Victron – VE Configure 3

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Updated – March 31, 2024

Victron provides programming of the Victron Multiplus II the Windows software VE Configure 3 for the Download available,

The software also runs on MAC OS via Parallels and installed on it Windows11.

The software supports the MK3 VE.Bus to USB Converter that connects to the Multiplus II and USB cable is connected to the computer.

Driver installation

Out of Windows11 The above software is downloaded and installed from the Victron website.

In a second step, in the installed and started software under the menu item Speciall – USB Drivers the current USB driver is retrieved and saved in a directory of your choice.

Driver installation under Windows is, as usual, a bit tricky:
After connecting the MK3 at Multiplus II and computer, Windows recognizes a new device in the device manager and asks for the driver. You can skip the automatic search because Windows still cannot find the available drivers on the hard disk due to the lack of a recursive search.

Depending on the chipset (AMD64 / i386) of the computer, the previously saved driver must be in the corresponding installation directory .../USBDrivers/MK2_MK3_USB/ ARM64 or .../USBDrivers/MK2_MK3_USB/x86, or for ARM processors .../USBDrivers/MK2_MK3_USB for ARM/ARM64 or .../USBDrivers/MK2_MK3_USB for ARM/x86 be searched for and installed.

Windows now recognizes a new device and a COM port, but the driver is missing. Same procedure as before, go through the directories until Windows recognizes and installs the COM port driver from one of the above directories.

Now the device manager should no longer report any missing drivers and VE Configure 3 can be started.

Connect COM port

Under the menu item Port Selection Under the first menu item you will find the sub-item Auto detect (not for MK1), and (eg) Com port 3, provided that the driver installation was completely successful.

click on Com Port 3 establishes the connection between the computer and the Multiplus II, loads the current data and displays it in VE Configure 3.

Setting options

The following applies to all tabs: every change is highlighted in color and must be confirmed before changing a tab by clicking on the button at the bottom left Send Settings Once the changes have been saved, the information will be displayed in black again.

If you want to test whether the changes have really been written, you can click on the button above GetSettings the memory is read out and the values checked.

Multiplus – Status

The status window Multiplus II top left shows the current input and output parameters and is retained in every tab view. By clicking on the button show VE.Bus monitor results in a separate view.

Tab – General

In addition to the frequency selection 50 / 60 Hz, the maximum permissible current on the input side can be set. Whether an adjustment of this value via remote control is permitted depends on the activation of the check box Override by remote away.

• AC input current limit

When operating as a generator, this value limits the maximum possible power consumption of the Multiplus charger to protect the generator from overload. A recommended value is less than 80 percent of the generator output divided by the voltage.

Example:

Generator nominal power 4,000 W, of which 80% corresponds to 3,200 W, divided by 230 V = 13.9 A.
It follows 13 A as the value to be entered.

• Dynamic current limiter – This function takes into account the moment of inertia of inverter generators such as the Honda EU series when switching on larger loads.
• External current sensor must be activated if an external current sensor is connected to the Multiplus II.
• Enable battery monitor represents the system-side evaluation of battery data from the in-house battery systems, if activated.

Tab-Grid

• Country / grid code standard defines country-specific settings if the power is to be fed into the public grid. Otherwise, as shown here, no selection is made.

• Transfer switch let determine when the device disconnects or reconnects to the network. The default settings should only be changed in specific situations.

• UPS function If set to active, it ensures that the power supply to the connected consumers is continued without interruption when connected to the public grid in the event of a failure.
  When used as an isolated solution, this function must be switched off, as the batteries must be able to be charged even if the quality of the power supply, e.g. via a generator, does not meet optimal conditions.

Tab – Inverter

• Ground relay Active means that on 120/230 V (split-phase) models the L2 inverter output is deactivated.
  If a residual current device is installed in the installation, the earthing relay should be activated. When the internal switch is open when the device is operated in inverter mode, the neutral conductor (N) of the inverter is connected to PE. If the internal switch closes, the AC input is transferred to the output and N is separated from PE.
• DC input low shut down protects the battery from deep discharge and must be entered according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• DC input level restart / DC input low pre-alarm are interdependent parameters: no matter which parameter is changed, the other follows in the same way.
  The value should always be at least 1 volt above the value DC input low shut-down lay.
• Do not restart after short circuit prevents the device from restarting when a short-circuit event is detected, while other overload conditions allow a restart after they have subsided.
• enableAES leads to a soft start of consumers with a high load. However, with microwaves, convection ovens or air conditioning systems, for example, this leads to overload behavior and should then remain deactivated.
• PowerAssist provides additional power via the inverter at the expense of the batteries in order to prevent the input-side AC fuse from responding and to supply the increased power demand of the consumer.
• Assist current boot factor represents the maximum power requirement provided by the inverter. The preset value 2 meets the usual application requirements and is considered safe. A change should only be made if the consequences of the change are known and are classified as safe to operate.
• shutdown on SOC enables a SOC-dependent shutdown when using Victron system batteries if a voltage-dependent criterion is considered too uncertain. The values must be entered according to the manufacturer.

Tab – Charger

• Enable charger activates or deactivates the charging function.
• Weak AC input is a function to improve the charging behavior of non-standard voltage sources (cos ϕ shifts), such as generators, because it keeps cos ϕ within an acceptable range.
• Stop after excessive bulk is an overcharge protection which stops the charging process if the absorption voltage has not been reached after ten hours.
• Lithium battery serves to enter specific battery parameters according to the manufacturer's specifications.
• Charge curve should Adaptive Only in cases where the ratio of charging process to batteries used is not in line, Fixed This prevents the charging voltage from increasing too quickly or too slowly, which could result in the battery being overcharged or not being sufficiently charged.
• Stop charge below determines the temperature at which charging stops. Lithium batteries must not be charged below 0 °C unless they are heated.

Tab – Virtual Switch

Specify virtual switch usage defines the use of the two integrated relays depending on adjustable criteria. A detailed description is provided by Victron here available.

Tab – Assistant Configuration

Assistants are apps within the firmware that can be activated via the button Add assistant They can be used, among other things, to automatically start or switch off a generator depending on the system load and battery charge level.

Each added assistant must be activated by clicking on the button Start assistant The following information text contains important information, possibly several pages long, and requirements for the correct use of the assistant, which must be observed.

Some wizards require additional values to function correctly or are dependent on wizards that have been installed previously. Instructions regarding the order and mutual dependencies must be followed.

Once all entries have been made, the data is written after a query as to whether the setup should be saved, together with the information that the system will be switched off during the saving process, by clicking on the button Yes.

Tab – Assistant Tools

They are used for maintenance, such as Assistant updates, repairs to damaged Assistant installations or the administration of self-created Assistants. Error reports can be used to display errors and locate causes.

Tab – Advanced

• Limit internal charger to prioritize other energy sources allows the batteries to be conserved when other energy sources are available, such as output from a photovoltaic or wind power system, which then have priority.

Victron Toolkit

Victron Toolkit is an app for iOS and Android that provides a cable cross-section calculator, a numerical and graphical representation of the relationship between temperature and current or power output, and an overview of the meaning of LED status indicators on all victron products.

The latter feature in particular is helpful in error situations, especially since it is difficult to remember all the status displays and their meaning.