4. Configuration and settings

In this section:

4.1. Power up for the first time

The Lynx Smart BMS NG will power up when a battery is connected, the wire loop is placed between pins 10 and 11 of the multi-connector, or the Remote on/off switch is switched on.

When first powered on and after a “Reset to defaults” (via the VictronConnect app), the Lynx Smart BMS NG automatically determines and sets the following settings:

System voltage, 12, 24 or 48V, by measuring the battery voltage
Number of batteries in parallel, series and parallel/series configuration
Number of battery cells per battery

4.2. Update firmware

A firmware update of the Lynx Smart BMS NG can be performed in two different ways:

Via the VictronConnect app
Via the VRM: Remote Firmware Update feature (requires an internet-connected GX device)

Notes on firmware updating in general

Newer is not always better
Don't break it if it works
Be sure to read the changelog before starting the update process. The changelog can be downloaded from Victron Professional.

Therefore, use this feature with care. Our main advice is not to update a running system unless there are problems with it or before the first startup.

Notes on updating the Lynx Smart BMS NG firmware

A firmware update will not result in a temporary system shutdown. During the update, the Lynx Smart BMS NG keeps all contacts and the contactor in the same state as when starting the update. If the update fails, ATD/ATC and contactor open after 120 seconds for safety reasons. This also gives time to try updating again.
Updating the firmware always starts a new full charging cycle despite the SoC threshold setting, which means that the charge voltage limit (CVL) is automatically adjusted from 13.5V to 14.0V (28.0V or 56.0V).

Updating firmware via VictronConnect

Please note the following before performing a firmware update via VictronConnect:

For detailed instructions on updating the firmware, see the firmware update chapter in the VictronConnect manual.
If a newer firmware version is available, the VictronConnect app (make sure the VictronConnect app is the latest version) will notify you as soon as a connection with the Lynx Smart BMS NG is made.

Updating firmware via VRM: Remote firmware update

Features:

Remotely update internet-connected products straight from the VRM Portal
No need to install any software
Works from laptop, tablet & phone
There is no need to find the right firmware file: the system has all of them and will clearly indicate that a newer version is available.

See the VRM: Remote firmware update manual for detailed instructions.

4.3. Lynx Smart BMS NG settings

Once powered up, use the VictronConnect app to configure the BMS settings.

Check the Battery voltage setting (12, 24 or 48V):

This will have been detected automatically; double-check it.

Check the Battery capacity setting:

This will have been detected automatically; double-check it.

Check the Number of batteries in parallel:

This will have been detected automatically; double-check it.

Check the Pre-alarm mode setting:

This setting is automatically configured upon initial power-up and after a "Reset to defaults". It is enabled by default.

Enabled: Recommended setting. A visual or audible device linked to the programmable relay is activated in case of a pre-alarm.
Disabled: If disabled, it will ignore the discharge current limit at pre-alarm setting.

Set the Relay mode:

The programmable relay has two operation modes: Alarm relay and Alternator ATC.

When set to Alarm relay mode, the Alarm relay setting becomes active and continuous or intermittent operation can be selected. In intermittent operation, the relay switches on and off every 0.8 seconds.
When configured for Alternator ATC mode, the relay activates only when the contactor is closed. Before the contactor is opened, Alternator ATC is opened first and 2 seconds later the contactor. These 2 seconds ensure that the alternator regulator is switched off before the battery is disconnected from the system.

DVCC settings:

DVCC is forced on and cannot be turned off. However, a few settings can be changed, which are described below.

Please note that these settings only affect compatible DVCC devices such as Victron inverter/chargers, Orion XS DC-DC battery chargers and Solar MPPT chargers.

Discharge Current Limit at pre-alarm: Default is "No". If set to "Yes", the discharge current limit is already set to 0A in the event of a pre-alarm, while the ATC contact remains closed. In this way it’s possible to save some battery power for essential DC loads, for example on boats such as lighting, bilge pump and navigation.
Absorption time: is set to 2 hours by default. This can be adjusted if necessary.
Repeated absorption interval: the number of days at which a new full charging cycle is started if the battery SoC does not fall below the SoC threshold. The default is every 30 days and can be adjusted if required.

SoC threshold: is set by default to 70%. This is the threshold at which the Lynx Smart BMS NG starts a new full charging cycle. This can be adjusted if required.
A new charge cycle means that the CVL (charge voltage limit) is increased from 13.5V to 14.0V (28.0V, 56.0V).
In addition to the SoC threshold, a new charging cycle is started after a firmware update, when the battery voltages are below 12V/24V/48V (3V per cell) or when a low cell voltage is detected.

Battery monitor settings:

Unlike other battery monitors, the Lynx Smart BMS NG battery monitor settings are mostly fixed and not customisable. This is because the Lynx Smart BMS NG is always used together with Victron Lithium NG batteries, and many battery monitor parameters are known because they relate to the battery type.

The following settings are adjustable. A full list of all settings used can be found in List of battery monitor settings in the appendix.

Charged voltage: the voltage at above which the battery monitor synchronises and resets the SoC to 100%. For synchronisation to happen, the tail current and charged detection time conditions need to have been met as well. The default is set to 14.0V (28.0V, 56.0V) and can be adjusted if necessary. In case the system voltage setting is changed, the charged voltage setting needs to be adjusted as well.
Tail current: the current at below which the battery monitor synchronises and resets the SoC to 100%. For synchronisation to happen, the charged voltage and charge detection time conditions need to have been met as well. The default is set to 4% and can be adjusted if needed.
Charged detection time: is the time passed after which the battery monitor synchronises and resets the SoC to 100%. For synchronisation to happen, the charged voltage and tail current conditions need to have been met as well. The default is set to 3 minutes and can be adjusted if necessary.

Discharge floor: this parameter has two functions:
Its primary use is to set the minimum SoC to determine how far the battery may be discharged and to ensure that there is enough energy left for self-discharge after a low SoC shutdown.
A limited depth of discharge is good for battery health, but also provides backup power to keep the system running, e.g. until sunrise for solar systems.
When the set discharge floor is reached, a low SoC alarm will be issued. The BMS then switches to OFF mode with a delay of 5 minutes if no sufficient charge voltage has been detected on the system side of the BMS by then.
Setting the discharge floor to zero (not recommended), disables this feature.
Caution
The discharge floor prevents full discharge and should be chosen so that there is always enough energy in the battery for self-discharge before the battery can be recharged.
Example: A 10% discharge floor still provides enough stored energy for the self-discharge of a 200Ah battery to last about 9 months without recharging.
It is as used in the calculation for the 'Time remaining' or 'Time-to-go' value displayed in the VictronConnect app, a connected GX device or on the VRM portal. The battery monitor uses the actual discharge current to calculate the time it takes to reach the set discharge floor.

Low SoC warning level: the level at which a warning is issued before the discharge floor has been reached.

State of charge: manually set the current state of charge.

Synchronise SoC to 100%: manually synchronise SoC to 100%.

4.4. Lynx Distributor settings

These instructions only apply if the system contains one or more Lynx Distributors.

Each Lynx distributor must be addressed and set to A, B, C or D. This is done via a 2-way dip switch located inside the Lynx Distributor. Refer to chapter 6.1.3. Addressing Lynx Distributor in the Lynx distributor manual.

Tip

If the dip switches have been accidentally programmed incorrectly or need to be reprogrammed to a different address after commissioning the Lynx Smart BMS NG, you must restart the BMS (OFF mode and back to Standby or ON mode). This action is necessary to correctly adopt the Lynx Distributor status in VictronConnect and the GX device. Restarting the BMS will also reset the error message "W-D02: Communication with Distributor [A, B, C, or D] lost" in VictronConnect and clear the Lynx Smart BMS alarm "Distributor [A, B, C, or D] connection lost."

Use the VictronConnect app to give each fuse a custom name (maximum 16 characters). If the fuse name is empty (0 characters), the fuse will be disabled and ignored for monitoring.

Navigate to the Settings page by clicking the cog wheel icon in the top right.
On the Settings page, scroll down to the Lynx Distributor settings.
Tap on a distributor name. A new menu opens with all 4 fuses.
Tap on a fuse to assign a custom name and/or to disable the fuse manually from monitoring.

Lynx Smart BMS NG Manual