DIY controller

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i am working on an off the shelf plc with a mV module. so far everything is only in the thought process. the tables for the probes, did they come from the probe manufacturer? if so do you need to calibrate the full range, or are they pretty much spot on?
 
for the most part PH probes are linear. You will need to cal them and keep in mind that the signal is super low.

ORP is a direct mv measurement.
 
Cranking away on my icecap dimmer module. Playing around with my icecap 660 I think I have a pretty slick scheme that will allow me to dim these guys. That takes care of my VHO. If I just could find a dimmable HID ballast I would be in business. There are a few but everything I read you get huge color shifts and the ballast itself must be held at full power for a few minuts before you can dim it.
 
Ron, I don't think the color shift is avoidable... as the operating temperature of the bulb (and hence the arc) affect the color temperature to a large extent.

Are the icecap ballasts simply 0-10v dimmable? If so that should be fairly simple to interface to just about any type of controller.
 
You are right Acrosteve the dimmable ballasts are EXPENSIVE. I was shocked.

Beananimal. The icecaps are not 0-10V dimmable. I did patent search and then torn mine apart, to figure out what I needed to do. It is a bit more complicated then that just a voltage, you also need bypass the safty shutdown and monitor it yourself to keep the ballast running at lower output.
 
Ahh I see.

Advance makes several 0-10v dimmable ballasts. The 54W and 108W T5 versions are about $160. I never priced the larger series.
 
Advanced Ballast makes of dimmable NO and HO ballasts. they also make a bunch of difference types of dimmer controls. You have to get one that is 0-10V They cost a bit more but all are easy to work with. I have a 54W Advanced ballast that I used to develop the dimmer portion of my controller. All that being said there is nothing as flexible as the icecap 660. That is why I want to make a 0-10V dimmer interface for it.
 
Ahh I understand. I was going to place an order today for the #RZT-2S54 (dimmable T5). I plan onusing the dallas 1-wire pot to controll it (as shown in the dallas app note.)

Keep us informed as to your progress.
 
Just thought I would post my tank info since using Ron's Aquarium Controller. I just started using the data logging feature today, but I can already see trends in the pH and ORP throughout the day! Very easy to use and setup the software/hardware. If anyone has any specific questions about setup and how easy it is to use just let me know. I would be more than happy to share my experience with anyone!

Thanks,
David
 
Here is the picture I tried to attach in the last post. Thanks again Ron for everything!

43189Tank_Parameters.jpg


First Graph:
The red line shows the hood temp
The blue line shows the tank temp

Second Graph
The blue line shows the pH of the tank

Third Graph
The blue line shows the ORP value of the tank
 
Thanks Keith it has been alot or work and I am happy how it turned out. Glad it is working out for you.

Eleben it is nice to see you up and running too. I expect code from you soon :)
 
The PDA ASP will be cool, glad you can work on it. I am maxed out with the conductivity probe and ion specific development. It would have ben months before I would have gotten to it.
 
ok another question i have a laptop with a celular internet card will i be able to acess the webbased portion of this with my laptop?
 
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