Zab34 reef-pi Build

[zab34]

Getting Started on my build:

Have the Raspberry Pi up and running with reef-pi installed.

I purchased the:
@Michael Lane V2 hat and mars aqua light controller
Amerian DJ Relay Power strip
recommended temp sensor
Will be incorporating float switches to control ATO.

Future plans:
Use the ML boards to monitor that as well.


A couple questions:

Best place to buy JST-XH wires. I was stupid and did not add them to my order and have not found any on amazon.
Best way to wire the ADJ to the ML Hat. I have the DB9 Cable.
Do I need two power supplies? 5v and 12v? Should they both be wired to the Hat or is the Micro USB fine for 5v?
I have the 300w Mars Aqua. Once I get to that step I may need some guidance on wiring in the board.

Thanks to @Ranjib and @Michael Lane for all the work and knowledge provided!

 

[Michael Lane]

Hi. I'm glad you are trying reef-pi. I've been extremely happy with it, and I'm always impressed by Ranjib's patience and care.

You can use these 3 pin JST wires and these 4 pin JST wires. The main things to look for are the right pin count and JST-XH 2.54mm. I'm happy to help with any specific questions about connectors. They seem so simple, but have been one of the most frustrating parts of my experience with DIY electronics.

Here's a very rough outline of connecting the ADJ power strip. I recommend and a source for 5v and 12v. I went with a decent 5v supply and used a boost converter to provide 12v. Micro USB is OK for the pi, but I prefer to provide 5v power from the hat instead. It reduces some of the strain on the internal fuse since the pi is no longer powering the i2c bus or other peripherals.

I haven't seen how the 300 watt Mars Aqua lights are built. I'm using 8 of the 165 watt fixtures on my tank. I have them mounted pretty high with a diffuser panel. Post some pictures when you open up your light and I'm sure we can figure it out.

 

[zab34]

Yeah the source for the wires are always from an international shipped and won’t show up for a month.

The boost converter linked looks to be out of stock, I will look for another.

Within the week I should be able to get a picture of the lights. Quick question. Are the lights still powered by the normal power cords? You are just controlling them via the pwm?

For the ADJ, is there a connector for the hat side or do you just connect to the pins?

 

[zab34]

Is this a good voltage booster from the power supply listed?

 

[Michael Lane]

My Mars Aqua 165w lights are still powered by the normal power supply. I'm only bypassing the dimmer knob/switch with by board. Here's picture of how I have it installed in one my lights.

You can connect the ADJ pin by pin, but I like to use this connector. It just plugs right in and doesn't need much thought to make sure the pins are all connect.

The boost converter you show should be fine, although I haven't tried it. It's unlikely to need more than 1 amp for the ADJ relays, so I would be comfortable trying it.

 

[zab34]

I appreciate all the guidance. I have purchased the power supply, serial cable, and voltage converter.

Is it better to use a connector from the power supply to the Hat, or just solder direct to the pins?

 

[Michael Lane]

Direct soldering or a connector are about the same. It just depends on if you ever plan to disconnect the power (for swapping supplies or just cutting power).

 

[zab34]

Which connectors are best with the hat? Are they 2 pin jst?

 

[Michael Lane]

Agreed. JST-XH 2 pin.

 

[zab34]

So far I have Reefpi up and running and accessible via my browser.

I attached my temp sensor to a 3 pin JST connector, matching all the colors. But when I go to the Temperature menu there is no available sensor in the drop down menu.

What should I be looking for?

 

[Michael Lane]

So far I have Reefpi up and running and accessible via my browser.

I attached my temp sensor to a 3 pin JST connector, matching all the colors. But when I go to the Temperature menu there is no available sensor in the drop down menu.

What should I be looking for?

JST wires don't really have a standard color order, so the wire colors may not match the temperature sensor wires.
You'll want to make sure you have the black wire from the temperature sensor going to the GND pin, the red wire to 3v3, and the yellow wire to 1w.

 

[zab34]

Ahhhh got it.

I will try in the morning and report back.
Also... thanks again!

 

[Ranjib]

Following along

 

[zab34]

That did the trick.

Here is a picture of the build so far. I haven't shurnk the heatshrink completely yet. But it is currently working!

Any issue with sticking the pi down with some double sided tape to the Power Supply?

I’m still waiting on a female-female DB9 cable to get the relay switches working. After that I will work on getting ATO working.

I still have the boards for my led fixture as well. That will most likely be my final task for this phase of the build.

 

[Michael Lane]

It would probably be fine to mount the rpi directly to the power supply (as long as it is insulated). Bigtrout identified some issues with noisy power supplies degrading pH readings, so interference would be the first thing to check if you start seeing unreliable behavior.

 

[zab34]

Got the ADJ strip functioning. I think I have to reassign some pins as they don’t line up with the labels at the moment.

Currently working on some times and getting my auto top of going.

More updates coming soon.

 

[Ranjib]

awesome

 

[zab34]

So for ATO. I am using a traditional float switch. Should I just trim the other two wires off of the connector. Everything seems to be functioning.

 

[Michael Lane]

So for ATO. I am using a traditional float switch. Should I just trim the other two wires off of the connector. Everything seems to be functioning.

That would be fine. You snip them, or just tape/shrink them together with the other wires.

 

[Ranjib]

@zab34 how is this build going ? Let us know if you need any help