Affiliate links: Raspberry Pi 3 B+ amzn.to/3hdAXai Victron Energy VE.Direct to USB Interface amzn.to/2TbCEx4 Power Supply Raspberry DC-DC 12V to 5V 3A Micro USB Converter Voltage Step Down amzn.to/2UE3Ftf Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Case amzn.to/3qt1Mf3
amazing video. thanks for sharing. I do have two controllers 100/20 and 100/50 inside my caravan and want to build similar system you did. After watching video I bought Rasberry pi5. Actually i pre order it. Can not wait to get it and build the same way you did ! Thanks again
Great Video, thanks a lot. Is there a particular reason why you are using the cables to connect your devices and not using bluetooth? Cause your shunt as well as MPPT supports bluetooth... Or is it not possible to connect bluetooth devices to the GX in general?
I am using the app, that is true and have connected everything with the network function as well. But I preferred a stable connection especially when a reboot might happen and I just thought it might be the more stable connection just in case ;)
Hi @florian, I believe the only way to connect Victron devices to cerbo GX is via cable. you cannot use the inbuilt Bluetooth to make a connection for data collection and logging.
I am slightly confused with he browser screens. How do you get the IP for the touch interface 5:04 so I can get my VRM Portal ID and is the vrm part 5:38 local as well, or is that only accessed over the internet - thanks great vid
Two ways to get the IP. Either you know how to connect to your router and the Raspberry is connected via Ethernet already or you have already a display via HDMI to your Raspberry connected and now you are able either use the keyboard with "ip a" or "ip addr" in the command line or you can use the mouse to navigate to the menu point in VenusOS. I hope that helps.
Hi Tobi. Thanks for the video - very helpful. I am looking at photos of the Victron MPPT controller and see a black tab like thing within the VE Direct port. Did you have to remove this before plugging in the USB cable?
I did remove the jumper. In the manual with the solar charge controller or online they describe the jumper position (depending on your model) where to place the jumper. In Case you have remote control or use the usb cabe (yes you need or remove it) you can configure everything without the jumper. You can find the information under 3.5 in this manual for example: www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Manual-SmartSolar-charge-controller-MPPT-75-10-75-15-100-15-100-20-EN-NL-FR-DE-ES-SE.pdf I hope that helps!
Hey. Thanks for the useful guide. I have a Rpi2 that loads the Venus OS fine, but when I connect via the IP on the local network I get a “Failed to connect. Make sure to enable Remote Console for LAN, and reboot the device.” Any ideas?
Hi Tobi, could you provide please more details on the Raspberry On/Off switch you use. Never saw that before, but quite convincing. And: thanks for your great videos, I'm learning a lot from you!!
Hi Tobi I have both the shunt and mppt smart charge controller and would like to set this up in my RV. I will not have internet connection most of the time but would still like to display the console on a touch screen and be able to monitor and change parameters of my two devices. Do I need a wifi connection to do this or can I use perhaps Bluetooth or a direct connection to the Raspberry Pi. Great video.
Well, you can always change parameters via Bluetooth connection to your Victron MPPT solar charge controller and smart shunt. If you have the GX Touch this would also not require a WIFI connection at all and you could change settings on the touch screen if you have that product. The VenusOS on the Raspberry Pi is an OpenSource solution which does not need the GX Touch or Cerbo GX. There are options without the VenusOS. Not sure if this answers your question. Let me know.
Hi, many of us unable to successfully installe the setup helper & additional packeges on Venus os 3.10 and above. Can you please make a video on this step by step.
Hi👋🏻 my mppt doesn’t have Bluetooth So how will I get info from all of my other Victrons products that only come with Bluetooth? Will I need a Bluetooth dongle for the Pi or will it just be sorry for my?
This is an older video but it should be the same as of today except newer versions of the app of course... Yes, you need the Victron Bluetooth smart dongle for your MPPT. If the other Victron devices have Bluetooth you can create a VE. direct network I believe it is called and connect ALL Bluetooth capable Victron devices and they can read out their data and share. Also, since I do not have a Victron device without Bluetooth I'm guessing but you could even try to use a VE.Direct USB cable and connect from Raspberry Pi with VenusOS to the MPPT without Bluetooth and try to get the Information on that way! I would love to be more helpful but I do not have such a device without Bluetooth to give better instructions. I hope this helps
Does the Victron Venus os support the raspberry pi 2 model b ? because all its doing is sitting on the Victron Energy screen and not actually booting up
Hi Tobi. I just installed venus on an a raspberry i had lying around. It says it is running v3.10. I do not see an option here to enable bluetooth. I have the Smart Shunt and victron mppt with bluetooth, so I thought the pi would just be able to pick those up and start showing data from them. My pi does have the bluetooth usb stick. any help or links to instruction would be appreciated.
Did you use a VE.Direct cable from Victron to connect from the shunt and/or from the MPPT Charger to the Pi? You can do a VE. Network with Shunt and MPPT and maybe you will be able to use both data inputs when only connecting MPPT or shunt. The bluetooth can be used from your phone with the Bluetooth app ;-)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi I did not - I assumed the pi w/Venus would be able to detect those 2 bluettoth signals and make use of them. I have other bluetooth monitors (temperatur and propane tank level) that I had also hoped to have Venus keep track of as well.
thanks for this super cool video , can I know how did you figure out IP address of that webpage from where you thjen copied the id for the vrm portal registration.
Hey, that was great and thanks for the offer to answer questions. Building out my system now and this would be an option to replace the Cerbex that Victron offers. I like this option for a WiFi connection and my iPad mini to get all this info. Wondering if it would be cheaper than just getting a Cerbex??
Well, good question. I can try to calculate everything together in. My next video to get a better picture if it is worth it to go the DIY route... Let gather all information for you guys :)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi That would be great info! Your project appeals because it always fun to see if one can get it going.... Thanks for your work here.
In the past I was using a cheap 300W inverter but I swapped it out a couple of times for better inverters like the Victron one which comes with a lot more features. But I am not committed to a inverter at all ;)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi oh okay I'm actually waiting on my Victron gear to get here two charge controllers & shunt I also bought a raspberry pi 2
The issue is the premade products they sell have isolation without the proper isolation of the Canas lines that Victor and energy does. You can create weird groundloop issues as it’s connected to the output potentially with an AC adapter or a DC supply. It gets into a bit of a problem
Hi, Can you get a screen similar to the GX Touch 50/70 when connecting to the Raspi via mobile phone or tablet? Or do you always have to connect to the VRM portal? Thanks Dennis
Yes a similar screen is possible. I just got my new display and will test it. Then I can show you also the options when connecting it with the Raspberry!
I had another solar charge controller prior to the Victron solar charge controller which did not have any remote reading capabilities. It might be overkill at that point but it worked at that time perfect for me so I kept it ;)
The charge controller only records what goes from the panels to the batteries. The shunt records everything going in/out of the batteries. This lets you know fairly precisely how full the batteries are. You can't use voltage because it varies depending on the load.
hello, nice video! very interesting! but if i have some device with the VE-CAN or VE-BUS and they dont have the VE direct port, is possible to do the same application? thanks best regards
HI Mate, you can cannot run both. it is one or the other. But if you load the OS of each on separate SD card then you can run both separately but not at the same time.
Thank you! I think the password should be in the documentation: www.victronenergy.com/live/ccgx:root_access Regarding the Raspberry Pi 4B. Please check the VenusOS supported platforms which can be found here: github.com/victronenergy/venus/wiki/raspberrypi-install-venus-image That was the main reason for me to go with the Raspberry 3B+ to have a fully supported computer without huge adjustments. in case you have Linux skills this might not a problem for you at all ;)
I was looking at Victron blog about it and it didn't make any sense . raw.githubusercontent.com/wiki/victronenergy/venus/images/rpi-vedirect-serial-console.jpg They was saying don't power the USB from 5v , but 3.3v , and was connecting it to the serial and not plugging it in the USB . Can't you use 1 direct to usb and make a Bluetooth network connection between them ?
Affiliate links:
Raspberry Pi 3 B+
amzn.to/3hdAXai
Victron Energy VE.Direct to USB Interface
amzn.to/2TbCEx4
Power Supply Raspberry DC-DC 12V to 5V 3A Micro USB Converter Voltage Step Down
amzn.to/2UE3Ftf
Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Case
amzn.to/3qt1Mf3
amazing video. thanks for sharing. I do have two controllers 100/20 and 100/50 inside my caravan and want to build similar system you did. After watching video I bought Rasberry pi5. Actually i pre order it. Can not wait to get it and build the same way you did !
Thanks again
Way overkill and not sure it is even supported.
Nice! I am unable to comment about the utility, but it sure is a fun DIY experiment. Thanks for share.
Great Video, thanks a lot. Is there a particular reason why you are using the cables to connect your devices and not using bluetooth? Cause your shunt as well as MPPT supports bluetooth... Or is it not possible to connect bluetooth devices to the GX in general?
I am using the app, that is true and have connected everything with the network function as well. But I preferred a stable connection especially when a reboot might happen and I just thought it might be the more stable connection just in case ;)
Hi @florian, I believe the only way to connect Victron devices to cerbo GX is via cable. you cannot use the inbuilt Bluetooth to make a connection for data collection and logging.
You should not use wireless communications if there is a wired version
I am slightly confused with he browser screens. How do you get the IP for the touch interface 5:04 so I can get my VRM Portal ID and is the vrm part 5:38 local as well, or is that only accessed over the internet - thanks great vid
Two ways to get the IP. Either you know how to connect to your router and the Raspberry is connected via Ethernet already or you have already a display via HDMI to your Raspberry connected and now you are able either use the keyboard with "ip a" or "ip addr" in the command line or you can use the mouse to navigate to the menu point in VenusOS. I hope that helps.
Hi Tobi. Thanks for the video - very helpful. I am looking at photos of the Victron MPPT controller and see a black tab like thing within the VE Direct port. Did you have to remove this before plugging in the USB cable?
I did remove the jumper. In the manual with the solar charge controller or online they describe the jumper position (depending on your model) where to place the jumper. In Case you have remote control or use the usb cabe (yes you need or remove it) you can configure everything without the jumper.
You can find the information under 3.5 in this manual for example:
www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Manual-SmartSolar-charge-controller-MPPT-75-10-75-15-100-15-100-20-EN-NL-FR-DE-ES-SE.pdf
I hope that helps!
Hey. Thanks for the useful guide. I have a Rpi2 that loads the Venus OS fine, but when I connect via the IP on the local network I get a “Failed to connect. Make sure to enable Remote
Console for LAN, and reboot the device.” Any ideas?
Hi. Thank for the great video. I've got 5 x ve to connect. 4 x mppt's and 1 battery shunt. Do I simply need a usb hub to connect more devices? Thanks.
I have a 100/20 MPPT and a shunt, though the VE direct connections look different, is there a different type of lead required for the mppt?
How did you get local weather to display on Venus OS?
Hi Tobi, could you provide please more details on the Raspberry On/Off switch you use. Never saw that before, but quite convincing. And: thanks for your great videos, I'm learning a lot from you!!
I bought this package: amzn.to/385Rhtn The on/off switch was included. I would have never thought to buy one before ;)
What is the reason for that switch? @@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi If you can switch button, you can unplug device as well..
@@jakubruzicka1686 yes and no, you will definitely wear out the cheap USB connector
Hi Tobi
I have both the shunt and mppt smart charge controller and would like to set this up in my RV. I will not have internet connection most of the time but would still like to display the console on a touch screen and be able to monitor and change parameters of my two devices. Do I need a wifi connection to do this or can I use perhaps Bluetooth or a direct connection to the Raspberry Pi. Great video.
Well, you can always change parameters via Bluetooth connection to your Victron MPPT solar charge controller and smart shunt. If you have the GX Touch this would also not require a WIFI connection at all and you could change settings on the touch screen if you have that product. The VenusOS on the Raspberry Pi is an OpenSource solution which does not need the GX Touch or Cerbo GX. There are options without the VenusOS.
Not sure if this answers your question. Let me know.
Hi, many of us unable to successfully installe the setup helper & additional packeges on Venus os 3.10 and above.
Can you please make a video on this step by step.
Interesting - Do you mean you have 3.10 installed and afterwards you want to install setuphelper from scratch?
Hi👋🏻 my mppt doesn’t have Bluetooth
So how will I get info from all of my other Victrons products that only come with Bluetooth?
Will I need a Bluetooth dongle for the Pi or will it just be sorry for my?
This is an older video but it should be the same as of today except newer versions of the app of course... Yes, you need the Victron Bluetooth smart dongle for your MPPT. If the other Victron devices have Bluetooth you can create a VE. direct network I believe it is called and connect ALL Bluetooth capable Victron devices and they can read out their data and share.
Also, since I do not have a Victron device without Bluetooth I'm guessing but you could even try to use a VE.Direct USB cable and connect from Raspberry Pi with VenusOS to the MPPT without Bluetooth and try to get the Information on that way! I would love to be more helpful but I do not have such a device without Bluetooth to give better instructions. I hope this helps
Does the Victron Venus os support the raspberry pi 2 model b ? because all its doing is sitting on the Victron Energy screen and not actually booting up
Hi Tobi. I just installed venus on an a raspberry i had lying around. It says it is running v3.10. I do not see an option here to enable bluetooth. I have the Smart Shunt and victron mppt with bluetooth, so I thought the pi would just be able to pick those up and start showing data from them. My pi does have the bluetooth usb stick. any help or links to instruction would be appreciated.
Did you use a VE.Direct cable from Victron to connect from the shunt and/or from the MPPT Charger to the Pi? You can do a VE. Network with Shunt and MPPT and maybe you will be able to use both data inputs when only connecting MPPT or shunt. The bluetooth can be used from your phone with the Bluetooth app ;-)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi I did not - I assumed the pi w/Venus would be able to detect those 2 bluettoth signals and make use of them. I have other bluetooth monitors (temperatur and propane tank level) that I had also hoped to have Venus keep track of as well.
thanks for this super cool video , can I know how did you figure out IP address of that webpage from where you thjen copied the id for the vrm portal registration.
There are different ways. 1. Connecting a screen to the raspberry. 2. Checking your router for the IP.
Hey, that was great and thanks for the offer to answer questions. Building out my system now and this would be an option to replace the Cerbex that Victron offers. I like this option for a WiFi connection and my iPad mini to get all this info. Wondering if it would be cheaper than just getting a Cerbex??
Well, good question. I can try to calculate everything together in. My next video to get a better picture if it is worth it to go the DIY route... Let gather all information for you guys :)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi That would be great info! Your project appeals because it always fun to see if one can get it going.... Thanks for your work here.
thanks for video
So the way u setup that up it see everything but the inverter ur using ??
In the past I was using a cheap 300W inverter but I swapped it out a couple of times for better inverters like the Victron one which comes with a lot more features. But I am not committed to a inverter at all ;)
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi oh okay I'm actually waiting on my Victron gear to get here two charge controllers & shunt I also bought a raspberry pi 2
Hi do you think if we install a CAN hat we can use it without the mk3 to connect to the multiplus-II
The issue is the premade products they sell have isolation without the proper isolation of the Canas lines that Victor and energy does. You can create weird groundloop issues as it’s connected to the output potentially with an AC adapter or a DC supply. It gets into a bit of a problem
Hi,
Can you get a screen similar to the GX Touch 50/70 when connecting to the Raspi via mobile phone or tablet? Or do you always have to connect to the VRM portal?
Thanks
Dennis
Yes a similar screen is possible. I just got my new display and will test it. Then I can show you also the options when connecting it with the Raspberry!
Why did you add the shunt if you already have the MPPT? Trying to understand, thanks.
I had another solar charge controller prior to the Victron solar charge controller which did not have any remote reading capabilities. It might be overkill at that point but it worked at that time perfect for me so I kept it ;)
The charge controller only records what goes from the panels to the batteries. The shunt records everything going in/out of the batteries. This lets you know fairly precisely how full the batteries are. You can't use voltage because it varies depending on the load.
hello,
nice video! very interesting! but if i have some device with the VE-CAN or VE-BUS and they dont have the VE direct port, is possible to do the same application? thanks best regards
Which product for example?
@@tobisreallifeskillswithtobi Inverter Multiplus or PV inverter Fronius
Hi, can Home Assistant.and Venus OS run on the same raspi in parallel?
Not sure about home assist.
There are ways, but it’s messy and awkward. They’re not that expensive and just buying two would probably be worth it.
Hi, can you do remote firmware update on the MPPT 100 | 20 ?
Yes, via Bluetooth on the app.
i use rapberry pi os on my sd card can i use venos os with raspberry pi os in the same sd card and run theme both
Not sure what raspberry pi is is. I am not having experience with that and have not heard of an os like that so far, sorry
Venus os is a complete OS, you wont be able to run the pi os on the same installation
HI Mate, you can cannot run both. it is one or the other.
But if you load the OS of each on separate SD card then you can run both separately but not at the same time.
Nice video! What is the root username and password if I want to run Venu OS on a Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB version 1.2?
Thank you! I think the password should be in the documentation: www.victronenergy.com/live/ccgx:root_access
Regarding the Raspberry Pi 4B. Please check the VenusOS supported platforms which can be found here: github.com/victronenergy/venus/wiki/raspberrypi-install-venus-image
That was the main reason for me to go with the Raspberry 3B+ to have a fully supported computer without huge adjustments. in case you have Linux skills this might not a problem for you at all ;)
SO WHAT DO I DO WHEN I CONNECT TO WIFI AND GET DISCONNECTED!!!!!
My keyboard is not working
Does it now?
YOU SHOULD SAY BU USING A MAC!!!
Dude, you're narrating a tutorial AND you have background music!!! WHY???? Seriously, why?!!!!!!
It’s still understandable
I was looking at Victron blog about it and it didn't make any sense .
raw.githubusercontent.com/wiki/victronenergy/venus/images/rpi-vedirect-serial-console.jpg
They was saying don't power the USB from 5v , but 3.3v , and was connecting it to the serial and not plugging it in the USB .
Can't you use 1 direct to usb and make a Bluetooth network connection between them ?
Yes, depending on the Victron component there is no need to connect via USB. But there are some non Bluetooth devices which only offer UISB.