My Neptune Apex web interface compatible DIY reef controller

[d0ughb0y]

yes it will work using any browser that supports html5 (which is pretty much any modern browser).

read this thread and about arduino and see if this is something you want to get in to.
you will learn a lot of things (just as I did) for sure.
just as with reefkeeping, you need some patience in order to have a successful and complete project.

 

[bdevillier]

Yeah lots of reading to do. I'm on page 17 so far. Hopefully I can grasp the while procedure and put this thing together. Thanks for the reply.

 

[d0ughb0y]

I can test the ORP circuit and one other pH circuit

how do you calibrate the atlas ORP?
is it dipping the probe into 225mV solution then getting a continuous reading and entering + or - until the reading is 225?

what is the valid reading range for reef application?

The conductivity sensor calibration seems complicated, I might leave that out since the probe can be calibrated separately using the atlas test sketch.

 

[d0ughb0y]

picture of my doser

2ml test dose

I use a glass graduated cylinder I got from a local science store for calibration

http://www.sanjosescientific.com/servlet/the-1582/Cylinder,-Graduated--dsh--Glass/Detail

 

[wgraham]

how do you calibrate the atlas ORP?
is it dipping the probe into 225mV solution then getting a continuous reading and entering + or - until the reading is 225?

what is the valid reading range for reef application?

The conductivity sensor calibration seems complicated, I might leave that out since the probe can be calibrated separately using the atlas test sketch.

Yes you leave the probe in the solution until it is stable an then you adjust it plus or minus until you get 225

I have the solution

 

[d0ughb0y]

Yes you leave the probe in the solution until it is stable an then you adjust it plus or minus until you get 225



I have the solution

Did you get the chance to test the files I sent you by email?

 

[wgraham]

Did you get the chance to test the files I sent you by email?

Had a deaf in the family and had a busy weekend. Will try to get to it today

 

[wgraham]

I mean death

 

[d0ughb0y]

Sorry to hear that.
No hurry on the test, as I won't be working on this till this weekend.

 

[SorsCode]

d0ughb0y -

Great work on the doser setup. I have my 40G Breeder setup, and running. Hoping to let the controller take control later this week. Finishing up my Power Distribution box today. The DC-6000 Return pump is awesome. I have the BeanAnimal overflow setup, and running the DC-6000 at half power. I was playing around, and I could run the DC-6000 at full power with no problems. The Pump is super quiet.

 

[d0ughb0y]

d0ughb0y -

Great work on the doser setup. I have my 40G Breeder setup, and running. Hoping to let the controller take control later this week. Finishing up my Power Distribution box today. The DC-6000 Return pump is awesome. I have the BeanAnimal overflow setup, and running the DC-6000 at half power. I was playing around, and I could run the DC-6000 at full power with no problems. The Pump is super quiet.

when you say half power, do you mean it is in middle setting on the stock controller? or from the diy controller pwm output? how high is your return from the pump, 4 feet?

what pipe size is the dc-6000 pump output?
I currently have eheim and I think it is female 3/4" thread (not sure, have to check). I need to know if I need to modify the connections to replace the pump.

 

[SorsCode]

The middle setting on the stock controller, since I don't have my PDU finished, I'm using all stock controllers in the mean time. My return height is 3ft 10in. I'm running a 1" return line into a manifold, from there it is reduced to 3/4" outlets for my manifold connections. I went to Lowes and bought correct NPT to Slip which came to be 1 1/4", then ran a reducer sleeve to 1" to connect up to my manifold. You could move it down to 3/4" if you want without an issue. Hope that helps.

I'm going to hopefully post some pictures tonight showing the finished product of the controller box and PDU (if all goes well).

 

[d0ughb0y]

I'm pretty sure you are not at 50%, as the manual states these as the setting

• 6 speed settings - 100%, 90%, 85%, 80%, 70% and 60% - setting is
retained if power is lost.

so you are either at 85 or 80%

 

[SorsCode]

You are correct, I forgot that's how they do their percentages. I'm at 80%.

 

[d0ughb0y]

d0ughb0y,
I am on buissnes trip past 6 days and today I was checking controller log and I see a lot of :

Ethernet and webserver reset?

As I check in controller log this started yesterday and then today and before noone time? Today for example each 20min from midnight to 1PM and in this time no other record in this log except each 20min this error? And then also from 3PM-4:20PM and later few times more.
What could be reason for that?

As I am not at home I didn't make any code change, update or anything and controller runs now for about 2weeks without reset or restart.
I check at home and my family says all day interest works normally.
I also call ISP and they say for longer than a month no errors on Internet line.

Controller runs only with one temp sensor on it without any other device.

ok, I found the bug in my netCheck code.
client connect can fail if there is no available socket.
I will fix to reset only if actual socket connect to router fails.

 

[ClownFan]

Greetings,

Here's my contribution:

First, great work to date and kudos to the designer, d0ughb0y.

Secondly, on GitHub there is the following text:
Beginning with v20140805, you will need to gzip the index.htm to file index.gz and upload that as well whenver you edit index.htm
Am I reading this correctly and we have to keep index.htm (on SD) as well? A confirmation would be appreciated.

Third, on the question of PH and at the risk of sounding negative, I find neither "off the shelf" solutions personally attractive:
The Atlas module has no galvanic isolation and the Dormant Labs module is somewhat inflexible. I don't suppose that there are any issues
in using one or more Mega 2560 ADC channels to sample an (isolated) voltage proportional to PH and/or ORP? We just need to modify the sensor module, right?

TIA

 

[d0ughb0y]

Greetings,

Here's my contribution:

First, great work to date and kudos to the designer, d0ughb0y.

Secondly, on GitHub there is the following text:
Beginning with v20140805, you will need to gzip the index.htm to file index.gz and upload that as well whenver you edit index.htm
Am I reading this correctly and we have to keep index.htm (on SD) as well? A confirmation would be appreciated.

Third, on the question of PH and at the risk of sounding negative, I find neither "off the shelf" solutions personally attractive:
The Atlas module has no galvanic isolation and the Dormant Labs module is somewhat inflexible. I don't suppose that there are any issues
in using one or more Mega 2560 ADC channels to sample an (isolated) voltage proportional to PH and/or ORP? We just need to modify the sensor module, right?

TIA

Best to upload both index.htm and index.gz files to SD card. You never know if your internet connection will go through some route that will change the http header to not accept gzipped response. But in general, you can probably get away with just uplpoading the gzipped file.

Have you actually tried out the various ph options? I started with my own circuit, it was nothing but problems. The atlas stamp was trouble free right from the beginning. I just checked their website, and they are closing out the current ph stamps. Perhaps they are coming out with a new version that has galvanic isolation. They sell a power isolator stamp that will work with the ph stamp.
https://www.atlas-scientific.com/product_pages/embedded/pwr-iso.html

 

[SorsCode]

So I finished up all my cabling inside my boxes. Figured I would post a few pictures. I plan on revising this a lot in the very near future. I have everything on its way. I'm going to dye the plastic on the next one black since they only offer it in the beige. I'm downloaded the latest version of your code, just need to move my changes over to it, and test.

 

[d0ughb0y]

Did you do the full 16 outlets?
Are the 2 bnc for ph? If you are using atlas for ph I can send you my current code with multiple atlas stamp support.

 

[SorsCode]

I wired up up 16, but currently only using 8. I need to see what all needs changed in the code to make all 16 work. I don't need them all, but may some day in the near future.

The BNC's are for pH/Salinity & ORP. The picture only shows 2 BNC's but I added the 3rd after I took the picture. I do have 2 pH stamps though, so your code is very much welcome, if you want me to test in the near future.

Also I think I found an issue on the Web Interface. Mainly for the PWM Pumps Setup section. Pump 1 & Pump 2 show the same settings, and Pump 3 show as Master with H1 @ 50%. However in the config.h file Pump 2 and 3 are setup as _master @ 50%. I have my return pump connect to Pump 2 PWM, and I had to modify the Pump 3 settings from the web interface for on the fly changes.

Thoughts?