Question 1

SOK – Victron settings

Accepted Answer

Victron configuration guide for SOK batteries MPPT Charge Controller Settings Battery Voltage: Set depending on the system, normally 12v. Max Charge Current: OK to set as high as desired, but no more than 50a per battery Charger: Enabled Battery Preset: User Defined Expert Mode: ON Absorption Voltage: 14.6v Float Voltage: 13.8v Equalization Voltage: 14.6v Rebulk Voltage Offset: 0.40v Absorption Duration: Fixed Absorption Time: 15 Minutes (This allows for proper cell balancing) Tail Current: Disabled Equalize Current: 0% (For safety we don’t want equalization at all.) Automatic Equalization: Disabled Equalize Stop Mode: Automatic (On voltage) Maximum Equalize duration: 0 Minutes Manual equalization: DO NOT CLICK START Temperature Compensation: Disabled Low Temperature Cutoff: Disabled (unless you add a temp sensor, the BMS has this protection built in) Settings for Victron Blue Smart chargers: Victron’s Li-Ion profile is NOT sufficient for non-Victron LiFePO4 batteries. Enter configuration and turn on “ADVANCED” switch, then select “Custom” charge preset. Then click “Advanced Battery Settings”. The battery preset should be set to “User Defined”. Turn on the “Expert Mode” switch. Charge Voltage Settings: Absorption Voltage: 14.6v Float Voltage: 13.8v Storage Voltage: 13.6v Recondition Voltage: Disabled BatterySafe: Disabled Voltage Compensation: Temperature Compensation: Disabled Bulk: Bulk Time Limit: 24 Hours Re-bulk Current: Enabled, set to full output current of charger, typically 25A Absorption: Absorption Duration: Fixed Absorption Time: 1 Hr Repeated Absorption: Every 7 days Recondition: Recondition Stop Mode: Fixed time Recondition Duration: 15M (This is the minimum allowed setting. It is already disabled in charge voltage settings, but set to this as a safety precaution)

Question 2

Victron Smart Shunt settings for SOK

Accepted Answer

Battery Capacity Calculation Battery capacity is determined by summing the amp-hour (Ah) ratings of all parallel strings. For instance, two 100Ah batteries connected in parallel total 200Ah. Note that while series connections increase voltage, they do not affect amp-hour capacities. Charged Voltage: 13.8V Charged voltage should not be confused with absorption or charging voltage. It represents the voltage level at which the shunt deems the battery nearly fully charged, initiating current drop detection indicative of a full charge. Victron recommends setting this voltage 0.2V below the absorption voltage. Although suitable for most lead-acid batteries, this setting is suboptimal for SOK Lithium batteries as it may prevent the shunt from detecting true full charge conditions. Tail Current: 2.00% Once the charged voltage is reached, the current must taper down to this percentage to trigger synchronization. Testing confirms that Victron’s default setting effectively detects full charge status. Charged Detection Time: 3 Minutes In conjunction with charged voltage and tail current, this setting determines how long to wait after reaching the tail current set-point before confirming that the drop isn’t transient and the battery is indeed fully charged. Peukert Exponent & Charge Efficiency Factor: 1.05 and 98% Respectively These are fixed values reflecting inherent battery characteristics, requiring no adjustments. Current Threshold: 0.10A This is the minimum current the shunt is capable of detecting, independent of the battery’s characteristics. Time to Go Averaging Period: 3 Minutes This setting determines the frequency at which the time-to-go readout is recalculated, having no direct impact on battery performance. Discharge Floor: Adjustable (10% Recommended) You can adjust this setting based on your preference for remaining battery life indication. Setting this to 10% means the Smartshunt will display 10% remaining and 0 minutes until empty at this level. For a more conservative estimate, consider setting it higher. Battery Starts Synchronized: Disabled This setting affects only the SmartShunt and BMV-712. Enabling it resets the state of charge (SOC%) to 100% after power loss, potentially causing confusion since a depleted battery cannot reach 100% immediately upon recharging. State of Charge: Not Changeable? This is a manual override for the SOC%. Typically, new batteries ship at approximately 30% charge due to DOT regulations.

Question 3

Managing Victron Over Voltage Alarms with DVCC

Accepted Answer

Managing Over-Voltage Alarms During Battery Balancing Using Victron DVCC Voltage Control When running lithium batteries with internal BMS balancing — such as SOK or other LiFePO₄ modules — it’s common to see momentary high-voltage alarms during the final stage of charging. This typically happens when one or more cells reach their upper limit before others, causing the BMS to begin balancing while the charger or inverter is still pushing current. The result is a pack-level voltage spike that can trip Victron’s over-voltage alarms or trigger premature charge termination. Understanding the Cause Balancing occurs when the battery is nearly full (typically above 3.4–3.45 V per cell). Individual cells within the pack can rise faster than others, and the BMS will bleed or bypass current on those cells to bring them back in line. However, the charger only “sees” total pack voltage — not the individual cells — so it can briefly overshoot the overall target voltage before the BMS finishes its work. If the Victron inverter/charger or MPPT sees this as an over-voltage event, it may: Stop charging prematurely Generate repeated “High DC voltage” warnings on VRM Disconnect the solar input or inverter output temporarily The Role of DVCC (Distributed Voltage and Current Control) Victron’s DVCC system allows a GX device (such as a Cerbo GX, Venus GX, or Color Control GX) to coordinate voltage and current set-points across all charging devices. When enabled, DVCC ensures that all connected chargers — solar, inverter/chargers, and others — follow a single system-wide charge reference. This is particularly valuable when you need to limit or slightly reduce the maximum charge voltage during the balancing phase. When Using Battery-to-Inverter Communication Suppose your system uses battery-to-inverter communication (for example, via a CAN-bus connected SOK or Pylontech battery). In that case, the BMS will automatically broadcast its own charge-voltage and current limits to the GX device. In most cases, DVCC will respect these limits and override any manual settings. However, during balancing — especially when cell voltages rise unevenly — it can be helpful to apply a DVCC voltage limit to keep the charging voltage just below the BMS high-cell cut-off threshold. The GX device’s “Maximum charge voltage” setting acts as a cap even when the BMS is communicating, ensuring the overall system does not push the pack too aggressively at the top end. This allows the BMS to balance more gently without triggering alarms or charge cut-offs. How to Apply a Voltage Restriction 1. Access the GX Device Log in to your Cerbo GX or other GX device via Remote Console (local display or VRM). 2. Enable DVCC Go to: Settings → System Setup → DVCC Ensure DVCC and Shared Voltage Sense (SVS) are both enabled. 3. Set a Temporary Charge-Voltage Limit In the DVCC menu, manually enter a “Charge Voltage Limit.” For example, if your lithium battery manufacturer specifies 14.6 V (for 12 V systems), you might temporarily reduce this to 14.2–14.3 V during balancing. This reduction: Keeps the pack below the BMS’s high-cell trip point Allows the balancing process to complete cleanly Reduces nuisance over-voltage alarms 2. Monitor and Adjust Gradually Watch cell voltages through your BMS app or battery monitor. Once the cell-to-cell difference drops below 10 mV, slowly increase the charge voltage back toward the manufacturer’s nominal setting—usually in 0.1 V steps. If alarms reappear or a cell rises too fast, reduce the voltage again and allow more time for the BMS to equalise the pack before attempting another increase. Incremental adjustments prevent overshoot and allow balancing to be completed under controlled conditions. Recommended Practice For SOK 12 V batteries, balancing typically occurs around 14.2–14.4 V. Start low and step upward once the cells stabilise. For 24 V and 48 V systems, scale proportionally (×2 or ×4). With CAN-connected batteries, DVCC’s manual limit acts as a protective ceiling rather than an override — the BMS’s lower limit will always take priority. Benefits Prevents false over-voltage alarms and charging interruptions Reduces BMS stress and prolongs cell life Provides safe voltage capping even when battery communications are active Keeps multi-charger systems (solar, grid, and generator) synchronised under one voltage reference In summary: When lithium batteries are balancing, DVCC’s voltage limit on the GX device acts as a smart safety cap — even when battery-to-inverter communications are active. By temporarily lowering the limit, then slowly raising it as balance improves, and reducing it again if alarms return, you can achieve a clean, stable top-balance without nuisance shutdowns or alarms.

Question 4

Victron – Generator Start/Stop using the Virtual Switch

Accepted Answer

Ever wondered how to make your Victron Multiplus, Easy Solar or Quattro start and stop your generator? Please only continue if you are confident with configuring your multiplus. If in doubt seek the prefessional help from a qualified installer. Install VE Confiure 3 and ensure that you are able to connect to your inverter on your local network. If not, connect to your inverter using Victrons VRM portal and download your configuration file using VE Configure in the devices tab. If this is not available, Two way VRM communication must be enabled in the remote console. Once you have a VE configure open with your inverters information, please follow these instructions: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ve.bus:virtual-switch-generator-start-stop enable\ the\ feature