ChargeScreen - Bluetooth Battery and Power Display

Beta 8

More personal, more compatible, and easier to monitor

Make every screen yours

Give each connected device its own name and choose individual colours for its screen. Multiple devices of the same type can each have a clear identity.

Clearer alarm alerts

Victron alarms now produce a visual warning and take you directly to the affected device screen. Alarm support is still being tested and should not replace the equipment's own safety systems.

More device support

Adds Victron Phoenix Inverter monitoring and support for the ABC-BMS battery family, alongside improved compatibility for Roamer and Fogstar batteries.

Better multi-device setups

Improved device discovery, selection, and data handling make systems with several batteries or repeated Victron devices more reliable and easier to organise.

Beta 7

The foundation introduced in Beta 7

Build your setup

Choose the equipment fitted to your van from a clearer WiFi setup builder. Enable only the screens you need, add Victron keys where required, and keep demo mode available for previewing every screen.

More Victron flexibility

Add multiple keyed Victron devices of the same type, including shunts, MPPTs, mains chargers, Orion DC-DC chargers, BatteryProtect, Lynx BMS, DC Energy Meter, and Battery Sense.

Mopeka tank screen

Read Mopeka and Lippert Bluetooth tank sensors without a key. Show raw centimetres, calibrated percentage, or litres remaining, with the tank arc following calibrated fill percentage.

Ready for future updates

Beta 7 uses the newer larger OTA partition layout only, giving more room for future firmware while keeping web updates, BLE capture, dimming, timeout, rotation, labels, and value grid options.

Supported devices

What ChargeScreen can show

Victron SmartShunt / BMV Battery Monitor
Victron SmartSolar MPPT solar controller
Victron Phoenix Inverter
Victron Blue Smart mains charger
Victron Orion-Tr Smart / Orion XS DC-DC charger
Victron Smart BatteryProtect
Victron Lynx Smart BMS
Victron DC Energy Meter
Victron Smart Battery Sense
Eco-Worthy Bluetooth Battery
Fogstar Drift Battery
Roamer Bluetooth Battery
ABC-BMS Bluetooth Battery family (ABC, SOK, NB and Hoover app devices) **
Mopeka / Lippert Bluetooth tank sensor

Victron devices need their Instant Readout key from VictronConnect. Eco-Worthy, Fogstar, Roamer, ABC-BMS family batteries, and Mopeka devices normally do not need a key.

** ABC-BMS support is new and still being tested across the different ABC, SOK, NB, and Hoover app variants.

Getting started

How to use ChargeScreen

Need more help? Follow the complete step-by-step user guide.

1

Power on

Power ChargeScreen using USB-C, or if you bought a rear power supply cable, carefully plug it in and make sure the notch on the cable lines up with the gap on the plug.

2

Open settings

Tap the three dots at the bottom of the round display, then tap WiFi. Join the temporary hotspot named ChargeScreen.

3

Visit the setup page

Open http://192.168.4.1/ on your phone. The page is also set up as a captive portal, so many phones will offer to open it automatically.

4

Save your settings

Use Build Your Setup to pick screens, paste Victron Instant Readout keys, set charger ratings, configure Mopeka calibration, and adjust rotation, dimming, timeout, labels, and value grids.

Rear power cable

ChargeScreen can also be powered from a rear cable that I make with a step-down converter. Carefully plug it in with the notch on the cable lined up with the gap on the plug.

The awkward bit is startup: when powered from the rear plug, the device currently needs the recessed side button pressed each time it powers on. It is a pain to reach and usually needs a small pokey stick. A 3D printed button design is in progress, but it is not ready yet.

The upside is that the device uses very little power. At 12V it draws around 0.5W, and with the screen off it drops to about 0.3W, so it can be left on 24/7 without any real issue.

Victron setup

Getting the encryption codes

ChargeScreen reads Victron Instant Readout Bluetooth adverts. Those adverts are encrypted, so each Victron device needs its own Instant Readout encryption data.

Open the VictronConnect app near your Victron device.
Connect to the Victron device over Bluetooth.
Open settings, tap the three dots, then open Product info.
Enable Instant Readout if it is not already enabled.
Find Instant Readout details or encryption data and choose Show.
Copy the encryption key into the ChargeScreen setup page.

Victron documents Instant Readout in the VictronConnect manual. The exact wording can vary slightly between app versions and device types.

VictronConnect Instant Readout manual

Compatibility testing

Using BLE capture

BLE capture records nearby Bluetooth Low Energy adverts for 5 minutes. It is useful when adding support for batteries or accessories that do not decode correctly yet.

Put ChargeScreen close to the battery or Bluetooth device you want to identify.
Open the ChargeScreen WiFi setup page.
Press Start 5 Minute BLE Capture.
Wait for the capture to finish, or stop it early from the screen or webpage.
Download the CSV file when it is ready.
Email the CSV and any battery app Bluetooth encryption codes to blecapture@chargescreen.co.uk.

Privacy note: the CSV may include packets from nearby watches, phones, TVs, sensors, and batteries. Most of it is encrypted or only useful to the original device, but it will still appear in the file. Battery encryption codes are only used to decode the battery packets in the capture.

Ready to use

Buy a premade ChargeScreen

ChargeScreen units are available premade and supplied with the firmware already installed. The device is £40, with postage added at checkout.

More stock is coming

ChargeScreen stock comes and goes. If it's out of stock, check back again in few days as there are regular deliveries. .

UK shipping only

Until further notice, orders can only be shipped to UK addresses. International shipping is temporarily unavailable while I explore more reliable and affordable delivery options.

Want more photos? View the full ChargeScreen store.

ChargeScreen only: supplied with the firmware installed. The rear power cable is not included and is available separately.

Firmware

Downloads and changes

Latest

Latest firmware

Moves on from beta 6.33 with the setup builder, multi-device Victron support, Mopeka tank monitoring, and the new larger OTA partition layout.

Download

Build	Status	Notes	Download
Latest firmware	Latest	Adds a clearer Build Your Setup flow, multi-device keyed Victron support, Mopeka tank display options, shunt refresh control, display polish, and the new larger OTA-only partition layout.	Firmware

A quick warning

Firmware updates

During a web firmware update, keep the device powered and wait for it to restart. Removing power during an update can leave the device needing a USB reflash.