Victron Energy's latest Venus OS v3.60 update brings a host of features to the Victron Cerbo GX, focusing on improved user interface, marine integrations, and system reliability.
Have a flick through the slideshow for a quick easy way way to see what is new.
New Switch Pane for Streamlined Control
With the new update comes a dedicated switch pane that can be accessed by clicking a button in the top left of the new user interface. It allows for quick access to switching control functions vehicles, boats and stationary systems and can be access via the Touch Screen 50/Touch Screen 70 or through the VRM system.
Marine Specific Enhancements
For marine applications the Marine MFD HTML5 Application has been significantly updated to improve display quality on devices like the Garmin 9000 with high-definition. It also includes a new night mode that applies a soft red overlay. This helps reduce eye strain in low light conditions.
This update also includes a page dedicated to Electric Boats which is accessible via a new boat icon at the bottom of the new UI. It's designed for small boats with electric propulsions systems and gives you direct access to key information such as boat speed, RPM, electric motor power consumption and battery state of charge.
The brief page in the new UI now also allows individual tanks like Fuel, Fresh Water, Day Tank etc to be selected to display as ring gauges rather than being limited to selection by tank type on the older version. This gives more flexibility to display specific key tank metrics and will be particularly handy for those in marine and campervans.
Improved Backup and Restore for VE.Bus Devices
Venus OS v3.60 brings with it a new feature to back and and restore configurations for VE.Bus configurations and settings. You can now quickly restore a multi-unit system after a single unit in it fails. The restore process can automatically identify the replacement device and can applies the correct configuration.
This feature also makes it easy to switch between configurations on systems where regular configurations changes are needed.
Temperature control for Victron NG batteries.
Venus OS v3.60 brings with it a new feature that those spending their time in their boat, or motorhome in the winter will appreciate. When combined with the new Victron NG batteries the Victron Cerbo GX MK2 can now control a relay that can manage battery heating in cold conditions and the same for cooling in hot conditions. This feature also works with other managed batteries that send cell temperature data over to the GX.
To use this your system needs a CAN-connected battery and a relay that is configured for temperature control, along with heating pads and/or colling equipment installed. This does however require the Lynx Smart BMS NG and unfortunately isn't compatible with the Small BMS NG or VE.Bus BMS NG so make sure you've got the right one if you plan to use this feature.
PV Inverter limiter support
They have expanded support for PV inverters on GX devices to include zero feed-in and dynamic ESS power control on any PV inverter that supports Sunspec™ information models 123 or 704. Equipment from SM,SolarEdge, Kostal and Enphase has already been confirmed and they encourage users to test other brands of inverters that state support for Sunspec™ information models 123 or 704 in their firmware so I'm sure more will be added to that list.
Brand new look for the settings menu
The settings menu has had a much needed revamp including new features, navigation improvements and a higher-resolution upgrade. The menu now includes breadcrumbs and higher navigation levels making it easier than ever to go back and forth between sections with one touch.
Modification checks page
A new page has been added to general settings that allows the user a quick and clear overview of the software on their GX monitoring device. An installer or distributor is now able to look at this page and see if they system has been modified at all. This will speed up diagnoses and help aid in providing support. From this page it's very easy to see where a modification has been made and the user can even disable modifications, reinstall the firmware or run an online update all from the one page!
Improvements to Node-RED automations
This update brings powerful updates to the Node-RED integration and adds support for the the brand new Victron GX IO-Extender 150, unlocking advanced systems customisation and more external data integration.
It also brings with it the addition of virtual device support to Node-RED on GX monitoring devices allow the user to simulate various device types:
- Batteries
- PV Inverters
- Temperature Sensors
- Tank Level Monitors
- Grid Meters
- Meteo Sensors (irradiance, wind speed/direction)
- GPS Modules
- Electric Motor Drives (perfect for marine setups)
With these virtual devices, data from external systems (via MQTT or Modbus-TCP) can now be fed into the GX device and visualized on the Victron VRM Portal, just like native Victron hardware. This makes it easy to incorporate specialized third-party data like a custom tank sensor into your existing energy system interface.
The new GX IO-Extender 150 is introduced with this release to give integrators more options to control and integrate devices and systems. It provides the following additional USB-connected I/O to GX devices:
2 x bi-stable relays
1 x solid-state relay
2 x 4 input/output digital IOs
4 x adjustable level outputs (PWM)
How to install
For more information on how to install the latest Venus OS firmware on your GX device, check the Victron Cerbo GX manual.
