ABB EV3 energy meter

The ABB EV3 is a three-phase energy meter for DIN rail mounting (4TE) with RS485 Modbus RTU communication. The meter is always bidirectional and measures both import (+A) and export (-A). The EV3 is suitable for measuring energy consumption and generation in three-phase installations.

ABB A/B wiring is swapped!

ABB follows the TIA-485 standard where A = inverting (negative) and B = non-inverting (positive). This is opposite to most other devices such as the Currentt Navigator, Eastron, Huawei, and SolarEdge, where A = positive and B = negative.

Therefore, connect the ABB meter as follows:

ABB terminal	Currentt Navigator terminal
23 (A)	B-
22 (B)	A+
21 (GND)	G

If you do not swap the wires, communication will not be possible.

Note

Make sure each device on the RS485 bus has a unique Modbus address.

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🔀 Variants

The ABB EV3 is always bidirectional. The meter measures both:

• Import (+A): energy drawn from the grid
• Export (-A): energy fed back to the grid

There are no separate variants for uni- or bidirectional use. Every EV3 supports both directions.

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🔌 Connecting the meter

The meter is connected to the Currentt Navigator using a twisted pair data cable (for example CAT5 or CAT6 UTP). The cable contains two signal lines (A+ and B-) and optionally a ground connection. Always use a twisted pair for the signal lines — the twisting suppresses electromagnetic interference (EMI) and is essential for a reliable RS485 connection.

The RS485 connection is located at the bottom of the meter on terminals 21, 22, and 23.

ABB EV3: RS485 terminals (21=GND, 22=B, 23=A)

Connection to the meter

Terminal	Label	Function (ABB/TIA-485)	Description
21	GND	Ground	Reference (earth)
22	B	Non-inverting (+)	Data line B (positive per TIA-485)
23	A	Inverting (-)	Data line A (negative per TIA-485)

Connection to the Currentt Navigator

ABB EV3 terminal	Currentt Navigator terminal	Wire color (T-568B)
23 (A)	B-	Blue/white
22 (B)	A+	Blue
21 (GND)	G	Optional (see below)

Note — A/B swapped!

ABB uses the reverse A/B naming compared to the Currentt Navigator.

Twisted pair

Always use a twisted pair for the A and B signal lines. The twisting suppresses electromagnetic interference (EMI) and is essential for a reliable RS485 connection.

Ground connection

Connect the ground on one side only: either to the Currentt Navigator or to the meter — but never on both sides. Connecting ground on both sides can cause a ground loop, leading to communication errors.

Bus topology

Preferably use a daisy-chain (series) topology. At short distances (< 25 meters), a star topology often works as well. Connect a maximum of 32 devices to a single RS485 bus. Place a 120 Ohm termination resistor at both ends of the bus.

The Currentt Navigator has a built-in termination resistor that can be enabled or disabled via software. By default, it is enabled.

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⚙️ Configuration in the Currentt Navigator

After physically connecting the meter, the device must be added in the Currentt Navigator. This can be done in two ways:

Via the setup wizard (recommended)

1. Go to Settings > Setup wizard
2. Follow the on-screen steps

Manual configuration

1. Click the settings icon (top right of the screen)
2. Go to Components
3. Click the + button in the Meters section
4. Select ABB
5. Choose the model EV3
6. Specify what the meter will measure:
   • Consumption and generation — the meter measures both consumption and feed-in (bidirectional)
   • Consumption only — the meter measures consumption only
   • Generation only — the meter measures generation only (for example, behind an inverter)
7. Specify which phases the meter is connected to (L1, L2, and/or L3)
8. Under Communication, select RS-485
9. Set the communication parameters. The meter's default settings are pre-filled in the Navigator (see settings summary)

Additional options

• Measurement range: If possible, specify the measurement range in amperes that will be measured.
• Reverse meter direction: If the meter is physically installed in the wrong direction, the measurement direction can be reversed in software. This prevents the meter from registering consumption as generation (or vice versa) without physically reversing the meter.
• Use as PAP: This meter can also be used to measure the main connection (PAP, primary allocation point). In that case, select the "Use as PAP" option during configuration.

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📋 Settings summary

Parameter	Value
Type	Three-phase
Direction	Bidirectional (import + export)
Baud rate	19200
Data bits	8
Parity	None (change from factory default Even!)
Modbus address	1 (default)
Cable	CAT5/CAT6 UTP (twisted pair)
ABB terminal 23 (A) →	Navigator B-
ABB terminal 22 (B) →	Navigator A+

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🔢 Configuring the Modbus address and communication

The default Modbus address of the EV3 is 1. The default baud rate is 19200.

Available baud rates

Baud rate
9600
19200 (default)
38400

Changing address and settings

1. Press and hold both buttons on the meter simultaneously for more than 5 seconds
2. The display switches to configuration mode
3. Use the Up/Down buttons to navigate through the settings
4. Change the Modbus address, baud rate, and parity to the desired values
5. Confirm by briefly pressing both buttons again

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🛟 Troubleshooting

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
No communication	A/B wires not swapped	ABB A (23) → Navigator B-, ABB B (22) → Navigator A+
No communication	Parity is still set to Even	Change parity on the meter from Even to None
No communication	Wrong Modbus address	Verify that the address matches in both the meter and the Navigator
No communication	Wrong baud rate	Verify that the baud rate is 19200 on both sides
Intermittent communication	No twisted pair used	Use a twisted pair for A and B
Intermittent communication	Ground connected on both sides	Connect ground on one side only
Intermittent communication	Poor cable connection	Verify that wires are securely fastened in the terminal block
Meter shows values but Navigator does not	Communication parameters do not match	Verify baud rate, parity, and address on both sides

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📖 Manual

• ABB EV3 User Manual (PDF)