REVOV Communication Unit v2

User Manual.

Introduction
The REVOV Communication Unit v2 (RCU v2) unit enables communication between
compatible lithium battery packs and CAN bus inverters. The RCU v2 features an
RS-485 port for connection to the battery’s Battery Management System (BMS) and
a CAN bus port for connection to the inverter. The RCU v2 allows the battery to
communicate directly with the inverter, allowing for the transfer of important
parameters such as current draw and battery voltage.

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Features
● Monitors various parameters of compatible batteries over RS-485.

● Transmits battery parameters over CAN bus to compatible inverters.

● Automatically sets up battery charging parameters based on the number of

connected batteries.

● Power is supplied directly from the battery

itself, reducing the number of cables used.

● Low power usage (50mA typical when

idle).

● Automatic self-shutdown when the battery

voltage falls too low.

● Rugged steel enclosure with convenient

mounting points.

Specifications

Parameter Value
Input Voltage 8V to 60V1
Fuse Rating User-replaceable, 800 mA fast-blow
Maximum BMS Count 12
Enclosure Size (l x w x h) 168 mm x 149 mm x 36 mm
Reverse Polarity Protection Yes
Typical Maximum
Current draw (24 V input) 100 mA 200 mA
Current draw (48 V input) 50 mA 100 mA

1
Depending on the selected battery mode.

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Overview of operation

Battery parameters

The RCU v2 scans the parameters of connected BMSs, and reports these values to
the inverter. The following parameters are transmitted to the inverter over CAN
bus:

Parameter Comment

Voltage [V] Averaged between all connected BMSs.

Current [A] Sum of all BMSs individual current values.

State of charge [%] Averaged between all connected BMSs.

Temperature [°C] The highest temperature reported by any BMS.

Device name Fixed as “RCU v2.1”.

In addition, the RCU v2 determines appropriate charge and discharge settings

based on the type and number of connected BMSs. These charging and discharging
parameters are automatically communicated to the inverter.

Parameter B100 R92

Max. charge current [A] 50 A per battery 100 A per battery

Max. discharge current [A] 100 A per battery 150 A per battery

Charge voltage [V] 55.5 V

Float voltage [V] 54.5 V

As an example, if the RCU v2 is connected to a bank that contains 9 of the B100

batteries, a maximum charge current of 450A and discharge of 900A will be
reported to the inverter.

Parameters not mentioned above are not reported to the inverter.

2
Assuming the R9 battery is paired with a Tian Power BMS.

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Status indicator lights

The RCU v2 has built-in green, yellow and red LEDs on the front surface of the
enclosure. These are programmed to display the internal state of the unit:

Front LEDs Status description

Green Yellow Red

Off Off Off No power connected.

On Off On Communication error.

On On Off All good.

In addition, the RS-485 port and CAN bus port have LEDs to show the status of
communication on each port respectively:

RS-485 LEDs Status description

Green Yellow

Off Off No RS-485 communication.

Flashing Flashing RS-485 communication active.

CAN bus LEDs Status description

Green Yellow

Off Off No CAN bus communication.

Flashing Flashing CAN bus communication active.

Please note that after a status change (such as when plugging a communication
cable in or out) it may take several seconds for the LEDs to update.

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Under-voltage shutdown

When the input voltage provided to the RCU v2 (typically battery voltage) drops
past a certain point, the RCU v2 will turn off internal circuitry to avoid contributing
to further battery discharge. This protects the battery against potential
under-voltage damage by the RCU v2’s current draw.

The under-voltage shutdown level can be set to a specific battery voltage range
(i.e. 48 V mode or 24 V mode) by changing the position of a jumper (JP6) on the
circuit board. This should be done by authorised personnel only. The RCU v2 will
not function without a jumper present.

Selected mode Turn-off voltage Turn-on voltage

48 V mode (default) < 32 V > 34 V
24 V mode < 17 V > 18 V
Bypass mode <8V >8V

Bypass mode can be used to ignore battery voltage, thereby switching off the
under-voltage shutdown feature.

The RCU v2 is factory-defaulted to 48 V mode.

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Installation and configuration
General setup instructions

1. The RCU v2 is powered from the battery terminals using the provided power
cable. Connect the power cable to the battery terminals first, but do not yet
provide power to the RCU v2.

2. Plug the RS-485 communication cable into the RS-485 port of the RCU v2,
and then into BMS’s RS-485 port. Ensure that this cable’s pinout is correct.

3. Plug the CAN bus communication cable into the CAN bus port of the RCU v2,
and then into the CAN bus port of the inverter. If the inverter requires it,
ensure that CAN bus termination is applied (typically by inserting a
termination plug into an empty CAN bus port on the inverter).

4. Perform inverter-specific setup as required (refer to the relevant section for

instructions)

5. Provide power to the RCU v2 by plugging in the power cable.

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 6. Wait 30 seconds for the RCU v2 to power up. On startup, the green and red
LEDs will illuminate. As soon as communication is established on both the
RS-485 and CAN bus ports, the red LED will switch off and the yellow LED
will illuminate. The green and yellow LEDs next to the RS-485 and CAN bus
ports will also flash alternately to signal communication.

7. Confirm that the inverter is receiving battery parameters. The RCU v2 is now
successfully set up and communicating! Refer to the Troubleshooting section
if any unexpected behaviour occurs.

8. When making any configuration changes (such as using a different cable, or

changing inverter settings), restart the RCU v2 by removing the power plug
for 10 seconds, then re-applying power.

Victron-specific setup instructions

1. Ensure that the correct CAN bus cable is made up. Refer to elsewhere in this
manual for the correct pinout.

2. Plug the CAN bus cable into a port labelled “VE.Can” on the Victron GX device
that is acting as the controller.

3. On the console of your GX device, under device list:

a. Navigate to “Settings”
b. Navigate to “Services”
c. Navigate to “VE.Can port”
d. Navigate to “CAN-bus profile”
e. Select “CAN-bus BMS (500 kbit/s)”

4. After RCU v2 power-up, the GX device will automatically detect the RCU v2
and parameters will be automatically passed to the inverter.

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Sunsynk-specific setup instructions

1. Ensure that the correct CAN bus cable is made up. Refer to elsewhere in this
manual for the correct pinout.

2. Plug the CAN bus cable into the port on the Sunsynk inverter that is labelled
“DSM_CAN”.

3. The Sunsynk inverter will not automatically detect the RCU v2 if it is not set
up for a lithium battery in CAN mode. To set the Sunsynk up in this way,
perform the following steps on the Sunsynk’s interface:

○ While on the home screen, click on the “battery” icon (shown in the
left picture below).

○ Make sure that the “Lithium” and “CAN” checkboxes are ticked (show
in the right figure below).

4. After the RCU v2 has been powered on:

○ Operation can be confirmed by looking at the “Li BMS” icon (shown in

the left picture below).

○ The Sunsynk will also automatically populate charging and discharging

parameters.

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GoodWe-specific setup instructions

1. Ensure that the correct CAN bus cable is made up. Refer to elsewhere in this
manual for the correct pinout.

2. The GoodWe inverter will not automatically detect the RCU v2 if it is not set
up for the correct lithium battery. To do this:

a. Open the GoodWe PV Master app on a smartphone, and connect to the

GoodWe inverter Wi-Fi access point.

■ Default SSID: Solar-Wifi****

■ Default password: 12345678

b. Once logged in, click “Basic Settings” and select the appropriate
country and working mode. There will be an installer’s code prompt.
Attempt to use “goodwe2010” as the installer’s code. If that doesn’t
work, it will be necessary to obtain the latest code from GoodWe.

c. From there, select “default lithium battery (100Ah)” as the battery

type. Complete the setup and return to the parameters tab.

3. Once the RCU v2 is powered, it will start to communicate with the GoodWe
inverter. This can take up to 30 seconds.

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SMA-specific setup instructions

1. Ensure that the correct CAN bus cable is made up. Refer to elsewhere in this
manual for the correct pinout.

2. Plug the CAN bus cable into the port and into the port labelled “ComSyncIn“
on the SMA inverter.

3. The SMA will not automatically detect the RCU v2 if it is not already set up
for the correct lithium battery. To do this, follow these steps on the Sunny
Remote Control device connected to the inverter:

Step 1: Upon restart, place the SMA Step 2: Scroll and select the “New
into “Init System” mode. Battery” option.

Step 3: Setup the new battery type to Step 4: Accept and save the options
be “LiIon_Ext-BMS” and then start the inverter.

4. Once the RCU v2 is powered, the SMA inverter will accept the battery
parameters as communicated to it by the RCU v2.

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BMS compatibility and pinout
The RCU v2 is currently compatible with the following batteries:

● Revov B100 (internal BMS)

● Revov R9 (external Tian Power BMS)

The following pinouts pertain to the connection RS-485 connection between the
RCU v2 and the BMS using the RJ45 RS-485 ports. A custom cable should be made
- a standard straight-through Ethernet cable will not work.

BMS-RCU v2 cable pinout

Pin RCU v2 BMS RS485-A BMS COM_out

number RS-485 (B100) (Tian Power)
1 B/Z A/Y
2 A/Y B/Z
3 B/Z
5 A/Y
8 GND

No internal connection for the remaining pins.

Note that
pins 1 and
2 are not
the same
for
connection
to the B100
and Tian
Power BMS.

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Inverter compatibility and pinout
The RCU v2 is compatible with the following inverters:

● Victron 3
● Sunsynk 4
● GoodWe 5
● SMA 6

CAN bus port pinouts

Please note that each inverter requires a custom CAN bus cable from the RCU v2 to
the inverter. For example, the Victron systems use pins 7 and 8 for CAN_H and
CAN_L respectively, while Sunsynk, GoodWe and SMA inverters use pins 4 and 5 for
CAN_H and CAN_L.

RCU v2 Victron SMA Sunsynk GoodWe

CAN_H 4 7 4 4 4

CAN_L 5 8 5 5 5

Victron CAN bus cable pinout

Pin number RCU v2 Victron GX device

3 GND GND

4 CAN_H -

5 CAN_L -

7 - CAN_H

8 - CAN_L

3
Tested with Victron Colour Control GX.
4
Tested with Sunsynk 5kVA Hybrid Inverter.
5
Tested with GoodWe GW5048D-ES.
6
Tested with Sunny Island 6.0H.

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Sunsynk, GoodWe & SMA CAN bus cable pinout

Pin number RCU v2 Sunsynk / GoodWe/SMA

3 GND -

4 CAN_H CAN_H

5 CAN_L CAN_L

CAN bus cable pinouts diagrams

Victron Sunsynk

GoodWe SMA

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Warnings
Please take specific note of the following warnings:

● Do not plug any cables other than the correct RS-485 or CAN bus cables into
the unit.

● Do not plug the RS-458 bus cable into the CAN bus port, or vice versa.

● The RCU v2 should not be exposed to water or excess humidity, or sunlight.

● Do not tamper with units; this includes opening unit while powered,
damaging and disfiguring units, and tampering with the internal electronics.

● The RCU v2 should not be moved or handled while in operation.

Troubleshooting

RCU v2 will not power on

If none of the LEDs light up when power is applied to the RCU v2, it is likely that
the RCU v2 is not receiving power. To remedy, attempt the following:

● Double-check the polarity of the power connection.

● Ensure that the power cable has been correctly crimped and that there are
no loose connections.

● Ensure that a power selection jumper is inserted (ie. that either 24 V mode,
48 V mode, or bypass mode is selected).

● Make sure that a high enough voltage is being applied for the selected
battery mode.

● Inspect the fuse to make sure that it is not blown, and replace it if necessary.

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No communication with BMS or inverter

If the red LED on the front of the RCU v2 is illuminated, there is a communications
error, either with the RS-485 link, the CAN bus, or both. To determine which is the
case, look at the LEDs of the RJ45 ports on the RCU v2. An alternately flashing
green and yellow light means successful communication, so look for the port with
switched-off LEDs.

RS-485 troubleshooting

● Re-start the RCU v2 by removing power for 5 seconds, then re-applying

power.

● Double-check the pinout of the cable that is being used, and that there are
no poorly crimped connections.

● Make sure that the communications cable is properly inserted on both ends.

● Ensure that the intended RS-485 BMS is compatible with the RCU v2 (refer to
the BMS compatibility section elsewhere in this document).

CAN bus troubleshooting

● Re-start the RCU v2 by removing power for 5 seconds, then re-applying

power.

● Double-check the pinout of the cable that is being used, and that there are
no poorly crimped connections.

● Make sure that the communications cable is properly inserted on both ends.

● If required by the inverter (which is usually the case if not done internally),
make sure that the appropriate termination plug is in place.

● Inverter-specific setup has to be performed, depending on the brand of

inverter. Double-check that these steps have been done (refer to the
Installation and configuration section elsewhere in this document).

● Ensure that the intended CAN bus inverter is compatible with the RCU v2
(refer to the Inverter compatibility section elsewhere in this document).

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 Legal Notice

● REVOV hereby expressly disclaims any warranties against and liability for infringement or any other claims
involving patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of third parties, by or arising from the use of
REVOV products or technical information described in this document.

● You are fully responsible for the incorporation or any other use of this product into any system. REVOV and its
suppliers disclaims any and all liability for any losses and damages incurred by you or third parties arising from the
use of this product or information.

● No license, express, implied or otherwise, is granted hereby under any patents, copyrights or other intellectual
property rights of REVOV or others.

● You shall not alter, modify, copy, or reverse engineer any REVOV product, whether in whole or in part. REVOV
disclaims any and all liability for any losses or damages incurred by you or third parties arising from such
alteration, modification, copying or reverse engineering.

● REVOV products are not intended or authorised for use in products or systems that may pose a direct threat to
human life or bodily injury (artificial life support devices or systems; surgical implantations; etc.) or may cause
serious property damage (space system; undersea repeaters; nuclear power control systems; aircraft control
systems; key plant systems; military equipment; etc.). REVOV disclaims any and all liability for any damages or
losses incurred by you or any third parties arising from the use of any REVOV product that is inconsistent with any
REVOV data sheet, user’s manual or other REVOV documents.

● When using REVOV products, refer to the latest product information (datasheets, user’s manuals, application notes,
etc.), and ensure that usage conditions are within the ranges specified by Revov with respect to maximum ratings,
operating power supply voltage range, etc. Revov disclaims any and all liability for any malfunctions, failure or
accident arising out of the use of Revov products outside of such specified ranges.

● Please contact REVOV for details as to environmental matters such as the environmental compatibility of each
REVOV product. You are responsible for carefully and sufficiently investigating applicable laws and regulations that
regulate the inclusion or use of controlled substances, including without limitation the EU RoHS Directive and using
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for damages or losses occurring as a result of your non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

● REVOV products and technologies shall not be used for or incorporated into any products or systems whose
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● It is the responsibility of the buyer or distributor of Revov products, or any other party who distributes, disposes of,
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● Please contact REVOV if you have any questions regarding the information contained in his document or REVOV
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