PANELS AND MONITORING

Bluetooth enabled battery monitoring with a BMV 712 | Full system monitoring with an internet connection and a Color Control GX using Victron's VRM Portal
Bluetooth enabled battery monitoring, full system monitoring with a Color Control GX
    Overview

    Panels and Monitoring - View System Status at a Glance

    This section includes Battery and system monitors and panels that can be included in system installations.

    A BMV 712 battery monitor will typically be included as standard in all installations and a Color Control GX can be added as an option.

    Boundless recommends and installs Victron Energy battery monitors and GX series control panels such as the Color Control.

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    System Monitor Features

    The BMV 712 is provided as part of the Negative Bus kit. It is a very low power consumption Bluetooth enabled battery monitor. Parameters on the BMV can be configured and viewed on a smart phone or tablet using the VictronConnect app. The VictronConnect manual can be viewed here.

    With the addition of a Color Control GX, parameters on the BMV can be displayed on the Color Control screen when connected via a VE.Direct cable. Battery state, voltage, Ah used, time remaining and other parameters available on the BMV will be available on the Color Control.

    Victron inverter chargers connect to the Color Control via VE.Bus which uses a standard ethernet cable for connection. The Color Control will display various MultiPlus parameters and allow control of basic functions such as shore power current limit.

    All parameters available on the Color Control can be viewed on the Victron VRM Portal which includes extensive graphing and data export capabilities.

    Phone, Tablet and Laptop Monitoring and Control Options

    • Bluetooth
      Bluetooth Monitoring of Battery Monitors, Solar Chargers and Batteries

      VictronConnect lets you get live status information and configure any Victron products which either have Bluetooth built-in, or are connected to a VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart Dongle.

    • VRM
      The Full power of Victron Remote Management

      Victron Remote Management (VRM) provides you with full access to very extensive controls and settings of all system components which are connected to either your CCGX or Venus GX. It allows remote user and installer login - from anywhere, at anytime. This powerful application also provides for hassle-free diagnostic checks and analysis of archived information.

    • VRM RV
      Remotely Monitor Your RV, Travel Trailer or Boat Electronics

      Planning a trip? Remote monitoring of your Color Control GX allows you to make sure your boat or motorhome are ready to go. Color Control GX also allows you to talk to connected equipment from other manufacturers.

    VRM

    Remote Monitoring Basics

    Remote Monitoring is possible via a Color Control GX and an internet connection. Connection of a Color Control to Victron's VRM portal allows you to view, download and control many system parameters of connected devices such as battery monitors, solar charge controllers and Inverter Chargers.

    Setting up an internet connection in your RV or travel trailer is normally handled with the addition of a cellular router. Boundless do not current offer kits but there are many online companies that do. The Color Control or Venus would be connected to the cellular router via an ethernet cable.

    Below are some screen shots of the VRM portal for information or you can visit the link above and view the Demos site. Victron has apps for Apple, Android, Mac and Windows to enable viewing on mobile devices and laptops wherever there is an internet connection.

    Why do you want this functionality?

    • The ability to view state of charge of the battery is a plus, especially if your RV or travel trailer will be stored remotely from your home. State of charge can be verified prior to a trip.
    • Extensive data can be downloaded and analyzed to help optimize energy usage patterns or to trouble shoot problems.
    • Alarms can be set up for many different ;parameters such as state of charge, temperatures etc.
    • A Color Control with connected MultiPlus inverter charger can be configured to ignore the A/C power connection except for certain conditions (customer adjustable) such as state of charge or A/C load being applied. When enabled shore power can be connected and ignored to enable the solar system (if fitted) to charge the battery. Instructing the system to use A/C power can be done remotely over the VRM portal. This feature is useful if you want to maximize use of solar power (and minimize use of grid power) whilst protecting the battery from over-discharge and remotely topping off the battery prior to a trip if not fully charged from solar alone.

    Below are some screen shots from the Boundless Airstream travel trailer SilverBullet via a Color Control GX which is connected to the VRM portal

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    A Remote Console view via the VRM portal shows realtime data of current flow, PV Power, battery state of charge and current flow and DC Power being consumed by the coach. Shore power is also at 0W and the Inverter is operational with small AC loads. Clicking on the virtual buttons on the left enables navigation through the various screens to view data and adjust settings.

    VRM-connected devices

    The Remote Console view showing devices connected to the Color Control including a BMV 700 battery monitor, a BlueSolar Charger and a MultiPlus 3000VA inverter charger.

    MultiPlus InverterCharger

    The Remote Console view showing the MultiPlus inverter charger settings. It is currently On indicating it is able to charge or Invert depending on power supply and battery state of charge. Input current limit is set to 20A even though shore power connected is 30A. Battery voltage is 13.34V and current out of battery is 5.6A to the coach and small current AC users

    Solar Charge Controller

    The Remote Console view showing Solar Charger status. Its a cloudy day today so very little solar gain. The PV voltage, current and power are shown together with the battery voltage and current. An interesting value is the Total yield which is the energy harvested from solar over its lifetime (about 3 years). An impressive number given the modest 600W solar array installed on SilverBullet.

    Start Generator

    One of three alternate screens available on the Remote Console is the Generator view which shows generator running status. Pressing the center button on the right will start the "generator", in this case it will instruct the Color Control and attached MultiPlus Inverter Charger to use AC power which is attached to the shore power connection. The battery can be instructed to charge remotely in this way prior to a trip to ensure it is fully charged.

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