BLS Battery Monitor Manual: Installation, Shunt and Settings
The BLS battery monitor shows the state of charge, charge and discharge current, battery voltage and remaining time of the main battery as well as the voltage of up to 2 further batteries, and works only together with the SHE 300 shunt on 12 V and 24 V.
Manual edition: REV 1H, May 2025, software 1.2 and higher, 20 pages. Download the manual as PDF (German) · Go to the BLS product
Contents
- General information, scope of delivery, warranty
- Safety instructions
- Mounting the monitor
- Mounting and connecting the shunt
- ACE-LIN interface
- Settings on the monitor
- Operation
- Battery history
- Capacity calculation
- Tips and tricks
- Software update
- Technical data
- Frequently asked questions
General information, scope of delivery, warranty
The battery monitor shows at a glance the current state of charge of the battery, charge and discharge currents, the battery voltage, the remaining operating time until the adjustable capacity alarm of the main battery and the voltage of up to 2 additional batteries. It continuously monitors voltage and current of the main battery and detects full charge and complete discharge. With every cycle, the values for battery capacity and charge efficiency (CEF) are adjusted.
Intended use: The monitor can only be operated together with the SHE 300 shunt on extra-low voltage DC 12 V and 24 V. It is designed for yachts or motorhomes and may only be operated in enclosed spaces protected from rain, moisture, dust and condensation. Do not use where there is a risk of explosion from gas or dust; not suitable for outdoor installation.
Scope of delivery
- BLS battery monitor
- SHE 300 shunt
- MCVR3.5-4 pluggable terminal
- 3 ASH1 fuse holders with FSS 1A fuse
- User manual
Optional accessories (not included): Temp-BT temperature sensor (order no. 0 5900 3000), ACE-LIN charger interface (order no. 0 8000 4975).
Warranty
The warranty is granted for two years from the date of purchase. Defects resulting from material or manufacturing faults are remedied free of charge if the unit is sent to the manufacturer carriage paid, the proof of purchase is enclosed, the unit has been handled as intended and no third-party spare parts have been fitted or interventions made. Excluded are damage caused by overvoltage at the inputs or incorrect connection, ingress of liquids or oxidation due to condensation, and lightning strike. Consequential damage and natural wear are not covered by the warranty. In the event of a warranty claim, a detailed description of the defect is essential; shipments sent carriage forward cannot be accepted. For the disclaimer of liability and quality assurance, see the PDF; the rating plate must never be removed.
Safety instructions
- No modifications may be made to the unit, otherwise the CE mark becomes void.
- Connection may only be carried out by qualified electricians.
- Disconnect the battery cables before connecting.
- Observe the correct polarity of the batteries.
- The supply cable to the power supply of monitor and shunt must be fused.
- The unit is not intended for use by children.
Mounting the monitor
Mount the monitor in a protected, dry and clearly visible place. The mounting cut-out is 86 × 59 mm plus the notches as shown in the drawing in the manual; the minimum depth is 35 mm. On the back there is a 4-pin terminal for the power supply of the monitor and the communication cable to the shunt.
Mounting is by the rear clamp mounting: depending on the wall thickness (1–5 mm or 5–10 mm), the supplied mounting brackets are slid upright or flat onto the mounting studs and tightened with the knurled nut. The rubber studs are pressed into the corresponding holes and prevent slipping.
The power supply of the monitor can be interrupted at any time without losing battery status data, because these are stored in the SHE 300 shunt. The shunt should therefore be permanently connected to the battery. When the monitor is switched off, the shunt goes into sleep mode and the current consumption drops to 2 mA. If the battery system remains uncharged for more than 3 months, the shunt should also be disconnected from the battery.
The LIN bus connection between monitor and shunt is made with a single-core cable, which can also be any existing wire. For mechanical reasons, the cable cross-section should be at least 1 mm² and at most 1.5 mm².
Mounting and connecting the shunt
Mount the SHE 300 shunt in a protected, dry place as close as possible to the battery. It must be connected in the NEGATIVE path of the battery. Avoid contact of the shunt with the positive terminal of the batteries.
| Connection | Link |
|---|---|
| B- | Negative terminal of the main battery via a short, thick cable (35–70 mm²); with several batteries connected in parallel, their common negative pole |
| V- | Negative pole of the up to two starter batteries; recommended: combine all negative connections of the loads, charging equipment and starter batteries on a ground busbar and run a short cable from there to V- |
| Sense wire | Positive pole of the main battery via an inline fuse holder (1 A); measures the voltage of the main battery and supplies the shunt |
Important: No other cables may be connected between terminal B- and the battery negative pole, otherwise not all currents are recorded and the battery management cannot work. All cables of the on-board system, including the connection cable to the starter battery, must be connected on the V- side of the shunt.
After battery voltage is applied to pin +1, the shunt goes into operation and shows its operating status via an LED:
| LED | Status |
|---|---|
| Rapid flashing | Start-up phase and during firmware update |
| Flash every 1 s | Normal operation |
| Flash every 5 s | Sleep mode (power-saving mode), when monitor is off |
The following connections are available on the 5-pin connector of the shunt:
| Pin | Function |
|---|---|
| 1 | Battery voltage sense wire (+1) and power supply of the shunt. Absolutely required; disconnect only during winter storage, to allow uninterrupted recording of the battery capacity. |
| 2 | Voltage (+2) of a second battery bank (starter battery), optional; shown on the monitor as the second battery bank. |
| 3 | T-: temperature sensor negative (black wire), T+: positive (blue wire); optional Temp-BT temperature sensor. |
| 4 | LIN bus communication with display; the BLS monitor communicates over this line with the SHE 300 shunt and the ACE charger. |
The temperature sensor should be attached to the outside of the battery housing. It has no active influence on capacity calculation or charging, but serves for information only and warns of excessive battery temperature. If a philippi ACE charger is connected, it supplies the temperature information and a second sensor is not needed.
ACE-LIN interface
Special accessory, standard with the BLS Set Plus. For the BLS monitor to communicate with a charger of the ACE series, an ACE-LIN interface must be fitted in the charger. On the ACE 12/60 and ACE 24/30 models, the integrated monitor must be removed and replaced with the ACE-LIN interface. Before starting work, disconnect the charger from the AC mains.
- Remove the front cover of the charger and prepare the cable entry: break out the metal tab with flat-nose pliers, fit the rubber cable grommet, fit the cover and cable.
- Insert the ACE-LIN interface board; it is held by three plastic clips of the housing.
- Plug the 16-pin connector of the ribbon cable into the matching red connector on the charger’s main board.
- Check the DIP switches: only if the charger’s DIP switches are set to ABCD = “1111” can the charging curve be set from the BLS monitor (including a user-defined curve). Otherwise the curve set via the DIP switches applies. Caution: on models with the serial designation “J63” the charging curve must be set via the DIP switch on the unit, as this is not possible via the monitor due to a processor error.
- Connect the “LIN” terminal of the ACE-LIN interface with a single-core cable to the “LIN” terminal of the SHE 300 shunt and the BLS monitor. The order of the devices on the LIN line does not matter; the LIN connection on the interface is provided twice. Ideal conductor cross-section: 1 mm².
Important: Monitor, shunt and charger must have the same negative potential, i.e. be connected to a common negative point (battery negative).
Settings on the monitor
To open the settings, press the gear symbol at the bottom right of the main screen. The PIN prompt appears; as delivered, the PIN is “1234”. After entering it and confirming with OK, you reach the settings menu with the areas 1. Display, 2. Battery management, 3. Charger settings, 4. Alarms.
Display
You can set language (DE/FR/GB …), max. brightness 20–100 %, auto brightness ON/OFF, auto standby OFF/x s/min, change PIN, factory settings and night mode threshold (3–30). The night mode threshold is used to calibrate the light sensor in automatic mode: cover the light sensor (centre left of the display) with your finger, read the value in brackets, add two and enter this value after opening the field with a short press. If the measured value falls below the set value, the display is dimmed; if it exceeds the threshold +10 again, it is lit normally again.
Alarms
A battery alarm is always shown in the battery symbol. In addition, a visual alarm (display backlight flashes) and an audible alarm (internal buzzer) can be configured. Both can be acknowledged by touching the screen or switch off by themselves after a definable time.
Voltage alarms: If a voltage > 1 V is present at terminal (+2) on the shunt or terminal (+3) on the monitor, it is shown as a further battery. If the voltage falls below or exceeds the set threshold for 30 s, a visual and audible alarm can be generated; possible setting values 10 V to 16 V.
Capacity alarms: If the battery falls below the set capacity threshold, a charging prompt appears on the monitor (battery appears red). Default: 50 %. If the state of charge continues to fall, the Battery reserve (20 %) and Battery deep discharge thresholds trigger an alarm depending on the configuration.
| Area | Setting |
|---|---|
| General | visual alarm backlight flashes / off; alarm auto off 0–255 s (0 = always on) |
| Battery 1 | Capacity alarm (%), battery empty (20 %), battery deep discharge (0 %), overvoltage (V), max. temperature (°C), each with audible alarm on/off |
| Battery 2/3 | Undervoltage and overvoltage adjustable (V), each with audible alarm on/off |
A short press on the respective line switches the audible alarm on or off; a long press (> 2 s) allows the threshold to be edited.
Battery management
During commissioning, name, nominal capacity, nominal voltage and battery type must be set. If the battery was not fully charged at that point, it must be fully charged in order to synchronize the display with the state of charge.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Name | Shown in the battery symbol and makes identification easier. |
| Nominal capacity | 1–1999 Ah. Only set when the batteries are 100 % charged, as this sets the capacity display to 100 % and all internal counters to 0. |
| Nominal voltage | Set the nominal voltage of the service battery bank to 12 V so that the capacity calculation is carried out correctly. |
| Battery type | GEL, FLOODED, AGM, Lithium, INDIV; adapts the detection of “battery empty” and “battery full”. |
| Ah efficiency (CEF) | Lead batteries are between 80 % and 95 %. If the CEF falls below 70 % in operation, the battery has basically reached the end of its life. Default 95 %; adjusted automatically via a moving average of the last 4 cycles. |
| Cycle depth | By what percentage a battery must be discharged and charged for a charging cycle to be counted. Starter batteries 10–20 %, GEL batteries up to 50 %. |
| Peukert factor | Adjusts the remaining time at high discharge rates. Normally do not change; 1.27 for lead batteries and 1.02 for lithium systems are usual, unless different values are available. |
| Name 2 / Name 3 | Name of the additional batteries in the battery symbol. |
| Shunt type / software version / update | Shows type and software version of the shunt. With “Update software” a firmware update (file PB99R1 on the SD card) can be installed: de-energize the shunt (pull off the green plug), press the START button and within 30 seconds supply the shunt with power again. Successful completion is shown on the screen. |
Charger
As soon as the charger is supplied with mains voltage, the monitor can communicate with it. You can set or read the charging curve, Charge Control (control of the charging process by charger or battery monitor), the connected charger (ACExx) with software version and the software version of the ACE-LIN interface. With a custom charging curve, the charging parameters can be edited: maximum charging voltage (Boost), maximum boost duration, maintenance charging voltage (Float) and current threshold in % of maximum power for switching to maintenance charging. If no philippi ACE series charger is connected or it is not supplied with mains voltage, no settings can be made.
Operation
On the main page you can switch between the two main screens, Battery and Charging mode, provided a philippi ACE charger with ACE-LIN interface is installed (BLS Set Plus). Otherwise only the Battery screen is available.
The Battery screen shows the main battery measured via the shunt on the left. The arrow shows the current and battery voltage; a green arrow means charging, a red arrow discharging. On the right, up to two voltages of the additional batteries appear. The bar height shows the fill level; the grey part at the bottom is the unusable part of the nominal capacity determined at the last complete discharge and gives information about the battery’s state of health. The two lower buttons: AC mains (shows the mains voltage when an ACE is connected; pressing switches to the charging screen) and SETUP (settings, see above). A short press on the battery symbol switches between capacity in %, capacity in Ah, remaining time and battery temperature.
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “Not synchronized” | The shunt has been restarted; the capacity value does not yet match the true state. Fully charge the battery bank with a charger; the message then disappears automatically. |
| “Recharge battery” | The capacity has fallen below the set warning threshold. For a long service life, charge at the next opportunity. |
| “Reserve” | Less than 20 % remaining capacity; charge immediately to prevent deep discharge. |
| “Battery empty” | Battery completely discharged; switch off all loads and charge immediately. |
| “Temperature” | The battery temperature is outside the permissible range. |
The Charging screen shows the operating status of the active ACE charger; if it is disconnected from the mains or none is connected, it is not active. The green arrow shows current and charging voltage, the battery symbol the charging phase (bulk charge / full charge / maintenance) and the battery temperature, and on the right the mains voltage and frequency. Buttons: Return (back to the Battery screen), LIMIT +/− (adjust the charging current in 10 % steps to the battery system or a weakly fused shore power connection, minimum value 40 %) and Night mode (on units with an active fan, switch off the fan; the max. charging current is limited to the thermal conditions; automatically deactivated after 8 h).
Battery history
A long press (2 seconds) on the battery symbol shows the number of charging cycles, number of deep discharges, average depth of discharge, dead (unusable) capacity, battery usage as well as maximum charge and discharge current, minimum and maximum voltage and lowest and highest temperature (these values from a 45 s interval). The Return arrow leads back to the main page.
Charging cycles: A cycle is counted when the battery has been discharged by the capacity set under cycle depth and charged again. Standard starter batteries have a service life of 30–50 cycles; with deep-cycle batteries up to 300 cycles can be expected if a modern charger is used; these values can only be achieved with proper care. Deep discharges: Every complete discharge down to the lower voltage limit (9–11.5 V depending on load) counts as a deep discharge and should be avoided; recharge immediately after a deep discharge. Average depth of discharge: average discharged share of capacity over the past 10 cycles.
Resetting the counters: When fitting a new battery set, the counters for cycles, deep discharges and total capacity must be set to zero: press the upper “000” button and confirm with the PIN (default 1234). The min/max counters are reset via the lower “000” button and PIN entry.
Capacity calculation
Detecting full charge: A battery is considered fully charged (100 %) when, depending on the battery type, the conditions are met. Example lead-acid batteries: (1) charging voltage of 13.4 V maintained, (2) charging current has fallen below 2 % of the set capacity and (3) charged capacity greater than the capacity previously drawn; or (1) charging voltage of 14.0 V maintained and (2) charging current below 1 % of the capacity. If the parameters are met for 3 minutes, the current capacity is reset to 100 %. Adjusted values apply to other battery types.
Unusable share: If the battery voltage falls prematurely below certain thresholds, the state of charge is automatically set to 20 % or, on complete discharge, to 0 %, and, where possible, the unavailable capacity is determined and displayed as a grey area. With normal discharges smaller than C10 it is an indicator of battery ageing; with high-current loads greater than C5 (e.g. electric boats) it indicates the usual reduced capacity under high load. Detection is only possible if the battery is discharged to the first discharge limit (depending on battery type and load, below approx. 11.5 V); otherwise a 100 % intact battery is assumed. It is recommended to do this once a year at the start of the season.
Remaining time: Time for which the main battery can still be used at the current power consumption until the capacity alarm is reached. When charging, the expected charging time to approx. 95 % is displayed. Maximum value when discharging: 99.9 hours. The remaining time is automatically corrected with the Peukert function.
State of charge: When charging, the Ah efficiency (C.E.F.) is taken into account by weighting the charging current with the C.E.F. value (in %).
Tips and tricks
- If the “not synchronized” message does not go out despite 100 % full charge (U > 14.0 V and I < 2 % of the nominal capacity), this can be achieved manually by changing the nominal capacity by 1 Ah. Check that every charging source is detected correctly; charging currents are always positive when all loads are switched off at the same time.
- If the battery-full detection does not work, check the charging voltage of the charger or solar system and set the battery type to FLOODED in order to work with the lowest possible values. Check each charging source individually. Only the shunt with the B- connection may be connected to the battery negative pole, nothing else.
- PIN forgotten: On the PIN entry page, hold the DEL key for 10 seconds; the PIN is then reset to the factory setting “1234”.
Software update
A micro SD card is needed to update the monitor. Copy the software file onto the previously empty card (without folders, top level). Slide the card into the SD slot on the back of the monitor and disconnect the monitor’s power supply. Then switch the power supply back on: the screen shows that new software has been detected and is being installed automatically, with a progress display. Then remove the SD card. If the monitor starts normally after the card is inserted, no SD card was detected or the software is up to date.
Technical data
| Supply voltage | DC 8–30 V |
|---|---|
| Monitor current consumption | 60 mA at max. display brightness, 5 mA in sleep mode |
| Shunt current consumption | 20 mA, 2 mA in sleep mode |
| Shunt | 0.1 mΩ |
| Measuring range U1 | 0–35 V, resolution 30 mV, accuracy 0.25 % |
| Measuring range U2 | 0–35 V, resolution 30 mV, accuracy 0.25 % |
| Shunt current rating | 300 A, 600 A for 1 min, 1500 A for 0.5 s |
| Measuring range I (shunt) | −600 … +600 A, resolution 10 mV, accuracy 0.5 % |
| Measuring range T (ext. sensor) | −15 … 60 °C, resolution 1 K, accuracy 1 K |
| Monitor dimensions | W 105 × H 75 × D 40 mm |
| Shunt dimensions | L 118 × W 40 × H 65 mm |
| Shunt connections | M8 studs |
Conformity: EU Directive 2014/30/EG “Electromagnetic Compatibility”, immunity EN 61000-6-1, emissions EN 61000-6-3; confirmed by the CE mark. Disposal: observe local regulations and use the collection points for waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Frequently asked questions
What does the BLS battery monitor display?
The BLS shows the battery’s current state of charge, charge and discharge currents, battery voltage and the remaining run time until the adjustable capacity alarm of the main battery. It also shows the voltage of up to 2 further batteries. Alarms for capacity and for undervoltage and overvoltage can be set.
How is the SHE 300 shunt connected?
The shunt goes into the battery’s negative path, as close as possible to the service battery. The side marked B- goes to the negative terminal of the main battery; all loads, charging sources and starter batteries go to the V- side. The sense wire is connected to the positive terminal of the main battery through a 1 A fuse.
Which PIN applies as delivered, and what if the PIN is forgotten?
The PIN is 1234 as delivered. If it has been forgotten, it can be reset on the PIN entry page: hold the DEL key for 10 seconds, and the factory setting 1234 applies again. The PIN can also be changed in the settings menu under Display.
What should I do if “not synchronized” appears?
The message appears when the shunt has been restarted and the displayed capacity value does not yet match the true state. The battery bank must then be fully charged with a charger, after which the message disappears automatically. If it persists despite a full charge, changing the nominal capacity by 1 Ah helps.
