ACIII Webpage Unkown Device Status

[Submerged]

Hi all,

Often, the web status page for my ACIII loses track of certain devices. Usually, it's my return pump (PM1), but as you can see in the pic below, it does this randomly for other devices as well.

Anyone know the cause/solution for this problem?

I can sometimes trick it into knowing the status of the devices by changing the status (e.g. from auto to manual and then back to auto). Seems to be about a 30% hit rate in picking up the correct status when I do this.

 

[clp]

The device status is unknown until a program statement for that device is evaluated as true. Every time you set the clock, modify the program, or restart the controller, all the timers will be set to unknown. If you this doesn't expalin what is going on then post your program, and I'll take a look.

Curt

 

[kattner]

I have used the following statement

If Time >00:00 Then DV1 ON [Where DV1 is the device name]

as one of the first lines of the program. Use the ON/OFF to put the desired device in what you want as the default condition - either on or off. Then as conditions change your program will turn the device on or off based on what happens. This way the AC has evaluated the device condition and knows what state it is in initially. Seems to work for me.

 

[Submerged]

Every time you set the clock, modify the program, or restart the controller, all the timers will be set to unknown. Curt

Thanks for the reply, Curt. Are you using the term 'timers' broadly to refer to all controlled devices? The ones that were Unknown this morning were all linked to temperature evaluations.

I did try modifying my program to see if that caused devices to go unknown. When I did this, 2 of the three devices (heaters HET and HT1) that were unknown this morning switched back to unknown. The third device (a pump that runs to my chiller, PMC) that was unknown this morning was unaffected by the change in program. It seems to be random as to which device(s) lose their status.

 

[clp]

Timer is just a generic term I use. Without seeing your program statements, I can't say for certain but I suspect that the controller's unknown status is exactly what it should be. For example if your heater statements are:

If Temp < 79.0 Then HET ON
If Temp > 80.0 Then HET OFF

Let's say the temperature of the tank is 79.5, and you modify the program. The HET status will be unknown, because neither of the two program statements has ever been true. As soon as the temperature rises or falls and one of the statements is true, the appropriate on or off command will be sent to the HET.
We added the unknown state was added in the AC3PRO, and ACJR to help users see when a timer's logic is not fully specified. If the unknown does not go away after a little while it is likely that there is problem in the program.
I don't recommend adding a 'If Time > 00:00 Then HET OFF' statement as it will change the operation of the heater. If the statements are:

If Time > 00:00 Then HET OFF
If Temp < 79.0 Then HET ON
If Temp > 80.0 Then HET OFF

Then it will be as though the 'If Temp > 80.0 Then HET OFF' statement was not even present. When the temperature goes below 79 the heater will turn on, and as soon as it goes above 79.0 it will shut off. If the temperature was oscillating between 78.9 and 79.0 the heater would turn on/off frequently.
In the first and correct program the heater would come on if the temperature when below 79.0, and shut off only when it reached 80.0. The heater turning on/off frequently is not possible due to the temperature dead band.

Curt

 

[Submerged]

Let's say the temperature of the tank is 79.5, and you modify the program. The HET status will be unknown, because neither of the two program statements has ever been true. As soon as the temperature rises or falls and one of the statements is true, the appropriate on or off command will be sent to the HET.
Curt

Hi Curt,

My program is listed at the bottom of this post. A couple of odd things I've noticed: The unknown status can occur for devices (timers) for which there are no progam statements. My return pump, for example, is set to Manual On. Sometimes, its status turns up as unknown, other times it is 'on'. If I modify my program (e.g. change the time at which a light comes on), this may or may not change the status of my pump to unkown. Sometimes it does; other times the status remains known. My point is that which devices become unknown is random. It only seems to affect my pumps and heaters. I've never seen a light's status become unknown.

A second, perhaps unrelated issue: If a device has program statements and is then set to manual off, the manual off setting appears to be temporary. At some point, it converts to auto. This does not happen for devices that have no program statements (e.g. my return pump).

An example. I have a chiller which is set to turn on at a particular temp. I also have a pump that turns on just before the chiller (PMC) which moves water through the chiller. Since the weather has turned colder, I have switched my chiller to manual off. Inevitably, the chiller will at some point, convert it self to auto. It does not seem to do this following a change in program code. Perhaps it occurs on a power reset? I've not tested that yet. Is it supposed to do that? In an ideal world, I would prefer it to stay in the state it is set to...

---
If Time > 09:00 Then LT1 ON
If Time > 22:00 Then LT1 OFF
If Time > 12:30 Then LT2 ON
If Time > 21:00 Then LT2 OFF
If Time > 12:00 Then LT3 ON
If Time > 20:30 Then LT3 OFF
If Temp > 79.9 Then PMC ON
If Temp < 79.5 Then PMC OFF
If Temp > 80.0 Then COL ON
If Temp < 79.5 Then COL OFF
If Temp < 79.0 Then HET ON
If Temp > 79.5 Then HET OFF
If Temp < 78.9 Then HT2 ON
If Temp > 79.5 Then HT2 OFF
OSC 060/060 ON/OFF Then PM2 ON
If Feed cycle Then PM1 OFF
If Feed cycle Then PM2 OFF
If ORP < 365 Then OZN ON
If ORP > 385 Then OZN OFF
If pH > 08.45 Then CO2 ON
If pH < 08.35 Then CO2 OFF
If Time > 00:00 Then ALM OFF
If pH > 08.50 Then ALM ON
If pH < 08.00 Then ALM ON
If ORP > 450 Then ALM ON
If ORP < 300 Then ALM ON
If Temp < 78.0 Then ALM ON
If Temp > 80.2 Then ALM ON

 

[clp]

There is no on statement for PM1 so it state could very well be unknown. It should be:

If Time > 00:00 Then PM1 ON
If Feed cycle Then PM1 OFF

PMC, COL, HET, and HT2 could very well be unknown for a some period if the temperature happened to between the two setpoints when a program modification or power cycle occurred.
Don't rely on the manual off/on setting. After a power cycle it will revert to auto.

Curt

 

[Submerged]

PM1 does not revert to auto on a power cycle. But, it also doesn't have a statement (as you noticed). So I can set them both to a permanent state using IF Time > 00:00...?

 

[clp]

PM1 will revert to auto on a power cycle. Yes, use the If Time > 00:00 Then XXX to make something permanently on or off.

Curt