Remote Screen for AC3 (WIN/MAC/*NIX) ::WIP::

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10889167#post10889167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elahav
All is working for me as well including the PX-1000,But when the Aquanotes connected to the AC3 you cannot pull the data from it. Its either the Aquanotes or the Screen program.


weird ... now that I quit AquaNotes, this will workf or me .. before i could never log into telnet, or it would kick me back out just a little later.... was very intermittened.

V04 works for me ... for the most part. Joe, i sent you a PM.


Thanks for your work.

marco
 
I am working with the "yahoo widgets" and its working parallel and with the Aquanotes so maybe there is a way to work with the "screen program" and the Aquanotes also. Otherwise its a dead end for my screen.
 
My program uses the telnet interface. It will not run the same time as aquanotes, as aquanotes completely hogs the telnet interface.

You can use the widget program to pull the info as well. It puts the data in an XML file though. The widget program uses the web page to get its info. I used to do use the web page to get my info but found that if I hit the web server interface every minute, like I do with the telnet interface, the web server on the AC3 would hang every few months. I also didn't see a reason to keep aquanotes running all the time. I only run aquanotes now if I need to make a config change that I can't do through the web page.
 
I noticed the same thing, when Aquanotes is running the program doesn't work. Like JB NY I only use aquanotes to program and turn things on or off manually.
 
My aquanotes is running all the time. I use it mostly to see the graphs of the timers (cooler,heater,mix,....) and the relation between them. So its look like its have priority on the screen. I wish I can do both but I can follow instructions but don't know how to puts the data in an XML file.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10889599#post10889599 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SUMMERS
Anyway to mod this for a ACJr.?

If you have the newer JR with a serial port, and then I guess maybe. I don't know since I don't have one and can't say what functionality is available.

You have to understand how they are actually doing this. Since the Jr doesn't have a telnet or web interface it just doesn't track (again, maybe telnet through the serial connection ??)
 
Here is how you config the CrystalControl2 (CC2) software.

After you have installed the software and set it up to use your LCD screen. You need to add a screen so the LCD knows what to display. Click on the add new screen and start creating the screen.

You can add free form text and date and time and a bunch of other things. Here is how mine is set up.

cc2scredt.JPG


Under the plugin list you will also see one called Text File/Internet Reader that is what you use to get the data from the text file to the LCD screen. Click on that and drag it to the spot on the LCD screen you want the data to be. You will then be presented with another screen.

cc2config.JPG


Here is what mine looks like with the data filled out.

So what you do is as follows. Source type choose text file. Under Local File Name, browse for the txt file. Then click the import information button, the contents of the file should show under the Unfiltered Source information section on the right side. Then in the regular expression text box type in this expression.

(?<=[\r\n])([^=\r\n]+)=([^\r\n]*)
(?<=[\r\n])([^=\r\n]+)=([^\r\n]*)

This is the expression to read an ini file. Now press the Refresh Results button and the data should appear in the results section. Choose the data you want to display on the LCD screen and press ok. That's it. Just repeat for everything you want to see. Use more lines of the expression above if the results are not displaying enough of the ini file.

You can add as many screens as you want and have them rotate every few seconds too. The software has a lot of cool things it can do if you play around with it.

Good luck!
 
Joe,

I'm using V1.04 - here is the output of my AC3 again

Code:
AquaController> c
c
Current Status is:

Oct 03 2007 16:59:20
Temp pH   ORP
121  7.96 430
TmpA pHA1
80.7 8.08
 RTN is ON  Auto
 CRF is ON  Auto
 CRP is ON  Auto
 CO2 is ON  Auto
 FGE is OFF Auto
 SKM is ON  Auto
 LT1 is ON  Auto
 LT2 is ON  Auto
 LT3 is ON  Auto
 FN1 is ON  Auto
 FN2 is ON  Auto
 FN3 is ON  Auto
 FN4 is ON  Auto
 FED is OFF Auto
 ALM is OFF Auto
 MON is OFF Auto
 H2H is ON  Auto
Power Failed: None
Power Restored: None


the following is the content of my ACTank.txt
Code:
[READINGS]
STAT=NORMAL
TEMP=121
PH=
ORP=7.96
COND=--.-
[PX1000]
PX1_1=80.6
PX1_2=8.08


I'm getting the following:
screenshot_CrystalFontz2.JPG



It's not showing the 1st set of ORP - the PH is blank and moved to the ORP, and the 2nd set of PH/TEMP are missing from the results box - i tried adding more lines within the 'Regular Expression' field - but it gave me error messages saying 'No Match Could Be Found'
 
Marco, I sent you an email.

It looks like when you put two ORPs on the AC3, the AC3 changes the way it displays the data from the AC3. I don;t know if I can fix it for you without messing it up for everyone else.

As for the expression on the CC2 software, it looks like it only works for the first section of the ini file. I'll see if I can find out how to do it for the other ini section.
 
Joe,

I don't have 2 ORPs on the AC3 - i wonder if my temp(1) being in the tripple digitas has something to do with it? I'm going to check that out in a few minutes, i'll let you know.
 
Yes, it was the tripple digit temp value that was throwing it off - my main temp probe is bad, and sometimes jumps up to 121*F when it feels like it. I only use my PX1000 temp probe for the program in the AC3.

Code:
[READINGS]
STAT=NORMAL
TEMP=82.0
PH=7.99
ORP=429
COND=--.-
[PX1000]
PX1_1=80.8
PX1_2=8.10
 
OK that's good, it's only malfunctioning when the AC3 is not working correctly. :)

the expression for the ini file might take a while though. It took me some time to find it initially. :(
 
Joe,

I see how you change the screen from NORMAL to ALARM by checking for the ALARM timer being on, right?

But how do you determine a status of MAINTENANCE? do you hit a flip switch, and check for the breakout/digital in box?

Code:
//FIND ALARM VALUE
Label>FALRM
Position>%AL%,%r%,1,x
Let>X=X+7
MidStr>%r%,%X%,2,S
If>S=ON
 Let>S=ALARM
EndIf
If>S=OF
 Let>S=NORMAL
EndIf
//END FIND ALARM VALUE

What is the 'COND=--.-" ?

something else ... have you thought of adding the last power out values to the script?

Have you figured out how to save a screen within CrystalControl2 ?
 
There is a way to make this whole project work for the junior. Your program is issuing telnet to an IP port on port 23. There are a number of serial to TCP port programs out there. You install the Port program give is a serial com port #, and an IP port, then any application that does a telnet 127.0.0.1 port# will automatically go out the serial port.
 
I honestly believe you'd have a better chance of making ti work through aquanotes, by writing a script that will open the AquaNotes conditions DB & parse the last few entries.

DB: aquaDB.mdb
Table: TankConditions


Or maybe write a macro that will open the db every minute, and export the table to a txt file. Not sure how well it would work with the mdb though ... just a thought.
 
For me personal it will be great to get it via Aquanotes and it will pick up this project back to life ...(as I state before ,I am with the Aquanotes open all the time)
 
With aquanotes you are limited in how often the program writes to the DB. It also doesn't keep track of any of the timers.

As for working with AQjr, interfacing through a serial port is completely different. You are better off hitting the web page and parsing that info. I would look into the widget program.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10898286#post10898286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JB NY
With aquanotes you are limited in how often the program writes to the DB. It also doesn't keep track of any of the timers.

As for working with AQjr, interfacing through a serial port is completely different. You are better off hitting the web page and parsing that info. I would look into the widget program.

When serial telneting the commands "C", etc are all the same. Rather than having write a routines to open a serial port, you can use a port loader. If you script is issuing telnet xxx.xxx.xxx command , same thing would work for the JR with port loaders. You just tell the port load what IP port, and what serial. So now if you issue telnet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx portX the loader with open the serial port and do the work for you.

I use this: http://planetsourcecode.com/vb/scripts/ShowCode.asp?txtCodeId=36843&lngWId=1 to make some simple vbs scripts that issue turn off and turn on commands to the ACjr. Again the telnet commands are the same, its just the change from tcp to serial.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10898500#post10898500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wizsmaster
Phil,

are you currently using that? Are you able to pass on Userid/passwd throught the app?

All the app does is take the telnet commands that are meant for a tcp port, and send them out serial port.

IE, I have it set to respond to port 8766 for 127.0.0.1 which is com 2 on my laptop.

If I issue a telnet 127.0.0.1 8766, I get a response exactly like I would get if I did a telnet ip.ip.ip.ip to something else (since that assumes port 23).
 
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