reef-pi :: An opensource reef tank controller based on Raspberry Pi.

[Ranjib]

Hey Im thinking of building a reef pi controller. Is there any way to monitor power usage on the outlets like the apex does?

Yes, use hs300 or hs110 (tplink, Kasa) smart outlets which has current monitoring capabilities

 

[robsworld78]

Hi all, guys, the construction of my Reef-pi is in progress, yesterday the optical sensor for ATO df robot arrived, I tried, it works well.
I would like to add a float switch that stops the pump if the water level exceeds a certain level, I tried with the float switch interrupting 12V on the pump, but after a couple of times it didn't work anymore, someone made something like this ?
thank you all

Make sure you don't run any load through the float switch as they will burn out and it's not safe.

You need to use a MOSFET or relay to switch the load, same as you're using for your pump.

There's many ways to do it, I put two MOSFETs in series. The first MOSFET gets turned on when 5v flows through the float switch. If the float is open the 2nd MOSFET has no source so pump sees no power even if it's on. This requires the float to always be closed or the rest of the circuit is dead.

You can use any MOSFET as long as it's Logic Level. You can also replace the MOSFETs with relays.

 

[L0stmykeys]

OK so I've run into a big of a snag on my reefpi unit I'm using a temperature sensor for ambient Temps of the sump room which is an attached structure of my home.

I'm using an inline fan to either pull warm air or cool air into the room from the house....

Problem is there is conflict configuring 1 outlet to do. Heater and chiller yes I'm most causes this is a great thing can it be disabled?

Or would adding a second temp sensor be the solution sensor one activate above threshold sensor 2 activate below threshold?

Thanks in advance guys!!

 

[Ranjib]

OK so I've run into a big of a snag on my reefpi unit I'm using a temperature sensor for ambient Temps of the sump room which is an attached structure of my home.

I'm using an inline fan to either pull warm air or cool air into the room from the house....

Problem is there is conflict configuring 1 outlet to do. Heater and chiller yes I'm most causes this is a great thing can it be disabled?

Or would adding a second temp sensor be the solution sensor one activate above threshold sensor 2 activate below threshold?

Thanks in advance guys!!

I think You can also use the same sensor to create Multiple controller ..

 

[L0stmykeys]

Perfect solution added another temp sensor using the same physical sensor one labeled ambient temp hot and one labeled ambient temp cold for anyone this may help! Thanks ranjib!!!!

 

[L0stmykeys]

 

[Des Westcott]

Hi all, So, a noob question.

I have RPi running on the bench in testing and I have tried to execute a macro with a timer as it seemed the best way to setup a feeding cycle to turn multiple pumps off, wait for the feeding cycle and turn them all on again. Seemed pretty straight forward so I went ahead and setup the macro and ran it and it worked perfectly. Then setup a timer to execute the macro and it doesn't work. Did the usual things like reload, reboot, shutdown and restart, recreated the macro and timer, still not working. Running v3.3.1

BTW, I created a timer to turn one of the pumps off for 60 seconds and turn it back on and it worked fine.

Any ideas why a timer executing a macro is not working?

I wote a detailed post around my findings and work-arounds on this exact thing a few pages back. I'll try find it.

EDIT - Found it.

reef-pi :: An opensource reef tank controller based on Raspberry Pi.

Ok I understand, how do you assign pin number to pi, so pin 8 cant be same as pin 8 on hat..?

www.reef2reef.com

Post no 13 899 on 19 Feb 2020

 

[mawhins]

Hey again, I came into some water damaged neptune gear and have been looking at what if any parts I could use in my pi build. I'm thinking the energy bar might be a candidate, it doesn't seem to have any damage internally apart from small rust spots on the terminal screws inside. Also have two pH probes, an ORP probe and a temperature probe. They've been out of water for some time so may not hydrate. A couple of questions though. I can measure the resistance on the temp probe and see it change with different water temperatures but it only has two wires, no ground it seems. The reef-pi guide probe has a ground. Will it work if I just omit the ground? Or is the probe actually not a 1 wire interface and with therefore not work?

Regarding pH probes, should I be able to measure the resistance on those using a multimeter?

 

[Ranjib]

Hey again, I came into some water damaged neptune gear and have been looking at what if any parts I could use in my pi build. I'm thinking the energy bar might be a candidate, it doesn't seem to have any damage internally apart from small rust spots on the terminal screws inside. Also have two pH probes, an ORP probe and a temperature probe. They've been out of water for some time so may not hydrate. A couple of questions though. I can measure the resistance on the temp probe and see it change with different water temperatures but it only has two wires, no ground it seems. The reef-pi guide probe has a ground. Will it work if I just omit the ground? Or is the probe actually not a 1 wire interface and with therefore not work?

Regarding pH probes, should I be able to measure the resistance on those using a multimeter?

The ph probes should work (assuming they are in working condition), rest I’m not sure. Reef-pi uses ds18b20 temperature sensor, I don’t think apex uses the same probes, hence temp probe most likely won’t work, as for the power bar, I have no clue, how it interfaces with the controller, if we get some understanding what it expects we might be able to suggest a way to reproduce similar signal using reef-pi, but it’s all contingent on that information

 

[Des Westcott]

Hey again, I came into some water damaged neptune gear and have been looking at what if any parts I could use in my pi build. I'm thinking the energy bar might be a candidate, it doesn't seem to have any damage internally apart from small rust spots on the terminal screws inside. Also have two pH probes, an ORP probe and a temperature probe. They've been out of water for some time so may not hydrate. A couple of questions though. I can measure the resistance on the temp probe and see it change with different water temperatures but it only has two wires, no ground it seems. The reef-pi guide probe has a ground. Will it work if I just omit the ground? Or is the probe actually not a 1 wire interface and with therefore not work?

Regarding pH probes, should I be able to measure the resistance on those using a multimeter?

If the temp probe has only 2 wires, it is probably a thermocouple / thermistor. Not the same as the ds18b20 that reef-pi uses.

From what I recall though, the resistance difference across a thermocouple is linear, so you might be able to set it up as a pH probe and calibrate the voltages you read from it to give you a temp reading. But I'll wait for others better schooled than me to confirm that.

 

[Simonv92]

@Ranjib using the ADS1119 as ADC, do you think it's possible to add current monitor for power outlets?
I'm thinking about adding it as a "ph" board and rename the chart on the dashboard to visualize the power drawn from my devices. Here in italy we don't have all the Kasa product so we have to invent something

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib using the ADS1119 as ADC, do you think it's possible to add current monitor for power outlets?
I'm thinking about adding it as a "ph" board and rename the chart on the dashboard to visualize the power drawn from my devices. Here in italy we don't have all the Kasa product so we have to invent something

If the i2c protocol is exactly same as ph driver then this should work.

 

[Simonv92]

If the i2c protocol is exactly same as ph driver then this should work.

I have to do some test with tha ADC, I'll let you know

 

[Simonv92]

@Ranjib sorry for the amount of questions ;Happy There's a software limit in the maximum number of Outlets and Jacks? Because I'm designing a power bar using I2C bus. I'm using a PCA9685 extender do drive 8 AC plug and 8 DC mosfet output to drive fans, led strip, ecc In the future I'll add a second PCA9685 on a separate board to only drive the led drivers... Thank you!

 

[baendres]

I saw on Github that the devs were talking about adding the ability to use an inlet to trigger a macro. I am wanting to setup a physical feed mode button.

is this still in the pipe? has anyone figured out a way to set this up with the current version?

 

[Simonv92]

You can do that with the ATO, you can use a physical button as input and in the ATO you choose to run your macro

 

[Des Westcott]

I saw on Github that the devs were talking about adding the ability to use an inlet to trigger a macro. I am wanting to setup a physical feed mode button.

is this still in the pipe? has anyone figured out a way to set this up with the current version?

I tried to get it to it to work using the ATO function and couldn't get it right. I could get a physical momentary swith to work with an ATO set to a check frequncy of 1 second to trigger equipment, but while reef-pi allows one to set a Macro as the target on an ATO, I could not get it to work. I originally suspected that it was like the issue around Timers triggering Macros (only in reverse) and Macros triggering Macros (same issue) - both of which I have figured out and use extensively, but nothing worked for me.

 

[kjerryh85]

Has anyone tried to integrate or create a graphic inter-phase to display the data? if yes whats software have you used please..
While waiting for some components I want to work on that

 

[bishoptf]

Hoping someone will chime in on ATO alerts. I created a low ATO level float that lights an LED when the water level is getting low in the ATO container. That works but would like to get it to alert via email when triggered. I've tried lots of things, I think it would be nice to have it record when it is triggered, and I can enable control equipment and then have nothing for control pump. If I do that then it just keeps counting up and up unless I set the disable on alert after 'X" seconds. That also works but I then have to remember to go and reset it when I have added water, I know I am lazy. I am looking for something that just records on and off and will reset when water is added etc.

Maybe ATO is not the best function to use, if anyone has any additional thoughts let me know, thanks.

Update this may be doable via the new ph-analog input route but trying to understand how that works, looking thought the release notes its touched on, if there is any additional documentation on the ph-analog inputs let me know.

Thanks

 

[Ranjib]

Has anyone tried to integrate or create a graphic inter-phase to display the data? if yes whats software have you used please..
While waiting for some components I want to work on that

I don’t know what’s inter-phase. Can you elaborate ?