The Cerbo GX is the brain of a Victron system — it ties every component together for monitoring and control. Wiring it means powering it from your DC system, connecting your devices over VE.Direct and VE.Can, adding the battery temperature sensor, and pairing it with a Lynx Smart BMS or Lynx Shunt for full battery data. This guide covers the connections and the first-power-up setup in VictronConnect and the GX touch interface.
What the Cerbo GX does
The Cerbo GX collects data from your MultiPlus, MPPT controllers, battery monitor and more, then displays it (on a GX Touch screen or the VRM portal) and lets the devices coordinate — for example, throttling charging or managing loads. It doesn't move power itself; it's the communication and monitoring hub.
What you'll need
- Victron Cerbo GX (and optionally a GX Touch display) — shop GX products
- A Lynx distributor / Lynx Shunt or Smart BMS for clean DC distribution and battery data
- VE.Direct and/or VE.Can cables to suit your devices — see data cables & interfaces
- The battery temperature sensor, a fused DC supply for the Cerbo, and (optional) RJ45 for networking
Step 1 — Power the Cerbo GX
The Cerbo runs on your DC system (wide input range covering 12V and 24V systems). Feed it from a fused supply — a small inline fuse on the positive is enough, since the Cerbo draws little current. Use a switched or always-on circuit depending on whether you want monitoring while parked.
Step 2 — Connect your Victron devices
- VE.Direct: connect MPPT controllers and the SmartShunt (if used) with VE.Direct cables to the Cerbo's VE.Direct ports.
- VE.Can: daisy-chain VE.Can devices (e.g. Lynx Smart BMS, some MPPTs) and terminate both ends of the VE.Can bus with the supplied terminators.
- VE.Bus: connect the MultiPlus/Quattro to the Cerbo's VE.Bus port with an RJ45 cable.
Installing the inverter/charger too? Shop Victron inverter/chargers.
Step 3 — Add battery monitoring
For accurate state-of-charge, the Cerbo needs a battery monitor. Either a Lynx Shunt/Smart BMS on the Lynx bus, or a standalone SmartShunt battery monitor wired via VE.Direct. Add the battery temperature sensor for temperature-compensated charging.
Step 4 — Power up & configure
- Power on the Cerbo; it boots to the GX menu (on a GX Touch) or is reachable via VictronConnect/phone.
- Confirm each connected device appears in the device list.
- Set the battery monitor as the system's SOC source.
- Connect to Wi-Fi/Ethernet and link to the free VRM portal for remote monitoring.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Un-terminated VE.Can bus — both ends need a terminator or the bus won't communicate.
- No fuse on the Cerbo supply — always fuse the positive feed.
- Wrong SOC source — set the shunt/BMS as the battery monitor, not the inverter estimate.
- Mixing VE.Direct and VE.Can on one device — use one interface per device as specified.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a GX Touch screen?
No — the Cerbo works headless and you can monitor everything from the VictronConnect app and the VRM portal. The GX Touch just adds a local display.
VE.Direct or VE.Can — which do I use?
It depends on the device. MPPTs and the SmartShunt typically use VE.Direct; the Lynx Smart BMS and some larger devices use VE.Can. Check each product's ports.
Can I monitor my system remotely?
Yes. Connect the Cerbo to the internet and link it to the free VRM portal to view your system from anywhere and set alerts.
Does the Cerbo control charging?
It coordinates devices and can manage DVCC (distributed voltage and current control), but the MPPTs and inverter/charger do the actual power work. The Cerbo orchestrates them.
Building your monitoring setup? Shop Victron GX products and Lynx distribution — in stock, ships from Upland, CA.