How To Resolve Victron and Hubble Batteries Setup

Modified on Mon, 2 Oct, 2023 at 3:54 PM

Firstly, On a Victron site with Hubble batteries; a Cloudlink Device is Recommended. Now let's take a look at how these cables are supposed to be configured.

The Cloudlink will communicate with the battery via their RS232 serial ports. The Cloudlink will then communicate with the inverter via the Cerbo/Venus-GX device over a CAN bus. (VE. CAN to Cloudlink CAN)

For the Battery Management System (BMS) CAN communication to work, the comms cables need to be installed correctly and the Cloudlink needs to be configured correctly.

Even though the Cloudlink is supplied with a set of cables, and one of these is labelled CAN cable; It simply won't work. Please note, this CAN cable is not compatible with Victron devices, rather use a Victron Type B CAN cable for your setup.

As for the battery comms cables and dip-switches, see the instructions for your battery model on the Hubble website.

Ideally, the GX’s Firmware version should be v3.00 or newer. Distributed Voltage and Current Control (DVCC) must be enabled. Shared Voltage Sense, etc must be disabled.

To confirm that CAN comms is working:

• Check that the Battery's brand name appears under the GX’s Device List (Figure 4)

• Confirm the BMS’s “Product ID” is B051 or B007 (and not B009)

- If the GX reports the Product ID as B009 then double check that on the Cloudlink’s Device

Settings, you have selected the CAN protocol as Victron

- If the GX’s firmware is v3.00 or newer, the Product ID should be B051

Note that if the GX reports the Product ID as B009 then it will limit the charge voltage to 52.4 V

See VRM screenshot below of various Hubble Batteries used with Victron Devices (Working 100%) with Recommended Settings:

When it comes to the MPPT Setup; We have seen sites where after the initial setup the MPPTs do not charge the battery to the expected voltage. In this case, we recommend that you check the MPPT’s network and charge settings.
When there is more than one MPPT in a network, one MPPT will be the group master (this happens automatically and is not user settable) so it is important that all MPPTs use the same charge settings and that these charge settings are appropriate for the battery type.

You can use the Victron Connect App to view and change the MPPT’s battery settings (see image below) To check the MPPT’s charge settings:

• Check that the BMS’s Parameters menu shows the expected Charge Voltage Limit, Charge Current Limit, etc.

Select the site in question, then click on DEVICES
For each MPPT, click on its name, then on the gear icon that appears in the top right corner of the screen.
Under the Battery Settings Section, set Absorption and Float voltages to match the values recommended by Hubble’s website/manuals. (Note the absorption voltage is sometimes also referred to as the bulk voltage or boost voltage.)
Troubleshooting Your Setup:
1. Finally, after checking the above, if the MPPT or inverter is not charging the battery as expected, then use the “Remote Console” to redetect the battery and/or reset BMS control.
2. First confirm that the BMS Product ID is B051 or B009. If it is not, double check the Cloudlink setup as described above and then click the VRM’s “Redetect Battery” button.
3. To do this, navigate to: Device List > BMS name > Redetect Battery then press the “Press to redetect” button. See image below
It might also be necessary to reset the MPPTs to BMS Control. To do this, navigate to: Device List > MPPT name > Networked Operation > BMS Control then press the “Press to reset” button.