Heltec (JK) 200A Smart BMS with 2A Active Balance

[Sanwizard]

@Dacflyer, sorry - I have no issues setting the name of the BMS... I've tried multiple versions of the app last time this question came up, and I do have an older 100A version bought over a year ago, all without issues.

Edit: one thing to try, perhaps make sure you have advanced features enabled (the one that needs the password), and then try setting the name.

Mine work fine also. I have and additional two brand new still in the box also. If the Seplos BMS works, those two will be for sale. If not, they stay. Heltec says they have an R485 cable with the small white connector on one side and an RJ45 on the other. Did you guys make your own cables for inverter communications? Or are you just using bluetooth?

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Heltec says they have an R485 cable with the small white connector on one side and an RJ45 on the other. Did you guys make your own cables for inverter communications? Or are you just using bluetooth?

I'm using a Raspberry Pi to communicate with the BMS. The Pi (or something custom) will ultimately talk to the inverter (and other things) based on this information. I just got this BMS cable from Heltec and put it to a RS485-USB converter:

7.0US $ |Rs485 Communication Box For Jk Bms - Battery Accessories & Charger Accessories - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

@Dacflyer Any chance to make a video or take some screenshots? Not saying I don't believe you, but I have never had the issue and can't replicate it at all... Would be good to see what you're seeing.

 

[Dacflyer]

I don't know how to make a video of it.. the app is on my tablet, and it's the only way i have to video..
I know what i'll do... I'll have my friend make a video, then send it to me,,then i'll post it..
Screen shot will be useless..video will explain much better..
but basically, i Click the Pen... then select edit name, I type in the name i want ( BMS1 , BMS2 etc. ) then i click OK,
the button makes a shadow when i press it, but it has no function... What could i be doing wrong ?

 

[Sanwizard]

I don't know how to make a video of it.. the app is on my tablet, and it's the only way i have to video..
I know what i'll do... I'll have my friend make a video, then send it to me,,then i'll post it..
Screen shot will be useless..video will explain much better..
but basically, i Click the Pen... then select edit name, I type in the name i want ( BMS1 , BMS2 etc. ) then i click OK,
the button makes a shadow when i press it, but it has no function... What could i be doing wrong ?

Tablet? Apple or android? I use Android phone app without issue.

 

[ocular]

Looking at adding the JK-B2A16S standalone active balancer to my LiFePO4 16S 15KWhr storage. One feature that I can't see is "Start Balance Vol" in the settings of the standalone balancer, only the "Power Off Vol" is there.
I cant get onto jkbms.com via their website or email and I raised this via chat with Hankzor on aliexpress and they tried to tell me that the "Power Off Vol" setting on the JK-B2A16S did the same thing as the "Start Balance Vol" on the BMS/active balance units - ie switches off balancing below a set voltage. (This is not likely to be the case - I tried to seek clarification in the chat but am now ignored)
GMXnow has documented in this thread how it is important it is to have a "Start Balance Vol" adjustment so that balancing is limited to near top end.

Maybe I have missed it in the discussion/documentation but I cant find any evidence that the JiKong/Heltec/Hankzor standalone active balancers have a "Start Balance Vol" feature. Would be grateful to be informed by those with this active balancer.

 

[Sanwizard]

Looking at adding the JK-B2A16S standalone active balancer to my LiFePO4 16S 15KWhr storage. One feature that I can't see is "Start Balance Vol" in the settings of the standalone balancer, only the "Power Off Vol" is there.
I cant get onto jkbms.com via their website or email and I raised this via chat with Hankzor on aliexpress and they tried to tell me that the "Power Off Vol" setting on the JK-B2A16S did the same thing as the "Start Balance Vol" on the BMS/active balance units - ie switches off balancing below a set voltage. (This is not likely to be the case - I tried to seek clarification in the chat but am now ignored)
GMXnow has documented in this thread how it is important it is to have a "Start Balance Vol" adjustment so that balancing is limited to near top end.

Maybe I have missed it in the discussion/documentation but I cant find any evidence that the JiKong/Heltec/Hankzor standalone active balancers have a "Start Balance Vol" feature. Would be grateful to be informed by those with this active balancer.

You may want to ping @DanF, as I believe all he uses is a Heltec active balancer with no BMS on his setup.
He also has a youtube channel.

 

[DanF]

Looking at adding the JK-B2A16S standalone active balancer to my LiFePO4 16S 15KWhr storage. One feature that I can't see is "Start Balance Vol" in the settings of the standalone balancer, only the "Power Off Vol" is there.
I cant get onto jkbms.com via their website or email and I raised this via chat with Hankzor on aliexpress and they tried to tell me that the "Power Off Vol" setting on the JK-B2A16S did the same thing as the "Start Balance Vol" on the BMS/active balance units - ie switches off balancing below a set voltage. (This is not likely to be the case - I tried to seek clarification in the chat but am now ignored)
GMXnow has documented in this thread how it is important it is to have a "Start Balance Vol" adjustment so that balancing is limited to near top end.

Maybe I have missed it in the discussion/documentation but I cant find any evidence that the JiKong/Heltec/Hankzor standalone active balancers have a "Start Balance Vol" feature. Would be grateful to be informed by those with this active balancer.

On the stand alone balancer unfortunately there is no on or off setting parameters.
You can only turn balancing on and off manually.

Dan

 

[GXMnow]

Looking at adding the JK-B2A16S standalone active balancer to my LiFePO4 16S 15KWhr storage. One feature that I can't see is "Start Balance Vol" in the settings of the standalone balancer, only the "Power Off Vol" is there.
I cant get onto jkbms.com via their website or email and I raised this via chat with Hankzor on aliexpress and they tried to tell me that the "Power Off Vol" setting on the JK-B2A16S did the same thing as the "Start Balance Vol" on the BMS/active balance units - ie switches off balancing below a set voltage.

I only have the one JK-BMS, I have not tried one of the stand alone balancers yet. But this makes some sense here. In the BMS, you still want it to function below the balance start voltage. It can still keep both the charge and discharge mosfets on, and the Blue Tooth. The Power Off Volts on the BMS is the point where it shuts down completely to keep from over discharging the batteries from even the small parasitic power drain.

In the balancer only units, all it does is balance. It does not monitor current or count battery capacity. So I think you could use the power off voltage to do this. I don't know if it is activated by any single cell, or total pack voltage, but in either case, when the voltage is below your desired lower balance limit, it will shut down. That should stop all balance function. The only bad thing, is it may also turn off the Blue Tooth. You might only be able to make adjustments and monitor the cell voltages when the voltage is up into the area where balancing is active. Would someone with a stand alone balancer be willing to try doing this? The possible problem might be that you can't change the adjustments again until a charge cycle brings the voltage back up.

 

[Dacflyer]

@Dacflyer, sorry - I have no issues setting the name of the BMS... I've tried multiple versions of the app last time this question came up, and I do have an older 100A version bought over a year ago, all without issues.

Edit: one thing to try, perhaps make sure you have advanced features enabled (the one that needs the password), and then try setting the name.

I have tried this also... I'll post the video later on today...

 

[Dacflyer]

Tablet? Apple or android? I use Android phone app without issue.

Using an android tablet.. Samsung TAB-E

 

[ocular]

I only have the one JK-BMS, I have not tried one of the stand alone balancers yet. But this makes some sense here. In the BMS, you still want it to function below the balance start voltage. It can still keep both the charge and discharge mosfets on, and the Blue Tooth. The Power Off Volts on the BMS is the point where it shuts down completely to keep from over discharging the batteries from even the small parasitic power drain.

In the balancer only units, all it does is balance. It does not monitor current or count battery capacity. So I think you could use the power off voltage to do this. I don't know if it is activated by any single cell, or total pack voltage, but in either case, when the voltage is below your desired lower balance limit, it will shut down. That should stop all balance function. The only bad thing, is it may also turn off the Blue Tooth. You might only be able to make adjustments and monitor the cell voltages when the voltage is up into the area where balancing is active. Would someone with a stand alone balancer be willing to try doing this? The possible problem might be that you can't change the adjustments again until a charge cycle brings the voltage back up.

Thanks for everyones input about working out if the standalone active balancers can stop balancing below a certain cell voltage. I too have considered that "Power Off Vol" could be used to do this in the absence of a "Start Balance Vol" setting. But this would depend on what input range is allowed in the 'Power Off Vol" setting as its design purpose was probably to turn off at 2.5 - 3.0 volts. As there doesn't appear to be any documentation from the manufacturer's/sellers on this issue, can I please reach out and ask those with a standalone active what range of values can be entered into "Power Off Vol" ( maybe could extrapolate from the JK-BMS).

If cell voltage can't be used to limit balancing to occur when any cell hits 3.4 volts then maybe increasing trigger delta from 5mV to 10-20mV will help limit active balancing to the top end?

 

[Dacflyer]

Ok,, I discovered that i can't upload videos on here, so i had to make a link...
so now maybe someone can tell me what I am doing wrong, or if there is a bug in the App.. I kinda doubt that all 3 units are the issue.

 

[curiouscarbon]

Darn, it appears that there's a bug in the software.

After typing in "BMS1" and clicking "OK", there's a bug

The programmer seems to have made an error in writing the code for the part that sends the BMS name. Sorry! That app behavior certainly looks frustrating, seeing as it allows typing in the name and even to show that you're tapping the OK button but it does nothing. ARgh!

 

[Sanwizard]

Ok,, I discovered that i can't upload videos on here, so i had to make a link...
so now maybe someone can tell me what I am doing wrong, or if there is a bug in the App.. I kinda doubt that all 3 units are the issue.

Ok, now that is strange, and I understand your frustration. The good news is it looks like its functional, so just the name bug. I am on a Samsung S10E, and it works fine. ENJPower app version 3.0. Android version 9. Can you try the software on a different device? Did you try selecting one of the other BMS's besides the top one? (I am sure you must have). I know the software has to communicate with the BMS to write the name, so try all three if you can. Not sure if the issue is specific to your device, the software itself, or the BMS's its talking to. You could always try de-install, redownload of latest version, and re-install to see if that works.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I concur with the other suggestions: try a different device is possible. I've been trying to replicate this using a tablet etc. and still can't... I'll try a few other things.

 

[Dacflyer]

Ok, now that is strange, and I understand your frustration. The good news is it looks like its functional, so just the name bug. I am on a Samsung S10E, and it works fine. ENJPower app version 3.0. Android version 9. Can you try the software on a different device? Did you try selecting one of the other BMS's besides the top one? (I am sure you must have). I know the software has to communicate with the BMS to write the name, so try all three if you can. Not sure if the issue is specific to your device, the software itself, or the BMS's its talking to. You could always try de-install, redownload of latest version, and re-install to see if that works.

I've tried to do it to all 3 units, and i have the latest app version that i could find.. I've hit a dead end..

 

[Dacflyer]

I concur with the other suggestions: try a different device is possible. I've been trying to replicate this using a tablet etc. and still can't... I'll try a few other things.

I don't have any other devices, other than my laptop, and it does not have BT...
Maybe i'll wait til my buddy comes back over, and i'll try his phone and see what happens.

 

[Sanwizard]

I don't have any other devices, other than my laptop, and it does not have BT...
Maybe i'll wait til my buddy comes back over, and i'll try his phone and see what happens.

If you are running version 3, its not the software, as its just bits, and it works ok for me. It may be bluetooth related, or device related.

 

[Dacflyer]

If you are running version 3, its not the software, as its just bits, and it works ok for me. It may be bluetooth related, or device related.

If that's the case... how do i fix it ? And why does it just effect that 1 function....
I sent the video link to Heltec.. Maybe they'll reply..