NOTE: This post has been temporaily redacted. Our demo Cerbo is acting suspiciously and we are having it replaced, and will retest and update this post. Comments are still welcome
We found out recently that you may have 2 options for this configuration. If anyone have experienced anything different, we would love to get some further insight as to the best solution here.
As I see it, it comes down to the fact that Victron will not recognise the WS500 on the BMS-CAN bus and the WS500 is not Victron DVCC compliant at this time, so the only way to control your WS500 from your non-victron BMS is to move it to the BMS-CAN port, so that the REC BMS can share the network and communicate directly with the WS500 to provide CVCC control. CVCC control is what REC and WS500 use (Constant Voltage/Constant Current) vs the Victron proprietary version, called DVCC (Distributed Voltage and Current Control) and a Cerbo can translate CVCC to DVCC via the BMS-CAN port to the VE-CAN port so that all Victron DVCC compatible devices can be controlled by the BMS, but the WS500 is not DVCC compatible yet.
Option 1
1) Connect your BMS to the BMS-CAN port
2) Connect your WS500 to the BMS-CAN port
- This will allow your WS500 to be controlled by your REC BMS using CVCC control.
- To view your WS500 data you will want to connect it to a NMEA2000 display
- The Cerbo will not see the WS500
- Your REC BMS will provide CVCC control directly to the WS500
- Your REC BMS will provide CVCC/DVCC control through the Cerbo to all Victron DVCC compatible devices such as MPPT's, inverters and Chargers, including Multiplus
- The WS500 does not support DVCC control on the VE.Can bus yet
- You are not relying on the Victron Cerbo to act as an intermediary so if it fails your BMS and WS500 are still working together.
Option 2:
1) Connect your BMS to the BMS-CAN port
2) Connect your WS500 to the VE-CAN port
- This will allow you to display and log data on your Cerbo and VRM
- The BMS can not control your WS500, as the WS500 does not yet support Victron DVCC control
If it were my installation I would go for option 1). It allows the BMS to manage all of your connected devices to protect your battery system. Yes, you lose the ability to display your WS500 in
IN above post the word BMS is a few time used, I think this need to be corrected to REC-BMS, or BMS with CAN.
I never start experimenting to connect something others to the Victron BMS-can port then Victron BMS.
After reading the post multiply times I dont see any pofit from option 1 or option 2.
If someone can expalin any profit, which I dont see?
Pleae let me know, Iam happy to learn more.:):)
Option 3:
REC-BMS and WS500 are both connected to the Victron VE-CAN with proper termination.
-This will allow you to display and log data on your Cerbo and VRM.
-This will allow your WS500 to be controlled by your REC-BMS using CVCC control. (WS500 state 39)
-WS500 does not yet follow Victron DVCC control. But this is not needed in almost all installatins. (As example: If you lower the max Voltage under DVCC, the Victron charger will keep to this limit, as this MAX voltage overruled the BMS input, the WS500 keeps following the charge suggestions from the REC-BMS)
-Your REC BMS will provide CVCC/DVCC control through the Cerbo to all Victron DVCC compatible devices such as: VE-MPPT's, VE-CAN-MPPT's(on the same VE-CAN as the WS500), inverters and Chargers, including Multiplus, Quatros.
-You are not relying on the Victron Cerbo to act as an intermediary so if it fails your REC-BMS and WS500 are still working together.
Hi Ben & all
I am in the process of setting up my REC-BMS, Cerbo, Multiplus & WS500.
I am using the DVCC to limit the charging and dropping the voltage to stop the Multiplus charging, are you saying that I can control the WS500 in a similar manner?? Currently when I run the engine the output from the alternator is not controlled by the Cerbo.
Since I ran the system last year I have fitted a shunt on the output from the alternator instead of using the victron shunt as I am more interested to control the output on the alternator rather than have the loads into the equation(they could be quite high).
I can't quite remember in which ports I have connected the WS500 to, I will have a look when I am back on the boat. If it is possible to control the WS500 like I can do with the Multiplus, which port would I use to control the WS500.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
WS500 is controlled by REC-BMS, not by the Cerbo.
REC-BMS and WS500 are both connected to the same CAN, the third device on this CAN is the Victron GX, use the correct termination
@Ben Thanks Ben I will stop chasing something that doesn't exist. Its such a shame that the the WS500 cant be controlled like the Multiplus. Edit, it looks like there is a wirless conection this year to connect a phone to the wakespeed to control the alternator.
Since re-building the system this winter i seem to have lost the output details on the "output" tab in the "remote console" "WS500-REC", I am pretty sure it was there last year. could this be someting to do with moving the current shunt from the BMV position on the negative side going into/out of the battery? to the new shunt on the positive side of the alternator output???
Thanks again for your help
@Rick I'd love to see an update to this post!
