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

[Ranjib]

Hmm.. i never used boost/step up converters. I always use step down or buck converters. Specifically lm2596 modules (they are dart cheap, and allows me to control arbitrary voltage output in a wide range 3-30v).
None of the sensors require higher voltage. All the sensors are either 5v or 3.3 v. Things that required higher voltage is the kessil control (10v) , the adj power bar (12v relay) and dosers (12v)

 

[Ranjib]

Hi Ranjib,
RB stands for RaspBerry. My confussion is caused by this link https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-on-raspberry-pi.289256/page-224#post-4758355

If I understand correctly it's better to have a stable 5V and use step up converters for the sensors.

Secondly I have a second question to your PH sensors. They have a fixed I2C address, how can you handle 2 sensors?

you can change the i2c address of ezo circuit using a command. Actually they ship as uart devices, you have to short them in a specific way to instruct them to use i2c instead. You can program them to use a different i2c address during that setup process. Details are available here: https://www.atlas-scientific.com/_files/_datasheets/_circuit/pH_EZO_datasheet.pdf

 

[Ranjib]

One of the slated 2.0 feature is to provide a "macro" feature or "feed mode". I'll be working on this next, and here are my thoughts:

Macro or feed mode or group actions is a common requirement for day to day reef keeping chores whereby users have to switch on or off multiple equipment and disable timer jobs etc during water change or feeding fish / corals.

Users should be able to group a set of equipment,timers and specify actions against them (on/off for equipment, start/stop for timers ). Once specified users can trigger the macro to execute all those actions against target equipment/ timers. Macros should also provide a reverse feature whereby all actions are reverted.

Users should also be able to trigger macros using timers.

Let me know what you think.

https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/issues/382

 

[Erica-Renee]

wykat....

Learned most of this from this thread...

The unl Darlington arrray does several things for us

First it has diode to help protect the pi computer from spike in the relay bar or its power , The Darlingtion array is A Gated switch as well.. The low side gpio pin connects to the pi.. the power to the relay is connected on the high side..
This isolates the pi and its gpio from the higher voltage of the relay.. The uln2803agp is like a wall to protect the pi , allowing you to power the relay with its own power supply. i do only use step down power supplies ..

to simplify it more you can run power from your relay board to 5v -3v to the 5v -3v on the pi Ground and gpio without the above chip and external power .. I use uln between my dosing pumps,and lights running on the servo board.. Just to have that one extra safety measure.. Rather this is the right way to do it .. I am not sure..

My thoughts..

Disclaimer .. If any of the above is Incorrect Its your fault because you are reading this on the internet where everyone is a Professional...

Erica Renee

 

[MaccaPopEye]

One of the slated 2.0 feature is to provide a "macro" feature or "feed mode". I'll be working on this next, and here are my thoughts:
Macro or feed mode or group actions is a common requirement for day to day reef keeping chores whereby users have to switch on or off multiple equipment and disable timer jobs etc during water change or feeding fish / corals.
Users should be able to group a set of equipment,timers and specify actions against them (on/off for equipment, start/stop for timers ). Once specified users can trigger the macro to execute all those actions against target equipment/ timers. Macros should also provide a reverse feature whereby all actions are reverted.
Users should also be able to trigger macros using timers.
Let me know what you think.
https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/issues/382

Definitely a useful feature for sure. If it's possible (and by that I mean no too complicated) it might be a good idea to allow users to specify the number of macro buttons they want on their home screen (maybe let users pick from 0-5 macro buttons) and then let them label each button.

Personally I would have 3 buttons:
A feed button - which would turn off all pumps / water flow and then turn them back on one by one, wave pumps after 10min, then return after another 10min then skimmer.
A water change button - which would turn off all pumps until I actively turn them back on.
A photo button - which would turn off all wave pumps until I turned them back on and if possible, automatically set the lights to the preferred spectrum.

It would also be good if the macro feature wasn't just for buttons either (I'm not sure if this is already possible either as I haven't played around in the UI for quite a few versions now). Example is a skimmate locker, if you have a float switch in there and it gets full you could have the macro turn off the skimmer and send an alert.

 

[Ranjib]

Definitely a useful feature for sure. If it's possible (and by that I mean no too complicated) it might be a good idea to allow users to specify the number of macro buttons they want on their home screen (maybe let users pick from 0-5 macro buttons) and then let them label each button.

Personally I would have 3 buttons:
A feed button - which would turn off all pumps / water flow and then turn them back on one by one, wave pumps after 10min, then return after another 10min then skimmer.
A water change button - which would turn off all pumps until I actively turn them back on.
A photo button - which would turn off all wave pumps until I turned them back on and if possible, automatically set the lights to the preferred spectrum.

It would also be good if the macro feature wasn't just for buttons either (I'm not sure if this is already possible either as I haven't played around in the UI for quite a few versions now). Example is a skimmate locker, if you have a float switch in there and it gets full you could have the macro turn off the skimmer and send an alert.

Thanks for the feedback.

The skimmer use case can be done using the ATO module as well right ?

 

[MaccaPopEye]

Thanks for the feedback.

The skimmer use case can be done using the ATO module as well right ?

I assumed it probably could be but as I haven't got mine up and running yet I haven't tried. Not sure if the ATO module can also send alerts at all or if it can have other features like timers built into it as fail safes?

If I can I am planning to put float switches everywhere (how many could Reef-Pi support?).

Another example is I currently have an auto top off for my auto top off when my ATO gets low a float switch is triggered and a solenoid switches to let the RODI start filling the ATO up which then turns off when the ATO is full (and another float switch is triggered). It is currently set up with a couple of SSR but I would like to move it over to Reef-Pi eventually if it can be supported. In this case it would be good to have timer back ups build into the task such as 'if top float switch is not triggered within 2hrs, then turn off solenoid and send alarm notification'.

Again, this might be able to be done through the ATO module so I am just throwing possible scenarios out there in case they haven't been thought of Hopefully I will be able to test out a few use cases in the next month or so

 

[jcmental]

Well I hit my first glitch today and it aint a cheep fix for me.
You remember I made a power bar from a 6 gang switchable extension socket (see Picture)
We I have a hybrid lighting system LED and T5's, My T5's are controlled from the pi through the power bar, I have set up a timer to bring them on and off using the reef pi controls. But at night the T5's flash on every few minuets for a millisecond, it's almost like lightning. It is a bit annoying but after a while you dont notice it so much. The T5's have electronic ballasts BTW.

Any how today I switched my wave makers and pumps off to do some tank maintenance, my wave makers are on a dubble plug and are plugged into my power bar, I used the pi to switch them off and then later on back on. I think while they have been off they have been subject to the pulse that the T5's have been getting, only in this case they started up when I switched them on and died literally a second later.
I did some poking about and found that even though the LED on the SSR was lit the relay wasent making any output. So I plugged them into my Skimmer outlet controlled by the next relay on the board, Sure they came on but I cant pair them up through the built in Jeboa wifi, one of the units is just speed control and nothing else on it works. I wouldn't mind but I only got them for Christmas.
Is this a problem with feed back through the SSR, Would it cure it if I swapped them out for mechanical electromagnetic relays?
Bit peeved because I thought it was going so well.

 

[Ranjib]

Well I hit my first glitch today and it aint a cheep fix for me.
You remember I made a power bar from a 6 gang switchable extension socket (see Picture)
We I have a hybrid lighting system LED and T5's, My T5's are controlled from the pi through the power bar, I have set up a timer to bring them on and off using the reef pi controls. But at night the T5's flash on every few minuets for a millisecond, it's almost like lightning. It is a bit annoying but after a while you dont notice it so much. The T5's have electronic ballasts BTW.

Any how today I switched my wave makers and pumps off to do some tank maintenance, my wave makers are on a dubble plug and are plugged into my power bar, I used the pi to switch them off and then later on back on. I think while they have been off they have been subject to the pulse that the T5's have been getting, only in this case they started up when I switched them on and died literally a second later.
I did some poking about and found that even though the LED on the SSR was lit the relay wasent making any output. So I plugged them into my Skimmer outlet controlled by the next relay on the board, Sure they came on but I cant pair them up through the built in Jeboa wifi, one of the units is just speed control and nothing else on it works. I wouldn't mind but I only got them for Christmas.
Is this a problem with feed back through the SSR, Would it cure it if I swapped them out for mechanical electromagnetic relays?
Bit peeved because I thought it was going so well.

Your relays are directly connected to gpio ?? If so , put an uln2803 darlington in between them. This is what I learned from relays , that they can do some kick back stray voltage . @Erica-Renee just explained why I have started using them in newer builds ,

Sorry for the damage. I hope the livestock are all ok

 

[philshel]

Your relays are directly connected to gpio ?? If so , put an uln2803 darlington in between them. This is what I learned from relays , that they can do some kick back stray voltage . @Erica-Renee just explained why I have started using them in newer builds ,

Sorry for the damage. I hope the livestock are all ok

@Ranjib, I know you are very busy with the actual development of this project but I've noticed much of the recommended electronics are no longer represented in the build guides. The uln2803 is one example, the PWM change with 2.0 is another. I believe that I can figure it out but would feel a lot more comfortable if it was documented. I would be happy to help if I had the electronics knowledge, but I don't. So I guess I'm asking the question, is anyone in our community capable and willing to update some of the changes in the documentation?

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib, I know you are very busy with the actual development of this project but I've noticed much of the recommended electronics are no longer represented in the build guides. The uln2803 is one example, the PWM change with 2.0 is another. I believe that I can figure it out but would feel a lot more comfortable if it was documented. I would be happy to help if I had the electronics knowledge, but I don't. So I guess I'm asking the question, is anyone in our community capable and willing to update some of the changes in the documentation?

I agree. My hesitation is that all the discussion that you are reading here is relevant to 2.0 release, which is still in beta and a stable release is still months away. While all the official docs are around 1.0 release. Albeit all the shortcoming on the electronics side, its a fairly stable build and won't change, thus providing a consistent experience to users.

Let me think through this. My original plan was to cut 2.0 final release before Christmas (maybe around Thanksgiving) and finish the docs before that, around October. 2.0 code freeze should be around August (which gives me a couple of months to thoroughly test everything), thus we can updating the docs around July/August. Updating the docs beforehand may lead to multiple revisions and inconsistencies with software.

 

[philshel]

I agree. My hesitation is that all the discussion that you are reading here is relevant to 2.0 release, which is still in beta and a stable release is still months away. While all the official docs are around 1.0 release. Albeit all the shortcoming on the electronics side, its a fairly stable build and won't change, thus providing a consistent experience to users.

Let me think through this. My original plan was to cut 2.0 final release before Christmas (maybe around Thanksgiving) and finish the docs before that, around October. 2.0 code freeze should be around August (which gives me a couple of months to thoroughly test everything), thus we can updating the docs around July/August. Updating the docs beforehand may lead to multiple revisions and inconsistencies with software.

I see that with the PWM issue but am I missing something with the darlington array? I understood that the uln2803 should be driving the relay board which would apply to any reef-pi version. Am I wrong? Those were just the two examples that came off the top of my head, seems that I remember other changes as well.

 

[Ranjib]

I see that with the PWM issue but am I missing something with the darlington array? I understood that the uln2803 should be driving the relay board which would apply to any reef-pi version. Am I wrong? Those were just the two examples that came off the top of my head, seems that I remember other changes as well.

you are right. But I wanted to update the docs together. Theres new guides that we need for ph and doser as well.

 

[Ranjib]

Also, the new power guide will not have any relay any more. It will cover pre -assembled power strip (ADJ SRP-8). I might mention that a scratch build can be done using relays and receptacles, but only as a last resort, like for places where the ADJ power bar option is not available (Australia ?? ).

 

[philshel]

Also, the new power guide will not have any relay any more. It will cover pre -assembled power strip (ADJ SRP-8). I might mention that a scratch build can be done using relays and receptacles, but only as a last resort, like for places where the ADJ power bar option is not available (Australia ?? ).

Got it, makes sense.

 

[Erica-Renee]

I see that with the PWM issue but am I missing something with the darlington array? I understood that the uln2803 should be driving the relay board which would apply to any reef-pi version. Am I wrong? Those were just the two examples that came off the top of my head, seems that I remember other changes as well.

Here is the diagram your asking about.. its very simple..

 

[LionHeart2017]

I'm getting myself a list of parts together for some controllable 240v sockets and nice to see I will need to add the ULN2803, ill be shopping on ebay and would the ULN2803A be the same item but with a circuit board?
Need to keep it as simple as I can as it will be my first time with electronics, ill be building a four socket relay as 4 controllable is enough for me but will be adding float switchs for ato and skimmer switch off if sump fills as it floods my cup and want to avoid that.

Also @Erica-Renee the above diagram is good for me but a little unclear to a beginner like me, I'm not quite understanding the 5v power supply input, also I will need 4 wires connected for a four channel relay from the gpio pins?
thankyou for any help.

 

[Ranjib]

I'm getting myself a list of parts together for some controllable 240v sockets and nice to see I will need to add the ULN2803, ill be shopping on ebay and would the ULN2803A be the same item but with a circuit board?
Need to keep it as simple as I can as it will be my first time with electronics, ill be building a four socket relay as 4 controllable is enough for me but will be adding float switchs for ato and skimmer switch off if sump fills as it floods my cup and want to avoid that.

Also @Erica-Renee the above diagram is good for me but a little unclear to a beginner like me, I'm not quite understanding the 5v power supply input, also I will need 4 wires connected for a four channel relay from the gpio pins?
thankyou for any help.

Welcome to r2r. And thank you for giving reef-pi a try

 

[Erica-Renee]

I'm getting myself a list of parts together for some controllable 240v sockets and nice to see I will need to add the ULN2803, ill be shopping on ebay and would the ULN2803A be the same item but with a circuit board?
Need to keep it as simple as I can as it will be my first time with electronics, ill be building a four socket relay as 4 controllable is enough for me but will be adding float switchs for ato and skimmer switch off if sump fills as it floods my cup and want to avoid that.

Also @Erica-Renee the above diagram is good for me but a little unclear to a beginner like me, I'm not quite understanding the 5v power supply input, also I will need 4 wires connected for a four channel relay from the gpio pins?
thankyou for any help.

The 5v power supply is to power the electronics on the Relays, This keeps from having to power the relay board from the pi gpio 5v pin...
The uln2803a has 18 pins... pin 1-8 are gpio pins .... They connect to the assigned gpio on your pie Pin 18-11 are gpio output to relay giving you a total of 8 relay channels .
Example
pin 1 connects to gpio on pi.... Pin 18 connects to relay 1
pin 2 connects to gpio on pi .... Pin 17 on connects to relay 2
pin 3 connects to gpio on pi .... pin 16 connects to relay 3
pin 4 connects to gpio on pi .. pin 15 connects to relay 4
up to 8 relays
I have nothing connected to pin 10.. only thing common is ground
Pin 9 is Ground and connects to pi ground, power supply ground and relay board ground.

Hope this is helpful...

Disclaimer.. I am not a electronics expert this is just how mine is working with no issues.. I had A Issue with power drain when i connected pin 10... After some internet searching i found somewhere pin 10 is not needed .. You can do this with a Diode resister and npn transistor for each of your relays without the uln chip. if only or or two relays might be best solution.. But you need to calculate diode, resister and transistor values

ALSO
This has way more info then I am capable of.. There are more ways of doing this..

http://www.instructables.com/id/I2C-Relay-Board/

 

[LionHeart2017]

Welcome to r2r. And thank you for giving reef-pi a try

Thank you Ranjib for the welcome and your time on this is appreciated, looking forward to get this going on my tank, always been into diy, not so much electronics but I feel that's about to change after discovering this.
I have been thinking of problems of wiring and keeping it nice and tidy, would getting cases a certain size help with making the design more modular, like a project case for the boards that are needed and then using a certain type of connection cable between the raspberry and cases and making them all the same with the same connection and add a label to each case for identification and a case for the raspberry with the connection on the case from the gpio pins or would this not work well do you think?