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

[Ranjib]

@robsworld78 my robotank controller has arrived and it looks awesome

I love the light green color, it’s same as our ui.

The USB port based ato works already ? I don’t think we have driver for this in reef-pi

Circuit looks very clean

i tried the robotank board today. noticed the manual says use ph-Ezo driver , are you simulating that protocol ? I thought it’s using the reef-pi ph board protocol.
The outlets (for both db9 Connectors ) are not working as well. I have followed the instructions to setup exactly same gpio pin based connectors as prescribed , but none of the adj power strip is working with any of the connectors . Is there any specific jumper that i have to configure ? I am using a 12v 2amp switching adapter as power source

 

[Yov]

I purposefully didn’t answer that as it was not clear what you are doing.i can chart humidity fine, so I’m pretty sure there’s no bug. Often time folks will try different things or not wait enough for the chart to appear. I prefer to wait out, instead of helping immediately. This is a diy project , without the builder working hard on their build it’s more work to extend support. You would notice in this thread many times folks will hit an issue and immediately reach out , only to find out after some time a workaround or tiny mistakes.

For your case, I was not sure why you are calibrating and with what reference . I would start with charting the uncalibrated sensor values first and then proceed to next. Once you have that, then proceed with calibration (if it makes sense ).

i calibrated becous it did not work at first. I removed everything and started al over again. Now it seems to plot a chart in dashboard. The chart is very flat but it is only measuring for a short periode , the value i get from the humidity how do i
interpret this? Is it in % of m3?

 

[Ranjib]

i calibrated becous it did not work at first. I removed everything and started al over again. Now it seems to plot a chart in dashboard. The chart is very flat but it is only measuring for a short periode , the value i get from the humidity how do i
interpret this? Is it in % of m3?

its relative humidity in percentage. I still dont understand what you mean by not working. The sensor data will start appearing as it being used, soon after the first check period. anyway.. my suggestion will be to have some patience and tinker with it.. and seek help once you know something is systemic (not immediately).

 

[Kurtzisa]

hello, I need to power on the skimmer after 5 minutes from the blackout, can I set this type of timer in reef-pi?

 

[robsworld78]

@robsworld78 my robotank controller has arrived and it looks awesome

I love the light green color, it’s same as our ui.

The USB port based ato works already ? I don’t think we have driver for this in reef-pi

Circuit looks very clean

i tried the robotank board today. noticed the manual says use ph-Ezo driver , are you simulating that protocol ? I thought it’s using the reef-pi ph board protocol.
The outlets (for both db9 Connectors ) are not working as well. I have followed the instructions to setup exactly same gpio pin based connectors as prescribed , but none of the adj power strip is working with any of the connectors . Is there any specific jumper that i have to configure ? I am using a 12v 2amp switching adapter as power source

Right on, good to see it arrived in one piece.

That optical box is just an extension to two sensor ports + backup float on controller, idea is you don't have to cut optical connector and can extend cable easy. Allows you to setup ATO quick. Going to look around for cable extensions instead, should have done that I think, this has lead to a lot of questions. Reef-pi reads LOW/HIGH on the optical sensors so they work good.

Yeah pH works same as Atlas, soon I'll have a python script so calibration data can go in it as an alternative.

Any chance you're trying to connected one of these?

Amazon product

These don't work direct, still need the circuit you drew up. I hope I didn't say it would or have that somewhere?

It works with mine and the standard Arduino relay board. The pins on both are straight to Pi with circuit in the power bar. Did it like that so they could be used for anything else if someone wants to break out using one of those DB9 terminal adapters.

 

[Yov]

its relative humidity in percentage. I still dont understand what you mean by not working. The sensor data will start appearing as it being used, soon after the first check period. anyway.. my suggestion will be to have some patience and tinker with it.. and seek help once you know something is systemic (not immediately).

Hello Ranjib, It just did not "work" i had the same errors as when i used the wrond ID. But when i checked the "calibration box" i got a live value. But no Charts. i removed everything (driver/ analog inputs / PH configurations) and started over again. Now it works like a charm!

@robsworld78 i just realised you are the brain behind the robo-tank controller! I contacted you couple days ago! this is the controller i would like to use on the paludarium build!

 

[Badfish2too]

Rob is the man, playing with my new one as we speak. I had a prototype and now the new version

 

[robsworld78]

Rob is the man, playing with my new one as we speak. I had a prototype and now the new version

Now I know who you are lol...

Hello Ranjib, It just did not "work" i had the same errors as when i used the wrond ID. But when i checked the "calibration box" i got a live value. But no Charts. i removed everything (driver/ analog inputs / PH configurations) and started over again. Now it works like a charm!

@robsworld78 i just realised you are the brain behind the robo-tank controller! I contacted you couple days ago! this is the controller i would like to use on the paludarium build!

Hi, small world. If you have any controller related questions send me a PM or email.

 

[Ranjib]

I think I came across a bug in v3.4. I just did a fresh install and got to the pH circuit which uses the ph-ezo driver, after adding it the pH is random like it's using the ph-analog driver instead and no probe connected. The circuit doesn't blink so it's not coming from it. I tried many times and checked I2C address which shows up and I can get valid readings using a terminal.

It seems if the driver was setup prior to 3.4 it didn't break when updated as mine updated fine but new additions won't.

Does this seem possible?

Unless dev mode is selected , reef-pi should not return random value, it has to be from the analog connector. I don’t know if it’s a bug , it’s tested with ezo circuit. I am assuming you are using it with your own circuit ?

 

[Ranjib]

Right on, good to see it arrived in one piece.

That optical box is just an extension to two sensor ports + backup float on controller, idea is you don't have to cut optical connector and can extend cable easy. Allows you to setup ATO quick. Going to look around for cable extensions instead, should have done that I think, this has lead to a lot of questions. Reef-pi reads LOW/HIGH on the optical sensors so they work good.

Yeah pH works same as Atlas, soon I'll have a python script so calibration data can go in it as an alternative.

Any chance you're trying to connected one of these?

Amazon product

These don't work direct, still need the circuit you drew up. I hope I didn't say it would or have that somewhere?

It works with mine and the standard Arduino relay board. The pins on both are straight to Pi with circuit in the power bar. Did it like that so they could be used for anything else if someone wants to break out using one of those DB9 terminal adapters.

Yes, that’s exactly what it is. The manual does not say , I assumed it due to the db9 connector And 12v input power (similar to the power controller guide ) . This mean users either have to build their own powerstrip or use the ones from robotank. I think it’s worth calling out ( or that it’s 5v digital output ).

 

[Ranjib]

Too much tech talk

tanks are recovering slowly . I had lost large part of most of my sps corals during the transfer , some of them are growing back, tank is still not as cared after as it used to be , mostly due to the new home related chores. But I have kept up with water changes (talking about that , water of my current place is way worse than last place ).
here are some pics , still not as good as it used to be,
Fts of the

Side view

Goniopora

One of the old Acro, growing back from nubs

 

[Des Westcott]

hello, I need to power on the skimmer after 5 minutes from the blackout, can I set this type of timer in reef-pi?

I have a similar requirement. I'm guessing your level in your sump rises when return pump is off?

On any of my macros that turn return pump off, I switch my skimmer off first and then when I turn stuff back on, I have a 3minute wait between turning return pump and skimmer back on.

That's easy to do for Macros. So my suggestion would be to turn equipment off manually, but have a "Turn On" Macro that has the required wait period in between and only use that to turn on return pump and skimmer.

You are still faced with a challenge if you lose power unexpectedly. When that happens they will both turn on together.

 

[Zippyfear]

Oops . I know what happened. We fixed a bug a that was messing up the charts due to missing year in time stamp. That is causing all older timestamp parsing to fail resulting in default timestamp (which is Jan 1 ,01). I fear this is permanent. I can revert back the change, but then we’ll get the old bug back. This should not impact anything other than the timestamps in chart, for older usage data.

Is there a way to reset the historical data? I don't want to reset the entire database or anything, just historicals on the charts.

 

[Martin Lowry]

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

Thanks, I followed what @AbjectMaelstroM suggested and it worked. I now have an EHEIM feeder hooked up, (kudos @robsworld78 for details on how to hookup the EHEIM). Created a timer that kicks off a macro that turns off wave makers and pumps, waits, activates the feeder, waits for 3-4 minutes then turns everything back on again. Pretty slick!

Well, looks good on the test bench.... Hoping to get things hooked up to my 65 FOWLR soon.

I'm powering the EHEIM from one of the 3.3v pins designated for a temp probe on the ML Goby Hat. Wondering if it may draw too much current from the Hat... Seems to work just fine but like I said, it's on the test bench and not in production.... @Michael Lane Thoughts?

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

So something weird happened.

I just setup RoboTank controller hooked up to the temp probe (never touched water), set it to read temp every 5 seconds and it was trucking along.

As soon as I dropped it in the sump, probe started throwing error:

temperature sub-system. Failed to read sensor SumpTemp. Error:First line of device file does not ends with YES

I replaced the probe for one I had running on my old controller, same thing just throwing errors and won't read temp changes. I tested for stray voltage and not getting anything in the tank, both AC and DC.

Ideas?

@robsworld78


Edit: also get this error

temperature sub-system. Failed to read sensor SumpTemp. Errorpen /sys/bus/w1/devices/28-00000bc72046/w1_slave: no such file or directory

And probe disappears from drop down.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit #2: Plugged in PH probe and as soon as the probe enabled or you go into calibration it starts throwing this error non-stop:

ph subsystem: Failed read probeHError:strconv.ParseFloat: parsing "8.306\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x80": invalid syntax

i2c detect showing ph on 63 hex 99 dec. Ph set to 99 in driver, ezo board, in connectors pin 0 selected.

 

[GaryE]

First of many parts on my first prototype board... Next time I'll have them place the tiny parts...

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Slight update to the issue I had above. I swapped out for a temp porbe that's coated in silicone and so far it seems to be holding.

When I pulled the new temp probe (not coated in silicone) it stated working again.

This again leads me to be live its a voltage or a short, not sure what would cause this behavior.

 

[Bob Tiffany]

I just built my Reef-Pi controller following the guides and equipment lists on Adafruit, and so far it appears to be working perfectly. I've only installed and setup the power controller so far, setup and operations seemed pretty straight-forward. I'm going to add the temperature probe next to control my heater, and may add the pH probe after that.

My current question has to do with the equipment power control and being able to automate some functions.

To start off, I created a macro called "feed" to shut down my skimmer for an hour when I feed, and it appears to work correctly when triggered from the macro page. My question is, is there a way to trigger this from the dashboard? I don't see a way to add macros or other triggers on the dashboard. My plan was to add a small touch-screen display to the system that can be mounted near my tank to see the dashboard and trigger macro events like feeding or water changes. If I cant get everything to trigger from the dashboard, what other options are there? Is there a way to connect an external button or switch that when pressed will trigger specific macros?

I haven't setup the pH probe yet, but when it's set up, can the system be configured to shut down my doser (plugged in to one of the controlled equipment outlets) if my pH goes above a set level?

I also saw email alerts, can I set it to send me emails if the temp goes too high or the pH suddenly spikes?

I'm still learning the Raspberry Pi and Linux/Raspbian, so I'm a noob at this, but always willing to experiment and try to figure things out, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Bob

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

I just built my Reef-Pi controller following the guides and equipment lists on Adafruit, and so far it appears to be working perfectly. I've only installed and setup the power controller so far, setup and operations seemed pretty straight-forward. I'm going to add the temperature probe next to control my heater, and may add the pH probe after that.

My current question has to do with the equipment power control and being able to automate some functions.

To start off, I created a macro called "feed" to shut down my skimmer for an hour when I feed, and it appears to work correctly when triggered from the macro page. My question is, is there a way to trigger this from the dashboard? I don't see a way to add macros or other triggers on the dashboard. My plan was to add a small touch-screen display to the system that can be mounted near my tank to see the dashboard and trigger macro events like feeding or water changes. If I cant get everything to trigger from the dashboard, what other options are there? Is there a way to connect an external button or switch that when pressed will trigger specific macros?

I haven't setup the pH probe yet, but when it's set up, can the system be configured to shut down my doser (plugged in to one of the controlled equipment outlets) if my pH goes above a set level?

I also saw email alerts, can I set it to send me emails if the temp goes too high or the pH suddenly spikes?

I'm still learning the Raspberry Pi and Linux/Raspbian, so I'm a noob at this, but always willing to experiment and try to figure things out, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Bob

As for toggling things from the dashboard, currently that is not possible. Neither are physical buttons, but I think some tried to simulate it by using a faux float switch, but don't quote me.

Yes, you can use a ph probe to trigger a piece of equipment plugged into the power bar.

For email alerts, yes you can set it to notify you if temp goes outside a specified range. Same with PH.

 

[GaryE]

Got as far as I could today, realized once I started soldering that I didn't order capacitors.. DOH!

Also discovered a mistake, the sht31d is wired backward, so I lose a temp sensor and dosing port on this board.
That will be corrected on the next iteration. Also discovered when I got this board from JCLPCB that I put the wrong sized headers on 2 places and omitted the onboard db18b20. I want to include that in the event that someone doesn't want to use the more expensive sht31d, plus I like options.

The next iteration will also use more SMD parts, so almost all of it will be shipped from the board manufacturer populated. Should reduce the cost and time to build. Will mostly be left with just headers and connectors to solder on.

the next iteration will also be somewhat smaller..