Apex Programming Help, ATO/Skimmer

Kycelium · Aug 16, 2020

So I have an AIO tank, and when my skimmer starts up, it pulls enough water to trigger my ATO to turn on for a couple of seconds. Can anyone help me program my ATO outlet to have a two-minute delay after my skimmer turns on?

SuncrestReef · Aug 16, 2020

Kycelium said:
So I have an AIO tank, and when my skimmer starts up, it pulls enough water to trigger my ATO to turn on for a couple of seconds. Can anyone help me program my ATO outlet to have a two-minute delay after my skimmer turns on?

It's rare that an Apex question stumps me. I had to put some thought into this one, and I think I have a solution for you. It will require creating 2 virtual outputs; one will act as a 2 minute timer, and the other will perform a logical AND condition to see if the skimmer is on but the 2 minutes has not yet elapsed. The ATO will then use the status of that 2nd virtual output to know when to disable the ATO:

[Skimmer_Start] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[ATO_Delay] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
If Output Skimmer_Start = OFF Then OFF

[ATO] (put this command at the bottom of your current ATO program)
If Output ATO_Delay = ON Then OFF

Just change the name "Skimmer" to the actual name of your skimmer's output.

Here are the various states of each output depending on the skimmer's state:

Output	State	t = 0:00	t = 2:00
Skimmer	OFF	ON	ON
Skimmer_Start	OFF	OFF	ON
ATO_Delay	OFF	ON	OFF
ATO	ON	OFF	ON

If you're not familiar with virtual outputs, see my tutorial: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-5-virtual-outputs.703/

Mhart032 · Aug 16, 2020

Could you simplify and set it up on a feed mode. when the skimmer turns on you could say feed C and set feed C for 2 mins, and shut the ATO off when feed C is on? its not as clean as your way. but doable?

SuncrestReef · Aug 17, 2020

Mhart032 said:
Could you simplify and set it up on a feed mode. when the skimmer turns on you could say feed C and set feed C for 2 mins, and shut the ATO off when feed C is on? its not as clean as your way. but doable?

Feed modes cannot be triggered programmatically, such as when the skimmer is turned on. They can only be activated when you click the Feed A/B/C/D buttons on the dashboard. See my tutorial on Apex Feed Cycles for more details: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-7-feed-cycles.715/

Mhart032 · Aug 17, 2020

SuncrestReef said:
Feed modes cannot be triggered programmatically, such as when the skimmer is turned on. They can only be activated when you click the Feed A/B/C/D buttons on the dashboard. See my tutorial on Apex Feed Cycles for more details: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-7-feed-cycles.715/

That makes sense.

Kycelium · Aug 20, 2020

SuncrestReef said:
It's rare that an Apex question stumps me. I had to put some thought into this one, and I think I have a solution for you. It will require creating 2 virtual outputs; one will act as a 2 minute timer, and the other will perform a logical AND condition to see if the skimmer is on but the 2 minutes has not yet elapsed. The ATO will then use the status of that 2nd virtual output to know when to disable the ATO:

[Skimmer_Start] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[ATO_Delay] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
If Output Skimmer_Start = OFF Then OFF

[ATO] (put this command at the bottom of your current ATO program)
If Output ATO_Delay = ON Then OFF

Just change the name "Skimmer" to the actual name of your skimmer's output.

Here are the various states of each output depending on the skimmer's state:

Output State t = 0:00 t = 2:00
Skimmer OFF ON ON
Skimmer_Start OFF OFF ON
ATO_Delay OFF ON OFF
ATO ON OFF ON

If you're not familiar with virtual outputs, see my tutorial: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-5-virtual-outputs.703/

Sorry but I am a wee bit confused. Do I put all of this under the ATO?
[Skimmer_Start] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[ATO_Delay] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
If Output Skimmer_Start = OFF Then OFF

[ATO] (put this command at the bottom of your current ATO program)
If Output ATO_Delay = ON Then OFF

Or do I put the first half under the skimmer and use the ATO part in reference to the first half?

SuncrestReef · Aug 20, 2020

Kycelium said:
Sorry but I am a wee bit confused. Do I put all of this under the ATO?

Or do I put the first half under the skimmer and use the ATO part in reference to the first half?

Each of the names in square brackets below are names of individual outputs. The first two are new virtual outputs you first need to create as explained in my Virtual Outputs tutorial linked in my original reply above. The last one is a line of code you need to add to the end of your existing ATO output program. (I just listed that output as ATO since I don't know what yours is named). No changes are needed on your current Skimmer programming. Just be sure to substitute the name "Skimmer" in the lines of code below to match the actual name of your skimmer output.

[Skimmer_Start] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[ATO_Delay] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
If Output Skimmer_Start = OFF Then OFF

[ATO] (put this command at the bottom of your current ATO program)
If Output ATO_Delay = ON Then OFF

Kycelium · Aug 20, 2020

SuncrestReef said:
Each of the names in square brackets below are names of individual outputs. The first two are new virtual outputs you first need to create as explained in my Virtual Outputs tutorial linked in my original reply above. The last one is a line of code you need to add to the end of your existing ATO output program. (I just listed that output as ATO since I don't know what yours is named). No changes are needed on your current Skimmer programming. Just be sure to substitute the name "Skimmer" in the lines of code below to match the actual name of your skimmer output.

[Skimmer_Start] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[ATO_Delay] — virtual output
Set OFF
If Output Skimmer = ON Then ON
If Output Skimmer_Start = OFF Then OFF

[ATO] (put this command at the bottom of your current ATO program)
If Output ATO_Delay = ON Then OFF

That makes a ton of sense. I did the first virtual output yesterday but wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly. Now would I leave these Outputs in Auto 24/7 and when I naturally select my feed mode A, which turns my skimmer off for five minutes, these Virtual Outputs will control the ATO Delay?

SuncrestReef · Aug 20, 2020

Kycelium said:
That makes a ton of sense. I did the first virtual output yesterday but wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly. Now would I leave these Outputs in Auto 24/7 and when I naturally select my feed mode A, which turns my skimmer off for five minutes, these Virtual Outputs will control the ATO Delay?

That's correct. Any time the skimmer turns off (whether due to Feed A or if you manually turn it off) and is then turned back on, it will start the timer. Leave both of the virtual outputs on AUTO at all times.

Kycelium · Aug 20, 2020

SuncrestReef said:
That's correct. Any time the skimmer turns off (whether due to Feed A or if you manually turn it off) and is then turned back on, it will start the timer. Leave both of the virtual outputs on AUTO at all times.

Ill test it out right now! Thank you for the help, I dont think I would have ever found out how to do this on my own.