Ve.Konvert - Ve.Direct to NMEA2000 Gateway

Ve.Direct to NMEA2000 converter

veKonvert is a new NMEA 2000 interface developed in collaboration with Victron Energy to integrate VE.Direct-kompatible devices, such as z.B. the SmartShunt and BMV battery monitoring devices and the MPPT solar charge controllers, into NMEA 2000 systems to display on a chart plotter or navigation instrument,

This functionality already existed but required the use of a sophisticated Cerbo module.
veKonvert is a cheaper and simpler solution for smaller installations that only want to display battery data on a multifunction plotter (MFD).

Installation is simple: connect the device to a "T" connector on the NMEA 2000 network and to the device's customised VE.Direct-Anschluss and you instantly have electrical data on your NMEA 2000 network.

As sailors prefer a clear and uncluttered instrument panel, integrating the electrical data into the main chartplotter is a popular option that saves space and costs.

This product is the result of a collaboration between Victron Energy and Digital Yacht.
The system utilises Victron's own VE.Direct-Datenkonnektivitas a source for NMEA 2000 data.

Victron solar charge controllers (MPPT) and battery monitors can also be connected to the NMEA 2000 network via the veKonvert interface.

NOTE - veKonvert is not compatible with Victron chargers and inverters. It should also not be connected to the VE.Direct interfaces of Victron inverters/chargers such as Multiplus, Quattro, Cerbo, etc.

Features

- Universal NMEA 2000 gateway for Victron products with VE.Direct-Schnittstelle (see compatibility list).
- Enables battery management or solar charge monitoring on compatible chartplotters (Raymarine, Garmin, Navico, Furuno, etc.).
- Provides battery voltage, charge/discharge current, state of charge and time to battery depletion thanks to an intelligent algorithm.
- Easy to install, plug and play Easy installation, plug-and-play connectivity and self-powered via the NMEA 2000 bus.
- Generates NMEA 2000 alerts from any BMV or SmartShunt.
- Supports multiple SmartShunts for multi-battery systems.

Questions and answers

• Ve.Konvert - Compatibility list

  veKonvert is compatible with the following Victron products:
  
  - BMV-700
  - BMV-702
  - BMV-700H
  - BMV-712 Smart
  - BMV-710H Smart
  - BMV-712 Smart Rev2
  - SmartShunt 500A/50mV
  - SmartShunt 1000A/50mV
  - SmartShunt 2000A/50mV
  - All MPPT Charge Controllers
  
  NOTE - veKonvert is not compatible with Victron chargers and inverters. It should also not be connected to the VE.Direct-Schnittstellen of Victron inverters/chargers such as Multiplus, Quattro, Cerbo etc.

• How do I configure and calibrate the Ve.Konvert for my boat's battery system?

  veKonvert is connected to the SmartShunt via the VE.Direct-Schnittstelle. The entire calibration of the boat battery capacity etc. is done via the Bluetooth interface integrated in the SmartShunt and has nothing to do with the Ve.Konvert.
  To do this, download the Victron app and follow the setup instructions supplied with the SmartShunt. No calibration of the veKonvert interface is required.

• Can I continue to use both the Bluetooth interface and the Ve.Konvert?

  Yes.

• What will my multifunction display (MFD) show?

  Most popular MFDs display battery voltage, charge/discharge current, state of charge and remaining capacity in real time.
  The Victron app also provides additional historical information that is useful for battery maintenance.

• Can I connect multiple batteries?

  Yes. One veKonvert interface is required for each battery bank / solar charge controller.
  If you want to use multiple VeKonverts with multiple MPPTs or with multiple SmartShunts/battery monitors, each veKonvert must have a different device instance. These can be assigned via DIP switch.

NMEA2000 - What is it?

This new standard has been developed to cope with the increasing amount of marine electronics on board modern vessels and the variety of data that needs to be communicated over the network. It was designed as a very simple plug-and-play system where devices and sensors are connected to a network "backbone" (sometimes called a "trunk") that runs the length of the ship and connects everything together.

The backbone (red) can deliver both data and power (with limited capacity) to any device connected to it, and operates at a much higher data rate of 250 Kbps than the older NMEA 0183 standard. For good, error-free data transmission, the "backbone" must be fitted with terminating resistors (light blue) at each end of the cabling to equalise the signal load. Each device is then connected with a "tee" connector (blue) and a drop cable (green), all using standard waterproof connectors for maximum reliability and interoperability. Each NMEA2000 Can Bus requires at least a 9-16V power supply (purple)!

Backbone - red
Drop cable - green
T-connectors - blue
End resistors - light blue
Power supply - purple



NMEA2000 rules / limitation







"What do I need to have an NMEA 2000 network on board?" Digital Yacht has developed a cost-effective and intelligent NMEA2000 starter kit that is ideal for smaller boats, but can also be easily expanded in the future.


Text & image by Digital Yacht