What’s the deal with VE.Can charge controllers?

[Bluedog225]

I see they have gee wiz data communication.

From Victron:

New product range: VE.Can SmartSolar MPPTs - Victron Energy

Adding to Victron’s comprehensive range of Solar Charge Controllers, we can now announce new models with VE.Can connectivity. These currently include the SmartSolar MPPT 150/70 & 150/100 VE.Can with auto-select voltage for systems of 12, 24, 36 and 48 Volts. These new models are replacements for...

www.victronenergy.com

But what does, what does “synchronized charging” mean? I don’t get it.

From currentconnected.com:
“Equipped with CAN bus ports, the Victron VE.Can Charge Controller allows effortless communication with additional VE.Can Charge Controllers. By simply “daisy chaining” the units together using a RJ45 cable, you can synchronize their charge stages. Additionally, these Charge Controllers can send their data to a GX monitoring device, minimizing clutter and providing a streamlined monitoring experience.”

I need some more charge controllers. I’ve got the cerbo gx. Trying to decide to stick with the old style or level up.

thanks

 

[sunshine_eggo]

When VE.CAN chargers are connected, they coordinate and attempt to stay in the same phase of charging, i.e., bulk, absorption or float. They basically share the charging load rather than behave as dumb chargers where the weaker ones drop to float early and the highest power one always finishes the charge.

Up to 25 VE.Can controllers can can be daisy chained to communicate with with each other and the GX device.

Issue with VE.Direct ports is one can run out of them pretty quickly and then have to switch to VE.Direct to USB cables adding expense.

 

[Bluedog225]

That makes sense. Thanks.

I guess with a mix of VE.CAN and old style, the old ones just act independently and do what they will do while the others coordinate.

 

[featherlite]

VE.CAN chargers ... basically share the charging load rather than behave as dumb chargers where the weaker ones drop to float earl

Below is an excerpt from the Smart Solar MPPT 100/30 & 100/50 manual that makes me think that, when Smart Solar MPPT chargers are networked via VE. Smart Networking, then the chargers also "share the load" like you described above.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Yep.

Controllers linked in a VE.Smart network behave similarly to controllers connected via VE.Can. The VE.Smart network must be created and each individual controller connected to it. Simply plugging in the VE.Can cable to the MPPT enables the synchronized charging.

 

[Steve_S]

Also, if you have Network Capable BMS' that can interact with the Victron CANbus stack, they can interface and optimize charging with far more control over what is happening within the battery packs. This is also an area that is changing pretty quickly and Ohh boy it's gonna get really fun now... There are many BMS' out there that can interact but all have their own "personalities" with different abilities & capabilities and the "baseline" of functions & capabilities is now being pushed up big time. The competition is gonna get crazy again...

If you got the time, have a watch of this video about the new JKBMS Inverter Edition just to get a serious "Tease" about what a BMS can so with interoperations.

As a BTW: I am switching everything over to the new Network Edition BMS's as a finalize my bank of batteries.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Worth noting that VE.Can and a VE.Can compatible BMS can't be on the same VE.Can port. If you have both devices, you must have a Cerbo and connect the BMS to the BMS-CAN port and the MPPTs to the VE.CAN port.

Interesting to see JK approaching the functionality of Batrium.

 

[Bluedog225]

Does the 450/200 also share the load? I’d guess yes.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Does the 450/200 also share the load? I’d guess yes.

Do you mean do the four trackers coordinate like separate VE.Can connected controllers? Yes.