Question for the ACIII Programming Gurus

[toberdick]

I have a quick question for you ACIII programming experts. I would like the unit to send me a daily email to my Blackberry, so when I'm travelling, I can just get a quick check of tank parameters without having to log in to the system via the Internet. Assuming I have the unit set up to send me email alarms, I'm thinking something along the following lines might work. I have no audible alarms hooked up (so I don't have to worry about the beeping while the alarm is active), because I always have my Blackberry on me to receive immediate alarms by email, and because I do not use any X10.

If Time > 00:00 Then ALM OFF
If Time > 14:00 Then ALM ON
If Time > 14:05 Then ALM OFF

Anyone know if this will work to send me a tank status update at 2:00 PM every day? Are there any other ways of doing it?

Also, here's what I'm planning on using for a program. As you can see, I do use the seasonal temperature tables, but not the seasonal sunrise/sunset or moonlight tables. Anyone see any problems or have any suggestions?

MH1$-D14 (1st pair of MHs)
MH2$-D15 (2nd pair of MHs)
MH3$-D16 (3rd pair of MHs)
PC1$-C8 (1st set of PCs)
PC2$-C6 (2nd set of PCs)
REF$-D13 (refugium light)
FAN%-A4 (cooling fans)
KAL#-A1 (kalk reactor stirrer)
CH1%-D4 (chiller 1)
CH2%-B12 (chiller 2)
HET%-D3 (heater)
SKM#-B10 (skimmer)
OZN&-B9 (ozone generators)
H2O&-B11 (water feed through kalk reactor)
CO2&-A2 (CO2 for calcium reactor)
ALM&-J13 (alarm - no audible alarm hooked up)
MON$-C7 (moonlights)
PM1#-D1 (refugium powerhead 1)
PM2#-D2 (refugium powerhead 2)

If Time > 00:00 Then SKM ON
If Time > 00:00 Then OZN ON
If Time > 00:00 Then ALM OFF
If Time > 14:00 Then ALM ON
If Time > 14:05 Then ALM OFF

If Time > 14:00 Then REF OFF
If Time > 23:00 Then REF ON
If Time > 08:00 Then MON OFF
If Time > 23:30 Then MON ON

If Time > 13:40 Then PC1 ON
If Time > 23:40 Then PC1 OFF
If Time > 13:50 Then PC2 ON
If Time > 23:50 Then PC2 OFF
If Time > 14:00 Then MH1 ON
If Time > 23:00 Then MH1 OFF
If Time > 14:15 Then MH2 ON
If Time > 23:15 Then MH2 OFF
If Time > 14:30 Then MH3 ON
If Time > 23:30 Then MH3 OFF

If Temp < 65.0 Then MH1 OFF
If Temp < 65.0 Then MH2 OFF
If Temp < 65.0 Then MH3 OFF
If Temp > RT+0.5 Then MH1 OFF
Max Change 030 M Then MH1 OFF
If Temp > RT+0.7 Then MH3 OFF
Max Change 030 M Then MH3 OFF
If Temp > RT+0.9 Then MH2 OFF
Max Change 030 M Then MH2 OFF
If Temp > RT+0.9 Then REF OFF
Max Change 030 M Then REF OFF

If Temp < RT+-0.3 Then HET ON
If Temp < 65.0 Then HET OFF
If Temp > RT+0.0 Then HET OFF
Max Change 010 M Then HET OFF
If Temp > RT+0.1 Then FAN ON
If Temp < RT+-0.1 Then FAN OFF
Max Change 010 M Then FAN OFF
If Temp > RT+0.3 Then CH1 ON
If Temp < RT+0.0 Then CH1 OFF
Max Change 015 M Then CH1 OFF
If Temp > RT+0.3 Then CH2 ON
If Temp < RT+0.0 Then CH2 OFF
Max Change 015 M Then CH2 OFF

If pH > 7.92 Then CO2 ON
If pH < 7.90 Then CO2 OFF
Max Change 010 M Then CO2 ON
If ORP < 380 Then OZN ON
If ORP > 400 Then OZN OFF
Max Change 010 M Then OZN ON

If Time > 00:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 00:30 Then H2O OFF
If Time > 04:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 04:35 Then H2O OFF
If Time > 08:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 08:35 Then H2O OFF
If Time > 12:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 12:30 Then H2O OFF
If Time > 16:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 16:25 Then H2O OFF
If Time > 20:00 Then H2O ON
If Time > 20:25 Then H2O OFF
If pH > 8.50 Then H2O OFF

If Time > 03:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 03:40 Then KAL OFF
If Time > 07:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 07:40 Then KAL OFF
If Time > 11:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 11:40 Then KAL OFF
If Time > 15:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 15:40 Then KAL OFF
If Time > 19:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 19:40 Then KAL OFF
If Time > 23:30 Then KAL ON
If Time > 23:40 Then KAL OFF

OSC 030/030 ON/OFF Then PM1 ON
OSC 030/030 ON/OFF Then PM2 OFF

If Feed cycle Then SKM OFF
If Timer SKM = OFF Then OZN OFF

If Temp > RT+0.7 Then ALM ON
If Temp < RT+-0.7 Then ALM ON
If pH > 8.50 Then ALM ON
If pH < 7.85 Then ALM ON
If ORP > 420 Then ALM ON
If ORP < 350 Then ALM ON
If Power Fail Then ALM ON


Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Thanks.

-Todd

 

[kattner]

Haven't studied your code in detail, but here's some quick observations:

The answer to your alarm question is yes this will work. I do the same thing to my crackberry.

1) I would set the initial state for OZN to OFF. I think your code will work fine, it just makes me feel better to start off with OZN in the off position and then trigger it when ORP is too low.

2) Your kalk stirrer can probably be done in one line instead of many by using the OSC command like this:

OSC 030/240 ON/OFF Then KAL ON

Every four hours stir for 30 mins

3) same thing for your water feed H20

4) Don't understand why the metal halides kick off if the temp is below 65?

5) Don't understand why the HET turns off if Temp is below 65. Looks like it will conflict with the HET ON statement.

6) I haven't seen the +- used after a RT statement before. Will it just work to say IF TEMP < RT-0.5 ?

7) The temp statements for the heater and chiller look a little tight, but I suppose the max change statements should allow things to settle a bit before the next change.

Anyway, hope this helps, Curt can provide a definitive answer.

 

[toberdick]

kattner,

Thanks for the input. I was hoping the alarm thing would work.

1) That's a good point -- I'll change the ORP thing.

2 & 3) My thinking with the feed water is that by having all the separate lines, I can fine tune the exact number of minutes it's on each time in order to try to keep pH more stable. Concerning the kalk stirrer, I want it to be on just before the feed water is on, but not at the same time, so I figured that if I program the feed water to be on at set times, I should have the kalk stirrer on at set times to achieve this.

4) It's my understanding that if the temp probe craps out, the temperature may read way low (like 50), so the fans and chillers would be off. I've seen people program the MHs to go off if this happens so the tank won't overheat. Anyone know if I'm wrong about this?

5) Heater turns off for the same reason, i.e., if the temp probe craps out. There's no way the temp could possibly get that low otherwise. I'm hoping there would be no conflict because of the order I have the commands. Anyone know whether this will cause a conflict?

6) I think this is just the programming language convention.

7) I know it's a little tight, but my system is 630 total gallons -- nothing (including temperature) changes very quickly.

Thanks again for your suggestions. If anyone else has any comments or answers to the above questions, please chime in!

-Todd

 

[clp]

If the temperature probe is unplugged it will read a very low value. It looks like your low temperature statements will shut down the desired equipment and not cause any conflicts with normal operation.
I'd adjust your on/off temperatures for your chiller so that the chiller runs at least 10-30 minutes. Short runs are not very efficient, and frequent cycling will decrease the life of the compressor.

Curt