Howto: Use a Linksys Router as Wireless Reef Controller - WRRC

This is a fascinating post, unfortunatly way over my head/ablities. Im guessing that if I get lost on the post its going to be too challenging to follow your steps? Is there a place you can suggest I start to understand half of what you are talking about. I can see the advantages of what your building and truly could use one so I am willing to try and learn....
 
I haven't had any time to work on this project with it being summer time and all. Living in MN, I have to take full advantage of the 3 months of decent weather before winter sets back in. I know I'm still interested in it, but time is the key right now. It's really a work in progress, but I know there's a firmware out on the site that has some functionality, with basic web administration but it's still pretty linux oriented for anything beyond that.

If you are interested, I'd start out reading what we have posted on the website.

wwww.bytality.com/wrrc/
 
Any new updates? I'm particularly interested in the pH/ORP interface.

I like the idea of using a Linksys, but I already have a PC running Linux, so I will use it instead. The hardware side seems pretty straightforward, except for the pH interfaces. I want to make sure the A/D converter and amp combination will allow for good probe resolution.
 
It really kills me, but no progress lately. I've been working 60+ hrs/week recently which should be slowing down mid Nov. I really want to make progress on this project though. Just plain cool, and really functional. Still could use some help from someone with electronics knowledge to get the PH/ORP interfaces setup. Need some help with A/D converters or op-amp setups to get the pH milivolts into the 1-wire interface.
 
I'm just trying to pull together the router & 1wire stuff into an operational pile of parts at the moment, but I appreciate the work that's been done so far. This project definitely looks like it'll provide the control that I'm sure I'd need if I had a tank up and running...

First things first, eh?

Regarding the pH probe interface: anything I've learned about electronics vanished years ago when I turned to the Soft Side and away from the messy analog realm, but would it not be possible to throw a handful of diodes at the thing in order to split the negative and positive voltages into two separate A/D converter channels, while inverting the negative to produce a positive input?

I realize that it wouldn't be ideal, as you'd have the acidic side on one channel and the basic on the other, but you could recombine them in software and read the full range of the probe, after some amplification.

I'm sure there's a very fundamental reason why this wouldn't be possible, but I'll probably blow up my router and/or pH probe just to check things out. I find the pretty sparks enchanting...
 
6/13/2006... What happened you guys get a working product and start selling them, lol? I just started reading on this. I'd really like to look into doing this, however if everyone else has abandoned the project with all you already found and documented... yeah I don't think I could get a finished project.

Jon
 
Looks like barebottoms' last post was over a year ago. Must have went someplace else.


Too bad. This looks like a killer project.
 
Yeah, I pretty much lost touch with barebottoms, and personally don't have the low-level linux skills to do this on my own. I'm more of a high-level PC guy and am very new to *nix systems. I am looking at doing it on a PC running linux out of the box since that will cut out all the custom compiling to make it run on the WRT54g. I'm more at home with a PC and think that'd be more flexible in the long run too.

I think alot of the same stuff will apply AFA usefullness and outcomes just on another hardware platform.

BTW, I still need to find someone who can figure out how to input pH mV's using any of the 1-wire sensors. Anyone savy with EE type stuff would be VERY usefull to get the sensor circuits going....
:)
 
I've been wanting to do this project for a long time. I decided that the pH probe was the real deal-breaker. On my way to researching a bunch of ways to do the pH, I think I have found something that may work...

This is an "Electrode Amplifier" for pH probes. It sells for $40. I think it does exactly what we want.

pH probe Amplifier

Here is a link to the pinout.

I got this information from the Phidgets.com web site. I was looking at their products - they are interfaces that connect to a USB port - like what Barebottoms was doing with 1-wire. If there was a port of the Phidgets software to openwrt, then you could use them instead of (or in addition to) the 1-wire stuff. They also have a USB to ph Probe module.

The forum post that discusses the pH probe amplifier is here.

The pH Amplifier seems like a nice solution to the pH probe problem.

dave
 
We talked about the Go-Link(USB) and pH probe a little in this thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=864968&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

Only problem with Vernier products seems to be that if you don't have there DAQ or links, there products will not work. From what I am being told the ports they use will not work with anything else, so if someone were to get a probe then look into using for a project like this router project, it wouldn't be easy and may not be possible to do.
 
I don't see why the vernier probe amplifier wouldn't work. It puts out 0-5 volts that should be readable by any daq device. I might order one for orp, unless I see something better on ebay in the next few months.
 
Hrm, thread dieing...

Not being a hardware/software expert... I see lots of X10 pH probes on google, I know it's not 1-wire, but as X10's already been added to the WRRC project, wouldn't it be relatively easy to use an X10 pH probe?

Other option - I notice many of the handheld pH probes for scientific use have a RS232 port - the linksys routers can have an RS232 port added quite easily... Is that a better option?


Andy
 
??? What? X10 pH probe? I looked around google for a minute can't find what your talking about, but I am seriously interested to know because this would solve a lot of my problems. Are you sure your reading the pages right? Could you be looking at a Attenuation Ratio that is x10(times ten) or the resolution?
 
Ok, you're right it would seem I'm loosing it tonight... Now I can't spot em - could have sworn I did on some pool related websites...

However:

http://www.drdaq.com/ph.html

This could be adapted and drivers are available for linux... May require one of the newer routers - as you'd need to probably use one of the usb->parallel adapters - which is workable under linux it seems.
 
This Dr. Daq stuff is that using standard temp and pH probes? I have looked into them a little before. What ever I get I want to make sure that future upgrades and applications don't send me to buying every single piece over again unless I can get one thing working 100% well doing everything.(because then of course I wouldn't care, but that is not going to happen)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Reef octopus Varios 4 0-10V connection to Hydros controllers
Replies
2
Views
217
tmann51
T
A
Aquarium Temperature Control: How I Hacked My Air Conditioner to control my tanks temperatures
Replies
6
Views
2K
Naso180
N
E
Which heater
Replies
7
Views
440
Uncle99
Uncle99
skeeter_ca
How do i alternate two closed loop system DC pumps.
Replies
7
Views
80
wvned
wvned
K
40 Gallon AIO Tank Repair?
Replies
8
Views
187
kingyking888
K
Back
Top