Balmar SG210 User manual
SG200
BATTERY MONITOR
Installation &
Operation Manual
SUP-0250 REV D.
3
Safety PrecautionsSafety Precautions
1. Take time to read the manual. Equipment damage and possible injuries
may result from an incomplete understanding of the installation and
operation of the SG200 Battery Monitor. If you are unfamiliar with marine
electrical systems, consult with a qualied marine electrician.
2. Always disconnect your battery banks and ensure that switches are “OFF”
prior to installing the SmartShunt. No current should be owing when the
SmartShunt is installed!
3. Remove all metal jewelry while working on your electrical system, to avoid
any completing a circuit with these items, especially bracelets, rings or
handing necklaces.
4. Wear ANSI-approved safety eye-wear and protective gear.
5. DO NOT attempt to modify the SmartShunt or Display. Modications could
result in damage to your charging system and will void your warranty.
6. DO NOT attempt installation while using alcohol or medication that could
impair your judgment or reaction time.
7. Always use the right tool for the job. Improper tool use may damage the
shunt, gauge or your vessel, and could result in personal injury.
8. If installing in an engine compartment with a gasoline engine, proper
ventilation practices must be used to ensure no explosive gases exist
before installation.
9. If installing a compartment with batteries, the compartment must be
properly ventilated to ensure no build-up of explosive gases prior to
installation.
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Safety Precautions 3
Installation Overview 4
Introduction 6
What is a battery monitor, and why is it important? 6
Installation 8
Installation Steps 10
Installing the Deutsch-style connector 12
Adding an additional device to the SmartLink Network 13
SG200 Layout and Operation 13
Bluetooth Gateway 14
Real-Time Data 15
Conguring the SG200 for First Use 16
Initial Accuracy 17
Display 17
History 18
Cong 19
BAT TYPE - Selecting the Battery Chemistry 19
CAPACITY - Selecting a Battery Design Capacity 20
CHARGING - Charge Termination and Charge Efciency 21
Faults and Alerts 23
Alerts 23
Faults 25
Advanced Settings 26
Specications 27
Part Numbers 28
Appendix 29
Fault Thresholds 29
Converting Reserve Capacity to Amp Hours 29
Factors Affecting Battery Life 30
State of Health 30
Sulfation and Shedding 30
Cycle Life 31
Partial State of Charge (PSOC) Cycling 31
State of Health Calculations 32
Balmar Warranty 34
4 5
Installation OverviewInstallation Overview
CAUTION & WARNING: Batteries are hazardous devices. Please follow
battery manufacturer’s recommendations for health and safety. Use only
the appropriate tools in conjunction with manufacturer’s instructions. Isolate
both battery and AC power supplies before attempting installation.
CAUTION & WARNING: The Installation Overview does not refer to each
and every Caution & Warning Statement in this manual. Be sure to observe
safe working practices at all times. Refer to the full manual if you are unsure
of any practices that may damage the SG200 Battery Monitor unit, your sys-
tem wiring or health.
The SG200 is designed to monitor a battery or battery bank which is used in
deep cycling applications. It relies on the battery being discharged and then
charged to learn the battery’s characteristics. This learning process may never
occur on a start-only battery, since it is never cycled. However, The SG200
does have two additional leads to connect to starting batteries to read voltage
only.
NOTE: If a SG200 is used to monitor a starting-only bank using the cable
posts, and not the voltage-only leads, then an accurate state of health may
not be determined or maintained.
The diagram above shows a typical installation with one house battery bank,
and two auxiliary or engine start batteries.
If multiple displays or shunts are being installed, they may simply be
daisy-chained with additional SmartLink communication cables.
Negative leads from auxiliary batteries to the shunt are not needed in a
common-ground installation.
CAUTIONS & WARNING: DO NOT install any of the positive leads without
proper fusing!!!
NOTE: The fuse holder is shipped without the fuse installed. Install the
fuse AFTER completely connecting all of the wires/cables, and all other
installation steps.
The SG200 will scale automatically to the voltage of commonly used battery
systems (12v,24v,36v,48v.)
Initial conguration of the SmartShunt consists of setting the following parame-
ters.
1. Battery Chemistry
2. Battery Capacity
For complete instructions, follow the rest of this manual.
6 7
AUX-2 Positive
orange/Black
AUX-1 Positive
orange
Power (+) power
To Battery
Negative To loads (-)
IntroductionIntroduction
The SG200 is a battery monitoring system. It’s purpose is to provide the user
with continuous information on various parameters of a battery or battery-bank,
and of direct current (DC) usage in the system.
Specically, it can show:
Parameter Unit
Voltage Volts (V)
State of Charge (SoC) Percent (%)
State of Health (SoH) Percent (%)
Current (A) Amperes (A)
Time Remaining Hours: Minutes
Voltages for two separate Auxiliary
batteries
Volts (V)
What is a battery monitor, and why is it important?
Who would argue that it is not good to know how much power is left in a
battery? It is like a fuel gauge, and you would not drive a car or boat without
knowing how much fuel is remaining in the tank. Enter the battery monitor. The
most important function of a battery monitor is to report the State of Charge
of a battery or battery bank. The State of Charge (SoC) is a percentage value
showing what percentage of the battery’s capacity is remaining.
The SG200 very accurately calculates the State of Charge, and it does so by
incorporating a new feature: State of Health (SoH). State of Health is another
percentage value, that compares the design capacity of a battery, or the
capacity the battery’s manufacturer says it should be when new, with it’s actual
capacity, which degrades over time as a battery ages.
Accurate and continuous measurement of SoC and SoH is a breakthrough
in battery monitoring. As the battery ages, the monitor does not get less and
less accurate. Instead, the SoC value is always a percentage of the calculated
capacity taking into account the aging and other detrimental effects on a
battery’s capacity.
The SG200 also is unaffected by other issues inherent in all other shunt-based
systems, like accuracy drift over multiple partial state of charge cycles. Simply
put, traditional shunt-based products need to reach 100% charge each
cycle. Inaccuracy is introduced that is multiplied with each additional cycle
that does not reach full 100% charge.
For more information about issues that effect battery health and capacity,
read the Appendix entitled “Factors Affecting Battery Life”
SmartLink cable - use
either connector
8 9
InstallationInstallation
Included in the Box
The following parts are included in the standard SG200 System Kit.
(1) SmartShunt, with 60” fused positive-lead wire.
(1) Color Display
(1) Display mounting bracket and nut
(1) 10m SmartLink Cable
(1) SmartLink Deutsch-style connector kit, with a connector and
wedgelock.
(1) Fuse for positive wire
(1) This manual
Not Included in the Box
1. Mounting fasteners for the SmartShunt. These should be #8 sized cap-
head bolts or screws, depending on the mounting surface.
2. Additional fuse assemblies for the Aux-1 and Aux-2 voltage leads. ABYC
rules specify that circuit protection (fuses) should be located within 6” of the
power source
3. Additional battery cable.
The SmartShunt should be mounted to a rm surface in a dry location. All
cables need to be sized for the maximum current ow. Undersized cables can
present a re hazard and adversely affect the performance of the SmartShunt.
Tools needed:
• 9/16” wrench or socket and wrench.
• Any tools required for owner-supplied mounting fasteners.
• 2.0625”, or 53mm hole saw suitable for the mounting surface, if a
suitable a display hole does not already exist.
Installing the SmartShunt and Display
CAUTION: High currents may be carried by the battery cables
attached to the SmartShunt. If you are unsure of any part of the
installation, refer to a qualied installer for their assistance.
Although the SmartShunt uses watertight connectors for the SmartLink cable,
the overall design is not waterproof. The SmartShunt must be installed in a dry
location. The Display is IP65 rated from the front when installed properly, but is
NOT watertight from the rear to allow for condensation to exit the Display.
NOTE: Should the LCD need cleaning, it can be done with water and a clean
cloth. No chemicals of any type should be used
The SmartShunt is installed in-line with the negative battery cable of the
battery system or bank that you wish to monitor. If you are designing a new
system, refer to a wire size chart to determine the correct size cable to use in
the installation. The cables should be sized for the lowest percentage voltage
drop that is practical, and should not exceed 3%.
NOTE: Do not install any positive voltage-carrying wires to the SmartShunt
studs - ONLY negative cables. The SmartShunt will not work on the positive
side of an installation.
The SmartShunt should be located as close to the battery as possible,
preferably within a few feet (1 meter). The SG200 uses the SmartShunt to
measure current, or how many amperes are going into or out of the battery.
Because of this, you must ensure that no loads (like a bilge pump) or sources
(like an inverter) are connected directly to the battery. ALL loads and sources
MUST terminate their negative connection at or before the “CABLE” end of the
SmartShunt. If there are multiple connections to be made, a buss bar can be
installed directly prior to the SmartShunt.
NOTE: If you have a shore-power charger, inverter or inverter-charger,
they may have both a Positive and Negative cable directly connected to
the battery. The positive cable can stay, but the negative cable must be
moved to a position at or before the “CABLE” stud on the SmartShunt.
NOTE: The SG200 needs to be powered continuously to correctly
function. While disconnecting for an extended layup period is
advisable, disconnecting over short periods of time between
usage will lead to incorrect SoC and SoH readings.
10 11
Installation Steps
NOTE: The purpose of this manual is to enable the installer to install
SG200 in a manner that permits it to operate as designed. This manual
is not intended to educate the installer on the regulatory requirements of
any particular type of installation. The manufacturer, supplier, dealer and/
or their agents cannot know what the nal installation will be and therefore
cannot know what the regulatory requirements of such installation may be.
1. Determine a mounting location and mount the SmartShunt. The surface
should be at. Do not install the SmartShunt on a curved surface. Note
that the cable connection bolts are not insulated on the underside of the
SmartShunt and therefore cannot be mounted onto a conductive surface.
2. Remove all loads and charging sources from the battery before any other
steps are taken. This often is accomplished by turning off a battery switch.
If there are loads or chargers directly attached to the battery, they should
be disconnected as well.
3. Connect the negative cables to both sides of the studs, as shown below.
NOTE: In a simple installation, the battery Negative (-) cable is removed
from the battery, and connected to the “CABLE” end of the shunt. Then
a new, short cable is installed from the “BATT” (-) stud to the battery.
4. Re-install the lock washers and nuts on the shunt, the battery cable lug
goes rst, then the washer, and then the nut.
NOTE: DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING between the battery lug and the face
of the shunt. Do not use nylock nuts in place of the lock-nut and washer.
5. Connect the 60” Power lead to the battery POSITIVE+ terminal. DO NOT
EXTEND the wire from the fuse to the fuse holder, this must be kept short
for safety reasons.
6. Connect the voltage sense leads to the auxiliary batteries. AUX-1 is a
solid orange wire, and AUX-2 is orange/black. Each AUX lead needs
to be fused within 6” of the battery. Fuses MUST BE INSTALLED FOR
THESE WIRES, and are not included. The wires do not carry any
current, so the fuse should be sized for the wire gauge and length. If
you need to extend the wire, do so with at least 18ga wire.
7. If the auxiliary batteries being monitored do not share a common
ground with the main battery bank connected to the shunt, a negative
lead must be wired from the auxiliary battery’s NEGATIVE post to the
“CABLE” post on the shunt.
8. Determine the mounting location of the Display. The Display is
weather-tight from the front, but not the rear. Do not install the display
where the rear of the unit is exposed to water. The cutout hole is
2.0625in in diameter. The maximum depth of surface that is supported
is 1/2 inch. Once the hole is cut, remove the nut, washer and mounting
brace, insert the display from the front and then replace the brace.
Tighten the nut by hand, and then 1/2 turn or so. If it is being mounted
in a plastic dash, do not over-tighten the nut or you could risk cracking
the dash.
9. Run the SmartLink Cable from the SmartShunt to the Display. Since
one end has the Deutsch connector pre-terminated, and the other
does not, it may be better to start from one end or the other, depending
on the installation. Make sure that there is chafe protection if the cable
passes through bulkheads. The cable should be supported every 18
inches.
10. Install the Deutsch-style connector onto the pins of the SmartLink
Cable. See the following section that illustrates this procedure.
NOTE: DO NOT insert pins before reading these instructions entirely.
11. Connect the Smartlink Cable to both the Display and the SmartShunt.
You can connect to either connector on each device. Press the con-
nector into the receptacle until it snaps into place.
12. Insert the included fuse into the fuse holder. At this point the Display
will power up, and be operational in a few seconds.
NOTE: You may add a new device at any time. However,
you MUST remove and re-apply power to the entire
network for the new device to be recognized.
NOTE: The fuse holder is
shipped without the fuse
installed. Install the fuse
AFTER completely connecting
all of the wires/cables and
all other installation steps.
12 13
Installing the Deutsch-Style Connector
View this video on how to install the Deutsch-style connectors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHpg5b8hdu8&t=3s
The receptacles for the connector come pre-terminated onto each wire. They
must be installed into the connector as shown below.
1. Slide the heat shrink tubing over the bare wires.
2. Slowly push the receptacle into the appropriate hole, until a clicking sound
is heard. Even though the holes look too small to accept the sockets they
will t, with the material expanding to form a seal around the sockets.
Position Color
1 Green
2 White
3 Red
4 Black
3. Inspect the receptacle from the face of the connector. The receptacles
should be ush with the face of the connector
4. Install the wedgelock into the face of the connector. It will click into place.
5. Heat up the heat shrink tubing to lock it into place. The tubing is not
needed for water tightness, but does provide chafe protection to the
exposed wires.
When the wedgelock is in place, you should just be able to see the ends of
the receptacles through the wedgelock. You can refer to the factory-installed
connector for guidance.
NOTE: When initially inserting the connector into the SmartShunt
receptacle a light application of grease to the connector’s
rubber seal will reduce the force needed for insertion.
Adding an Additional Device to the SmartLink Network
You may add additional Displays and/or SmartShunts to the SmartLink
Network, up to total of 32 devices. Most SmartLink devices have two con-
nectors available to allow you to extend the network in either direction. The
network design is a simple, point-to-point network. Do not create a loop
SG200 Layout and OperationSG200 Layout and Operation
The SG200 has three main data display areas, as shown below.
Single Button Operation
The SG200 has a single button for ease of operation. A button press can
be:
1. Short Press
2. Long Press (release as soon as screen ashes)
3. Extra-Long Press (about three seconds until checkerboard pattern
shows: performs a network reset)
Short presses take you from one item on the screen to another. For
instance, if the screen is showing Voltage, a single short press will change
the screen to show Current in amperes.
A long press is used to make a selection or enable the editing of a value.
As soon as you see ashing on the screen, you have made a long press
and cab release your nger.
14 15
EXAMPLE: If you are looking at a list of devices on the SmartLink network,
you can use short presses to move from one device to the next. When you
have the desired device highlighted, a long press will select the device,
and show the real-time data for that device. Similarly, if you are again back
at the list of devices, and use short presses to highlight “Setup”, a single,
long press will take you to the setup menu for the selected device.
The extra-long press will reset the SmartLink network, which may be helpful
after software updates, in lieu of removing and replacing the fuse.
Bluetooth Gateway
The SG2-0300 Bluetooth gateway is a useful addition to the SmartLink net-
work. It can be used to both monitor and congure SmartLink devices through
an APP on both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.
The Gateway also allows for periodic upgrading of devices, as new features or
improvements are rolled out.
NOTE: There are differences in the functionality available when using
the SmartShunt with the color display, or directly to the Balmar APP.
NOTE: When using the APP to upgrade SmartLink devices, always start
with upgrading the Bluetooth Gateway itself, if it has an upgrade available.
You see the changes in the latest upgrades, as well all previous versions here:
http://www.balmar.net/sg200-upgrades/
Real-Time Data
Once a SmartShunt is selected, the SG200 will display the Real-Time
Data for that SmartShunt. Selecting a different SmartShunt will allow you
to view the data from that SmartShunt and battery-bank. You will see the
SmartShunt bank selected on the top bar of the SG200 screen.
Real-Time Data parameters
Parameter Unit Note
Voltage Volts (V) Voltage of the Battery Bank
State of
Charge (SoC)
Percent (%) SoC is a percentage of the
actual full-charge capacity of
the battery, NOT the design
capacity Also, See the section
“Initial Accuracy”
State of Health
(SoH)
Percent (%) SoH is the battery’s existing, or
actual aged capacity compared
to the initial design capacity.
Current Amps (A) Shows the NET of
simultaneous charge, minus
any discharge.
Time
Remaining
Hours: Minutes Shows time remaining until
battery is 50% (20% for
LiFePO4) discharged when the
battery is discharging. When
charging, shows the time until
charge completion. .
Voltages for
two separate
Auxiliary
batteries
Volts (V) Typical usage would be the
starter battery for one or two
engines, or a single engine and
generator.
NOTE: If left on any MENU screen, the Display
will revert to Real-Time Data after a time.
Google Play Store
Search “Balmar”
Apple App Store
Search “Balmar”
16 17
Conguring the SG200 for First UseConguring the SG200 for First Use
When the SG200 Display is rst powered up, a splash screen is shown.
Pressing the button once will take you to either a screen where you can
select the device to be monitored (If two SmartShunts are installed, for
instance), or directly to the Real-Time Data if the only devices on the network
are a single Display and a single SmartShunt. Before the SG200 can be
used, you must congure the bank for the correct battery chemistry and the
capacity of the battery bank.
Each SmartShunt on a SmartLink Network has it’s own menu. If you only
have one SmartShunt, it is automatically selected for you. Otherwise, select
the SmartShunt that you wish to congure (Using the long-press method)
and then select MENU, and then CONFIG. A complete description of the
conguration options can be found in the CONFIG section later in this
manual.
Initial conguration of the SmartShunt consists of setting the following
parameters:
Battery Chemistry
Battery Capacity
The default chemistry is AGM-STD with a capacity of 100Ah.
NOTE: If SoH drops to zero after initially showing a different value, the
battery may have a bad cell. If there are multiple batteries installed in a
parallel bank, the voltage of each battery should be taken individually using
a hand-held meter, as there may be a bad battery in the battery bank.
Initial Accuracy
The SG200 is a self learning product. It continuously monitors the battery
bank, and self adjusts over time to improve the accuracy of the two most
important parameters, State of Health (SoH) and State of Charge (SoC).
On new battery systems, both the State of Health and the State of Charge
values may be very close to accurate after the rst full charge and a
brief relaxation period. This is because the stored characteristics of each
battery chemistry is made with healthy batteries. If the batteries are older,
it will take a few cycles before these values can be relied upon, and you
may see signicant changes in these values during this time.
NOTE: The accuracy of the voltage and current measurements are
calibrated at the factory and do not change over time.
Display
The Display menu allows for the conguration of the Display’s colors,
intensity and power usage.
MENU OPTION DESCRIPTION
INTENSITY Change the brightness of the color display
THEME Change the color theme used on the display
PWR SAVE Choose four power saving combinations of
the Color Display, using timeout duration, and
whether the Display is dimmed or turned off
after timeout
TEST Run through a test of the Color Display
18 19
NOTE: Regardless of the INTENSITY or PWR SAVE options selected, the
SG200 Color Display will dim the backlight after 12 hours of non-use to
conserve power.
History
The HISTORY sub-menu shows the following
MENU OPTION DESCRIPTION
VIEW HISTORY Displays minimum and maximum values for the
following parameters:
Voltage, Current, SoC, SoH, Power (Watts)
VIEW FAULTS Displays details on all faults recorded on the
device.
CLR HISTORY Reset the min-max values in HISTORY to the
current values of those parameters.
Viewing HISTORY steps the user through the minimum and maximum values
recorded of the real-time data parameters. An additional set of values is shown
here for POWER, expressed in watts.
When selecting FAULTS, you can select to view either current faults (if the con-
dition leading to a fault is still present) or view information about the last fault
of each type, as well as a counter showing how many times that particular fault
has been triggered. See faults in FAULTS AND ALERTS for more information
on faults.
Cong
The CONFIG menu has the options listed below:
CONFIG OPTION DESCRIPTION
BAT. TYPE Select the battery chemistry
CAPACITY Set the battery capacity in Ah
CHARGING Congure charging parameters
ALERTS Congure ALERT thresholds
BAT TYPE - Selecting the Battery Chemistry
The SG200 uses proles for each common battery chemistry. It is
important to select the chemistry that most closely represents the batteries
being monitored. All batteries on the bank being monitored by the
SmartShunt should be the same size, age and chemistry. If they are not,
the SG200 may not present accurate information.
The currently selected battery type is noted with an asterisk (*) in front
of the name. The default is AGM-STD (see the chemistry table). If this is
your chemistry and the installation is new, you may either re-select the
chemistry, ensuring that the SG200 is starting fresh, or exit back to MENU
and move to the next step.
20 21
Chemistry Number Chemistry Name Description
00 FLOODLA Flooded (Wet) Lead
Acid
01 AGM-STD AGM (Factory Default)
02 CARB-FOAM Carbon Foam AGM
03 AGM-TPPL Thin Plate Pure Lead
AGM
04 DUAL-PURP Dual Purpose Lead
Acid
05 LIFEPO4 Lithium Phosphate
06 GEL GEL
NOTE: Every time a chemistry is selected, all learning is lost, even if you
re-select the currently used chemistry. This will mean that the SG200 will
need a few charge cycles to obtain peak accuracy.
NOTE: If you are uncertain which battery chemistry to select,
please contact Balmar Customer Support: http://www.balmar.
net/contact-technical-services/ or +1-360-435-6100
CAPACITY - Selecting a Battery Design Capacity
Once you select a chemistry, you must specify the capacity of the battery
bank. This is the total design capacity of the entire bank, regardless of the
battery’s condition, or previously measured capacity. Typically the capacity is
expressed as the 20-hour discharge rate. This may be written as something
like “105Ah/20h” on the battery or battery documentation. If you cannot nd
an Ah specication for your battery, but it does show a reserve capacity (RC)
refer the Appendix “Converting Reserve Capacity to Amp Hours.” CCA or
MCCA values are not describing capacity and cannot be used to determine
the battery capacity.
EXAMPLE: Consider three Group 31 batteries, each with a design
capacity of 100 amp hours. They are connected in parallel to make
a 12v, 300Ah bank. The design capacity to be entered is 300. Even
if the batteries are older, and they have diminished in capacity, the
bank capacity should always be entered as a design capacity.
To set the capacity, use a short press to highlight the digit to be changed.
Once it is highlighted, a long press will allow you to edit that digit, then a short
press to increment the value up When you have that digit set to the correct
number, another long press will exit the edit mode for that digit, and move
to the next. Do the same for all digits that need adjusting. When the value is
correct, move the highlight to DONE on the bottom menu bar and perform
a long press. The design capacity is now saved. If the design capacity is
changed at any time, the system resets and any battery learning (described in
“Initial Accuracy”) is lost.
Note: Do not articially lower the design capacity to account
for a perceived pre-existing loss in capacity. The SG200
relies on the design capacity data being correct.
CHARGING - Charge Termination and Charge Efciency
The CHARGE VOLTAGE and TAPER CURRENT are used together by
the SG200 to determine when charge termination has occurred. This is
indicated on the Display when a “+” sign shows on the SoC Display. Charge
Termination is dened as when the battery is fully up to 100% of it’s present
capacity. Each of these values have defaults that are set per chemistry, but
can be changed if required.
Selecting the CHARGING menu item brings up a sub menu, where the follow-
ing options can be set:
22 23
NOTE: Each chemistry has default settings for the CHARGE values
of CHARGE V and TAPER CURR. In certain circumstances these
values may need to be changed when Charge Termination is not
being reached. IN ALL OTHER CASES DO NOT CHANGE THESE
VALUES. Changing the PEUKERT Value will not effect Charge
Termination, only TIME REMAINING Calculations. See Appendix
“Changing Charge Terminiation Values” for more information
Menu Option Description
CHARGE V CHARGE VOLTAGE - Used in conjunction with
Taper Current to determine when full charge
has been reached. The measured voltage when
Taper Current is reached must be above the
threshold voltage calculated by CHARGE V -
300mv. On most chargers this happens at the
end of the absorption stage, before it switches
to FLOAT.
TAPER CURR TAPER CURRENT - Used with the Charge
Current to determine when a full charge has
been reached. This is automatically scaled in
relation to the battery bank’s design capacity.
If modifying, it should be set to slightly higher
then the actual taper current (The current seen
the absorption sated ends), often about 2-4% of
the Full Charge capacity of the battery.
PEUKERT PEUKERT QUOTIENT VALUE - The default value
for each chemistry should only be changed
if a different value is provided by the battery
manufacturer.
Faults and AlertsFaults and Alerts
Alerts
Alerts are used to notify the user when a particular threshold on a param-
eter is passed. For instance, an alert can be set for when the State of
Charge exceeds 90%, but also when it drops below 50%. High and low
values can be set for most parameters. Alerts can also be disabled
entirely. For instance, most users won’t need an alert to signify when a
low current level is reached. The default for each alert is disabled.
Alerts can be set for the following conditions:
Alerts (User Dened)
Min/Max State of Charge (SoC%)
Min/Max Current (A)
Min/Max State of Health (SoH%)
Min/Max/Voltage (V)
Min/Max Aux-1 & Aux-2 Voltage (V)
Min/Max Mins Left (minutes)
Generally, Alerts are used to notify the user that a certain condition has
occurred, and are not only used to signify a problem. For instance, you
could set an alert on State of Charge, to let you know when a battery is
charged to a specic point, so you can shut down a generator or other
charging device.
When an Alert occurs, the screen immediately displays a notication that
this has happened. Pressing the button will then show the parameter that
is being Alerted, the value reached, as well as the threshold that was set
for the value.
24 25
To set an alert, ensure you have the correct SmartShunt selected (the device
name shows on the top bar) and select ALERTS from the CONFIG menu.
First, select the type of alert you wish to congure, then if you wish to congure
for a high or low value. Once selected, you can change the value one digit at a
time, using the same method used to congure the battery capacity.
NOTE: When a HIGH value is congured, the parameter must exceed the
set value for the ALERT to be triggered. When a LOW value is congured,
the parameter must fall below that value for the ALERT to be triggered.
Faults
Faults are triggered when specic values have been passed that may have
an impact on safety or the health of the battery. For example. draining a
battery down to less than 5% SoC will trigger a fault, as it can adversely
affect the life of a battery. Exceeding the safe current carrying ability of the
SmartShunt will also trigger a fault. Faults can help a user identify behavior
that will shorten the life of a battery. Faults can only be cleared from History
with a Factory reset.
The values used to trigger Faults are contained in the Appendix named Fault
Thresholds
Fault History is accessed from within the History Sub-menu, see History.
NOTE: The High Voltage Fault threshold for ooded batteries may be
higher than a safe voltage for operating electronics and other equipment.
This is to allow for the equalization of batteries without triggering a Fault.
For this reason, it is important to set and use a High Voltage Alert to let
the user know when potentially battery-damaging voltages are sensed.
Comparing Faults and Alerts
Here is a summary of some differences between Faults and Alerts:
1. Alerts are user-congurable; you can enable and disable alerts and
change their trigger points.
2. When an alert condition has passed, the alert does as well.
3. Faults are not user congurable.
4. Faults show a time since occurred, duration for the latest fault, and the
number of total times that fault has occurred.
5. Faults have history. When a fault is viewed, it is cleared from the screen.
The parameters for the last instance of a fault and a counter showing the
total times that fault occurred are stored.
26 27
Advanced SettingsAdvanced Settings
The advanced menu for any SmartShunt allows the user to perform several
levels of reset of SmartLInk devices on the network. An explanation of each of
options is in the table below:
Menu Option Description
RESTART DEV RESTART DEVICE - Reboots the device (a Display
or SmartShunt) that is currently selected (shown
at the top of the screen).
RESET
NETWORK
RESET NETWORK - Resets the SmartLink
network. Learning, chemistry, faults etc. are all
retained.
FACTORY RST FACTORY RESET - Performs a FULL reset of the
device. ALL history, including faults, chemistry,
capacity, learning etc. is reset. Performing a
Factory Reset on device does not perform a reset
on any other devices or SmartShunts on the
network. A Factory Reset should be performed
every time a battery bank is replaced.
XECHO (not
shown in
screenshot
above)
This performs a loopback test from the Display to
the device that is currently selected. It is useful
for testing the network connectivity between the
two devices. If you are getting errors, it typically
indicates a bad cable connection. (Note: While
you can run a test to the Bluetooth Gateway, it is
not a functional test and will give a false result.)
Performing a long press on any of the advanced settings immediately
performs that function, except for FACTORY RESET, which has a
conrmation step to help avoid false resets.
Specications
Standard Conguration 1 Bank per SmartShunt Device
2 Start/Auxiliary Voltage Sense Lines
(Up to 32 Devices including Displays
and SmartShunts can be added to single
network.)
Supply Voltage Range 8-60V
MAX Bank Current-Monitored
Battery Size
1Ah-1310Ah
Average Supply Current Display On: 20mA @ 12V
Sleep Mode: 10mA @ 12V
SmartShunt Operating
Temperature:
-40°C - +85°C (-40°F- +185°F)
SmartShunt Max Current @
24°C (75°F)
350A Continuous
600A for 10 minutes
Display Values State of Charge (SoC%)
State of Health (SoH%)
Voltage (V)
Charge/Discharge Current (A)
Time Remaining (Hrs, Minutes)
History, Faults and Alerts
Communications Cable 4-wire, 22AWG, Shielded
4-pin Deutsch DT Style
Grounding Negative Battery Connection
Standards Compliance CE EMC Directive 2014/30/EU
RoHS 2 Directive 2011/65/EU
28 29
Part NumbersPart Numbers
Part Number Part Description Includes
SG200 Battery Monitor Kit,
12V-48V
Standard Unit for Initial
Purchase: Includes, Color
Display, SmartShunt,
SmartLink Com Cable
SG2-0100 SmartShunt SG200, 350A,
12V-48V
Add a SmartShunt for
Additional Bank: Includes
SmartShunt and SmartLink
Com Cable
SG2-0200 Color Display SG200,
2 1/16”
Add a Color Display to an
existing SmartLink Network
SG2-0300 Gateway, SG200,
Bluetooth®
Optional 39” Bluetooth®
Gateway for Smartphone
App
SG2-0400 Com Cable, SG200, 10m Optional SmartLink Com
Cable (10 meter) for Longer
Cable Runs
SG2-0402 Mounting Plate, SG200 Mounting Adapter from
SmartgaugeTM to SG200
Display
AppendixAppendix
Fault Thresholds
FAULT Flooded AGM TPPL CARFOAM LIFEPO4 GEL Dual
Purpose
High
Voltage
16.3 15 15 15 14.3 14.4 15
Low
Voltage
10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 13 10.5 10.5
Low
SoC
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Low
SoH
20 20 20 20 40 20 20
High
Current
351A
Converting Reserve Capacity to Amp Hours
The following formula converts Reserve capacity, typically expressed in min-
utes drawing a 25 amp load, to Amp hours at the 20/HR rate.
RC(60)*25/3600
Multiply Reserve Capacity to 60 to convert to seconds
Multiply by 25 to convert to coulombs
Divide by 3600 to convert coulombs to amp/hours
Example:
We have a battery showing reserve minutes of 130
130*60 = 7800
7800 * 25 = 195,000
195,000/ 3600 = 54.16
SmartShunt Dimensions Length: 4.86” (123.7mm)
Width: 3.34” (84.8mm)
Height 2.01” (50.9mm)
Gauge Minimum Depth
(with connector)
2.75 inches, 70mm
Weight SmartShunt: 0.62 lbs
Color Display: 0.16 lbs
Maximum Panel Depth for Gauge
Installation
1/2 inch (12.7mm)
Protection Rating IP65 (Display from Front)
IP67 (SmartShunt)
30 31
Factors Affecting Battery Life
State of Health
As batteries age, their overall health diminishes. The biggest sign that a
battery’s health has declined is seen as reduced capacity. Without the SG200,
the easiest way to see if this is happening is to monitor the time it takes
a battery to charge using the same charging source. If the time to charge
decreases over time, it is because the capacity has diminished. All lead-acid
batteries age due to sulfation as well as shedding, where lead falls off of the
plates and settles on the bottom of the battery.
There are several factors that affect the health and lifespan of a battery or
battery bank. For most lead-acid batteries, the two most important factors
affecting lifespan are depth of discharge/cycle count, and the concept of fully
charing the battery after each discharge. Each of these effect the mechanical
and chemical properties of batteries.
Sulfation and Shedding
At the mechanical/chemical level, there are two primary conditions that reduce
the life, or State of Health of a battery. They are Sulfation and Shedding.
Sulfation occurs when lead sulfate, formed naturally during battery use, is
converted to a more stable crystal form that covers the negative lead plates in
a battery. This happens when a lead acid battery is left in a partially charged
state. Different battery manufacturers have devised different methods and
chemistries to combat this effect, with varying degrees of success. Sulfation is
accelerated by Partial State of Charge (PSOC) cycling and deeply discharging
batteries.
Shedding in another naturally occurring phenomenon. During use, lead is
shed from the plates and falls to the bottom battery. When enough lead has
gathered, a partial-short starts to occur in the battery which will drain the
capacity on it own and hasten the battery’s demise.
In extreme instances, a battery can suffer a mechanical failure internally
and will quickly short a cell with no chance of recovery. When this happens
the battery must be replaced. If left in place the other cells can be
overcharged,risking excessive heat and re.
Cycle Life
Batteries are rated to show how many charge/discharge cycles they are able to
endure before their health falls to a point where replacement is necessary. This
is typically expressed as XX # of cycles to XX% discharge. It means that if you
discharge to a lower value each time before re-charging, the total times this is
done is lower than if the battery is only discharged a smaller amount each time.
Of course, this is in a laboratory setting, as nobody discharges their batteries to
a set point each time before re-charging, and many other factors will contribute
to how long a battery lasts. For lead acid batteries, these also include:
1. Ambient temperature.
2. If the battery is fully charged after discharge and how much time passes
between the two steps.
3. If the battery is actually fully charged, instead of “Almost fully charged”
4. If the battery is over charged, at voltages higher than the manufacturers
recommendations
These factors together mean that in real-life applications, most batteries never
reach the cycle life proposed by manufacturers.
Partial State of Charge (PSOC) Cycling
All lead-acid batteries benet from being fully charged back to 100% after
each use. PSOC means discharging a battery to some point, and then not
fully charging back to 100%, before discharging again. For some users, this
is not an issue as their batteries are not often left in a partial state of charge.
Boaters using battery powered trolling motors typically charge their batteries
fully right after use. For others, perhaps boondocking in an RV or cruising (and
anchoring) in a sailboat, this plays an important part in battery usage. Current
wisdom says when 24/7 charging is not available for lead acid batteries
(including AGM) the best balance between cycle life and maximizing capacity
is to discharge the batteries to 50%, and then charge back up to 80%. Then,
perhaps once week, charge up to 100%. As batteries close in on around 80%
charge, the current they accept diminishes. This means that the time it takes
to get the last 20% into a battery can become excessive. This becomes clear
when running an engine or generator to charge batteries.
32 33
State of Health Calculations
The calculation of State of Health occurs over one or more charge cycles. In
this context, the term “Charge Cycle” has a specic meaning:
1. Fully charge the batteries. If you are starting with full batteries, then do a
short discharge of a few Ah, and then begin charging.
2. Allow the batteries to rest at the full charge state for a brief moment. At
this point, a + sign on the SoC screen should appear, indicating that the
SG200 has reached Charge Termination. If this does not happen, either
the initial discharge was too short, no rest period happened, or the Charge
Parameters have been modied from the defaults and are not allowing
charge termination to occur
The State of Health value may adjust during several charge cycles. When the
SoH value has stabilized, this can be taken as a sign that the value is correct.
Under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to obtain a SoH value with-
in a single charge cycle. This is usually possible, if the following procedure is
strictly followed.
3. Obtain CHARGE TERMINATION as previously outlined
4. Discharge the batteries to 37% SoC or lower
5. Allow the batteries to rest at 37% SoC or lower for at least 65 minutes.
Charge the batteries to reach Charge Termination again.
6. Disconnect all loads (Except for the SG200) and allow the batteries to rest
for at least 35 minutes.
This process should be considered a shortcut, and not the standard method
for obtaining a SoH value. While we have tested this procedure with many
batteries, we cannot guarantee that it will work with every installation and
battery conguration.
Changing Charge Termination Values
Each battery chemistry has default values for both Charge Voltage and Taper
Current. These values should only be changed if:
1. Charge Termination is not occurring.
2. Charge Termination occurs early, meaning that the charging source
continues to charge after Charge Termination has been reached, and
this “Extra” charging is at least 1% in Ah of the total battery capacity. This
should only be considered an issue if the Charge Termination happens with
signicant charge still occurring afterwards.
In either case consider raising the Taper Current in small increments, the target
should be 2-4% of the battery capacity in Ah. It is unlikely that the CHARGE V
needs to be changed, but if it does, consider lowering the CHARGE V in small
increments. Don’t perform both changes at the same time, try the Taper Cur-
rent rst.
NOTE: LiFePO4 users will often not charge their batteries fully, leaving
one or more % of capacity unused. If you do this, you must ensure
that you still reach charge termination. If you leave a percentage of
the battery uncharged, the SoH will be lowered by that amount. Do not
attempt to compensate by articially lowering the design capacity.
NOTE: Changing these values can completely stop the calculation of
SoH if the Charge V is set too high, or Taper Current too low, or both.
NOTES
34 35
Balmar WarrantyBalmar Warranty
Balmar’s Limited Warranty covers defects in material or workmanship on new Balmar
products generally for a period of two (2) years from the purchase date. Only consumers
or dealers purchasing Balmar products from authorized retailers or resellers and
installed by a qualied installer may obtain coverage under Balmar’s Limited Warranty.
Components with a manufacturing date greater than ten (10) years old are not covered
under the Balmar Warranty, event if the purchase date has been within the past two (2)
years. Purchases from unauthorized resellers, which may include some online entities,
may not guarantee the purchaser will receive a newly manufactured component, and
therefore does not guaranty Warranty coverage.
Warranty Resolution
If Balmar authorizes a product to be returned to Balmar or an authorized service
provider, Balmar will repair the product or replace it without charge with a functionally
equivalent replacement product. Balmar may replace the product with a product that
was previously in service or repaired, but re-tested to meet Balmar specications.
Balmar will pay to ship the replacement product to the purchaser. by sending the
product for replacement, ownership of the original product will be transferred to Balmar.
Labor charges at the consumer’s site are not covered under this Warranty. Balmar
warrants that repaired or replaced products shall be covered under the Balmar Warranty
for the remainder of the original product warranty, or 90 days, whichever is greater.
Not Covered Under Warranty
Balmar’s Warranty does not cover any problem that is caused by (a) an accident,
abuse, neglect, exposure to shock electrostatic discharge, heat or humidity beyond the
product’s specications, improper installation, inappropriate operation/misapplication,
maintenance or modication, or (b) any misuse contrary to the instructions provided
with the product, or (c) loss, or (d) malfunctions caused by other equipment, or (e) acts
of God. Examples of conditions not warranted: cracked or broken case, parts damaged
by re, water, freezing, lightening, collision, theft, explosion, rust, corrosion, or items
damaged in route to Balmar for repair. Balmar’s Warranty is void if a product is returned
with removed, damaged or tampered labels or any other alterations (including removal
of any component or external cover) to the product. Balmar’s Warranty does not cover
labor charges or any direct, consequential, or incidental damages. Costs related to
recovery removal or installation are not recoverable under the Balmar Limited Warranty.
Applicable Laws
Balmar’s Warranty is governed by the laws of the State of Alabama, USA. The Balmar
Warranty provides the purchaser specic legal rights, and you may also have other
rights that vary from state to state. Balmar’s Warranty does not affect any additional
rights consumers have under laws in their jurisdictions governing the sale of consumer
goods, including, without limitation, national laws implementing EC Directive 44/99/
EC. Some states do not allow the exclusion of limitation of incidental or consequential
damages, so the limitation of exclusions of Balmar’s Warranty may not apply in certain
jurisdictions.
Warranty Return Material Process
1. Contact Balmar Technical Support at +1 (360) 435-6100. Tech Support will
review the troubleshooting steps with you to help determine if Balmar’s product
is defective.
2. Go to www.balmar.net and download the RMA request.
3. Once complete, you will receive an RMA number, at which point you should
complete the forms and send them with the product and the original receipt
showing the date of purchase to Balmar at the address listed below. Please
include the RMA number on the outside of the package.
4. Please send the product postage prepaid via a carrier that can track the
package.
Balmar LLC
353 James Record Road SW
Huntsville, AL 35824
Attention: Warranty
Returns RMA#________
Once Balmar receives the product, we will test the product to determine if the problem
is due to a defect in the product. If, at the sole discretion of Balmar, the problem is
determined to be a manufacturer defect, Balmar will repair the product or send a new
product to replace the defective product.
Balmar will not provide Warranty coverage unless Warranty claims are made in
compliance with all the terms listed here, and the specied return procedures are
followed.
Balmar Knows How To
Charge Your Batteries
Balmar LLC
Huntsville, Alabama.
For the most recent information about Balmar’s products, policies and
instructions please visit, www.balmar.net.
© 2020Balmar LLC
15201 39th Avenue NE
Marysville, WA 98271
USA
+1 (360) 435-6100
www.balmar.net CDI Electronics LLC
353 James Record Road SW
Huntsville, AL 35824
USA
+1 (256) 772-3829
www.cdielectronics.com
SUP-0250 REV D.
Both Balmar and CDI Products are manufactured in our ISO 9000-Certified Factory in
Scan me
CDI Electronics designs and manufactures ignition components for outboard motors
and diagnostic software for most Marine Engines. CDI enjoys relationships with 70
distribution partners around the world. To find a distribution partner,
visit www. cdielectronics.com
Please read carefully. All policies, procedures and instructions are subject to
change. This guide was prepared to provide information and does not constitute
a contract. Balmar reserves the right, without prior notice, to change, delete,
supplement, or otherwise amend at any time the information and policies
contained in this guide.
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