Using second port of EG4 18 KPV to extend battery bank

[Farm Boy]

I have 6 batteries in a cabinet. 3-LL V-2 top being the master. 4-6 are LL V1. All 6 batteries working and communicating fine hooked to the EG4 18KPV.
I have 3 Life Power's from another set up that I added. I simply connected communications cable to the last LL V1 battery in the rack and ran it to the EG4 communications Hub, then to the master Life Power and from there they are hooked to the other 2 making the 3 LP. From the last LP battery I ran 4/0 battery cables to the 2nd battery port of the 18 KPV, sense it has additional 200 amp breaker for battery saving time with buss bars or external breakers as my old cables were the right length. When I turned it all back on, there were no warnings or open loop issues from the 18KPV. The 6 batteries were at 64% and the Life Powers were about full and notice they were discharging as the 6 others were now charging. ( to make sure, this was done at night, dark out side, no PV) I figure this was ok that the SOC was equalizing. This morning when the sun made it to my panels I could see the SOC was relatively close to them all but did notice the Life Powers were about 9% higher but not completely charged yet. May be over time they will equal out. I also notice on my monitor app on my phone shows 6 batteries not 9 as it is now but I did not do a reset of the inverter yet. Do I need to?
I read on other battery threads of hooking up additional batteries starting with the last and using the EG4 communications Hub with the KPV as I all ready had this Hub. It all seems to be doing fine with no red flags showing but instead of hooking the LP's to the buss bars in the cabinet I ran them to the second battery port of the 18 kpv, and the other question is getting the 18kpv to show 9 batteries instead of 6.

 

[Farm Boy]

Well it's been a little over a month now and not a single reply so I will add an update. I still have not reset the 18 KPV. All 9 batteries are charging and discharging pretty well. They all act like a complete unit with similar cell voltages as they run down or charge up. The EG4 18kpv still show 6 batteries instead of 9. I'm starting to think that the 18kpv is only communicating with the master V-2 LL, as it has a port to connect to on the kpv. There is not a second port for battery communications, so the Hub is doing it's work but the kpv is not seeing it because I still need to do some thing.

 

[Lt.Dan]

The wall of text makes it a turn off to sit through and read.

Sorry I'm unfamiliar with your equipment and am of little to no help though. Free bump.

 

[Zapper77]

I couldn't make it past the first few lines of text. It's hard to read and understand.

 

[Zapper77]

I'm not aware of any method of making the LLs and LP4s communicate.

 

[tmprof]

I wonder if you need to flash the firmware on the batteries and set the dip switches to the correct #'s for all 9 batteries

 

[schmism]

this seems like a solid support question for signature solar. give them a call.

 

[pvgirl]

Seems like your communication cabling setup is not correct. Each battery should be daisy chained with increasing IDs set on the DIP switches. having the newest battery be the primary a ID 1. You shouldn't need the communications hub.

 

[Zapper77]

@Farm Boy notice that the comments below mine totally missed that you are trying to have two different batteries communicate.

 

[Farm Boy]

The wall of text makes it a turn off to sit through and read.

Sorry your bored.

I'm not aware of any method of making the LLs and LP4s communicate.

Even with the communications Hub?

 

[Markus_EG4]

You need to update all of your batteries to get them to communicate here are the files. But I will say Lifepower and the LLs work together but the Span from 0-100% are different so you will always have a SOC difference

 

[Farm Boy]

Seems like your communication cabling setup is not correct. Each battery should be daisy chained with increasing IDs set on the DIP switches. having the newest battery be the primary a ID 1. You shouldn't need the communications hub.

The first 6 are hooked the right way and communicating fine. The hub is needed with the LP's and is hooked to them putting the hub in between the last battery in the cabinet to the hub and then to the first LP. Here is a quick pic how it is. All 9 batteries show similar readings as it discharges and charges but the kpv only recognize 6

 

[Farm Boy]

You need to update all of your batteries to get them to communicate here are the files. But I will say Lifepower and the LLs work together but the Span from 0-100% are different so you will always have a SOC difference

If I'm thinking right, the LP's may run a little higher in SOC compared to the LL's, that's fine with me. No I never updated any of the batteries and is why I bought the hub for the LP's. The V-1's were bought just before SS ran out of them and the V-2's were bought just after. I knew and read about the updates but when I hooked them together, they are all communicating together so I did not bother. The 3 LP's I added later from my first set up and put the communications hub in between the bottom V-1 (Communications Cable) to the hub and then to the first LP making it as another Master for those 3. (If you can make sense of that). Sense they all are working together with similar cell readings as they charge or discharge, I thought they were communicating together but as stated, the 18kpv only sees 6. I can live with that as long as every thing is functioning fine with the BMS and batteries.

 

[Markus_EG4]

LL V2s need to be Master 6 Dip Switch then 4 Dip Switch, Then V1s, And Last Lifepowers. All dip Switches need to be in order according to the battery manuals of those batteries. The comms really isnt needed to achieve all of this. We did this today in R&D to make sure everything still works properly. If you hook it up this way you will see all of batteries on the 18k.

 

[Farm Boy]

LL V2s need to be Master 6 Dip Switch then 4 Dip Switch, Then V1s, And Last Lifepowers. All dip Switches need to be in order according to the battery manuals of those batteries. The comms really isnt needed to achieve all of this. We did this today in R&D to make sure everything still works properly. If you hook it up this way you will see all of batteries on the 18k.

Thanks for your time. I will see about the update's.

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks for your time. I will see about the update's.

I just finished reading the LP4 firmware change log. I see that LP4s can communicate through/with LLv2. Is that correct @Markus_EG4

 

[Markus_EG4]

I just finished reading the LP4 firmware change log. I see that LP4s can communicate through/with LLv2. Is that correct @Markus_EG4

Yes but the Battery Balancing will not be the best

 

[Farm Boy]

Yes but the Battery Balancing will not be the best

Even if they are not updated? or only if they are all updated?

 

[Zapper77]

Even if they are not updated? or only if they are all updated?

Sounds like the LL and LP4 BMS are different brand/models and have different balance settings.

 

[Markus_EG4]

Sounds like the LL and LP4 BMS are different brand/models and have different balance settings.

They are different brands and models 100% correct

 

[TOU47]

They are different brands and models 100% correct

Hmmmm. So... how are my rack of Lifepower4's going to communicate with my new 18kPV & PowerPro's?

 

[Zapper77]

Hmmmm. So... how are my rack of Lifepower4's going to communicate with my new 18kPV & PowerPro's?

They aren't?

 

[Benjamin Yang]

This may be due to the fact that after adding a new battery, the inverter needs to do a reset in order to re-recognize and display all connected batteries.

 

[Farm Boy]

Power pro's probably a good choice for those starting out with no other type of storage.

 

[Scott luckett]

Well it's been a little over a month now and not a single reply so I will add an update. I still have not reset the 18 KPV. All 9 batteries are charging and discharging pretty well. They all act like a complete unit with similar cell voltages as they run down or charge up. The EG4 18kpv still show 6 batteries instead of 9. I'm starting to think that the 18kpv is only communicating with the master V-2 LL, as it has a port to connect to on the kpv. There is not a second port for battery communications, so the Hub is doing it's work but the kpv is not seeing it because I still need to do some thing.

I’m sorry nobody is replying to you. I was asking questions to and it seems like everybody scared to talk to somebody. My name is Scott. My phone number is 8048323269.