SmartShunt 500A/50mV (IP21)
Victron SmartShunt 500A wiring diagram
See how much current enters and leaves your house battery, then estimate its state of charge. Put every return through the shunt and configure the monitor.
Connection essentials
Every return through the shunt
Connect only the house-bank negative to BATTERY MINUS. All charging and load returns belong on the SYSTEM MINUS side.
Power the monitor
Connect the supplied fused Vbatt+ lead to battery positive to power the monitor. Its small fuse does not protect battery cables.
Set up state of charge
Set battery capacity, charged voltage and synchronization in VictronConnect before relying on state of charge. Review additional settings for lithium batteries.
Wiring diagram
How the SmartShunt 500 is wired.
Open this example in Crimp to use your own parts and cable lengths. Review the assumptions and installation notes as you adapt the circuit.
The 12 V example includes a 200 Ah placeholder bank, an 18 A load allowance, a 30 A charging allowance and a system-negative bus. Both returns pass through the shunt. The short shunt links are 0.3 m each; the supplied fused Vbatt+ lead is represented separately. Power-cable sizes come from the connected example, not the shunt's 500 A measuring range. Select and locate actual battery protection before building. Manufacturer installation manual
Edit this wiring exampleSizing the shunt connections
The house-bank negative connects to the battery side of the shunt. Load and charging returns connect to the system side so their current passes through the shunt. The example shows the small fused supply lead separately.
The 500 A rating is the shunt's measuring range. Main cable sizes depend on the connected equipment, current and cable lengths; the measuring range does not select a cable or fuse.
Installation notes
Before you install.
Open a question for model-specific guidance and sources.
Verified against the manufacturer's documentation (rev. 20 — 10/2026), checked 2026-10-25. Manufacturer documentation →
Where do battery negative and the negative busbar connect?
The SmartShunt measures charge entering and leaving the house bank. Every load and charging return must pass through it for complete readings:
- BATTERY MINUS: connect only the house-bank negative.
- SYSTEM MINUS: connect the negative busbar carrying all load and charging returns. Older units label this stud LOAD MINUS.
A charger or load connected directly to battery negative bypasses the measurement. The 500 A model uses M10 shunt bolts, maximum 21 N·m; follow Victron's basic connections.
Does the SmartShunt also need a positive connection?
Yes. Connect the supplied red Vbatt+ lead with its 1 A slow-blow fuse to battery positive to power the electronics. That small fuse does not protect the main battery cables.
The example draws this lead separately and retains its supplied length; it does not calculate a replacement sense-wire size. Verify main protection with the LiFePO₄ fuse tool.
What must I set before trusting the battery percentage?
After wiring, use VictronConnect to set the actual battery capacity, charged voltage and state-of-charge synchronization. The factory defaults are for lead-acid batteries; lithium installations need additional settings. Follow Victron's configuration guide for your battery.
Aux is optional: it can monitor a second battery's voltage, midpoint voltage or temperature with the appropriate wiring and setting. Aux and VE.Direct are outside this example.
Can the SmartShunt switch a load off when the battery is low?
Not by itself. Its low-voltage and low-state-of-charge alarms are software notifications, not a load disconnect. The SmartShunt has no alarm relay or buzzer, and Aux is a sensing input, not a switched output.
Alarms are disabled by default. When enabled, VictronConnect displays them while connected; a connected GX device can also receive them. Victron describes using a GX relay for battery-monitor alarm functionality. Any external load switching needs its own suitable hardware and configuration; follow the relevant equipment manuals.
See Victron's alarm guidance. This editable example covers measurement wiring, not automatic load disconnection.
Which SmartShunt is shown, and what does the example assume?
This is the SmartShunt 500A/50mV, IP21, with Bluetooth and VE.Direct. Mount it in a dry location; the IP65 model is a separate version. The 500 A marking is its measuring range, not a battery-fuse prescription or expected load. Check the technical data against your unit.
The editable example uses a placeholder bank, charging and load allowances, and a negative bus. Its short bank-to-shunt and shunt-to-bus links carry the connected system's current; they are not sized as a fully loaded 500 A installation. A Lynx Distributor negative rail belongs on the system side too.
Why is current or state of charge wrong?
Check for a bypass first: trace every negative return back through SYSTEM MINUS. Reversed shunt connections can reverse the displayed charge/discharge sign. If the current path is correct, check settings and synchronization using the troubleshooting guide.
The boat wiring demo includes a SmartShunt in the house-bank return. When adding one to a campervan circuit or upgrading charging with an Orion XS, route every charging and load return through the system side.
Fit check
Connect it to the rest of your system.
Describe your setup to draft a system with SmartShunt 500A/50mV (IP21) connected. Review the selected parts and cable lengths, then edit the diagram in Crimp.
The model only picks parts and draws the connections. Every wire size and fuse rating still comes from Crimp's own sizing, never from the model.
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Technical reference
Specifications and terminal map.
Check the model, ratings and connection points against your own unit before choosing installation hardware.
Catalog specification
500 A/50 mV battery shunt with Bluetooth and a VE.Direct port, no display. Reads out through the VictronConnect app or a GX device; the aux input can monitor a second battery, midpoint or temperature.
The 500 A rating is the shunt's measuring range. Main cable sizes depend on the connected equipment, current and cable lengths; the measuring range does not select a cable or fuse.
Terminal map
BATT − is BATTERY MINUS; LOAD − represents SYSTEM MINUS, labeled LOAD MINUS on older units. B+ sense represents Vbatt+, powered by the supplied 1 A fused lead. Aux and VE.Direct are not modeled. The 500 A rating is the measuring range, not a fuse recommendation.
BATT −
negative · input
LOAD −
negative · output
B+ sense
signal · bidi
Sources and sizing method
Equipment specifications. Model details, ratings and terminal roles come from the catalog. Check your unit’s label and current manufacturer documentation for its exact revision.
Example sizing. Wire sizes and fuse ratings apply to the connected example, not a fixed cable size for this component. Set your actual equipment, current, lengths and installation conditions in Crimp before choosing hardware.
Read how the sizing worksNext step
Plan your installation with SmartShunt 500.
Open this example as a new project, or add this component to your existing diagram. Use your equipment and cable lengths to review the sizing.
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