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

[Kraig]

Ive been running 3a+ for several years now, they work just fine. :)

Keep in mind that the starter kit has stuff in it that you will not need, it's a shame the rpi's are so hard to come by these days.

Yeah, figured I’d spend a little more for the kit and not use everthing in it but if it lets me jump in, it will give me something to do while waiting and fish and corals to come out of QT.

 

[theatrus]

Yeah I have kester tacky flux in a syringe, its good stuff. Did you see my PM, anyway you could take a look at the parts I have laid out from JLPCB. I think I have things covered but would be nice before pulling the trigger.

I found some on pc9685 on newark and going to add some more parts and give it a go.

Done and done.

I did make a PCA9685 board once at JLCPCB (ironically, a nixie driver board, works well for that application too) but ended up using the QFN package as the standard narrow pitch SOIC was also unobtanium at the time.

 

[bishoptf]

Done and done.

I did make a PCA9685 board once at JLCPCB (ironically, a nixie driver board, works well for that application too) but ended up using the QFN package as the standard narrow pitch SOIC was also unobtanium at the time.

I can get the 9685 from newark but I wish it was the uln2803 since its so much bigger, lol. The 9685 is pretty tiny, going to give it a try and hope I am able to get it done. Still not sure what to do about the 3.3zener, sigh.

 

[GaryE]

I can get the 9685 from newark but I wish it was the uln2803 since its so much bigger, lol. The 9685 is pretty tiny, going to give it a try and hope I am able to get it done. Still not sure what to do about the 3.3zener, sigh.

I use this on the real small stuff..

But, a reflow gun and paste solder makes it very easy...

 

[bishoptf]

I have a reflow gun, picked one up for christmas but still learning how to use it etc. I am going to give it a try...:)

 

[GaryE]

Your solder will tell you what temp to keep it at and keep the air down so that it doesn't blow your parts everywhere. Ask me how I figured that out. ;)

 

[GaryE]

Just started building this board up.. I'm not having fun as I already had one populated, but made a couple small but serious errors and ended up smoking parts and burning thru traces..

The moral of the story, check your parts carefully before soldering.. Check polarity before soldering... I didn't know that a tantalum capacitor could burn a hole almost thru a board when soldered in the wrong way..

 

[theatrus]

I can get the 9685 from newark but I wish it was the uln2803 since its so much bigger, lol. The 9685 is pretty tiny, going to give it a try and hope I am able to get it done. Still not sure what to do about the 3.3zener, sigh.

The technique to use is drag soldering. Big tips, big solder, flux, and a little wick to clean up the occasional bridge you can't clear with flux and a clean tip.



Its ok to literally have everything swimming in flux for this.

 

[GaryE]

The technique to use is drag soldering. Big tips, big solder, flux, and a little wick to clean up the occasional bridge you can't clear with flux and a clean tip.



Its ok to literally have everything swimming in flux for this.

Yep, I've done that. Can be a pain to clean up bridges.

Here's my progress for today. A bit more cleaning and solder on the Thru Hole parts are hope the *&%^^#*(&^#@ works this time. ;)

 

[bishoptf]

The technique to use is drag soldering. Big tips, big solder, flux, and a little wick to clean up the occasional bridge you can't clear with flux and a clean tip.



Its ok to literally have everything swimming in flux for this.

Thats funny since that was the exact video that I watched today before deciding to take the plunge, its not my soldering skills that are that bad, the dang parts are so small and I have OLD eyes, lol. I need to figure out what kind of magnifier/light that will make it easier for me to see what the heck I am doing. That video he used a lot of flux, made it look easy, pretty hopefully I can figure it out, thats the only part they did not have in stock and has I think 28 legs, 14 on each side and pretty tiny. :)

I just wished I understood a fraction of electronics like you guys do, I get the basics but how you put circuits together to come up with a layout etc, I'm not even close. trying to replicate my JLPCB parts list on newark since I have a bare board and find even getting the right parts difficult, lol.

 

[GaryE]

Thats funny since that was the exact video that I watched today before deciding to take the plunge, its not my soldering skills that are that bad, the dang parts are so small and I have OLD eyes, lol. I need to figure out what kind of magnifier/light that will make it easier for me to see what the heck I am doing. That video he used a lot of flux, made it look easy, pretty hopefully I can figure it out, thats the only part they did not have in stock and has I think 28 legs, 14 on each side and pretty tiny. :)

I just wished I understood a fraction of electronics like you guys do, I get the basics but how you put circuits together to come up with a layout etc, I'm not even close. trying to replicate my JLPCB parts list on newark since I have a bare board and find even getting the right parts difficult, lol.

I have a magnifying glass with a light that is mounted on my desk. Very handy. USB powered so it doesn't take up an outlet.

As far skills, I have few. Trial and error and the ability to read data sheets and schematics.

And still I screw up a lot.

Could have had an Apex by now.....

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib

Im a knuckle dragger :) .. what is the Prometheus query you are scraping here?

just the metric name, in this case displaytank_heater where displaytank is the name of the temperature probe. It represents the heater run time per hour for the controller operating using the probe name "display_tank"

 

[Ranjib]

Prometheus is a metric system , hence it only supports numeric values. We can use the labels feature for this instead.

I configure Prometheus config with the job name same as the reef-pi controller name , and then use the built in “job” label to display the controller name as job label value

i wanted to circle back and mention that you can use {{label}} to use the labels in legend, for example (notice the legend value.

 

[Ranjib]

Sorry for the newby questions. I can get a 3A+ starter kit from local micro center. Anything wrong with jumping in the water with this?

I like 3A. i have half a dozen builds that are on 3a

 

[bishoptf]

Ok so may

I like 3A. i have half a dozen builds that are on 3a

Me too, I like them too, but now the zero 2 w is my new favorite...:)

that is if I could find them...:(

I replaced a zero w that was running octoprint with a zero 2 w and it loads so much faster, lol.

 

[bishoptf]

So maybe someone can riddle me this, I am trying to put some parts to order for one of these boards and looking for a 200ohm rn, in the bom he has listed R_Array_Convex_4x0603 but all I can really find for the package is 1206 like this one - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/bourns-inc/CAY16-221J4LF/2566715

I think that will work but the package size is throwing me off, lol.

 

[Ranjib]

Some of 3a builds, handy because I’m prepping up for aquashella

Probe demo build

All in one with wired power strip

A kessil controller :)

 

[bishoptf]

Lol, now I can't find a lowly uln2803, these part shortage is pretty lame. :)

 

[theatrus]

Thats funny since that was the exact video that I watched today before deciding to take the plunge, its not my soldering skills that are that bad, the dang parts are so small and I have OLD eyes, lol. I need to figure out what kind of magnifier/light that will make it easier for me to see what the heck I am doing. That video he used a lot of flux, made it look easy, pretty hopefully I can figure it out, thats the only part they did not have in stock and has I think 28 legs, 14 on each side and pretty tiny. :)

I just wished I understood a fraction of electronics like you guys do, I get the basics but how you put circuits together to come up with a layout etc, I'm not even close. trying to replicate my JLPCB parts list on newark since I have a bare board and find even getting the right parts difficult, lol.

The actual soldering is more technique and art than a hard science. A fair bit of frustration, but knowing anything is fixable, just don’t try to jam more heat than you need

Lol, now I can't find a lowly uln2803, these part shortage is pretty lame. :)

Yeah, it’s lame. If I’m designing something, I literally will place individual part semiconductor orders as I’m placing a part in a schematic because they sometimes can be gone 20 minutes later. Very shipping inefficient.

I had to risk buy a bunch of parts to certain projects so I have a non-trivial amount of cash tied up in silly things like voltage regulators and MCUs. Oh well.

 

[robsworld78]

Looking to get some of @Michael Lane goby hat boards made up and looks like pca9685pw are OOS everywhere, I assume @robsworld78 you are seeing the same thing, where are folks ordering from etc...just thought I would ask.

Yeah it's not fun ordering parts these days. I order 50 or more at a time and look well before I'm out so luckily it's all worked out.

I have a reflow gun, picked one up for christmas but still learning how to use it etc. I am going to give it a try...:)

Here's some solder paste I highly recommend, I've gone throw a ton of it but the last year I've not needed it much, the great thing about it is the shelf life. I have a tube I use that's well over a year old and it's still comes out the original needle perfectly. If you order the small container on Mouser it'll turn to rock in less than a week. Keep this stuff in a zip lock in the fridge and you'll always have it. They have other listings of multiple tubes which is cheaper per tube.

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If you get one of these the needles screw right on the solder tube and you can use a plunger to push it out. I use the black tips.

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I use this to solder all my pca9685's, just did 4 tonight. I simply run a thin line across all the pads, then I place the pca9685 on the pad, nearly blind like yourself, make sure it's straight and hit it with the hot air. The part is floating and will straighten perfectly if close to begin with. Then I take my fine tipped soldering iron and do the drag soldering technique which removes all the bridges and leaves a perfect job. No flux required. Important to have a very clean solder tip when dragging. I drag one side, clean tip, drag again, then repeat on other side. Takes about 2 minutes per part.

So maybe someone can riddle me this, I am trying to put some parts to order for one of these boards and looking for a 200ohm rn, in the bom he has listed R_Array_Convex_4x0603 but all I can really find for the package is 1206 like this one - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/bourns-inc/CAY16-221J4LF/2566715

I think that will work but the package size is throwing me off, lol.

I believe each 4 resistors in the array are 0603 but the array package is actually 1206. I don't think there's an 0603 4 pack array, at least not for general use.