Troutt's Reef-Pi Build

[Jonathan Troutt]

Do you have any specific use of this in mind?

Honestly just for a live view of measurements.

And that cool factor you know.....

 

[Ranjib]

Honestly just for a live view of measurements.

And that cool factor you know.....

Go for it :-). I used to hook up official pi touchscreen in my build .. long back. Stopped doing that for the same reason @ScottBrew mentioned. They look good :-)

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Go for it :). I used to hook up official pi touchscreen in my build .. long back. Stopped doing that for the same reason @ScottBrew mentioned. They look good :)

Yeah I’m still debating. All this is going to be going on a bigger tank within the next 6 months so I am trying to plan for the future.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

And more

 

[Diamond1]

And more

OOoo new goodies!

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

@Ranjib @Diamond1

I’m not sure how my lights are controlled. So my thoughts were to hook up the pca9685 and try that first before stepping it up with the transistor. But I wanted to make sure this isn’t going to damage anything if it is not correct? I still need an oscope.

My lights are viparspectra 165w.

 

[Diamond1]

@Ranjib @Diamond1

I’m not sure how my lights are controlled. So my thoughts were to hook up the pca9685 and try that first before stepping it up with the transistor. But I wanted to make sure this isn’t going to damage anything if it is not correct? I still need an oscope.

My lights are viparspectra 165w.

I've seen a video on you tube and if yours are the dimmable version they should run off of 3.3v pwm and the pwm frequency is 200Hz just like my ORt247. You may be able to control them like I did running straight from the 2 pwm gpios right off the Rpi and using relays to turn the channels off and on.

Here's a link to the video:

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I've seen a video on you tube and if yours are the dimmable version they should run off of 3.3v pwm and the pwm frequency is 200Hz just like my ORt247. You may be able to control them like I did running straight from the 2 pwm gpios right off the Rpi and using relays to turn the channels off and on.

Here's a link to the video:

Omg. I have been looking for a video like that for months now!! Those are my exact lights.

I would like to use the pca9685 though because I plan on expanding. But the pca9685 outputs 5v pwm correct?

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib @Diamond1

I’m not sure how my lights are controlled. So my thoughts were to hook up the pca9685 and try that first before stepping it up with the transistor. But I wanted to make sure this isn’t going to damage anything if it is not correct? I still need an oscope.

My lights are viparspectra 165w.

I don’t see any red herrings from safety perspective , I expect some ripple issues when pwm and 12v relay circuit is combined, you have to throw in some safety circuits (capacitors ) to address that

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I don’t see any red herrings from safety perspective , I expect some ripple issues when pwm and 12v relay circuit is combined, you have to throw in some safety circuits (capacitors ) to address that

@Diamond1 actually shared a video that solves the issue. Lights are controlled by a 3.3v pwm. That being said I still would like to use the pca9685.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

So I should be able to power the pca9685 with 3.3 volts. That should give me what I need. Sound right?

 

[Ranjib]

So I should be able to power the pca9685 with 3.3 volts. That should give me what I need. Sound right?

Yup , that’s my understanding.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

@Diamond1 Hey man care to share how you have the reef-pi configured to allow pwm from the pi? Do you actually designate pins?

 

[Ranjib]

@Diamond1 Hey man care to share how you have the reef-pi configured to allow pwm from the pi? Do you actually designate pins?

Pi GPIO 18 and 19 is used for pwm, in reef-pi ui they will be declared as pin 0 and 1 with driver “rpi”

 

[Diamond1]

Exactly what @Ranjib said. You can change the Hz frequency via the UI also.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

@Ranjib

I am having a difficult time getting this PCA9685 to work in reef pi. The raspberry pi sees it as per the command sudo i2cdetect -y 1.

But When I go into the pi and add a jack. Select the PCA9685. Add pins 0,1. Save and then go over to lights and create a light here I am not seeing any voltage on the PWM pin. Standard multimeter should show me a voltage. Well I am trying to attach some screenshots but apparently my default location for screenshots has been changed...….

Anyway. Yes I did enable the PCA9685. I rebooted. doubled checked things. I need some help here......really frustrated.

 

[Diamond1]

Do you have pwm enabled in you boot file?

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

The raspberry Pi pwm pins work as expected.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Do you have pwm enabled in you boot file?

explain? I dont think I remember saying enable PWM anywhere?

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Do you have pwm enabled in you boot file?

I did do this when I set up

dtoverlay=pwm-2chan