Photonic Universe is an official distributor of products from Victron Energy - the globally renowned manufacturer of high quality hybrid power electronics. Victron Energy solar charge controllers have a longstanding reputation for their outstanding reliability, innovative design and superior build quality.

This Victron 500A BMV series smart battery monitor uses a high-precision battery shunt designed to expertly measure vital charging and performance data for your batteries. This smart model features additional advanced functions such as Bluetooth communication ability, a secondary input for optional monitoring of an auxiliary battery bank, and an extremely low current draw from the battery bank (0.7Ah per month for a 12V system). Statistics such as battery voltage, charge / discharge current as energy flows in to and out of the battery, Amp Hours consumed, state of charge and time-to-go are displayed on the LCD monitor for convenient viewing. The inbuilt Bluetooth enables remote system monitoring (with real-time data displayed) and programming of settings via any Bluetooth-enabled mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

Battery data

The smart battery shunt measures the vital parameters relating to the battery condition and the energy it receives / provides, and transmits this information to the LCD monitor, where it can be viewed by the user (and where some settings can be amended if necessary). This information includes:

• Battery voltage: Displayed for the main battery / battery bank, and also for an optional auxiliary battery which can be connected via the secondary input.

• Battery midpoint voltage monitoring: For battery banks constructed of several individual batteries, the smart monitor is able to maintain balance by taking the voltage measurements from the midpoint within the bank, and if the voltage deviates from this point of balance, an alarm will be generated. For such battery banks, the voltage value is also displayed for the battery bank as a whole, and additionally, for the 'top section' and 'bottom section' (i.e. 1st half and 2nd half) of the battery bank.

• Battery state of charge: Indicated as a percentage value from 0-100%.

• Battery charging / discharging current and power: The current (A) and power (W) flowing out of the battery (load consumption) are displayed as negative values, while the current and power flowing into the battery are displayed as positive values.

• Battery temperature: The smart monitor can be connected to an optional Victron battery temperature sensor (sold separately. This temperature measurement can be used to adjust available battery capacity as the temperature varies. An alarm will be activated when battery temperature falls outside of the safe range.

• Amp hours consumed: For example, if 12A is drawn from a fully charged battery during a period of 3 hours, the monitor will show -36.0Ah consumed by the battery.

• Time-to-go: The monitor is able to estimate the approximate length of time that the battery will continue to support the current load, before the battery requires re-charging. 

An in-depth data log also records historical data to enable the user to evaluate usage patterns and determine overall battery health. This includes values such as the highest/ lowest recorded voltages (for the main battery and auxiliary battery), deepest recorded discharge, time since last full discharge, cumulative Amp hours drawn, time since last full charge, total energy charged/discharged and many more.

Customisation

This battery monitor is supplied with a 500A 50mV shunt, although if required, this can be replaced with a different sized shunt. The monitor is compatible with shunts up to 9999A and/or 75mV.

The user can set high/low thresholds for battery voltage (either battery), battery state of charge (main battery) or the battery temperature (additional sensor required). If any of the above parametera fall outside of this specified range, the battery shunt will transmit a signal to a relay which activates an audible alarm. When the alarm is triggered, the LCD monitor will sound, the backlight will flash and an alarm symbol will appear on the display.This smart battery monitor has also been designed to minimise power consumption and therefore features a bistable alarm relay, meaning that the current draw remains low regardless of the position of the relay.

Further customisable features include the option to specify which parameters are displayed on the monitor, adjustment of the scrolling speed of the values on screen, the option to 'lock' settings in place, and a fully adjustable backlight on the LCD display.

Advanced communication

This smart battery monitor features inbuilt Bluetooth, enabling the user to wirelessly connect their mobile device to the monitor. Then, using the VictronConnect App on a smartphone or tablet, you will unlock numerous possibilities for advanced programming and remote monitoring of your battery system. A wide range of additional features are made available, including real-time data transmission, as well as the option to amend battery storage information, program alarms and relays, amend charging parameters, customise the appearance and quantity of data displayed on the monitor and set up or join an existing VE.Smart network. Alternatively, the VE Direct USB cable can be used to establish a connection to a non-Bluetooth-enabled PC/laptop.

The VictronConnect app is compatible with most mobile devices and computers, including Android and iOS smartphones, tablets, iPads, MacBooks, Windows PCs/laptops.

Compatibility

This battery monitor is suitable for use with any 12V, 24V or 48V Lead Acid / Gel / AGM / Lithium battery or battery bank. The maximum admissible nominal current through this device using the supplied shunt is 500A.

Additional items

The following items are supplied with this product: a 10m cable to connect the LCD monitor to the battery shunt, 2 x 1m positive supply cables with a fuse to connect the battery shunt to up to two battery banks, a square frame for the LCD monitor and 4 x mounting screws.

Click on the Details and specifications tab for more information about this product.

System Specifications:

• Nominal battery voltage: 12V / 24V / 48V
• Supply voltage range: 6.5 - 70V
• Current draw (backlight off): <1mA
• Input voltage range (Auxiliary battery): 6.5 - 70V
• Bistable relay: 60V / 1A
• Supply current: 1mA (12V) / 0.8mA (24V)
• Input current range (with supplied shunt): -500A to +500A
• Operating temperature range: -20°C to +50°C

Display format:

• Current: 0.01A
• Voltage: 0.01V
• Amp hours: 0.1Ah
• State of charge (0-100%): 0.1%

Accuracy (with 500A shunt):

• Voltage measurement accuracy: ±0.3%
• Current measurement accuracy: ±0.4%

Dimensions:

• LCD monitor diameter (front): 63mm
• LCD monitor diameter (back): 52mm
• LCD monitor depth: 31mm
• LCD monitor square frame: 69 x 69mm
• LCD monitor weight: 70g
• Shunt dimensions: 120 x 25 x 50 mm
• Shunt weight: 315g

Standards:

• Safety: EN 60335-1
• Emission/ Immunity: EN 55014-1 / EN 55014-2
• Automotive: ECE R10-4 / EN 50498

Additional items:

• Connection cable: 10m length
• Positive supply cable: 2m length
• 4 x mounting screws
• Optional additional temperature sensor (not included): Victron product code ASS000100000

This product is covered by a 5 year manufacturer warranty. For more information please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

Click on the Installation tab for further instructions.

This unit comes with a detailed user manual which explains connection and operations. A basic installation guide is also available to download in the 'Documents' tab.

Please note:

• The shunt should be connected on the negative battery wire, close to the battery.
• The LCD display is designed to be flush-mounted in order to achieve a level surface, and therefore requires a recess to be cut in the mounting surface / wall. A square frame is supplied with the LCD monitor to offer an alternative to the circular design (flush mounting still required).

The following videos provide a brief introduction to the smart battery monitor and tips on how to optimise the sync parameters:

If you need help with installation or have any technical questions we can provide FREE support - please contact us by email or phone (see our Contact Us page for more information).

The following documents are available to download:

User manual for Victron 500A 12V/ 24V/ 48V Smart Battery Monitor (BMV-712)

Datasheet for Victron 500A 12V/ 24V/ 48V Smart Battery Monitor (BMV-712)

Installation guide for Victron 500A 12V/ 24V/ 48V Smart Battery Monitor (BMV-712)