EG4 Chargeverter Battery/Inverter Communications

[Marobel]

I am just wondering why, when using my new EG4 chargeverter integrated into my EG4 server battery rack, which is hooked up to my EG4 6000XP, the manual states “Do not establish communications between charger and battery if already using inverter to battery communications “ (accurately paraphrased). If I use the chargeverter to charge just a standalone battery then comms are needed. Just asking why does the chargeverter care? The chargeverter SOC states “Lost” on the display when not comm’d to the batteries. So how is the chargeverter knowing the SOC?

I did research an answer on this forum and on the WWW and could not find an anything.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

So how is the chargeverter knowing the SOC?

It doesn't. It almost never matters.

The chargerverter is basically made from the same bits as the inverter/charger in an AiO unit. It's probably still based on the older Voltronics-type hardware while your 6000XP is a Luxpower product.

Connect both, and you're trying to establish communication between two different inverter/chargers and the battery. Hopefully, you intuitively see this as potentially problematic. If you don't, then it may help to understand that the AiO are designed to communicate only with identical models will all features present. It's pretty clear the chargeverter and your 6000XP only have "EG4" labels in common.

If there are no comms, it should just charge to the set voltage. If you insist on charging to a set SoC, you'll need to swap the cable back and forth.

 

[marionw]

The "new" EG4 Charge-Inverter manual shows that the RJ45 (RS485 bus) uses pins 1&2. EG4 typically uses pins 1&2 on their RJ45/RS485 ports for comms to other devices such as an Inverter, Solar Assistant or the BMS_Test software (only one at a time).

Specifically for the LifePower4 batteries pins 7&8 are used for battery to battery comms and pins 1&2 are used for Inverter comms.

If using an EG4 Communications Hub pins 1&2 are no longer connected to the inverter so I would suspect that connecting the ChargeInverter would not be an issue, much like using an external separate charger.

The manual might be assuming with BMS to Inverter comms that pins 1&2 are in use, you cannot have more than one "Master" on an RS485 bus.
I suspect that in the absence of comms the ChargeInverter uses the Max Charge Voltage and Max Charge Current you program in and with comms the ChargeInverter uses data it gets from the battery and overrides the Max Charge Voltage and Max Charge Current you program in.

I have not yet purchased the new ChargeInverter but will in the near future so I can break down the communications.

 

[Marobel]

Thanks. I fully understand what you’re saying here. I wrote this in hopes of getting EG4, Luxpower, SS or anyone else to explain these types of instructions in the manuals rather than just thinking all of us are dummies and follow blindly along.

 

[Marobel]

I have not yet purchased the new ChargeInverter but will in the near future so I can break down the communications.

I’d be very interested in what you find out from your research on this.

 

[marionw]

It will be a few months before I save the money to buy one, don't really need one but since I have 6 EG4 LifePower4 batteries it would fit in.
Just bought 6 more 550W PERC panels and another SunGoldPower battery.
My granddaughters suck up a lot of my "extra" money, they get more expensive as they grow.....

 

[Madcodger]

Right now, I have three 6000XPs, three PowerPro batteries, and a Chargeverter (among a lot of other stuff) in transit to me. The only thing I still don't really know how to properly connect is that Chargeverter. It would be very helpful if the nice folks at EG4 would publish a diagram here that shows this. They sell all this stuff, and market the Chargeverter as the thing to use when you don't have a giant generator producing pristine power. So....... A little help on now to make it play nice with all their other stuff would be just peachy. Please.

 

[SniperX]

Right now, I have three 6000XPs, three PowerPro batteries, and a Chargeverter (among a lot of other stuff) in transit to me. The only thing I still don't really know how to properly connect is that Chargeverter. It would be very helpful if the nice folks at EG4 would publish a diagram here that shows this. They sell all this stuff, and market the Chargeverter as the thing to use when you don't have a giant generator producing pristine power. So....... A little help on now to make it play nice with all their other stuff would be just peachy. Please.

Just got my new chargeverter today. I also got a 12V charger and I suspect it has been used. I need to call tomorrow to find out what they will do.

 

[wpns]

I have not yet purchased the new ChargeInverter but will in the near future so I can break down the communications.

Any progress on this? Fully understand the availability of resources to do this, just curious if you had gotten anywhere. Thanks!

 

[EG4_Eric]

Right now, I have three 6000XPs, three PowerPro batteries, and a Chargeverter (among a lot of other stuff) in transit to me. The only thing I still don't really know how to properly connect is that Chargeverter. It would be very helpful if the nice folks at EG4 would publish a diagram here that shows this. They sell all this stuff, and market the Chargeverter as the thing to use when you don't have a giant generator producing pristine power. So....... A little help on now to make it play nice with all their other stuff would be just peachy. Please.

Here is a diagram of one way you could connect the chargeverter to your system.

 

[wpns]

Here is a diagram of one way you could connect the chargeverter to your system.

View attachment 222082

I just made up the ChargeVerter cables with the 250A Degson sockets so I can use Degson parallel cables.

 

[Madcodger]

Here is a diagram of one way you could connect the chargeverter to your system.

View attachment 222082

THANK YOU @EG4_Eric !