We have a GROUPBUY for CONTROLLERS

pm replied

 

A few people have asked hows' the user interface. Very simple interface with a ready software to be downloaded and uploaded to your controller. The way the controller behaves is described below. If you don't like or want to modify some of the settings, you can certainly do it. Also, if you messed up with your coding, you can always revert back to defaults.

1. Feeding Mode

The feeding mode function is used when it is time to give some little perks to your corals and fishes. They love this time of the day!

The controller will stop all pumps for 15 minutes and will show a countdown on the screen. When the timer is up, everything goes back to normal mode again.

2. Water Change Mode

Similar to the feeding mode, this function will stop all pumps. Except that in this mode, there is no countdown. The controller will wait for you to resume normal mode.

3. View Log

This function will display the last 10 log entries that were logged by the controller with timestamp and code.

Log entries are hard coded into the software and cannot be changed. If you have any special need and would like a simple modification of the coding, please email me at info@reefangel.com so we can discuss the best way to accomplish what you need.

The following table shows all the log entries generated by the controller

Code Description Type
0 System Start-up Informational
10 Water temperature sensor defective Alert
11 Lights temperature sensor defective Alert
12 Room temperature sensor defective Alert
30 Auto top-off start Informational
31 Auto top-off stop Informational
32 Auto top-off timeout Alert
40 Daylight lights on Informational
41 Daylight lights off Informational
42 Actinic lights on Informational
43 Actinic lights off Informational
44 Moonlight lights on Informational
45 Moonlight lights off Informational
50 Water temperature too high Alert
51 Water temperature too low Alert
52 Lights temperature too high Alert
53 PH too high Alert
54 PH too low Alert
61 Feeding mode start Informational
62 Feeding mode stop Informational
71 Water change mode start Informational
72 Water change mode stop Informational
A log entry is informational when it is a routine function that started or stopped.

The alert type of log entry is an indicative that something is out of normal parameters and it requires user attention. Any event log that is considered an alert type will turn the status LED on to advise you that it requires your attention.

The status LED will turn off only when you use the function "View Log". This will also clear any flag that was raised by the controller.

Alert 10, 11 and 12

This flag is raised whenever the controller finds a missing or defective temperature sensor. It will then ignore future readings of that parameter until the issue has been resolved.

Alert 32

This flag is raised when the timeout parameter in seconds entered in function 8 has passed. When this flag is raised, the ATO pump is turned off and will remain off until the flag is cleared. This will prevent your ATO pump to keep running and flood your tank in the event there is a malfunction with any of the float valves.

Alert 50, 51, 53, 54

This flag is raised when the water parameters are not within the pre-determined range.

Water Temperature range: 78 to 85°F

PH range: 7.5 to 9.0PH

Alert 52

This flag is raised when the maximum temperature entered in function 6 has been reached. This is mainly used for those that have LED lighting system and want to monitor heatsink temperature. When this flag is raised, the daylight and actinic lights are turned off and will remain off until the flag is cleared. They will not automatically come back on.

4. Date and Time

Setup of calendar and clock settings. Once setup, these settings will remain in the memory in case of a power failure by a battery backup unit inside the controller.

5. Dawn and Dusk

Setup of dawn and dusk time.

Moonlight lights work in conjuction with this mode. They are programmed to turn on 1 hour prior to dusk and turn off 1 hour after dawn.

This function has 2 operating modes and they are determined by the function 7 settings.

Regular mode

This mode is used whenever the PWM settings entered in function 7 are 0% for both daylight and actinic.

This mode turn daylight lights on 30 minutes after dawn settings and turn them off 30 minutes prior to dusk settings.

Within the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes, only actinic lights will be on.

LED mode

This mode is used whenever any of PWM settings entered in function 7 is different than 0%. This will indicate the controller that you have LED lighting system.

In this mode, PWM is used to ramp up and down your LED lighting system.
Whitin 1 hour after dawn and 1 hour prior to dusk, the controller will slowly ramp up/down the PWM to/from the specific setting entered in function 7.
6. Lights Overheat

Range from 0 to 150°F

Setup of maximum temperature allowed to operate daylight and actinic lights. This is mainly used by people with LED lighting systems who wants to monitor heatsink temperature.

When this temperature is reached, the daylight and actinic lights are turned off, an alert is generated causing the status LED to turn on and a code #52 is entered in the log.

7. LED PWM Control

Daylight range from 0 to 100%

Actinic range from 0 to 100%

Setup of operating PWM settings for daylight and actinic LED lighting systems.

On LED lighting systems with dimming capability, one way of controlling the intensity of light generated by the system is by using PWM signal. A change on the duty cycle of the PWM signal will cause the LED lighting system to change its intensity.

This settings will determine which mode of dawn/dusk the controller will operate.

Reef Angel Controller is capable of changing PWM duty cycle from 0% to 100%, but not all LED drivers are capable of dimming on the same. Some of them have a cutoff and will not dim any lower than 15%. The Meanwell driver ELN-60-48P is a good example.

8. ATO Timeout

Range from 0 to 255s

Setup of the maximum number of seconds that the ATO pump can remain on.
If the ATO pump is on for this many seconds, Reef Angel Controller will turn the pump off and generate an alert causing the status LED to turn on and a code #32 is entered in the log.

9. Wavemaker

Setup of the number of seconds and wave pattern that which each wavemaker relay has to wait before it switches on/off.

The number of seconds in this setting is for half the cycle. For example, if you setup this setting to 100s, the relay will wait 100s to switch on and another 100s to switch off.

10. Temperature Sensors

Setup of the temperarure sensors.

Each temperature sensor has a unique identifier, which is displayed in the screen. You can assign the sensor to start measuring water, lights or room temperature.

11. Dump Log to PC

With the use of a TTL serial converter cable, you can send the log written in the Reef Angel Controller memory to the PC software.

12. Dump Parameters to PC

With the use of a TTL serial converter cable, you can send the last 24 hours of parameters writen in the Reef Angel Controller memory to the PC Software.

13. Calibrate PH Probe

Calibration of PH Probe requires 2 standards (one PH7 and one PH10).
Place probe in the first standard and wait a few minutes or until it stabilizes, then place on the second standard and wait a few minutes or until it stabilizes. You can do either standard first.

If you don't use the correct standards, the controller will just ignore the calibration and use the default settings.

Note: The numbers shown in the screen are just for internal calculation and do not represent the actual PH.

 

So, is this still going to happen...?

 

bump....

 

I'm in for a wifi module if indeed this is still going to happen.

 

hey guys... i dont think this is going to happen. outside of us and maybe one or two others, there was no interest really.

This idea really got fizzled out when Ali posted the group buy on RC also. All they could do on that forum was bash the RA and make fun of it. When Roberto replied to the thread to clear up all of their mis-conceptions, the members there then accused him of promoting his own product. The thread was eventually closed by a mod.

 

Im pretty sure that most of us here at 3reef are with you...

3. and I will speak from experience, it is truly a great product! you can do anything that an APEX or a RKE can do (actually even more stuff than those name brand controllers). The only down side is that you have to edit the code yourself, but in doing so, it actually gives you more functionality than the other units.

4. with the recent release of an automatic code generator, you dont have to know all the technical coding writing jargon when you want to make a code for something.[/QUOTE]

 

I had a short conversation with Roberto the other day. There are some nice updates headed to production. I am highly considering going with his instead of making my own.

What blows my mind is that there are several people on RC that are trying to do the same thing, but are not quite there yet. Those threads are very long, but have some great information. I just don't see why they don't accept Roberto's work for what it is.

 

You mean software updates?

 

Not only software, but hardware also. Pretty much the only thing that held me back from purchasing one of these earlier was the limitation of 8 power outlets. This is being fixed. It will now be capable of 36 outlets. ;D