Victron Soluna Battery Compatibility: Setup and Troubleshooting

Key Takeaways

• Communication issues, particularly with the CAN-Bus cable and terminators, are the most common cause of compatibility problems.
• Always verify the physical CAN-Bus cable connection and ensure terminators are correctly installed on the Victron GX device first.
• Never attempt to operate Soluna battery cells normally without a connection to the Battery Management System (BMS).
• If the battery enters a low-voltage sleep state below 44.8V, it will require a manual restart, which may need professional assistance.

Why is my Soluna battery not communicating with my Victron GX device?

The most common reason a Soluna battery fails to communicate with a Victron GX device is an improperly connected CAN-Bus cable or missing terminators. Without proper communication, the battery will not reliably show up on the GX device display, and critical charge/discharge limits and error codes cannot be exchanged. The first step is to ensure the correct VE.Can to CAN-bus BMS type A Cable (part number ASS030710018) is used and that all necessary terminators are in place on the GX device.

Diagnosis Steps

Follow these steps to diagnose communication and compatibility issues between your Soluna battery and Victron system.

1. Check CAN-Bus Cable Connection:

• • Observable Check: Visually inspect the CAN-Bus cable connecting the Soluna battery to the Victron GX device.
  • What it Means: The "Can2 port of the battery communicates with the GX." Ensure the side labeled "Battery BMS" is plugged into the Battery BMS and the side labeled "Victron VE.Can" is plugged into the GX device.
  • Result: If the cable is loose or incorrectly connected, communication will fail.

2. Verify CAN-Bus Terminators:

• • Observable Check: Check the VE.Can ports on the Victron GX device.
  • What it Means: A "VE.Can terminator" must be plugged into the other VE.Can socket on the GX device. "Two VE.Can terminators are included with the package of the GX device as an accessory." The "battery has a built-in CAN terminator, so there is no need to connect a VE.Can terminator on the battery side."
  • Result: Missing or incorrectly placed terminators can disrupt the CAN-Bus signal, preventing reliable communication.

3. Check Firmware Versions:

• • Observable Check: Access the firmware version information on your Soluna battery (if accessible) and your Victron GX device.
  • What it Means: The "minimum supported Soluna firmware version is JC3.30." For the GX device, the "minimum firmware version" is "v3.60." For VE.Bus models (Multi, MultiPlus, Quattro, RS), the "minimum" firmware version is "469" (for VE.Bus) and "1.16" (for RS).
  • Result: Outdated firmware can lead to compatibility issues and prevent proper communication or control. Update firmware if necessary.

4. Monitor Battery Voltage:

• • Observable Check: Observe the battery voltage displayed on the GX device or directly on the battery.
  • What it Means: If the "battery voltage is lower than 47.65V, the battery will actively send a force charge command to the GX device." If the "battery voltage is lower than 44.8V" and "has not been charged until" this point, the "battery will enter low-voltage sleep state after ten minutes."
  • Result: Extremely low voltage indicates a deeply discharged battery that may require specific recovery steps or manual intervention.

5. Check for Automatic Victron Settings:

• • Observable Check: Verify if DVCC (Distributed Voltage and Current Control) and SVS (Shared Voltage Sense) are enabled, and SCS (Shared Current Sense) and STS (Shared Temperature Sense) are disabled on your Victron system.
  • What it Means: When properly communicating with a Soluna battery, DVCC and SVS are "Enabled automatically," while SCS and STS are "Disabled automatically." The Soluna battery "Automatically controls the target voltage on the Victron system (CVL)."
  • Result: If these settings are not as expected, it may indicate a communication failure or an issue with the GX device's ability to correctly interpret BMS data.

Cause/Fix Table

Soluna Battery and Victron System Pairing

Proper setup of your Soluna battery with a Victron Energy system relies heavily on correct communication via the CAN-Bus protocol and appropriate firmware versions.

Communication Setup

It is "essential to use the BMS-Can (500 kbit/s) connection type of a GX device with these batteries for communication of charge and discharge limits, error codes and state of charge."

1. Cable Connection: Use the "VE.Can to CAN-bus BMS type A Cable part number ASS030710018." Plug the side labeled "Battery BMS" into the Soluna Battery BMS. Plug the side labeled "Victron VE.Can" into the GX device. The "Pin2 port and Pin6 port on the battery are not defined," so "either the A-type and B-type communication cables provided by Victron can be used."
2. Terminators: "Plug a VE.Can terminator in the other VE.Can socket on the GX device." "Two VE.Can terminators are included with the package of the GX device as an accessory." The "battery has a built-in CAN terminator, so there is no need to connect a VE.Can terminator on the battery side."
3. GX Device Requirement: A Victron GX device is mandatory for BMS-Can communication.
4. Solar Charger Connection: Connection of Solar Chargers (BlueSolar, SmartSolar MPPT) to the GX device via "VE.Direct or VE.Can" is "mandatory, because it is used to regulate charge currents and voltages."
5. VE.Bus Connection: Victron "VE.Bus inverter/charger units must be connected to the GX device via the VE.Bus connection port."

Firmware Requirements

Ensure all components meet the minimum firmware versions for proper compatibility:

Automatic Victron System Settings

When correctly communicating, the Victron system automatically adjusts certain settings:

Safety: Lithium Battery Considerations

Soluna batteries are lithium-ion batteries and require careful handling and proper system integration to ensure safety.

• BMS Connection: "DO NOT attempt to operate the battery cells normally without connection to the BMS." The BMS is crucial for monitoring and protecting the battery from overcharge, over-discharge, and other hazardous conditions.
• Overcharge Protection: The battery "actively disconnects its internal charging circuit" if it is "overcharged beyond 57.3V, or any cell above 3.65V." This is a critical safety feature to prevent thermal runaway.
• Low Voltage Protection: The battery protects itself by sending a "force charge command to the GX device when voltage is lower than 47.65V." If discharge continues, it enters a "low-voltage sleep state" if the "battery voltage is lower than 44.8V" for ten minutes.

When to call a technician instead

While many communication and setup issues can be resolved with careful troubleshooting, certain situations warrant professional intervention. If you have verified all cable connections, terminators, and firmware versions, and the battery still fails to communicate or operate correctly, it's time to call a qualified technician. Specifically, if the battery enters a "low-voltage sleep state" below "44.8V," the "battery needs to be restarted manually." The specific procedure for this manual restart is not provided and may require specialized tools or knowledge, making it a task best left to a professional to avoid damaging the battery or voiding any warranty.