Why is there no VE.Direct communication between my MPPT 150/45 and Cerbo GX?

A SmartSolar MPPT 150/45 talks to a GX device over VE.Direct, and VE.Direct is the simplest of Victron's three networks: a dedicated cable from one device to one port. There is no termination to get wrong and no bus to configure, which means when it does not work the cause is almost always physical. Check these in order.

The cable is seated at both ends

The VE.Direct plug is small and keyed, and in a tight equipment bay it is easy to leave it a millimetre short of home, particularly at the MPPT end where the socket sits close to the power terminals. Unplug both ends and refit them until they click. Do not force the plug; if it will not go in, it is the wrong way round.

If the cable has to bend hard against a wall, a VE.Direct cable with a right-angle connector on one end lets it seat properly instead of being levered out of the socket by its own strain.

The MPPT is actually running

The VE.Direct port is powered by the device it sits on. A charge controller that has no battery connected is not running, so its port is dead, however much PV is on the input. Confirm the 150/45 is alive first: its LEDs should be on, and it should be visible in VictronConnect over Bluetooth. If it is not, fix the battery connection before you touch the data cable.

Each device has its own port

A VE.Direct port serves exactly one device. There is no daisy chaining and no splitter. The Cerbo GX has three VE.Direct ports, so a SmartShunt, a 150/45 and a second controller use all three; a fourth VE.Direct device needs a VE.Direct to USB interface into one of the Cerbo's USB sockets. Make sure the 150/45 is not sharing a port through some adapter, and that it is in a VE.Direct socket rather than pushed into an RJ45 opening.

Then look in the device list

On the Cerbo, go to Settings, then Device list. A working connection shows the controller there within a few seconds of plugging in. If the port is fine and nothing appears, the next two steps are the cable and the firmware.

• Swap the cable. Try a different VE.Direct cable, or move this cable to a device you know works. A damaged conductor inside the sheath is invisible from outside.
• Update the firmware. Connect to the 150/45 in VictronConnect over Bluetooth and apply any update it offers. Older SmartSolar firmware can fail to be recognised by a current Cerbo; the larger 150/70, for instance, needs firmware v2.00 or newer before a GX device will see it. Reboot the Cerbo afterwards.

What we stock

The SmartSolar MPPT 150/35 and 150/45, the Cerbo GX MK2 and VE.Direct cables all ship from Upland, California. If you tell us every Victron device in the system we will confirm which port each one needs and whether you are going to run out of VE.Direct ports before you buy.