Who's built a Jarduino?

Dave Thebrewguy

New member
I know I've seen two or three on here and I'm sure there are others. My built has been sidetracked by a couple other aspects of the project (and a couple other projects, too much going on at once) and I've been rethinking the way I plan to handle a few things. This got me wondering how others have done things. Specifically, things like outlets, ATO, pH probes and any other "optional" items.
Outlets; I'm planning on 5-6. I picked up the Darlington transister and socket that are shown in the instructions but I found it was cheaper to buy an (8 circuit) Arduino SSR board than it would be to buy the SSRs and build my own. I don't see any reason not to hook the SSR board up to the Arduino directly. I'm assuming others have done this, anyone care to comment.
ATOs; Plenty of options, float switches or more "advanced" sensors? Etape anyone? Just ondering what others have done to add an ATO.
PH probe; Same thing, there's more than one way to do it. What's worked and what hasn't?
Other; What else have you added? I'm probably better off adding more now, rather than taking it back apart for additions later.
I'm also looking for any info that experienced builders would care to share. Anything to look out for? Surprises along the way?
 
Sorry, not much to add in way of answers to your questions, but I'm tagging along. I've got all my bits and pieces, have the free version of the program uploaded and running on my arduino, RTC, and TFT screen, but with work and 1000 other things that's as far as I've gotten. I've got boxes of heatsinks, LED's, resistors, capacitors, PSU's, step down transformers, LDD's, PCB's, proto boards, ribbon cables, temp sensors, etc. My wife thinks I've gone crazy. Maybe she's right :)
I'd also love to see what everyone's doing and how those relay's are being wired in, hope you don't mind...
 
I don't mind at all, I'll take any input I can get and I hope others can benefit as well.
I haven't uploaded the software yet. I have the Arduino, TFT, ITDB02 and one protoboard. I'm using the ITDB02 v1 kit (with RTC) and I've assembled that and put the headers on the protoboard. One of the projects that has me sidetracked is midifying an old UPS housing to serve as a case for the Jarduino, power supply, drivers, etc.
I have a 4x LDD board and drivers that will go in the case. I've put a pait of connectors on another board that will be used as Temp probe inputs and I have a few DS18B20 assemblies. My 8 channel SSR board came today so I can get to work on wiring that and the temp plugs back to the proto board as soon as I have time.
I'm sure I can figure it all out on my own but I'd hoped to get a few ideas based on what others have done. I'm also hoping that any ideas that end up in this thread are of use to others in the future.
 
Sounds like we have the same beginnings. I got the ITDB02 v1 as well. I figured the closest I could get to what he spec'd, the less troubles I'll get. I am 100% sketch illiterate though. So I had a tough time getting my screen to work. It probably seems easy enough to those who know how, but this change took me almost 2 weeks :(
On line 92 of the V1.1 code I changed the line from:
ITDB02 myGLCD(38,39,40,41)
to:
ITDB myGLCD(39,39,40,41, ITDB32S)

Right now my plan is to put everything into an old ADT security panel, but that may eventually change because I think I may run out of room. I've got a basement sump and my DT is going to be up in my dining room. I'm running a 77 gal DT and a 20 gal cube right now, but I have a 210 gal, sitting in my basement awaiting a stand. Once it's up and running I'll shut the other 2 down. MY plan is to have the tank viewable from 2 sides with a full height cabinet on the right side housing my controlling equipment. I have 3 DS18B20 water proof temp sensors. 1's going in the DT and 1 on either end of my sump. I'm running 3-300W titanium heaters right now but will likely increase that to 5 or 6 with the 210gal. I'd like to have 1/2 of them on relayed sockets controlled by the arduino with a alarmed buzzer for high and low temp.
I'm running a calcium reactor, so I'd like to be running a pH probe for that, that also controls a relayed plug for the Co2 solenoid.
I've also got PWM fans for my light heatsinks (3 of them) and some of the small DS18B20 temp sensors that I wanted to put on each heat sink, and I'll probably put one in the control cabinet running fans there.
I would absolutely love to incorporate wireless control with e-mail alerts and a couple foscam camera's for while I'm away.
That's my plan... and I too am still trying to figure out how I'm going to do it :D
 
Tagging along... also starting down a similar road. See my Electric Reef thread Dave - I have a picture of the 8 channel Arduino relay shield that I picked up, I'm curious to know if it is the same as yours?
 
I like that there seems to an abundance of these threads. I'll be tagging along too. I just picked up an Arduino Uno and got it to communicate with my computer and am just playing around a bit.
 
Sounds like we have the same beginnings. I got the ITDB02 v1 as well. I figured the closest I could get to what he spec'd, the less troubles I'll get. I am 100% sketch illiterate though. So I had a tough time getting my screen to work. It probably seems easy enough to those who know how, but this change took me almost 2 weeks :(
On line 92 of the V1.1 code I changed the line from:
ITDB02 myGLCD(38,39,40,41)
to:
ITDB myGLCD(39,39,40,41, ITDB32S)

Right now my plan is to put everything into an old ADT security panel, but that may eventually change because I think I may run out of room. I've got a basement sump and my DT is going to be up in my dining room. I'm running a 77 gal DT and a 20 gal cube right now, but I have a 210 gal, sitting in my basement awaiting a stand. Once it's up and running I'll shut the other 2 down. MY plan is to have the tank viewable from 2 sides with a full height cabinet on the right side housing my controlling equipment. I have 3 DS18B20 water proof temp sensors. 1's going in the DT and 1 on either end of my sump. I'm running 3-300W titanium heaters right now but will likely increase that to 5 or 6 with the 210gal. I'd like to have 1/2 of them on relayed sockets controlled by the arduino with a alarmed buzzer for high and low temp.
I'm running a calcium reactor, so I'd like to be running a pH probe for that, that also controls a relayed plug for the Co2 solenoid.
I've also got PWM fans for my light heatsinks (3 of them) and some of the small DS18B20 temp sensors that I wanted to put on each heat sink, and I'll probably put one in the control cabinet running fans there.
I would absolutely love to incorporate wireless control with e-mail alerts and a couple foscam camera's for while I'm away.
That's my plan... and I too am still trying to figure out how I'm going to do it :D
Your project sounds much more ambitious than mine. My main DT is a 90 gal in the basement but that already has a Reef Angel. This build is for a 20H in my 2nd froor hallway and I'm only looking for the more basic functions on this tank. I'm mostly looking to see what I can pull off on a minimal budget, I've got about $450 into my RA, I was hoping to have this up and running for 1/3 that cost.
BTW, I just realized where you are. Beautiful area! I spent a week within 20 miles of you last summer.

Tagging along... also starting down a similar road. See my Electric Reef thread Dave - I have a picture of the 8 channel Arduino relay shield that I picked up, I'm curious to know if it is the same as yours?
Different board, I went with the SSRs, I'll be including the wavemaker function and don't want to hear them clicking all the time. Not that I'd hear it, the skimmer (Bakpak) on that tank is absurdly loud. The SSRs are only rated for 2A but that should be plenty. I only plan to plug in a couple powerheads (4-7w each) the skimmer (16w), an aqualifter for ATO (3w) and the heater (currently 100w, 0.8A).
 
Tagging along as well. My next step with my DIY lighting is getting it to work with Jarduino. I for the most part understand how all the pieces come together and work, but am confused about getting a relay to switch on the power to the lights or other components connected to the arduino.
 
Just out nof curiosity, what boards have you all went with and what functions are you looking to control with yours?
 
I am piecing one together myself. I am using it just to control 6 strings of LEDs and monitor the heatsink temperatures to control the fans. I have my Apex to control the rest of my system. Waiting on the slow boat from China for the parts.
 
I am piecing one together myself. I am using it just to control 6 strings of LEDs and monitor the heatsink temperatures to control the fans. I have my Apex to control the rest of my system. Waiting on the slow boat from China for the parts.
My config as well...as for parts I followed the HW components described in the manual.
 
Just out nof curiosity, what boards have you all went with and what functions are you looking to control with yours?

I went with the Mega2560 and pretty much everything that's in the manual. I've got a fair bit to eventually figure out.
1) My LED plan is a full spectrum build. 60 XTE RB on 5 LDD 1000-H, 18 True violet run off 2 LDD700H, 36 XML NW's run off 3 ELN-60-48's, 9 XML CW's run off an ELN-60-36 and 9 Ocean coral white 3up stars run off 3 LDD700H, all on 3 18" heatsinks (3 clusters per heatsink).

2) I 'll have 3 water temp sensors. 2 in sump, 1 in DT

3) pH probe controlling a relay switch for Co2 solenoid (calcium reactor)

4) 2 temp sensors for PWM controlled fans. 1 in hood, 1 in cabinet

5) Switched socket for Algae turf scrubber lights

6) Switched sockets for heaters

7) Switched sockets for refugium lighting

8) Hoping to be able to figure out wireless capabilities

9) Remote camera capabilities.

For now that's all I've got tumbling in my brain, but I'm sure I'll want more :D
 
Just out nof curiosity, what boards have you all went with and what functions are you looking to control with yours?
I'm going with a fairly mina,alist setup. As above,
I'll be including the wavemaker function and don't want to hear them clicking all the time. Not that I'd hear it, the skimmer (Bakpak) on that tank is absurdly loud. The SSRs are only rated for 2A but that should be plenty. I only plan to plug in a couple powerheads (4-7w each) the skimmer (16w), an aqualifter for ATO (3w) and the heater (currently 100w, 0.8A).
So 5 controlled outlets, some sort of ATO (simple float switch to trigger an outlet with an aqualifter, maybe?), 2 temp probes (tank and "hood") and LEDs. I may look into wifi and pH probes at some point but that would be phase 2.
The tank is a 20H, sumpless with a HOB skimmer. No sump, no dosers, no reactors, no CO2, minimal as can be. Lighting will be 4-5 channels with LDDs, one channel will be moonlight and I may just put a couple low power LEDs on a transistor and drive them straight off a PWM output. I have a single 4x LDD board for this project, I can put a LDD-300H on it for moonlight and just use the other 3 spots for RB, White and "Blue & Violet," or set up the moonlight as above and have blue and violet on different channels.
 
I went with the Mega2560 and pretty much everything that's in the manual. I've got a fair bit to eventually figure out.
1) My LED plan is a full spectrum build. 60 XTE RB on 5 LDD 1000-H, 18 True violet run off 2 LDD700H, 36 XML NW's run off 3 ELN-60-48's, 9 XML CW's run off an ELN-60-36 and 9 Ocean coral white 3up stars run off 3 LDD700H, all on 3 18" heatsinks (3 clusters per heatsink).

2) I 'll have 3 water temp sensors. 2 in sump, 1 in DT

3) pH probe controlling a relay switch for Co2 solenoid (calcium reactor)

4) 2 temp sensors for PWM controlled fans. 1 in hood, 1 in cabinet

5) Switched socket for Algae turf scrubber lights

6) Switched sockets for heaters

7) Switched sockets for refugium lighting

8) Hoping to be able to figure out wireless capabilities

9) Remote camera capabilities.

For now that's all I've got tumbling in my brain, but I'm sure I'll want more :D

I've built quite a bit with the AVR microcontrollers. This is a project that is right up their alley.

The only thing on the list that doesn't look positively trivial is the pH. And there are plenty of off the shelf products and free plans for how to read a pH probe. The engineering problems have more to do with noise in the circuit itself. pH probes are horribly susceptible to noise. But getting a reading into an Arduino is not going to be too difficult.

The remote camera probably wouldn't have anything to do with the Arduino. It doesn't have anything close to the speed and memory needed to handle video. Not even in super slow motion at super low resolution. But there are lots of IP cams out there and Arduino could be used to host a link to one or possibly even be able to send it commands.

Making an Arduino wireless is a little advanced, but not too bad. The cheapest option is to buy one of the WiFi shields and use the normal library that's already worked out. It will require good knowledge of C++ but not much more. If you've got the C++ background then wireless too will be a trivial exercise.
 
Thanks for that input David!
I think I'll have some issues with distance. My plan is to have the main Arduino beside my tank, but that pH probe will be almost 15' or more away downstairs by the sump. So noise may be a serious issue which may be better off resolved with a stand alone pH monitor like Precision Marine. I'm still a ways away yet on that so I was going to cross that bridge when I get to it.
As far as camera's was concerned, I was thinking going with the Foscam. They seem pretty decent for the price. And like you said, probably will also be stand alone.
Now the wireless... that one has me a bit worried. I've got no C++ knowledge to speak of, so when I get to that point I may need to bend peoples ear to hopefully get it up and running. I agree with the wifi shields. THat seems to be how man y are getting this option.

I just finished building a LED fixture for a friend, so next on my hit list is getting my stand built for the 210 and the other cabinetry. Once that's in place I'll start getting the control aspect under way.

Thanks again, and would still love to hear what others are doing and how they're doing it :D
 
Now the wireless... that one has me a bit worried. I've got no C++ knowledge to speak of, so when I get to that point I may need to bend peoples ear to hopefully get it up and running. I agree with the wifi shields. THat seems to be how man y are getting this option.

The great thing about us all doing these similar projects in parrallel is that we can leverage each others knowledge! I *do* have significant C++ knowledge and plan to get Wifi working on mine. I already have the wifi shield! I'll be sure to share the code once its working. I actually have a GitHub project going, so I will be sure to share that link tonight. But coding is on hold for the time being until I've got the tank sorted out. (No more than a few weeks.)
 
Last edited:
The great thing about us all doing these similar projects in parrallel is that we can leverage each others knowledge! I *do* have significant C++ knowledge and plan to get Wifi working on mine. I already have the wifi shield! I'll be sure to share the code once its working. I actually have a GitHub project going, so I will be sure to share that link tonight. But coding is on hold for the time being until I've got the tank sorted out. (No more than a few weeks.)
Sweet! That would be awesome! I'm in no hurry either, with my busy season at work coming up I doubt I'll get there before late summer/fall anyway. But always reading and getting ideas :D
 
I'm playing around with the interface atm(v1.1), somehow the those LED color bars status on the the main screen doesn't seem to change after saved LED values but in testing LED mode do see the changes, any idea?
 
Back
Top