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

bala murugan 00500 · Aug 17, 2019

Bzar said:
Awesom thanks for detailed reply. Yeah looks pretty much what I tried. only difference is my setup has the pi 3.3 going to the vcc not the v+ of the PCA9685....maybe I'll try that. Maybe another PCA9685 and another driver.....perhaps mines broken. I also might have to find my old oscilloscope to see if the pwm is working.

At a loss atm :/

i'm really sorry ... u have to connect to VCC only .. i make a mistake by connecting in V+

Ranjib · Aug 17, 2019

youngblood421 said:
So either will work then?

Also is there a diagram to connect it to the serial cable

yes

Bzar · Aug 17, 2019

bala murugan 00500 said:
i'm really sorry ... u have to connect to VCC only .. i make a mistake by connecting in V+

So I've got it connected as shown, and now I'm at a loss. In a nutshell it seems the reef-pi isn't producing a pwm signal. The driver is working, and the PWM input on the driver does turn the LED's off when a 3v current is applied. Tried multiple PCA9685's and it doesn't change the situation. Put an oscilloscope and multimeter on the PWM signal wires from the PCA9685 and there's no current. Not sure where the breakdown is, but it's looking like something I've missed in the setup to make the Reef-Pi/PCA9685 work? smh

Ranjib · Aug 18, 2019

Bzar said:
So I've got it connected as shown, and now I'm at a loss. In a nutshell it seems the reef-pi isn't producing a pwm signal. The driver is working, and the PWM input on the driver does turn the LED's off when a 3v current is applied. Tried multiple PCA9685's and it doesn't change the situation. Put an oscilloscope and multimeter on the PWM signal wires from the PCA9685 and there's no current. Not sure where the breakdown is, but it's looking like something I've missed in the setup to make the Reef-Pi/PCA9685 work? smh

Do you have a build thread where we can track you circuit/build and troubleshoot systematically.
Lets start with checking voltage at the pca9685 pin and then track it from there to led input, for a single channel

Bzar · Aug 18, 2019

Ranjib said:
Do you have a build thread where we can track you circuit/build and troubleshoot systematically.
Lets start with checking voltage at the pca9685 pin and then track it from there to led input, for a single channel

Well after stepping away for a while I was thinking to myself.....hmmmmm it's got to be the pin on the Raspberry Pi. So I changed to my backup Pi. I installed the image I was using on the original Pi, tried again, and failed the same way. So now I'm sure it's a setting. So I jump into the terminal and run a check...

sudo i2cdetect -y 1
Error!

It's supposed to look something like this....
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f
00: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
10: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
40: 40 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
50: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
60: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
70: 70 -- -- -- -- -- -- --

So
sudo raspi-config > Interface Options > i2c > Turn on > then reboot......and WORKS!
What a bone head mistake...I should have checked that setting to start with and I wouldn't have had to change the Pi's, oh well...everyone can learn from my mistake :) I could have sworn I turned it on, but I guess not. Works now, YAY!

Ranjib · Aug 18, 2019

Bzar said:
Well after stepping away for a while I was thinking to myself.....hmmmmm it's got to be the pin on the Raspberry Pi. So I changed to my backup Pi. I installed the image I was using on the original Pi, tried again, and failed the same way. So now I'm sure it's a setting. So I jump into the terminal and run a check...

sudo i2cdetect -y 1
Error!

It's supposed to look something like this....
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f
00: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
10: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
40: 40 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
50: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
60: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
70: 70 -- -- -- -- -- -- --

So
sudo raspi-config > Interface Options > i2c > Turn on > then reboot......and WORKS!
What a bone head mistake...I should have checked that setting to start with and I wouldn't have had to change the Pi's, oh well...everyone can learn from my mistake :) I could have sworn I turned it on, but I guess not. Works now, YAY!

Yay :-)

Bzar · Aug 18, 2019

Ranjib said:
Yay :)

Also forgot to mention....depending on the version of OS on the Raspberry Pi if someone is looking to run the "sudo i2cdetect -y 1" (or "sudo i2cdetect -y 0" for original Pi's) they may not have the tools pre-installed to run the command. To get the i2c tools in the Raspberry Pi just type...
sudo apt-get install i2c-tools

Now to finish building 300 watts of LED's fixture over 10 channels (parts all in were like $170 CDN :); then on to stepper controlled dosing pumps and pH. I'll put up a build thread soon.

bala murugan 00500 · Aug 18, 2019

Bzar said:
Well after stepping away for a while I was thinking to myself.....hmmmmm it's got to be the pin on the Raspberry Pi. So I changed to my backup Pi. I installed the image I was using on the original Pi, tried again, and failed the same way. So now I'm sure it's a setting. So I jump into the terminal and run a check...

sudo i2cdetect -y 1
Error!

It's supposed to look something like this....
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f
00: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
10: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
40: 40 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
50: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
60: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
70: 70 -- -- -- -- -- -- --

So
sudo raspi-config > Interface Options > i2c > Turn on > then reboot......and WORKS!
What a bone head mistake...I should have checked that setting to start with and I wouldn't have had to change the Pi's, oh well...everyone can learn from my mistake :) I could have sworn I turned it on, but I guess not. Works now, YAY!

Update your light build, when u got finished

Ranjib · Aug 18, 2019

Bzar said:
Also forgot to mention....depending on the version of OS on the Raspberry Pi if someone is looking to run the "sudo i2cdetect -y 1" (or "sudo i2cdetect -y 0" for original Pi's) they may not have the tools pre-installed to run the command. To get the i2c tools in the Raspberry Pi just type...
sudo apt-get install i2c-tools

Now to finish building 300 watts of LED's fixture over 10 channels (parts all in were like $170 CDN :); then on to stepper controlled dosing pumps and pH. I'll put up a build thread soon.

Sweet :-)

janos · Aug 18, 2019

Hi where did you order the parts?Ledsupply or Rapidled?

Bzar said:
Now to finish building 300 watts of LED's fixture over 10 channels (parts all in were like $170 CDN :); then on to stepper controlled dosing pumps and pH. I'll put up a build thread soon.

Mike25 · Aug 18, 2019

Hi all. I'm new to all of this and I'm stuck on getting the temperature sensor to work. I never took any EE classes, so I'm fumbling my way through.

I have a rasp pi 3 with a ML hat v3, running reef-pi V 2.5
1-wire is enabled
temperature, equipment, and PCA9685 are all checked.

I can create equipment and lights with no problems, the leds on the hat will turn on and off.
When I go to create the probe on the temperature tab, the drop down for the sensor is blank.

I get one error in the logs:

{"error":"Item 'usage' does not exist in bucket 'temperature'"} | HTTP 404

Only other thing I don't know if it's normal or not: the leds on the hat labeled D40 and D39 are lit, just a tiny bit, all of the time.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!
Mike

janos · Aug 18, 2019

Hi Mikie25 ML board is perfect working for me but the wiring on the Temp sensor no good by factory.You connected as the color code by ML board is not working.Change the color at connection,
ML board Black=sensor yellow
ML board Yellow=sensor red
ML board red=sensor black

Bzar · Aug 18, 2019

janos said:
Hi where did you order the parts?Ledsupply or Rapidled?

I've gotten most of my parts from aliexpress.com and buyapi.ca (I'm Canadian in the middle of no where so choices are few). I've gotten a few things from Home Depot, auto parts store, and local electronics store too...like the heat sinks, wires, solder, etc.

These are coverage LED's. I'll also be doing some spot lighting with something yet to be determined.

The specific LED stuff I've gotten are...
LEDs - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32859370682.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dLqfF0u
Power Supplies - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32948831075.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dLqfF0u
Drivers (just bought) - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32828673347.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dLqfF0u
PCA9685 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32718274859.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dLqfF0u

Ranjib · Aug 18, 2019

Mike25 said:
Hi all. I'm new to all of this and I'm stuck on getting the temperature sensor to work. I never took any EE classes, so I'm fumbling my way through.

I have a rasp pi 3 with a ML hat v3, running reef-pi V 2.5
1-wire is enabled
temperature, equipment, and PCA9685 are all checked.

I can create equipment and lights with no problems, the leds on the hat will turn on and off.
When I go to create the probe on the temperature tab, the drop down for the sensor is blank.

I get one error in the logs:

{"error":"Item 'usage' does not exist in bucket 'temperature'"} | HTTP 404

Only other thing I don't know if it's normal or not: the leds on the hat labeled D40 and D39 are lit, just a tiny bit, all of the time.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!
Mike

the 404 usage error is benign. dont worry about it, it will go away once you have the sensor detected, after few minutes.

Your sensor is not being detected. Check the ds18b20 circuit, if done right you should see the sensor appears as a device named 28-******* inside /sys/bus/w1/devices directory.
Given you are using the hat, this is likely wiring issue or worst case bad sensor

Mike25 · Aug 18, 2019

janos said:
Hi Mikie25 ML board is perfect working for me but the wiring on the Temp sensor no good by factory.You connected as the color code by ML board is not working.Change the color at connection,
ML board Black=sensor yellow
ML board Yellow=sensor red
ML board red=sensor black

AWESOME!!! That fixed it. Thank you so much Janos!

BenB · Aug 19, 2019

bala murugan 00500 said:
Yes, it will work. I tested it before. now problem u can use this.
and u can also try this also http://www.veltisti.com/dcdc-led-la...rt-circuit-protection-module-12v28v-p-56.html
this is much cheaper than yours ...

I have tried these just at the weekend and it is working great!! Using a RGBW LED. On the picture I have PWM setting 1. Only the white will light up at PWM setting 5 (that is why it is off). I am still using Reef-Pi 2.4. I used these drivers:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/-/32851499113.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.50782e0eVkCksZ

Thanks Ranjib for the great work!!

Hookster15 · Aug 19, 2019

Ranjib said:
Just finished a pi3 all in one build with 3d printed enclosure .

This one can do one temp sensor, one float switch , one kessil and one ph probe .

Similar to the last all in one build (I’m upgrading my builds to use 3d printed enclosures) this one has space for accessing pi 3 usb and hdmi ports

The electronics is very similar to other all in one build except it does not have the adj powerstrip control circuit involving 12v and uln2893a.

Overall pretty happy with the result . I used 3mm walls for this build , which made it pretty sturdy .
Here are both of my 3dprinted builds

Now back to 3.0 feature development ..:)

What slicing software are you using ?