5. Limitations
The maximum number of devices that can be connected to one network is 10.
VE.Smart Networking is designed for small systems that do not have a GX device - such as a Cerbo GX or Ekrano GX - to control the chargers (e.g. in an ESS system); see FAQ Q5. In systems in which the GX device is used for logging purposes only, VE.Smart Networking can be used to allow chargers to synchronise, or even receive information from sensors. Keep in mind that if, for some reason, the same information (i.e. voltage sense) is being received by the charger over BLE and VE.Can/VE.Direct, the information coming over BLE (through VE.Smart Networking) will be ignored.
The transmitter range will be found to be the same as the Bluetooth range - as experienced when connecting a device to VictronConnect.
It is not possible to measure multiple battery temperatures/voltages/charge currents: only one Smart Battery Sense or one BMV can be used in a system. Multiple sensors connected to different batteries can lead to charging issues such as overcharging or heating up the batteries. Always make sure to have your sensors/chargers on the VE.Smart network connected to the same battery. If, by accident, two or more sensors (e.g. Smart Battery Sense and/or BMV) are connected to the same VE.Smart network, a priority mechanism is used to decide which battery temperature, battery voltage and battery current should be used by the charger. The priority mechanism is based firstly on the type of sensor (e.g. BMV has higher priority than the Smart Battery Sense) and secondly on the serial number of the sensor. In the end, only one information will be used by the charger.
SmartSolar MPPTs that do not support VE.Smart Networking
All currently shipping SmartSolar MPPTs support VE.Smart Networking. However some older versions of those models do not support VE.Smart Networking. Those devices will also not become compatible later with a firmware update: the incompatibility is due to a hardware limitation in those devices. There is a work around: connect a VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle. This enables VE.Smart Networking support. Both Voltage and Temperature sense will work. In such scenario the internal Bluetooth interface of the SmartSolar should not be used anymore as communication errors may occur - instead the VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle is to be used when connecting by phone or tablet. This is the list of the older incompatible products and part-numbers - together with the part numbers of their compatible successors:
Product | Old Incompatible Part-number | New Compatible Part-number |
|---|---|---|
VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle | ASS030536010 | ASS030536011 |
SmartSolar MPPT 150/85 Tr | SCC010085210 | SCC115085211 |
SmartSolar MPPT 150/85 MC4 | SCC010085310 | SCC115085311 |
SmartSolar MPPT 150/100 Tr | SCC010100210 | SCC115110211 |
SmartSolar MPPT 150/100 MC4 | SCC010100310 | SCC115110311 |
SmartSolar MPPT 250/85 | SCC125085210 (before s/n HQ1811) SCC125085310 (before s/n HQ1811) | SCC125085210 (after s/n HQ1811) SCC125085310 (after s/n HQ1811) |
SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 | SCC125110210 (before s/n HQ1811) SCC125110310 (before s/n HQ1811) | SCC125110210 (after s/n HQ1811) SCC125110310 (after s/n HQ1811) |