Victron Energy Ekrano GX

The flagship GX. System brain and 7-inch touchscreen in one box.

The Ekrano GX is Victron’s most capable communication centre — the next generation in the GX family and the official successor to the Color Control GX. If you’re building or refitting a Victron system big enough to deserve a permanent display at the helm, in the nav station, or on the off-grid control panel, the Ekrano combines what you’d otherwise build with a separate Cerbo GX and a separate GX Touch display: Victron components talks to it, every battery and PV stat shows up on its 7-inch touchscreen, and the whole system becomes remotely manageable from the Victron VRM portal over the internet.

What the Ekrano GX actually does

• Real-time system monitoring. Battery state-of-charge, voltage, current. Solar input live and historical. Inverter status, shore power, generator state. Tank levels, temperatures, system alarms. All on one bright touchscreen and mirrored to the VictronConnect app, VRM web portal, or a Multi-Functional Display via the connected ports.
• Talks to everything. 3 VE.Direct ports, 1 VE.Bus (with two paralleled RJ45 sockets), 2 VE.Can ports (one isolated, one non-isolated), 2 USB-A host ports, Ethernet, built-in WiFi (including an access-point mode), Bluetooth, and a MicroSD card slot for logging.
• Remote access via VRM. Monitor and control the system from anywhere with internet. Adjust settings, run diagnostics, reboot a component, change the shore-power current limit, auto-start the generator. The same Remote Console runs over local LAN or the Ekrano’s built-in WiFi access point.
• Automation built in. Two programmable NO/COM/NC relays (3 A DC / 1 A AC) for alarm signalling, generator start/stop, tank-pump control, temperature-triggered events, and more.
• Tank and temperature sensing onboard. 3 resistive tank-level inputs (configurable for European 0–180 Ω or US 240–30 Ω senders), 2 temperature inputs (with the dedicated Victron temperature sensor), and 2 digital inputs for door alarms, fire/bilge alarms, or pulse counting.

The 7-inch touchscreen, where it earns its name

• 1024 × 600 resolution, 1000 cd/m² brightness. Readable in direct sun. The same kind of brightness rating Victron uses on the standalone GX Touch 70 display.
• Dynamic brightness control. A built-in ambient light sensor dims the display automatically; manual override is available from the Remote Console.
• Touch can be locked out. A recessed toggle on the back of the unit disables the touchscreen — useful on charter boats, in shared marine environments, or anywhere you don’t want guests changing settings.
• IP54 front when mounted with the included steel bracket. Watertight from the outside; the back is IP21.

Choose between the Ekrano GX and the Cerbo GX

This is the actual decision most buyers are making. Here’s the plain-English version:

• Choose the Ekrano GX if you want one unit instead of two — brain plus display, integrated and ready to mount in a single panel cutout. Best for new installs, refits where panel space is tight, and anyone who’d rather not run an HDMI/USB cable from a remote brain to a separate display.
• Choose the Cerbo GX MK2 (paired with an optional GX Touch 50 or 70) if you’d rather mount the brain out of sight in a locker and the touchscreen separately at the helm — more wiring, more flexibility on placement.

Both run the same Venus OS, both talk to the same Victron components, both integrate identically with VRM. The Ekrano is more capable on processing power and ports than the older Color Control GX; for most new installs it’s the cleaner answer.

Real-world example

A typical Ekrano-equipped cruising sailboat we’d spec: 48 V Lithium NG bank (200 Ah), Quattro 48/5000 inverter/charger, two SmartSolar 150-series MPPTs for the bimini and pilothouse arrays, a Smart BMS NG, three resistive tank senders (water, holding, fuel), and engine-room temperature monitoring. The Ekrano ties it all together. From the helm or a phone in Seattle, the owner sees state-of-charge, daily solar yield, tank levels, generator runtime, and any active alarms — and can throttle the shore-power input, restart a charger, or check why the generator auto-started last Tuesday at anchor.

Connectivity at a glance

Port / interface	Detail
VE.Direct	3 ports, always isolated
VE.Bus	1 bus with 2 paralleled RJ45 sockets, always isolated
VE.Can	2 ports: VE.Can 1 isolated, VE.Can 2 non-isolated
Ethernet	Yes — for wired LAN / VRM connection
WiFi	Yes — client mode plus built-in access point
Bluetooth Smart	Yes — for initial setup and configuration via VictronConnect
USB	2 USB-A host ports (max 1.5 A @ 5 V combined)
MicroSD card slot	SDHC up to 32 GB — for logging and firmware
Resistive tank inputs	3 — configurable for European (0–180 Ω) or US (240–30 Ω) senders
Temperature sense inputs	2 — requires Victron temperature sensor ASS000001000
Digital inputs	2 — for alarms, door/bilge sensors, or pulse counting
Programmable relays	2 — NO/COM/NC, 3 A @ 30 VDC or 1 A @ 125 VAC

Specs

Spec	Detail
Supply voltage	8–70 VDC (auto-detects, works on 12/24/48 V systems and beyond)
Power draw (display on, 100% brightness)	6.2 W @ 12 V · 6.6 W @ 24 V · 7.4 W @ 48 V
Power draw (display off)	2.6 W @ 12 V · 3.0 W @ 24 V · 3.7 W @ 48 V
Display	7-inch touchscreen, 1024 × 600 pixels, 1000 cd/m²
Backlight dimming	Dynamic (built-in ambient light sensor) or manual via Remote Console
Touch lock-out	Recessed button on the back
Buzzer	Built in
Operating temperature	−20°C to +50°C (−4°F to 122°F)
Protection category	Front: IP54 with steel bracket / IP31 with springs · Back: IP21
Mounting	Panel flush mount (steel bracket included) or blind-hole mount (springs included)
Dimensions (H×W×D)	124 × 187 × 29.8 mm (4.88 × 7.36 × 1.17 in)
Certifications	IEC 62368-1 safety · EN 301489-1 / EN 301489-17 EMC · ECE R10-6 automotive
Warranty	5 years from date of purchase (Victron limited warranty on power products; extendable to 10 years for a 10% surcharge)

What’s in the box

Ekrano GX unit, steel mounting bracket and screws, blind-hole mounting springs, battery power cable (8–70 VDC with terminal lugs), IO terminal blocks, VE.Bus connector, and the printed quick-start guide. Not included: VE.Direct cables, Ethernet cable, Victron temperature sensors (ASS000001000, sold separately), tank-level senders (Victron does not supply senders — use any compatible 0–180 Ω European or 240–30 Ω US sender).

Pair with

• MultiPlus-II, Quattro, or Phoenix inverter — via VE.Bus, with full bidirectional control through the Ekrano.
• SmartSolar MPPT charge controllers — via VE.Direct (one cable per controller, up to 3 directly; more via USB to VE.Direct interfaces).
• SmartShunt or BMV-712 battery monitor — via VE.Direct, for full state-of-charge integration. Required if you don’t have a Victron lithium battery with its own shunt.
• Lithium NG batteries with Lynx Smart BMS NG — via VE.Can 1 (isolated). Lets the system read actual cell-level data and coordinate charge behavior via DVCC.
• Victron temperature sensor (ASS000001000) — required to use the temperature inputs.
• Tank-level senders — any standard 0–180 Ω (European) or 240–30 Ω (US) resistive sender. Three inputs available.
• 4G GX dongle — optional, for VRM remote access in offshore or off-grid locations without WiFi.

FAQs

Q: Do I need an Ekrano GX or a Cerbo GX?
Functionally they do the same thing — they’re both Venus-OS communication centres. The difference is form factor. The Ekrano is one panel-mounted unit with the touchscreen built in. The Cerbo GX is the brain alone, with an optional separate GX Touch 50 or 70 display sold separately. Choose the Ekrano for single-cutout installs and tighter panel real estate. Choose the Cerbo plus a Touch if you want the brain hidden in a locker and the display remote at the helm.

Q: Will the Ekrano replace my old Color Control GX (CCGX)?
Yes — the Ekrano GX is the official successor to the CCGX. It runs the same Venus OS, supports the same Victron ecosystem, adds more ports and higher processing power, and includes the integrated touchscreen the CCGX never had.

Q: How many devices can I connect?
Up to 25 VE.Direct devices total (combining direct ports and devices connected via USB-to-VE.Direct interfaces), plus inverter/chargers on VE.Bus and BMS / battery / NMEA 2000 systems on VE.Can. The practical limit is CPU processing power, not port count.

Q: Can I use it without internet?
Yes. The Ekrano works fully on its own — touchscreen, Bluetooth setup, local WiFi access point, local Remote Console over LAN. Internet only matters if you want remote VRM access from outside the boat or off-site.

Q: What about tank-level monitoring?
The Ekrano has 3 resistive tank-level inputs. Configure each one in Remote Console for either European (0–180 Ω) or US (240–30 Ω) sender resistance. Note that Victron does not sell the senders themselves — you supply whatever sender already exists in your tank, or buy a third-party one separately.

Q: How do I mount it?
Two options included in the box: a steel bracket for proper panel flush mounting (IP54 front rating), or blind-hole springs for installs where you can’t reach the back of the panel (IP31 front rating). Both methods are designed for a standard rectangular cutout; full dimensions and templates are in the installation manual.

Q: What’s the warranty?
5 years from date of purchase, extendable to 10 years for a 10% surcharge applied before the original term expires. Standard Victron limited warranty applies; damage from reversed polarity, lightning, mechanical shock, or insufficient terminal tightening is not covered.

The brain you can actually look at

If you’ve been running a system long enough to want it visible — not buried in a locker, not hidden behind a phone app — the Ekrano is the GX you’ve been waiting for. Mission control with a touchscreen.

Speccing a new system or replacing an aging CCGX? Email support@bluemarine.com with your system summary or schedule a free consult — we’ll confirm Ekrano fits your install, recommend cable lengths, and spec any temperature sensors or VE.Direct interfaces you’ll need.