What r u all using your breakout boxes for?

[radiata]

+1 on the Avast B.O.B. They out-engineered Neptune...

 

[User]

Just installed my fifth breakout box - 28 sensors and counting (not including the flow and optical sensors that connect to my three FFM boxes). BTW, big thumbs up for the build-it-yourself avast breakout boxes.

That’s awesome.

Where are you connecting all these 8wire dins? You have a bunch of pm boxes?

 

[Vu337]

Following

 

[ca1ore]

That’s awesome.

Where are you connecting all these 8wire dins? You have a bunch of pm boxes?

One to the base, one to the ASM module, and then three to various PM boxes. I had the Apex lite, so needed extra PM boxes. Will still use them with the new Apex, for I/O sources and for additional temp probes. I actually wish Neptune made a module for multiple temp probes.

 

[puffy127]

+1 on the avast BOB. Since I only have one I/O port on my apex, avast helped me convert my avast ato from apex connector to bare wire, which now plugs into my BOB. I also have an avast skimmer locker plugged into the BOB and also a float valve from my ato reservoir.

 

[Jeremy Chatham]

Hey guys,
I use my BOB for under sump lighting switch, extra floor /water sensors, a push button to turn on feed mode for 10 min, push button for 60 min, and then I have toggle switches for emergency shutdown and cleaning shutdown for all attached devices that need to be off in case of emergency or I just want it all off for a short period of time. Will be installing hi/low in ATO. Already have auto water change setup but will probably incorporate in the future.
Remember every I/O gives you 6 more buttons/ switches/ inputs.

I make custom breakouts with choice of buttons/ switches/ etc...
If you have trouble making one or just want one custom made for your system just let me know.

CUSTOM BOB
[email protected]

 

[Jeremy Chatham]

If you guys are trying to save money, I can show you how to use the cheap optical sensors from ebay or the chinese websites to use with your APEX controller.
It takes a bit of understanding circuits but its pretty simple.
I also make the breakout boxes with the plugin so you dont have to wire anything up.
Email me if you have any questions
[email protected]

 

[BZOFIQ]

If you guys are trying to save money, I can show you how to use the cheap optical sensors from ebay or the chinese websites to use with your APEX controller.
It takes a bit of understanding circuits but its pretty simple.
I also make the breakout boxes with the plugin so you dont have to wire anything up.
Email me if you have any questions
[email protected]

Just post it here. We are all willing to learn.

 

[BZOFIQ]

That's a great idea. On/Off at fingertips instead of going to display/phone/tablet. Thank you.

 

[Jeremy Chatham]

I use a micro controller with the cheapy optical sensors since they are all different and need independent calibrations, (correct me if im wrong) but I ordered 4 of them and wired them up to an arduino and got decent results.
The values 0 - 1023 on a 10 bit system are fluctuating so much that its hard to know the cutoff values. I could not figure out how to make it work in an off/on fashion. They are supposedly wired with a diode and resistors to get this effect but I was unable to achieve it. The pnp transistors I have may be npn and could have been the issue... will continue to update on progress. thanks

 

[BZOFIQ]

I checked @Avast yesterday and their more affordable Build it Yourself version is out of stock.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Just installed my fifth breakout box - 28 sensors and counting (not including the flow and optical sensors that connect to my three FFM boxes). BTW, big thumbs up for the build-it-yourself avast breakout boxes.

Can you please share what you're using them for; im very curious here.

 

[Jeremy Chatham]

This is what I made. Has 4 3.5 mm jacks and 2 on/off switches.
Works great.

 

[Jeremy Chatham]

Here are the step I took to make it.

First plug in a mini din cable into the apex unit. Use a breadboard or other device to label out each pin.
Figure out which pin the power is coming in on.
Then use the ohms setting on your digital multimeter to find out which pin goes to which color wire inside the mini din cable.
You should have a source voltage on one pin and the rest are grounds (6 pins).
Connecting Vout to any ground should produce a switch state changing from open/closed or vice versa closed to open.
You should be able to see this on APEX FUSION screen.
There will be one wire that is not used. That will be all 8 pins labeled.
Cut off the unused wire. Then do the following for the build.

Drill holes in a project box and place the mono speaker 3.5mm jacks in backwards.

Then cut a AWG wire in the spots where you will solder the Vout from the APEX Unit.

Then solder the wire to the ground pins on the mono TS Jacks 3.5 mm.

Then flip the jacks and soldered wire to the inside of the box.

Then solder each wire from the mini din to the solder points you see above /\ /\ /\
Then solder a wire from Vout to each switch and corresponding ground wires to the other prong on the switch.

Let me know if you have any questions or if this helps anyone..

Thanks to all for following this thread and keeping the breakout box trend alive.

 

[mr9iron]

This is a great thread. I think I will get a BOB, some LEDs and. Magnetic door switch for my stand.

 

[User1]

Necro an older thread but is it possible to use the break out box to attach a temperature probe or reading somehow on a heatsink? I am trying to see how I can possibly read the temp on a DIY light fixture in case a fan fails. Probably not needed nor do I own a break out unit but figured I'd ask. Some interesting use in this thread never the less so maybe will pick one up. I like the skimmer idea.

 

[radiata]

Necro an older thread but is it possible to use the break out box to attach a temperature probe or reading somehow on a heatsink? I am trying to see how I can possibly read the temp on a DIY light fixture in case a fan fails. Probably not needed nor do I own a break out unit but figured I'd ask. Some interesting use in this thread never the less so maybe will pick one up. I like the skimmer idea.

You need to think of a breakout box as a piece of hardware that will provide you with the ON or OFF state of up to six different "Switches" and to programmatically act on a particular switch is a particular ON or OFF state. The typical switch is a "float switch", which you could use to control an ATO Pump. Switches can also be an ON or OFF physical electrical switch that can be manually activated by the user - you could use such a switch to turn off pumps in your tank for feeding your fish and then turn the pumps back on again. "Magnetic switches" can also be used - one use is to turn on or off a light whenever a a door on the aquarium base is open or closed. I know of a tank maintenance business that provides their customers with a "Panic Button" to allow their maintenance crew to be advised of a problem with a tank they maintain. There are also more exotic BOBs that allow you to use optical sensors for switches, but they require special electronics as optical switches require a power source.

 

[User1]

Thanks @radiata - that clears that up. I was thinking of it differently so ignorance on my part

 

[BZOFIQ]

Just installed my fifth breakout box - 28 sensors and counting (not including the flow and optical sensors that connect to my three FFM boxes). BTW, big thumbs up for the build-it-yourself avast breakout boxes.

@ca1ore Can you please share with more details what you're using them for; im very curious here.

 

[ca1ore]

I have a number of modules beyond the main unit, so plenty of din sockets for break out boxes. It's all trigger switches - mostly standard floats, but four pressure switches as well. I'm a big fan of redundancy, so I use at least two switches per application. Main ATO uses three, backup ATO uses two, level monitors in the sump, ATO reservoir and AWC buckets are another nine, skimmate container uses two, my dosing containers use five, and so on.