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

[Ryan Turner]

Is i2c enabled?

yep. I used address 69 based on your using 64 for a 40 address and my 45 address for the board. im getting a reading now that michael says is raw and just needs to be calibrated. i get a reading of -7660

 

[Zippyfear]

yep. I used address 69 based on your using 64 for a 40 address and my 45 address for the board. im getting a reading now that michael says is raw and just needs to be calibrated. i get a reading of -7660

Got mine working as well just now! initial reading around 2700.. but my calibration button isn't clickable - it's grayed out. any idea why that might be?

 

[Michael Lane]

Got mine working as well just now! initial reading around 2700.. but my calibration button isn't clickable - it's grayed out. any idea why that might be?

Disable the pH readings in order to calibrate. Then you can enable the pH sensor again after calibration is complete.

 

[alphacustomization]

Ok, got the PH probe installed and registered on reef-pi but after I calibrate it it keeps giving me an error message of

12/13/2019, 8:32:52 PM

UI

ERROR

{"error":"stats for id: '1' not found"} | HTTP 404

and will not display in dashboard. Also don't know if it's related but when I go to the temp tab it gives me

12/13/2019, 8:35:54 PM

UI

ERROR

404 page not found | HTTP 404

but both temp probes are registering in dashboard and giving correct temps



Edit:
Don't know exactly what I did but it's working now, thanks for all the help and definitely for reef-pi

 

[Ranjib]

Ok, got the PH probe installed and registered on reef-pi but after I calibrate it it keeps giving me an error message of

12/13/2019, 8:32:52 PM

UI

ERROR

{"error":"stats for id: '1' not found"} | HTTP 404

and will not display in dashboard. Also don't know if it's related but when I go to the temp tab it gives me

12/13/2019, 8:35:54 PM

UI

ERROR

404 page not found | HTTP 404

but both temp probes are registering in dashboard and giving correct temps




Edit:
Don't know exactly what I did but it's working now, thanks for all the help and definitely for reef-pi

Thats a normal and benign error you get when you create a new probe. It means the usage data has not been populated yet. Its an annoying thing that i want to get rid of . Soon..

 

[Ranjib]

yep. I used address 69 based on your using 64 for a 40 address and my 45 address for the board. im getting a reading now that michael says is raw and just needs to be calibrated. i get a reading of -7660

Welcome to reef2reef :-0) . We love to see build pics

 

[Ryan Turner]

Welcome to reef2reef :-0) . We love to see build pics

I need to do a built thread now that im a year into the hobby and and the tank isnt crashing all the time.

 

[alphacustomization]

Is there a way to trigger a macro with some type of input, say like a momentary push button?

 

[Ranjib]

Is there a way to trigger a macro with some type of input, say like a momentary push button?

Not yet. You can use ph or temperature sensor to trigger macro but not ato. ATO is the only module that can be used to emulate switch/buttons. You can definitely do this via API. But im assuming you are looking for something out of the box.

 

[Schreiber]

So, I did some testing with my newest build today & I noticed something odd for manual lighting control. It may be normal, but it seemed odd to me at least.

For spectrum/intensity on Kessils, I would expect setting them at a higher number would result in a brighter light. However, it works the exact opposite...

Am I just doing something dumb, or is this the way it's designed to work? I can't think of a way I could have incorrectly wired this & still have it functioning. it works perfectly, just backwards from what I would expect.

 

[Bigtrout]

So, I did some testing with my newest build today & I noticed something odd for manual lighting control. It may be normal, but it seemed odd to me at least.

For spectrum/intensity on Kessils, I would expect setting them at a higher number would result in a brighter light. However, it works the exact opposite...

Am I just doing something dumb, or is this the way it's designed to work? I can't think of a way I could have incorrectly wired this & still have it functioning. it works perfectly, just backwards from what I would expect.

I believe there is an option for active high or active low when setting up the pca9685 pwm driver. That setting could cause the backwards behavior.
On active high 1 percent means the squarewave is high for 1 percent of the time(dim) and at 100 is high for 100 percent of the time(bright).
Active low is the opposite a setting of 1 means the squarewave is low for 1 percent of the time(high for 99 percent so bright) and a setting of 100 means the squarewave is low for 100 percent of the time(off)

 

[Schreiber]

I believe there is an option for active high or active low when setting up the pca9685 pwm driver. That setting could cause the backwards behavior.
On active high 1 percent means the squarewave is high for 1 percent of the time(dim) and at 100 is high for 100 percent of the time(bright).
Active low is the opposite a setting of 1 means the squarewave is low for 1 percent of the time(high for 99 percent so bright) and a setting of 100 means the squarewave is low for 100 percent of the time(off)

That definitely sounds like my problem, but I can't find anywhere to change the active high/low setting. All I see when I set it up is: name, type, address, & frequency. I don't get the option to set active high or low when I edit it, or when I edit a light either.

@Ranjib , am I just missing this toggle? Or is it not available in the 3.0 release?

 

[Ranjib]

That definitely sounds like my problem, but I can't find anywhere to change the active high/low setting. All I see when I set it up is: name, type, address, & frequency. I don't get the option to set active high or low when I edit it, or when I edit a light either.

@Ranjib , am I just missing this toggle? Or is it not available in the 3.0 release?

I have moved it under connector /jack in 3.0. Similar to inlets and outlets, jacks can be reverse in 3.0. I felt this is more inline with how overall reef-pi designed . It’s the same effect at the end, only the setting has been moved to a different place

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

With the lights, Temp, and Ph done, I started working on ATO (low) basic setup is done: using ultrasonic sensor to measure when water-level drops to activate outlet (AC1) in which ATO pump is plugged in...everything is gravy. Now, the ultrasonic sensor is on the outside of the sump, against the glass so it should require no maintenance. That being said, ol "Murphy" is always out to get ya so I wanted to have a backup in a form of another (optical or float) sensor to measure HIGH water-level, in case ATO pump gets stuck ON or the LOW-level sensor fails and tells ATO pump to turn on.

I tried creating another ATO (High), polling a second sensor which will be mounted at the HIGH water level mark, set to it to control AC1, turned on alert and disable on alert. That seemed to work, until the LOW-level sensor ran it's check and it turned AC1 back on. This tug of war continues back and forth as each of the two sensors is polled.

So, obviously that is not a correct way of doing it. Is it possible to completely disable AC1 on HIGH level alert until manually reactivated? Or is there another (better?) way to set up low-level ON and high-level OFF checks?

I hope that makes sense lol.

 

[b4tn]

Question on temp probe calibration.

I just noticed the feature and gave it a try. I dropped both probes in the same spot and let them sit for 10 minutes and they where 1 degree off from eachother. I used my BBQ instant read for a 3rd reading which matched say probe 1. I then changed the calibration value in probe 2 so that it matched probe 1 and put them back in their spots. When I went to go look back at the calibration value it was gone. Did the calibration save and just does not show? If so how can I reset to defaults since I dont remember which probe I adjusted lol.

 

[Matevz Savarin]

How did you manage to optical sensors to work? I gave up on them and using float sensors.. my macros for float fail safe never works.. I have it like float 1 turn on- wait 30s using timers and turn off equpment, but never shuts it down..so I wired float switch directly to power supply of the pump. So if water rises too high it shuts off power of the pump. This way works 100% regardless of relays and pi.. some thing just doesnt work..

 

[Ranjib]

With the lights, Temp, and Ph done, I started working on ATO (low) basic setup is done: using ultrasonic sensor to measure when water-level drops to activate outlet (AC1) in which ATO pump is plugged in...everything is gravy. Now, the ultrasonic sensor is on the outside of the sump, against the glass so it should require no maintenance. That being said, ol "Murphy" is always out to get ya so I wanted to have a backup in a form of another (optical or float) sensor to measure HIGH water-level, in case ATO pump gets stuck ON or the LOW-level sensor fails and tells ATO pump to turn on.

I tried creating another ATO (High), polling a second sensor which will be mounted at the HIGH water level mark, set to it to control AC1, turned on alert and disable on alert. That seemed to work, until the LOW-level sensor ran it's check and it turned AC1 back on. This tug of war continues back and forth as each of the two sensors is polled.

So, obviously that is not a correct way of doing it. Is it possible to completely disable AC1 on HIGH level alert until manually reactivated? Or is there another (better?) way to set up low-level ON and high-level OFF checks?

I hope that makes sense lol.

I have thought about this and currently the answer is no. We have to extend ato control target from just equipment to Macro (similar to temperature and ph) and then it’s possible to disable /enable the primary ato using the backup sensor . Makes sense ? There may be other alternatives to this , like using some trick on the relay wiring and having a single ato instead but in thnking purely from software /controller perspective

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Alright, I guess alternative is to use an ATO container that won't overflow the sump if ATO gets stuck.

 

[BenB]

Hi Ranjib,
Good work with the launch of 3.0!!!
I found a little thing maybe you can update it next time:

When a driver is created for PCA9685 the Frequency is not showing if you want to modify. Maybe that was on purpose, can you at least show the set Frequency along with the name and address? It will be nice as well when you can change the Frequency and save instead of deleting the driver(and everything that is connected to it) and creating a new one.

 

[BenB]

And I have connected a Servo that I am controlling with the light tab, it works in manual mode from 50 to 99 only it turns about 90degrees in total. Is there extra support needed like a driver ore some additional programming? It will be nice to have, to build a feeder with multiple servos that turn to deposit food in the aquarium.