BMS cabling to ZCell/ZBM2 modules

The ZCell BMS needs to be connected to the one or more batteries in your ZCell system using an RS485 cable.

If you don't already have an RS485 cable attached to your ZCell BMS, its very easy to make one.

The simplest way is to start with a standard RJ45 ethernet patch cable, and cut off one end of it to expose the twisted pairs inside.

Using the standard colour coding in ethernet patch leads, all you need to do is to strip three wires and attach them to the RS485 port on the BMS using a screwdriver, as follows 

• Connect the terminal marked 485 'A' to the solid Blue coloured wire
• Connect the terminal marked 485 'B' to the White/Blue wire
• Connect the terminal marked 485 'SH' (which is the shield/ground) to the Brown/White wire (Pin 7) 

That's it!

The RJ45 'end' of the cable just gets plugged into either one of the Comms ports on the base of the electronics control box inside the ZCell. It doesn't matter which RJ45 socket you plug into - both RJ45 sockets on the ZCell/ZBM2 control box work the same. 

If you have more than one ZCell in your system, you the simply daisy-chain from the first ZCell to the next one using standard RJ45 patch leads. 

There is no requirement for a terminator module on the last ZCell in the chain. 

Note these RJ45 sockets and cables running to the batteries are NOT ethernet ports - don't plug them into ethernet ports, it won't work or do anything sensible.