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

sector9 · Oct 18, 2018

Working hard to clean up the jumble of wires next to my tank... first step is the get the power controller squared away since it has the AC power. Here’s my 3D printed faceplate

Ranjib · Oct 18, 2018

sector9 said:
Working hard to clean up the jumble of wires next to my tank... first step is the get the power controller squared away since it has the AC power. Here’s my 3D printed faceplate

Looking good :-) , keep us posted

wykat · Oct 19, 2018

MaccaPopEye said:
IMO it sounds like the Pi-HAT that @wykat designed is exactly what you are after (pic below). As you aren't doing lights you wouldn't need the PWM board (and I'm not sure if he has fixed the issues with that one yet) but the HAT has been tested and is ready to go.

You can upload the files and order it from JLPCB. I can't remember off the top of my head but the PCB and the components needed should be $10-20 or there abouts. You just need to solder the components onto the PCB and you get:
- 16 relay outlets
- 2 ATO sensors
- 2 Dosing pumps
- Multiple temp sensors

The PWM board is not yet working, but in the meantime (while working on my Chilli 2019 project ;)) the Oscilloscope assembly kit has arrived and an SOIC adapter so I can test my design on a breadboard. Will first have to assemble the oscilloscope, otherwise I also can't test it on the breadboard. On the breadboard I can debug step by step (by just alone) the PCA9685 on the breadboard. Think it has to do with the transistor pin out, but we'll see....

wykat · Oct 19, 2018

Ranjib said:
This is such a good work, I think many other folks will find it useful. This deserves a dedicated thread, we can keep the relevant content to these hats together. @wykat what do you think? I love the idea that its solely focused on reef-pi, so we can target specific versions etc, instead of a generic pi hat. This is important as it reduces the testing scope and allow us to standardize, which in turn reduce build errors, and simplifies documentation. I would love to order or mill a few (i am planning to get a bantamtools in next year)

Sorry wasn't following this thread daily, but yes no problem to start a separate thread. I think the best time is when I have solved the PWM module and updated the github pages. And as stated earlier, I have a small CNC machine, but will order PCB's (PCBWAY), it takes some time but is not comparable to self drilled boards (without coating surface).
@Ranjib: I can send you an assembled and working Reef-PI_HAT it you want. Will make it easier to keep electronics and software aligned.

wykat · Oct 19, 2018

speedstar said:
Is there a BOM list for the parts? It looked like that section in the docs was blank./

Yes I have one in the meantime, just wait until I've solve the PWM module issue, then I'll update the github files.

speedstar · Oct 19, 2018

wykat said:
Yes I have one in the meantime, just wait until I've solve the PWM module issue, then I'll update the github files.

Thanks for your main-hat board and layout. Have some on the way to populate.

ScottBrew · Oct 19, 2018

Not my finest work but acceptable. Thin ABS plastic and a dremel don't always get along.

Slightly off topic but I want to incorporate a voltage/current device into the control unit and was planning on using one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...title_srh_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2EFSDTWMPHWEA , however found one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D8SXQ13/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1 which claims to interface with the raspberry-pi. Anybody have any experience with it?

buddy. · Oct 19, 2018

Ill have some spare pi-hat boards in Melbourne in the next few weeks if anyone needs one.

Ranjib · Oct 19, 2018

wykat said:
Sorry wasn't following this thread daily, but yes no problem to start a separate thread. I think the best time is when I have solved the PWM module and updated the github pages. And as stated earlier, I have a small CNC machine, but will order PCB's (PCBWAY), it takes some time but is not comparable to self drilled boards (without coating surface).
@Ranjib: I can send you an assembled and working Reef-PI_HAT it you want. Will make it easier to keep electronics and software aligned.

No rush , take your time. I don’t know you are aware , I too noticed bad pwm signal in the all in one builds , which is not present in kessil only builds. My current thought is it’s due to missing capacitors , but I didn’t get time to validate this.
I’d love to order a few hats ;-) . Let’s wait till you sort out the pwm issues and start a thread. I’ll do a build guide as well may be. I am just so stoked to see such community built things :-)

Ranjib · Oct 19, 2018

ScottBrew said:
Not my finest work but acceptable. Thin ABS plastic and a dremel don't always get along.

Slightly off topic but I want to incorporate a voltage/current device into the control unit and was planning on using one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...title_srh_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2EFSDTWMPHWEA , however found one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D8SXQ13/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1 which claims to interface with the raspberry-pi. Anybody have any experience with it?

Looking great :-)
I would love to add support for these current monitoring sensors, but I think they are not as important as the other features (like wave maker for example). These ones are also single channel (only one current source monitoring ). I am currently using a kill-a-watt to power my adjsrp8 power strip , which does something similar, except I can’t log the data, I can only see the current draw at that moment, which is kinda ok for me to get an understanding what the current draw is at that moment

ScottBrew · Oct 20, 2018

Ranjib said:
Looking great :)
I would love to add support for these current monitoring sensors, but I think they are not as important as the other features (like wave maker for example). These ones are also single channel (only one current source monitoring ). I am currently using a kill-a-watt to power my adjsrp8 power strip , which does something similar, except I can’t log the data, I can only see the current draw at that moment, which is kinda ok for me to get an understanding what the current draw is at that moment

I guess what i was asking about the power monitor is how it hooks up into the pi, is it using the Dallas one wire protocol? So does it use the same input as the thermometers or would it require another circuit? Power monitoring would be nice but just knowing how much power you are using is mostly what I'm curious about.

edit: Disregard, I believe it requires an ADC. I'll keep reading up on it but in the meantime I ordered the current/voltage display unit I referenced. I can keep tabs on what the current draw is for each device by subtracting wattage off then on.

Ranjib · Oct 20, 2018

ScottBrew said:
I guess what i was asking about the power monitor is how it hooks up into the pi, is it using the Dallas one wire protocol? So does it use the same input as the thermometers or would it require another circuit? Power monitoring would be nice but just knowing how much power you are using is mostly what I'm curious about.

I dont think so, from what I understand this sensor will give you analog data, which will be read to Pi using some sort of adc (analog to digital converter), like ads115, and Pi will talk to this ADC chip over i2c. Put simply we have to add some driver code for ads115 to read analog signal, and then some conversion and other code to convert the analog signal to human readable values (in amp i guess).
Does that answer your question?

b4tn · Oct 20, 2018

Was on a role this morning and then neither of the buck converters are dropping voltage. I can turn the little brass screw as far as I want but 11.5 v on the output no changes. I have two from amazon both do the same.

Ranjib · Oct 20, 2018

b4tn said:
Was on a role this morning and then neither of the buck converters are dropping voltage. I can turn the little brass screw as far as I want but 11.5 v on the output no changes. I have two from amazon both do the same.

did you try rotating them on the opposite side? I doubt the converters are bad...

b4tn · Oct 20, 2018

I’m helping someone move right now but do you mean input the 12 volts on the output? One thing I am thinking about that may or may not matter is tiring the grounds together.

LionHeart2017 · Oct 20, 2018

b4tn said:
I’m helping someone move right now but do you mean input the 12 volts on the output? One thing I am thinking about that may or may not matter is tiring the grounds together.

No, not that, the screw, have you tried turning clockwise and anti clockwise

b4tn · Oct 20, 2018

LionHeart2017 said:
No, not that, the screw, have you tried turning clockwise and anti clockwise

Strangest thing but I think the buck converters I ordered are bad. Should be pretty simple, put 12 volts on the two “in” pins and the two out pins should be adjustable. But like I said before, it reads 11.5 volt on the out. I can turn the little brass screw all day and nothing changes regardless of the direction I turn it. Strange thing is they both do the exact same thing.