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

[Ranjib]

Okay, I am running 8 relays, optical ATO sensor, temp sensor, and the pca9685 board. Checking the 5v rail to the pca9685 board I do get 4.99 volts.

Whats your original power source? and how you are distributing it across different components. Can you describe that a bit. Is it all being drawn from pi ?

 

[815reefer]

Whats your original power source? and how you are distributing it across different components. Can you describe that a bit. Is it all being drawn from pi ?

Powering the pi with the canakit 5v 2.5amp wall wort. And yes everything is coming off the pi for power thru the breadboard currently. Should I be using external power sources?

 

[Ranjib]

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=84337

So something like this?

Yes

I am using adj 8 Chanel relay pack for this, which required 12v per channel on/off signal. The wiring is reverse (shared power and individual channel is sink ) because I had uln2803 which is a sink type darlington.
Power controller build with housing and without wiring

With wiring

The whole set with adj srp 2 , 8 channel power strip , connected by db9 cable

 

[Ranjib]

Powering the pi with the canakit 5v 2.5amp wall wort. And yes everything is coming off the pi for power thru the breadboard currently. Should I be using external power sources?

Yes. But lets confirm first thats the case. Check if your problem is solve if you just use pi + pca9685. If that works, then go for pi+ pca9685+ ato .. and so on.
If you dont mind, what light you are testing?

 

[815reefer]

Yes. But lets confirm first thats the case. Check if your problem is solve if you just use pi + pca9685. If that works, then go for pi+ pca9685+ ato .. and so on.
If you dont mind, what light you are testing?

It's a halo basic I want to control 2 of them over my tank. Right now I'm just testing the circuit with my multimeter. When I get it going I'm going to get another basic and sell the deluxe.

So with the relay board plugged in I get 5.034v, w/ATO 5.028V, then relay board 4.882. So it's definitely the relay board pulling too much juice?

 

[Ranjib]

It's a halo basic I want to control 2 of them over my tank. Right now I'm just testing the circuit with my multimeter. When I get it going I'm going to get another basic and sell the deluxe.

So with the relay board plugged in I get 5.034v, w/ATO 5.028V, then relay board 4.882. So it's definitely the relay board pulling too much juice?

Yes. And you can read the data sheet for the relay, that will give a rough estimate of how much you need . If you are using only 5v stuff, get a barrel connector based 5v 4 or 3 amp power supply and connect everything to a common rail . Pi itself has limits on how much one can draw from the gpio and 5v pin . 75 ma and 1 amp respectively I believe. P3 itself also can draw up to 1 amp

 

[James Golden]

If you have not done this yet, check the voltage out of the wall wart also. Also, if you have another one try it. I have had wall wart show good voltage out until they are under load then they can’t put out the required voltage. I ended up using an Apple iPad charger and usb cable on mine

 

[cheeseclock]

The math says I have enough cooling. Each heatsink is around 9" x 11". Looking at the layout, I'm slightly concerned about hot spots when I run all of the different shades of white simultaneously. Worst case, I drill more holes. Each heatsink will have a 120mm fan above it.

 

[James Golden]

What type of optics will you be using on those? Been thinking of building another led light for my 20 gal nuvo. Have a 100 amp 12v power supply just laying around I want to use. Figure I can run the led system the reef pi system and charge several car batteries at the same time lol

 

[cheeseclock]

What type of optics will you be using on those? Been thinking of building another led light for my 20 gal nuvo. Have a 100 amp 12v power supply just laying around I want to use. Figure I can run the led system the reef pi system and charge several car batteries at the same time lol

That's a lot of power supply!

As for the optics, I found some that clip on the LED. I'll probably put a touch of RTV on them anyway just for good measure. I'll only be using 130 of the 200 I ordered, so if you'd like to check them out, I'd be happy to send you a couple.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-13m...var=441424980454&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I was originally going to cut holes for the optics in a piece of black acrylic, but I'm just going to get a piece of glass so I can wipe it off easily. I'm also leery of the CNC tapping 4-40 holes, so I found some thread cutting screws. This might be a nice option for people looking to do the same rather than sticking them on using JB weld.

 

[Ranjib]

That's a lot of power supply!

As for the optics, I found some that clip on the LED. I'll probably put a touch of RTV on them anyway just for good measure. I'll only be using 130 of the 200 I ordered, so if you'd like to check them out, I'd be happy to send you a couple.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-13mm-10mm-Led-Lens-Holder-30-45-60-90-F-1w-3w-LED-High-Power-Bead-Bulb/142418459416?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=441424980454&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I was originally going to cut holes for the optics in a piece of black acrylic, but I'm just going to get a piece of glass so I can wipe it off easily. I'm also leery of the CNC tapping 4-40 holes, so I found some thread cutting screws. This might be a nice option for people looking to do the same rather than sticking them on using JB weld.

thats pretty cool :-)

 

[Erica-Renee]

The math says I have enough cooling. Each heatsink is around 9" x 11". Looking at the layout, I'm slightly concerned about hot spots when I run all of the different shades of white simultaneously. Worst case, I drill more holes. Each heatsink will have a 120mm fan above it.

Very interested in this.. I currently have mh/ vaspecta combination .. Soon Going to completely redo the area above the big tank .

 

[cheeseclock]

This seller has pretty decent low cost LED. I've previously used their 50W with some 44mm optics.

http://stores.ebay.com/due20150801?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

I don't do saltwater, but these could be interesting:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-50w-f...585682?hash=item3a91c31a12:g:yhUAAMXQpPhTlMxd

Optics for the larger format of LED:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-30-50-7...hash=item2ccdbdf7cf:m:mNe_-pnO2t-LsGfya6VJzfw

 

[cheeseclock]

Of course it did... It's nearly 2:30 in the morning. I'll look at it after I've slept.

 

[James Golden]

@cheeseclock, thanks for the offer on them, I am actually thinking of using mostly 1 to 3 watt leds on my tank. It is only a 20 nuvo and the ocenrevive I have on there is set 4 (out of 100) for blues ad 2 (out of 100) for the other colors at the moment. Here it is

Thank shot

• James Golden
• Apr 13, 2018

 

[cheeseclock]

@cheeseclock, thanks for the offer on them, I am actually thinking of using mostly 1 to 3 watt leds on my tank. It is only a 20 nuvo and the ocenrevive I have on there is set 4 (out of 100) for blues ad 2 (out of 100) for the other colors at the moment. Here it is

Thank shot

• James Golden
• Apr 13, 2018

[/QUOTE

Looking at stuff like that, I always want to do salt. Here's what I have going on.

 

[cheeseclock]

This is the planted 75 that I'm building the lighting for.

 

[Erica-Renee]

This is the planted 75 that I'm building the lighting for.

Off topic but .. I see you have all those tetras . Do they seem to die off one at a time maybe one a week,month randomly.. We seem to be having this happen and not much info from someone i know knows whats up... Its in my Wife Planted 40 breeder tank....

Again sorry for off topic.....
Gorgeous tank

 

[cheeseclock]

Off topic but .. I see you have all those tetras . Do they seem to die off one at a time maybe one a week,month randomly.. We seem to be having this happen and not much info from someone i know knows whats up... Its in my Wife Planted 40 breeder tank....

Again sorry for off topic.....
Gorgeous tank

Some of those neons are 3+ years old. They seem to be hardy fish. The emerald eye rasboras are too. I had some celestial pearl danios or galaxy rasboras or whatever we're calling them now, but they died off in the manner you speak of. I'm not entirely sure why some things do well while others don't when the water parameters are good. We have hard water here. The CO2 injection and substrate keep it close to neutral (around 6.8), which they seem to thrive in.

 

[Ranjib]

Support for multiple ATO sensor is coming soon by 1.6 release :-)