility of having 2 in series. As the offerings get better (and more expensive) the componentry will have specifications for much higher voltage, and so it's safe to connect more in series. A BMS designed for 48v, cooild be sold with board variants for 12v or 24v and so on, but use the same parts as used for the full 48v design. This usually is noted at 4s-16s or a 4s-24s or something. The maximum cell number is indicative of the overall rating of the MOSFETs used. If you use a 24s BMS in a working (IE as designed by the manufacturer) 12v (4s) pack, you can probably safely have up to 6 packs in series. As Andy says, a failure of one BMS would basically result in an open circuit (or short circuit?) for the entire pack. An interesting consideration is how a BMS allows Charge/Discharge to be toggled on or off discretely. A MOSFET allows.current flow in one direction, but has a reverse flow diode, a "body" diode. This body diode is designed to protect the MOSFET in the event of reversed polarity, and thus reverse current flow. Clever design thinking and specific MOSFET manufacturing has brought us to the place where that "protection" mechanism is in fact rated for equal or almost equal current flow in the reverse direction as the forward direction. So the MOSFET is technically used for discharge current control, while the body diode is used to control the charge current. You may find that the charge current of a BMS is lower rated than the discharge current. This is why. As a diode will only conduct when there is a voltage difference of about 1/2v (a generalisation), when charging your pack, as the pack voltage approaches the charging voltage, the diode will stop conducting, giving you the top charge cut-off. This is probably controlled in some clever way that I don't know about yet, to ensure that the setting you configure in software matches the diode operation. Perhaps a DC-to-DC converter? So if a BMS in a series connected pack shouldn't affect the other packs in the string of cells fr.charging/discharging. Perhaps there is more to it than that.aybe there is some sort of pass-through circuitry which is switch depending on if the BMS charge/discharge state for the single 12v pack in the string. Anyway, whether a lithium battery can be connected in series or not, comes down to the design of the BMS, and the MOSFETS used in that design and the manufacture of the board.

[@highlander2330]

What type is the connector of the RS485 port on the JK BMS? It looks like a smaller version of the JST-PH plug.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I think they are Micro JST GH 1.25mm. I remember reading this somewhere. Not 100% sure though...

[@matthewsmith4219]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia 100 % Micro JST GH 1.25mm.

[@bimmers323ci]

Hi I have the wired victron shunt bmv602s do you know if it can work on a raspberry pi via the victron ve cable or do I have to replace it to the smart shunt

[@loucinci3922]

Interesting? Kinda expensive, eh? Thanks for sharing

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I thought it is quite good for this price considering I would need to buy 4 individual adapters from Victron for $45/ea.

[@Poebbelmann]

Does anyone know if the Victron MK3 is just a simple isolated RS485 adapter or is there some logic insinde?

[@patrickruiz6764]

hello andy how can you connect your mp2 to the raspberry because it is a vebus connection! I also ask myself the question!

[@laredotech]

Can you separate two battery banks in Venus os with this? I want to have two battery controllers, two smart shunts and two battery banks to a single Venus os.

[@hkss]

Can I also connect this part to a Cerbo GX to a USB port and then get 4 V.E.Bus connections?

[@kuhrd]

It is suprising to me that all comm ports on these units are not already isolated as soon as they enter the case of the device. I always thought it was standard practice and just plain common sense to have isolation on all communication ports for devices that are used in conjunction with other devices on a bus or common data connection. They should also already be grounding the chassis to the rest of the system so ground loops shouldn't really be a problem since the cables used here are incredibly short. It woudl be differnt if this was a 100+ foot cable run across a factory with a potential for RF and EMI interfearence at a level where their would be problems.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The Victron Cerbo has all its ports isolated but not the Raspberry Pi. So this converter is not really needed for the Cerbo but mor for the DIY Pi.

[@askdba]

Can single vedirect app read multiple devices? I'm not sure if my problem is with the USB ports or the vedirect app reading signals.

[@ronny7380]

Guten Abend. Also ich habe mir auch diycable gemacht. Leider ist dann mein venusos raspberrypi abgestürzt. Habe mir dann die originalen Kabel besorgt. Und es läuft seid 1 Monat stabil.

[@Paul_______]

Hopefule i didnt damage my shunt. I didnt know about the red 5v needs to be disconnected. I had mine connected for about an hour before i read not to then i removed it

[@MichaelAConnolly]

I know this might be slightly off the mark but with your Multiplus and updating firmware, can this be used to update the firmware on the Multiplus? How do you do it? Mick

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yep, the same way. A new firmware shows up in the VRM. There is a bit of documentation out there: www.victronenergy.com/live/venus-os:remote_ve.bus_firmware_updates My MP II resets to default settings afterwards, so I make sure I'm onsite and set it up again. It's bit annoying.

[@MichaelAConnolly]

Thanks. You are a good person Mr Garage!👍

[@tedhamilton2362]

Is this device an alternative to the device sourced from Italy: Raspberry Pi Industrial 4-Channel USB HUB adapter USB multi-interface hub.

[@DavidBowen]

How do you extend those little 22 gauge wires to connect to all of your devices? I've looked for extension wires with that type of connector and the longest I've found was 600mm. My BMV-712 is about 20' away from all the rest of my equipment. The port is located on the back of the 712 so I would have to run the wires the 20'. How do I do this???????

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

You can extend the Ve.direct cables to up to 10m. If you google this you will find cables for this in all kind of lengths. Or you can just make your own... www.solar4rvs.com.au/victron-v.e.-direct-cable-0.3m-0.9m-1.8m-3m-5m-10m

[@DavidBowen]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia thank you SOOOO much!!

[@GregoryRomano1970]

Hello guys any idea what could be the best way to retrieve the water level of 3 tanks ? On raspy / venus ?

[@frostyfroze7352]

This work with inverters too? Even tho one is called ve direct and the other is ve bus

[@joeconnolly89]

i recently bought one of these 4 way ve direct modules and i can confirm as best as i tried, they don't work with a direct connection to a Victron colour control GX I got the white light on the board from the usb connection to the colour control usb socket on the back but was dead the other side with zero activity from the Victron 100/50 solar controller to the 4 way module

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I replied to your email. Try these steps as suggested.

[@joeconnolly89]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia i am not getting your return e mails

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@joeconnolly89 I'm getting yours. Nothing in your spam folder?

[@lionel66cajppppp0]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia nope I checked Not recieving anything you send Will try again

[@IlseKleuker]

I exactly have the same behaviour with the multiplus 2 GX (3000) - have you solved the issue. even tried to plug it into a rpi venus OS but didn't work either.

[@pulith5220]

Hi I got a problem. I hv 2 inverters running parallely and both hv RCCB for the output and as soon as I on both inverters and I draws over 1amp current the rccb trips this only happens when running in parallel mode. When I run the inverters individually thr RCCD don't trip. Can u give me some advice why this might be happening

[@alsemi-back-up579]

Can you use this for 4 JK BMS

[@Test-dn1qe]

Out of stock. Ich haffe ich kann es bald wieder bestellen.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It was out of stock for a while. Sign up for their newsletter, they will let you know when it's back. I ordered a few when it came back... best devices!

[@Test-dn1qe]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes, Simone answered already me, the 4in1 in Produktion and in a few weeks available.

[@lionel66cajppppp0]

They are still out of stock of the 4 port adapter

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Sign up for their newsletter and they will inform you when it is back in stock.

[@lionel66cajppppp0]

Hiya Yes I have Thx for all your hard work! Joe

[@IanNature7]

VE - Rs485 - Rs232 - Can - Uart - Rs45 - Usb 1,2,3 - RX TX 😝 What … ? is love baby don‘t hurt me no more 😆

[@shaafigadur]

hello do you know Ritar battery?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

No.

[@GregoryRomano1970]

Hello guys any idea how to retrieve water tank level on raspy / venus ?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

There are sensors which are compatible with Venus OS. I googled it a while back but all sensors are wired only so that's too difficult for me to use. I'm after a wireless tank sensor for all my rain water tanks as well.

[@GregoryRomano1970]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia if i found something i keep you in the loop

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@GregoryRomano1970That would be great.

[@Madieisacutie.]

Can somebody please help me... l need to work out what amp size BMS l need for 8 x 272ah 3.2v cells (2 x 12v then in parallel) for a 24v battery please. I am overwhelmed by countless videos and my mind is fried!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That totally depends on your charger and also load. How much amps do you pull at max load?

[@Madieisacutie.]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thank you so much for answering me, l live in central west NSW and l'm building a 40ft shipping container house on our family farm, being remote there's not really any solar people about to ask for help. I have two Epever 100amp/200v chargers one for each array (2200w) each. I have a 4000/8000w Giandel 24v inverter. I think that we're going to have a max load of 3800w. I was thinking of a 200amp Daley (not smart version) BMS or should l have two of these?

[@zxrjimmy1]

Would I trust that device 🤔

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

What's an alternative? Genuine Victron adapters?

[@Test-dn1qe]

This product has been discontinued. Why???

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Has it?

[@DanBurgaud]

I hate cables... I wish these equipment connects wirelessly already.

[@Nic7320]

Bluetooth is not 100% reliable. For critical equipment, hard wire your data lines.

[@DanBurgaud]

I agree hard wire data lines provide more reliable comms. But these are not critical equipment and can do just fine without comms.

[@JayDee25895]

Wonder why Victron doesn't send you cables after all the advertisement you give them.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I'm just sharing my experience here. They had some negative feedback from me as well here on the channel so that's maybe why they don't 😁

[@olafschermann1592]

As raspi has 5 UART ports- maybe we only need opto couplers? Maybe there is a hat out there? UART GPIO 0 14/15 1 14/15 2 0/1 3 4/5 4 8/9 5 12/13

[@keyem4504]

They don't sell into the EU. Which is strange, given they are from Italy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I think this is only for a certain way of shopping? I didn't quite understand this one-stop-shop thingy either. If not, I order a whole box and ship them from here. Fits in a padded envelope...

[@Test-dn1qe]

​@@OffGridGarageAustralia so you have this this 4 to 1 Board?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@Test-dn1qe Yes, I have 4 of them. Still have to make the video when I install them.

[@Test-dn1qe]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Top! Leider ist dies nicht mehr kaufbar. Ich hoffe, daß es diese irgend wann wieder gibt, eventuell von anderen Anbietern. Grüsse und weiter so mit deinen KZbin Videos👍

[@pmacgowan]

All these cables, why isn’t it using blue tooth an make it cable free :-(

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

BT won't be reliable over some distance and is also too slow, I guess for time critical events.

[@PeterMilanovski]

It's a great device but only one problem! What was the design thought process behind the board layout? I mean.... Was they thinking that someone would just purchase it and just plug it in and use it! How are you supposed to mount it? What's with the shape of it? It looks ugly! There are no mounting holes!!!! It's people like this that took the beautiful design of the 70's and 80's boombox and started to round off the corners till it ended up looking like a bush pig! Sure, it's shape is efficient but it's not functional! You can probably already tell that I have had this problem before and you would be right! There are way too many devices that no one seemed to give a thought about how it was going to be mounted! It's only the first time when you get something like this sitting on the bench and it's kinda cool, there it is, just a little PCB board with some components on it just doing it's thing but then you realise that it can't just sit there, and then it hits you! The only option you have is to wrap it in some heat shrink or something else to insulate it and it's just going to have to hang loose inside a case! I just get so annoyed that they went to so much time and effort to get something worthwhile and it can't be installed! Unfinished project! It might as well be landfill like a lot of other junk that comes out of China and readily available on eBay or Ali Express...

[@TheRonskiman]

That's where you need a 3D printer, to make a suitable mount, but as you say you really shouldn't have to, but unfortunately we as end users are never going to change poor design choices so we just have to work around it. It is so frustrating, I've had so many why did they do that moments, where a simple design change could make things so much better.

[@PeterMilanovski]

@@TheRonskiman I have never really had the need for a 3D printer, although if I had one I probably would have used it possibly more than I realise.... I guess that it's going to be one of those things that eventually they are going to be as cheap and common that they will be sold alongside the common paper printer and when they run out of consumables, they both will end up together on the nature strip due to after market filament not being compatible with your specific model!!!! I can really see this happening LoL. You probably already get some filament with a new 3D printer to get you started. All that's needed now is for someone to find a way to get the printer to detect the type of filament and not work if it's not theirs... This is the world we now live in!

[@TheRonskiman]

@@PeterMilanovski Luckily 3D printers aren't yet made with the restrictions off paper printers. You buy your 3D printer, you buy your choice of filament, then you set about trying to get it to print, which is a steep learning curve, but once you get it working they are incredibly useful, and I will be using mine to print things for my solar/battery install.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It is advertised more like a test and developer board. I guess most developers don't really care of a nest of cables on their desk when testing things out. I would probably mount it with some Velcro in my battery shelf where the Raspi and the 12V converter sits.

[@brent7344]

Would be good if they made a version with the jst ph port so you could use your existing ve.direct cables Edit - they do, just order it with the jst xh connectors instead.

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

gute Fehlersuche

[@theogewrgakis8952]

I have buy the product that you are advertising from Dupa. I have by also all the connections and the cables witch was necessary. I install it it was working perfectly with my Victron cerbo gx and the shunts but unfortunately, after the first update of my Victron, Cerbo, GX and the victron Shunts stop working I change many cables, but do not solve the problem I tried different things which they tell me from Dupa but nothing it works anymore. Please give us a solution or stop to talk to advertise it because it costs not only the money but a lot of time to solve this many thanks it will be nice to wait for an answer if existing one.

[@petermerle]

Will you be able to use this to connect to up to 4 JK BMS's directly to VenusOS ? ( ie no need for the isolated JK RS485 converter )