PCU Manual: Installing, Setting Up and Operating the Control Unit

The PCU control unit is the central control and monitoring system for campers and motorhomes: a touch display where battery, energy, tanks, switches, lighting, cool box and heater come together. It runs on 8–32 V DC and can start small, for example with just a battery monitor (SHX shunt), and later grow into the hub of a digitally switched CAN bus system. This page summarizes installation, connection, setup and operation from the user manual.

Manual edition: no version or date given in the document, 28 pages; the German version is authoritative. · Complete user manual as PDF (German) · Go to the PCU product

Contents

Scope of delivery

  • 1 × PCU system monitor including user manual
  • 1 × pluggable terminals (4-pin and 8-pin)
  • 2 × M12 terminating resistors (1 × male and 1 × female)
  • 1 × M12 T-cable

Intended use according to the manual: display and control unit for the 12/24 V on-board electrical system of campers, motorhomes, boats and similar vehicles, for installation in a protected, dry place indoors. Not permitted: operation on AC voltage or on any voltage other than 8–32 V DC, installation in damp or explosive environments or unprotected outdoors, and structural modifications to the unit.

Installation and mounting location

Installation and electrical connection may only be carried out by a qualified electrician. Disconnect the battery beforehand, observe the correct polarity and fuse the power supply cable.

  • Mount the monitor in a protected, dry and clearly visible place.
  • Mounting cut-out: 142 × 85 mm.
  • Minimum depth required: 40 mm.
  • All connected devices must use the same ground potential (GND) as the monitor, otherwise communication over the LIN bus will not work.

Connection and wiring diagram

Without Connect Hub

The connection is made directly to the terminals on the back of the display, using cables of approx. 0.75 mm² and wire-end ferrules at the terminal inputs.

Rear connection terminals of the PCU control unit: LIN, +Dp, −DP, U1, +TG, GND, TG1 to TG4, TP1 and TP2

Terminal Function according to the manual
U1 Measuring voltage for the starter battery voltage or the SOC of the BOS battery
LIN Devices with CI bus
TG1 to TG4 Tank senders
TP1 Sensor for the interior temperature
TP2 Sensor for the exterior temperature

With Connect Hub

The connection is made to the terminals of the Connect Hub, likewise with approx. 0.75 mm² and wire-end ferrules. The assignment (U1, LIN, TG1–TG4, TP1, TP2) is the same as for the direct connection. The cable leads to the display; the 4-pin plug goes on the left side, the 8-pin plug on the right.

Wiring the LIN bus

All components on the LIN bus are connected with a single-core cable; 0.75 mm² is recommended. Daisy-chain (bus structure) and star topology are both possible.

Setting up the P-Bus network (CAN bus)

The PCU communicates over the P-Bus with devices such as the SHx shunt, the DCW inverter, Bulltron batteries or the Smart Interface. You need 2 M12 terminating resistors (included), 1 M12 T-cable to connect the PCU to the P-Bus and, for each additional P-Bus component, another M12 network cable (NMEA2000®). The order of the devices does not matter.

Example P-Bus setup of the PCU control unit with M12 cables, T-connectors and terminating resistors

Important: A terminating resistor must be plugged in at each of the two ends of the network. Without both terminating resistors the P-Bus will not work.

Commissioning and settings

On first start, all devices are hidden (disabled). You enable the devices you have in the settings. To do so, open the “Settings” menu and enter the password “1234”.

Area What you set
Display Brightness 20–100 %, automatic brightness via the light sensor, standby after 20–600 seconds (0 = no automatic standby), language German or English
P-Bus network Register devices: tap the “Register devices” button and wait approx. 7 seconds; the devices must be switched on and active
Device configuration Enable the devices that are actually connected and leave those not present set to “Disabled”: inverter (P-Bus, CI bus or PSU), charger, booster, cool box (CI bus), heater (Truma or Timberline), solar controller, U1 (starter battery or BOS system), icon selection
Charge booster / charger For philippi devices with extended settings: current limit and battery type
PSU If a PSU is detected, the outputs U1–U8 can be named and assigned (lighting or loads)
Battery With SHX shunt: nominal capacity, battery type and nominal voltage. Bus-capable batteries (SuperB Epsilon with CI bus, Bulltron with CAN interface) need no settings
System time Battery-backed clock for time stamps in the log and for placing alarms in time
Energy shunt Assign a type (e.g. “Solar”) to the registered SHX shunt so that it appears correctly in the energy graph
Combi inverter With the Smart Interface for Victron MultiPlus-2: “Charge only” and shore power limit
Main switch When an FHC or TSC is detected: switch “Voltage monitoring” on or off and set the thresholds for overvoltage and undervoltage (cut-off and reconnection)

If the PCU shows a date in the year 2000 at start-up, the clock has not been set yet or the built-in coin cell CR2032 (3 V) is empty. Remove the rear cover, slide the coin cell out of its holder and replace it.

Setting up and calibrating tanks

  1. Select the connection port (TG1–TG4).
  2. Give the tank a name.
  3. Select the matching sensor type: pressure sensor (e.g. TDx) = TDx, float = TGx; Votronic and Supersense are also available.
  4. Enter the maximum tank volume.

With a pressure sensor, the “Calibration” button is enabled. Empty the tank completely, wait until the reading is stable and tap “Next step”. Calibration runs in 5 steps: fill the tank to the blue-marked level limit each time and tap “Next step”. Alternatively, a value can be set via “Manual entry”. “Reset” deletes the calibration. After successful calibration the field turns green. Repeat these steps for all connected tanks. You will find suitable senders in the tank sender finder, for example TGW, TGT and TDS / TDN 200.

Everyday operation

All available data appears on the start page. Swipe horizontally to switch between the tiles.

Tile What it shows or does
Temperature In the status bar: the temperature outlined by the vehicle is the interior one, the one shown outside it is the exterior one
Battery State of charge (% / Ah), charge and discharge current, voltage, remaining run time or charge time, status, starter battery voltage. Warning if the house battery is below 12.0 V for longer than 5 minutes; with capacity below 20 % or overvoltage above 15.0 V the remaining capacity turns red. Pressing the battery symbol for 2 seconds opens the detail view with the voltage history of the last 7 days
Energy Solar power generated in the last 24 hours, shore power indicator, chart going back up to 3 days
Energy flow Arrows show whether a device generates or consumes energy
Switches Switch the inverter, main switch (FHR) and combi inverter on and off
Lights & loads With PSU: lights on, off and dimming (long press), switch loads with current consumption per output
Tanks Tapping switches between litres and percent
Cool box CI-bus-capable cool box with on/off, cooling levels, night mode (moon) and boost (rocket)
Heater Timberline 1.0 / 2.0 or Truma (Combi and Vario Heat): heating, hot water, temperature, fan, energy source

If the message “N S” appears, the philippi shunt has been restarted and the displayed capacity does not yet match the actual state. Fully charge the battery bank at the shunt with a charger, and the message disappears automatically.

Software update

  1. Copy the software file, without any subfolder, to the top level of a micro SD card.
  2. Disconnect the power supply of the PCU.
  3. Slide the card into the holder on the back.
  4. Plug the power supply back in.

The screen displays new software and installs it automatically; progress is shown as a blue bar. The card can then stay in the holder and record data. If the PCU starts normally, no newer software was detected.

Maintenance and troubleshooting

  • Cleaning: only with a soft, slightly damp cloth, without abrasives or solvents; no moisture may get into the unit.
  • Maintenance: generally maintenance-free; only the clock’s coin cell CR2032 (3 V) is replaced when necessary. Repairs only by the manufacturer or authorized specialists.
  • No display, no start: check the power supply and the fuse protecting the supply cable.
  • Device is not detected: check the wiring, the common ground (GND) and the terminating resistors on the P-Bus.
  • Clock shows the year 2000: replace the coin cell.

Technical data

Supply voltage DC 8–32 V
Current consumption in operation 100 mA at 12 V (lighting 100 %)
Current consumption in standby 10 mA at 12 V
Dimensions 157.5 × 105 × 40 mm
Mounting cut-out 142 × 85 mm
Minimum mounting depth 40 mm

More about the system: PCU – the central control and monitoring unit · PCU compatibility · P-Bus compatible devices · The networked on-board system: P-Bus, NMEA 2000, app. Matching devices: Connect Hub, SHX 348 shunt, DCW inverter. For questions about installation or for a repair: Contact · Warranty and repair · All user manuals

Frequently asked questions

How do I open the PCU settings and what is the password?

Open the “Settings” menu on the start page and enter the password “1234”. After confirming, you will see the serial number, the software version and all settings for the PCU itself and for the connected devices and sensors. Use the scroll area to reach further entries. On first start, all devices are still disabled and must be enabled.

How do I register P-Bus devices on the PCU?

Connect all P-Bus devices and make sure they are switched on. Then open the “P-Bus network” menu, tap “Register devices” and wait about 7 seconds. All connected devices are detected automatically. If this does not work, check the two terminating resistors at the ends of the network, the common ground and the wiring.

Why does the PCU show the year 2000?

If the PCU starts with the year 2000, the clock has not been set yet, or the built-in coin cell is empty. Set the time and date in the settings under System time. If the date stays wrong, remove the rear cover, slide the coin cell out of its holder and insert a new CR2032 (3 V) battery.

How do I perform a software update on the PCU?

You need a micro SD card. Copy the software file without any subfolder to the top level of the card, disconnect the PCU from the power supply, slide the card into the holder on the back and switch the power on again. The PCU detects the software and installs it automatically; progress is shown as a blue bar.