Apex/DIY Led Programming

[ecomdesign]

I have my apex on order and I want to have my code figured out ahead of time so I can add it right away when it arrives. My DIY LED fixture has 3 power cords. Plug 1 controls the fans, plug 2 controls the blues (3 meanwells onto 1 plug) and plug 3 controls the whites (2 meanwells onto one plug). Here are some features that I want to have in place:

-power all outlets off if contact between display and base is lost.
-ramp up
-ramp down
-blue and white outlets CANNOT be on without the fan outlet being on. This will safe guard the leds overheating in the event that the fans dont come on.

This is my code so far starting with the profiles: Please take a look and make suggestions!


RampUpLED Profile
Ramp Time 60
Start Intensity 0
End Intensity 90


RampDownLED Profile
Ramp Time 60
Start Intensity 90
End Intensity 0




Programming for VarSpd outlets:
BLUE LED OUTLET:
Set OFF
If Time 12:00 to 01:00 Then RampUpLED
If Time 01:00 to 20:00 Then ON
If Time 20:00 to 21:00 Then RampDownLED

WHITE LED OUTLET:
Set OFF
If Time 12:45 to 01:45 Then RampUpLED
If Time 01:45 to 19:15 Then ON
If Time 19:15 to 20:15 Then RampDownLED


OUTLETS ON EB8:
FAN OUTLET (TO BE NAMED LEDFANS):
FALLBACK OFF
Set OFF If OUTLET BLUELEDS = ON Then ON



BLUE MEANWELL OUTLET (TO BE NAMED BLUELEDS):
FALLBACK OFF
Set OFF
If Time 12:00 to 21:00 Then ON
If Time 21:00 to 12:00 Then OFF

WHITE MEANWELL OUTLET (TO BE NAMED WHITELEDS):
FALLBACK OFF
Set OFF
If Time 12:45 to 20:15 Then ON
If Time 20:15 to 12:45 Then OFF


With the above code, I think the blues and fans will come on at 12:00noon and the blue will ramp up to 90% over the hour. 45 minutes after they start to ramp up, the white will begin to ramp up to 90% over the next hour. At the end of the day, they will ramp down in the opposite manner. I have a failsafe on the fans so that anytime the blues are on, the fans must be one aswell. Is this the best way to do it?

How can I add something to failsafe that the whites will not turn on without the fans being on? I couldnt find a good way in the manual.

Is there anything else I can add to this code? I would like to add a alert to my phone if they dont come on at the proper time, but I will wait to try to add that until I have the alert function working!

thanks for your help, sorry for the long post!!!

 

[RussM]

Add this to the LEDFANS outlet:

If OUTLET WHITELEDS = ON Then ON


This may seem like wordplay, but you really are not doing this:

-blue and white outlets CANNOT be on without the fan outlet being on.

What you really are doing is simply telling the controller to turn on the fans whenever the LED lights are on.

 

[ecomdesign]

Perfect, thanks Russ. I started working on my return pump and skimmer pump this morning too. The skimmer is gravity feed from my overflow so I'm putting a delay in the skimmer pump for 2 mins after the return pump turns on after any feed cycle. I think it's good though.

 

[ecomdesign]

What makes more sense, this:

OUTLETS ON EB8:
FAN OUTLET (TO BE NAMED LEDFANS):
FALLBACK OFF
Set OFF
If OUTLET BLUELEDS = ON Then ON
If OUTLET WHITELEDS = ON Then ON

or this:


OUTLETS ON EB8:
FAN OUTLET (TO BE NAMED LEDFANS):
FALLBACK OFF
Set ON
If OUTLET BLUELEDS = OFF Then OFF
If OUTLET WHITELEDS = OFF Then OFF

 

[RussM]

The end result is the same. Maybe I just need more brain lubricant in a mug this morning, but I really can't see any notable advantage of one of the other.

 

[aquamanic]

I would reconsider your 'fallback off' statement though. If you lose connectivity to the controller, the EB8 becomes a brick without fallback ON. With fallback ON, at least it's a (dumb) power strip. You could then control the lights with a timer, manually with an on/off switch if available, etc.

Fallback OFF is usually best for devices where something bad would happen if they ran unregulated by the controller (dosing pumps for example that need to know pH).

 

[Kahuna]

Just out of curiosity, why bother with programming the fans at all? Off is off, right? So use an 8-outlet power strip. The relay outlets on outlets 4 and 8 on the EB8 can handle the current, so plug the strip into outlets 4 or 8. When the outlet is off, the whites and blues are off and so are the fans, and vice-versa. Works well for me. I'm using 4 fans and 7 meanwells running 3 different colors, and this setup works geat. Use the KISS principle.

Kev

 

[aquamanic]

why bother with programming the fans at all?

I debated the same thing with my MH setup and fans. However, by keeping them separate on controllable outlets I'm able to add some logic that says if the temp in the tank gets too high for whatever reason (for example, the chiller fails in the summer), send me an email but also turn the fans on AND shut off the lights. If you had fans and lights running on the same outlet or power strip, you wouldn't be able to do that.

 

[ecomdesign]

Aquamedic makes a good point. Also, I don't want to put my blues and whites on the same outlet. I like have my insane actinic blues. The colours pop like crazy.

 

[Kahuna]

OK, I didn't communicate correctly. I have the following setup that is being finished up on my tank:

7 dimmable meanwell controllers, 4 12V fans on top of the heatsinks, 35 blue LED's, 35 white LED's, and 8 red LED's.

When you take the 0-10 VDC from the APEX to the meanwell controllers to 0 VDC, the controllers are off (hence the LED's). There's still 120VAC at the controllers. So, the LED's are off but the fans are still running. This setup works great.

If you want your heatsink fans to run and the LED's off, take the VRM lines from the APEX to 0 VDC. Everything is still plugged in. If you have an enclosed canopy with fans, you can kill the VRM voltage to the controllers and run the fans in the canopy on a separate outlet. I don't have a canopy. And I already have 2 EB8's. Don't want to buy a third one.

It's like this in the manufacturing world. You're not placing the system into an emergency stop, just killing the power to the heaters. By taking the drive enable or speed reference away from the SCR that drives the heaters, you place the machine into a safety hold state. The 480V 3 phase power is still at the drive, but can't get past it due to the loss of the enable signal. Same thing with the analog signal to the meanwells. You take the enable signal away and the system stays powered but the heat source is off.

This I can talk about; I do it for a living.

Kev

 

[Kahuna]

I debated the same thing with my MH setup and fans. However, by keeping them separate on controllable outlets I'm able to add some logic that says if the temp in the tank gets too high for whatever reason (for example, the chiller fails in the summer), send me an email but also turn the fans on AND shut off the lights. If you had fans and lights running on the same outlet or power strip, you wouldn't be able to do that.

I have a separate set of cabinet fans that cool the sump area and perform this function. My only fans running on the power strip are the heatsink fans, which should be on all the time while the LED's are running. Cooling the sump is more efficient than cooling the tank in my opinion. No chiller on my 90g.

Kev

 

[ecomdesign]

Are you saying that the 110v plugs for your meanwells plug into a standard outlet and not into the apex at all? You then use the 0-10v dimming off the apex to ramp down and shut your LEDs off? Am I understanding correctly? I though about doing this in the past but wasn't sure if it was safe for the meanwells.

 

[Kahuna]

The power strip (eight outlet) is plugged into outlet #4 on EB2. If I want the LED system off, including the transformer to the fans, I kill the power on that outlet. If I have an overtemp alarm, I kill the power to it. All the meanwells and the fans are off in one shot. This way, I have control of the entire lighting system and its subcomponents on one outlet. You could use two outlets and run the fans separately. This way, if the heatsink is getting really hot and staying hot after the LED's are off, you could run the fans on a timer, or better yet, a thermocouple, snap switch, or thyristor to turn on the fans if the sinks exceed 120F or off if the sinks fall below 120F.

Like you, I'm still working this out. I've got the power OK but stilll debugging the code. This is because I'm running the reds at dawn, dusk, and high noon. Maybe when this is over we can compare notes.