Reef-Pi The All In One Pi Challenge

[AquaRaider44]

6. The install of v3 setting up the PH driver and PCA board is a PIA. Mine was located on 40 (the PCA) and 70 (the PH) which are 64 and 112 respectively. Also, make sure to enable the PH module and refresh before trying to add the PH connector.

 

[Ranjib]

6. The install of v3 setting up the PH driver and PCA board is a PIA. Mine was located on 40 (the PCA) and 70 (the PH) which are 64 and 112 respectively. Also, make sure to enable the PH module and refresh before trying to add the PH connector.

hmm.. hopefully the UI will make things easy

 

[AquaRaider44]

hmm.. hopefully the UI will make things easy

Hopefully so. It was only hard because it lets you put either on either number so I started with the pH on 64 and it lets it work but then it won't let you setup the pH connector for it because it was the pca but if you didn't know to try to swap them you get stuck. Because you would think if it lets you add pH on 64 it obviously works /validated and is on 64 but it wasn't lol. So I gave up on that and setup the PCA on 112 and it lets you and lets you add connectors too but then the dosers don't work. So I deleted both and tried again switching the two and it worked. Wonderously challenge

 

[Bigtrout]

Sounds like you got thru it ok with some good help.
Does your area get alot of power outages and internet outages? If so check out my build thread and get a Real Time Clock for the pi and add it to your build now. It adds to the reliability of a raspberry pi and saves the OS from data corruption.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-reef-pi-build-freshwater-style.531338/page-6

 

[AquaRaider44]

Sounds like you got thru it ok with some good help.
Does your area get alot of power outages and internet outages? If so check out my build thread and get a Real Time Clock for the pi and add it to your build now. It adds to the reliability of a raspberry pi and saves the OS from data corruption.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-reef-pi-build-freshwater-style.531338/page-6

Thank you so much for suggesting this I wish this was on the guide as this is essential. I live in Florida and there are tons of power outages and internet screw ups and have already experienced a reef-pi issue on a reboot a macro got stuck on which is probably due to this. This looks super easy and cheap! I will have the parts tomorrow from Amazon. I purchased 5 of them and 5 batteries as I plan to add this RTC to my other Pi's as I have had time issues there too.

Are there any other things in which you have added to the reef-pi?

New parts ordered
Diymore DS3231 AT24C32 IIC RTC Module Clock Timer Memory Board Beats DS1307 for Arduino Without Battery (5)
WAT 5 pcs LIR2032 rechargeable Bulk 3V lithium battery compatibility with KCR2032 LM2032 2032 DL2032 BR2032 CR2032 2032

 

[Bigtrout]

Thank you so much for suggesting this I wish this was on the guide as this is essential. I live in Florida and there are tons of power outages and internet screw ups and have already experienced a reef-pi issue on a reboot a macro got stuck on which is probably due to this. This looks super easy and cheap! I will have the parts tomorrow from Amazon. I purchased 5 of them and 5 batteries as I plan to add this RTC to my other Pi's as I have had time issues there too.

Are there any other things in which you have added to the reef-pi?

New parts ordered
Diymore DS3231 AT24C32 IIC RTC Module Clock Timer Memory Board Beats DS1307 for Arduino Without Battery (5)
WAT 5 pcs LIR2032 rechargeable Bulk 3V lithium battery compatibility with KCR2032 LM2032 2032 DL2032 BR2032 CR2032 2032

No, just added RTC to my reef-pi and my Pi-hole setups. I have not had any issues with my reef-pi since adding the RTC and I average power and internet issues twice a week here im NW PA.

 

[AquaRaider44]

Ok I just received my PH probe "Milwaukee Instruments MA911B/2 Double Junction Ph Electrode with 2 m Cable and Gel Filled Electrolyte Solution" when I plugged it in and restarted the reef-pi I do not see any readings only 0's all the way across.

I have the @Michael Lane PH Board and have the driver and everything configured properly what should I do to troubleshoot. I will not have a calibration solution until Wednesday-Friday but still wanted to see the daily swings and make sure it was working. Any ideas @Ranjib

 

[Bigtrout]

U running a pi hat? I think your i2c addressing is wrong...i think ur ph board and pca 9685 are both on address 40(physically), which is why you had the trouble adding them.

The pca9685 uses address 40 as default and also address 70 for an all pca9685 boards in a chain address call.

The ph board defaults to 40 unless you change the jumpers, which are for changing the address. Look the ph board up on github,change the jumpers on the ph board to give it a different address, run i2cdetect again and see if u dont have 40 and 70 for the pca, and another address in the 40s somewhere as the ph board

 

[AquaRaider44]

U running a pi hat? I think your i2c addressing is wrong...i think ur ph board and pca 9685 are both on address 40(physically), which is why you had the trouble adding them.

The pca9685 uses address 40 as default and also address 70 for an all pca9685 boards in a chain address call.

The ph board defaults to 40 unless you change the jumpers, which are for changing the address. Look the ph board up on github,change the jumpers on the ph board to give it a different address, run i2cdetect again and see if u dont have 40 and 70 for the pca, and another address in the 40s somewhere as the ph board

I am not running a Pi Hat I am running a perma pronto hat as seen in my pictures and listed somewhere in this thread. Ok very good advice I rechecked `i2cdetect -y 1` and instead of just showing 40 and 70 it now also shows 45 I assume this is the PH board. I will be deleting and re adding in a moment and will see if it works then!

 

[Bigtrout]

I am not running a Pi Hat I am running a perma pronto hat as seen in my pictures and listed somewhere in this thread. Ok very good advice I rechecked `i2cdetect -y 1` and instead of just showing 40 and 70 it now also shows 45 I assume this is the PH board. I will be deleting and re adding in a moment and will see if it works then!

Yes 45 is the ph board

 

[AquaRaider44]

Yes 45 is the ph board

So 45 is 69 in decimal?

 

[Ranjib]

Do you see any error under Configuration -> Errors section?

 

[AquaRaider44]

Do you see any error under Configuration -> Errors section?

There was no error.

It is working properly now and shows 1627 in the stock gel solution! I guess I should rinse the probe in RODI water then drop it in my tank and see what happens and wait for my calibration solution!

 

[AquaRaider44]

@Bigtrout thank you so much for the help on that! Very odd that I2C didn't detect it last night with no probe as it should show something to the PI I assume.

 

[Ranjib]

If you have any other means of measuring ph (like another test kit or monitor) then you wont need calibration solution. You should be able to see ph cycle without calibrating the probe

 

[AquaRaider44]

If you have any other means of measuring ph (like another test kit or monitor) then you wont need calibration solution. You should be able to see ph cycle without calibrating the probe

I do have a test kit and I know the ph is around 8.1-8.5 but it is not accurate at all as I can't tell the difference between the stupid shades of purple.

 

[Ranjib]

I do have a test kit and I know the ph is around 8.1-8.5 but it is not accurate at all as I can't tell the difference between the stupid shades of purple.

I can relate to that, this is why I bought the hanna checkers .

 

[AquaRaider44]

I can relate to that, this is why I bought the hanna checkers .

The hanna checkers are nice but so expensive and do require work which is why I got the ph probe and reef-pi to start with.

What is the best way to calibrate these probes for accuracy? Should they be soaked for 30 min in RODI water then 30 min in solution 1 and take a reading than 30 min in solution 2 then take a reading? Never had a PH probe before.

 

[Bigtrout]

I do have a test kit and I know the ph is around 8.1-8.5 but it is not accurate at all as I can't tell the difference between the stupid shades of purple.

I am doing this on the freshwater side for the same reason, cant tell all the yellowish shades on the acid side, and with soft water it makes a difference if its 5.5 or 6.5.

 

[AquaRaider44]

I am doing this on the freshwater side for the same reason, cant tell all the yellowish shades on the acid side, and with soft water it makes a difference if its 5.5 or 6.5.

I wish there was a way for companys to make the indicator colors more revealing. In my chemistry class we had some sort of indicator that functioned more as a pH titration and it was so much easier as it would instatly change color when you were right.