DIY Reef Controller
- Thread starter nkd5024
- Start date
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
Awesome work, i am getting ready to order a bunch of parts for my new project. I already built one an arduino controller to regulate temp, but definitely want to build this one.
The major question i have is how are you converting the pwm signal to work with meanwell drivers.
That is the main reason i didn't have my last controller controlling my lights.
thanks,
Dan
The major question i have is how are you converting the pwm signal to work with meanwell drivers.
That is the main reason i didn't have my last controller controlling my lights.
thanks,
Dan
nkd5024
New member
What type of meanwell drivers are you talking about? The PWM or analog dimming versions?
If the pwm version you just use the pwm signal from the arduino to turn a transistor on and off. The transistor controls a 10v signal which than goes to the meanwell.
If analog dimming, I am using a 3rd order sallen-key filter designed by Mark. C (can't remember his user name ATM) Using the filter with an op-amp and a 10 or 12 volt supply the arduino pwm signal is turned into a 0-10v analog signal.
If the pwm version you just use the pwm signal from the arduino to turn a transistor on and off. The transistor controls a 10v signal which than goes to the meanwell.
If analog dimming, I am using a 3rd order sallen-key filter designed by Mark. C (can't remember his user name ATM) Using the filter with an op-amp and a 10 or 12 volt supply the arduino pwm signal is turned into a 0-10v analog signal.
Guelphie
Premium Member
Sorry if this is a stupid post....
This hobby never ceases to amaze me. When I first go into it, I thought, okay, I'll learn how to keep pretty saltwater fish.
As the years progressed, I've learned plumbing, some construction for stands, some chemistry and now it looks like I'll be learning electronics (or whatever this is considered) because it looks awesomely fun and a cool challenge. It seems to me the fish are just the excuse to do all this other cool stuff.
thanks for this awesome thread.
This hobby never ceases to amaze me. When I first go into it, I thought, okay, I'll learn how to keep pretty saltwater fish.
As the years progressed, I've learned plumbing, some construction for stands, some chemistry and now it looks like I'll be learning electronics (or whatever this is considered) because it looks awesomely fun and a cool challenge. It seems to me the fish are just the excuse to do all this other cool stuff.
thanks for this awesome thread.
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
Honestly, I am looking to dim both types of drivers from my arduino. I tried the transistor with no luck and have been looking into op amps lately. I really want to rebuild my circuit but am going to hold of until I can get the lighting working.
I am out of my element here with circuits, I can build them and solder everything, I just cant design them. Do you have any diagrams as to what you are explaining.
here is a circuit I saw recently and am thinking about building. If you wouldnt mind taking a look at it and seeing if it would work
Thanks I really appreciate the help,
Dan
WSPepsilon
New member
Nothing like a reef tank to bring out the diyer in all of us right!?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Honestly, I am looking to dim both types of drivers from my arduino. I tried the transistor with no luck and have been looking into op amps lately. I really want to rebuild my circuit but am going to hold of until I can get the lighting working.
I am out of my element here with circuits, I can build them and solder everything, I just cant design them. Do you have any diagrams as to what you are explaining.
here is a circuit I saw recently and am thinking about building. If you wouldnt mind taking a look at it and seeing if it would work
Thanks I really appreciate the help,
Dan
To answer your question the RC at the input of the circuit form a single pole filter. The cutoff frequency = 1/(2*pi*R*C) In this case that would be 16 Hz This will provide approximately 40 dB of rolloff at 488Hz the PWM freq of the Arduino. My self I might add a second similar pole, just duplicating the RC part.
The opamp circuit is a standard Non-Inverting amplifier. It is used so that a positive voltage becomes a bigger positive voltage. The gain is set by the resistors R2 and R3. Gain = 1+R2/R3. The circuit is thus intended to take a 5v PWM signal and convert it to a 0-10v DC signal where the higher the positive duty cycle of the PWM signal the higher the DC voltage.
Hope this helps,
Mark
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
Mark,
thanks for the response. i think i understand what you are saying, if i add another filter inline with the first, everything should work better for what i am trying to achieve.
i will be ordering parts tomorrow and once i have the lights working ill try my luck at the rest of the interface.
thanks
dudemeister
New member
nkd5024
New member
I think open reef is taken and openreefer is pretty similar.
I just received my order from digikey for all the parts for the different pcbs. So now I get to stare at the parts until the pcbs get here. The surface mount parts don't look to be extremely difficult to solder and I look forward to giving it a shot. The only ones i'm worried about is the 0405 0.1uF capactiors. I probably should have increased their size to the 0805 version.
All the components needed for the pcbs can be ordered from Digikey and I will post a bom once the pcbs get here and I confirm everything works as planned. I must say that I am quite impressed with digikey's customer service. I was accidentally shipped a random chip (14pin tssop schmitt trigger) instead of the lm2940 10v regulator and within a 5 minute phone call they had the correct part shipped out to me!
I also recieved my AVR in system programmer and am currently trying to learn to use it to burn some bootloader and basic programs to an avrtiny85 I had lying around.
I just received my order from digikey for all the parts for the different pcbs. So now I get to stare at the parts until the pcbs get here. The surface mount parts don't look to be extremely difficult to solder and I look forward to giving it a shot. The only ones i'm worried about is the 0405 0.1uF capactiors. I probably should have increased their size to the 0805 version.
All the components needed for the pcbs can be ordered from Digikey and I will post a bom once the pcbs get here and I confirm everything works as planned. I must say that I am quite impressed with digikey's customer service. I was accidentally shipped a random chip (14pin tssop schmitt trigger) instead of the lm2940 10v regulator and within a 5 minute phone call they had the correct part shipped out to me!
I also recieved my AVR in system programmer and am currently trying to learn to use it to burn some bootloader and basic programs to an avrtiny85 I had lying around.
nkd5024
New member
As far as the names I was thinking about it and I really like Greek names. The two most fitting names would then be Hydrus, the god of primordial waters or Okeanos, the divine personification of the "world ocean".
According to a few sites Poseidon was actually the god of the Mediterranean sea only and not the oceans, making the name unfitting for a reef controller. I personally like Okeanos more than Hydrus.
What does everyone think?
According to a few sites Poseidon was actually the god of the Mediterranean sea only and not the oceans, making the name unfitting for a reef controller. I personally like Okeanos more than Hydrus.
What does everyone think?
WSPepsilon
New member
I'm with you on the Greek names. I have a tendency to name my mmorpg characters with that in mind. Icis for ice Wizard, Hephaestus for fire ect. I like both of those you found, am curious on the pronunciation as well.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
nkd5024
New member
Ōkeanós is pronounced like ah-key-nose.
http://www.pronouncehow.com/english/okeanos_pronunciation
Rott, I like Nautilus but it doesn't have as much meaning behind it as Okeanos.
As far as the porjects progress I am currently jumping through all of apples hoops to install their gnu toolchain through xcode, which requires mountain lion as they have stopped support snow leopard already!
I am still trying to get the avr programmer to work which doesn't help that atmels avr studios doesn't support any OS other than windows.
http://www.pronouncehow.com/english/okeanos_pronunciation
Rott, I like Nautilus but it doesn't have as much meaning behind it as Okeanos.
As far as the porjects progress I am currently jumping through all of apples hoops to install their gnu toolchain through xcode, which requires mountain lion as they have stopped support snow leopard already!
I am still trying to get the avr programmer to work which doesn't help that atmels avr studios doesn't support any OS other than windows.
OK my two cents worth:
Do NOT choose Ōkeanós. Never pick a name that people are unsure how to pronounce. It will never stick and they will call it something else.
Hydrus on the other hand is easy to pronounce and remember. I would vote for that.
Maybe a logo of a sea god holding a reef tank.
Mark
Do NOT choose Ōkeanós. Never pick a name that people are unsure how to pronounce. It will never stick and they will call it something else.
Hydrus on the other hand is easy to pronounce and remember. I would vote for that.
Maybe a logo of a sea god holding a reef tank.
Mark
