MeepNand Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 WARNING: You will need to download an updated UTFT library from here if you have Arduino 1.6 or above. Link to code 12/28/2013 If you cannot access the code or libraries, please PM me. Instructions are included with the download, and a wiring diagram. NOTE: When you start this up for the first time on your Arduino, the settings will all read 255 due to the memory not been used before. You can run the "EEPROM_Clear" sketch to make all settings 0. What you will need for this to work(12-28-13): All links are from US, so it ships fast, except for the TFT shield. -Arduino Mega or clone $13 - A TFT/touch screen ($15 off ebay) 320 x 240 pixels $23 -A Sainsmart MEGA TFT shield $9 -Right angle headers $6 -2.2k resistors for temperature probe pullups, resistors to led drivers, etc. $2 -DS1307 real time clock $4 OR alternate: DS1302 real time clock $7 (DS1307 preferred) -A DS3231 is apparently a drop in replacement for the DS1307 for reliability $5 -12v 2a power supply $5 -Soldering iron $4 -Solder sucker $5 -Male-male jumpers 40x $4 -Male-female jumpers 40x $4 Link on how to install the headers: http://s1265.photobucket.com/user/asid61/library/Projects/TFT%20controller%20aquarium?sort=4&page=1 What you will want: For temp control: -If you want to, buy an Arduino Due instead of a Mega for an extra $15. It is much faster, but currently untested. -DS18B20 temperature probes $5, can be found cheaper in bulk -Transistors with 2a+ rating $4 (not too important) General: -Stylus $1. Very useful for navigating and changing stuff easily. -Relays, solid state (SSR). $7. You need one per pump you want to control, and a 40a rated one for heaters. Pumps have a high inrush current, so get something rated for a very high current. 10a+ relays are recommended. You can also get these from China to save a few bucks, as they do cost a lot. Kudos to McJosh for finding the stuff on Amazon. You can also get the materials cheaper on ebay (~$20 less total) but you can't use Prime that way. Installing the right angle headers Problems with the DS1307? Look here. If links don't work, or an auction is over, PLEASE tell me. Planned Features: -Float switch detection -Clouds -Feeding cycles - Thanks Mstefal1 -Suggest anything you want to see! Current Features, Rev 2.0: -The time of day and date. Has an RTC. -Displaying setting of all channels, graphically and in %. PWM has a frequency of 500Hz on the Mega. -Programmable dawn and dusk cycles, updated every second. Setting by hour and %. -Temperature control, heating or cooling. Auto-detection of up to four probes. -Acclimation mode up to 55 days in length. -Up to 4 pump control -6 alarms that cann last as long as you want, with override. Original wiring diagram courtesy of L0st. All the grounds on the Arduino are already are connected, so it doesn't matter which ground you wire to. Ask for clarification if you don't know something. To do: -Weather -Color settings Touchscreen_controller_Rev 1.1.txt Touchscreen Controller Rev 1.2.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_3.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_4.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_5.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_5_1.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_6_DS1307.txt Touchscreen_controller_Rev1_6_DS1302.txt 4 Quote Link to comment
reeferman81 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The AI wireless controller does sunrise/ sunset, lunar cycles clouds thunderstorms with cloud layers also the new AI director is said to have pump compatible features. Cool Idea though 3 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 The AI wireless controller does sunrise/ sunset, lunar cycles clouds thunderstorms with cloud layers also the new AI director is said to have pump compatible features. Cool Idea though So basically I'm making one that is not currently wireless and that is compatible with any driver accepting 5v PWM (like meanwell LDD). If you want, wireless support could be added, but I'm trying to keep this as simple as I can. Wireless support would mean more hardware for the user. Not to mention cost. PM if you want something like that. Quote Link to comment
topjimmy Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Cool Idea, I'm using an Arduino, attached to my ReefAngel I use it for all LED control. My only problem is interfacing with it, I can't currently change any settings w/o uploading a new sketch. If you have any ideas on how I might give me a PM 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 Buttons, my friend. The touchscreen can easily make good buttons. Just use code like regular buttons, but treat each button on screen as a new button. Finished initializing variables. Mapped out the ending in paint. Quote Link to comment
McJosh13 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Freaking sweet! How many PWM outputs though. Being limited to 4, like on the typhoon, is very limiting! 1 Quote Link to comment
topjimmy Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Yeah , that's what I was thinking too. The board I am using is an Ethernet Arduino, I was hoping to make it interface with the RA and control it from there but it has proved difficult. 1 Quote Link to comment
reeferman81 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Definitely a good idea. I just wasn't sure what your entire goal was. 1 Quote Link to comment
pwreef Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Or you can just download this and enjoy life. http://code.google.com/p/jarduino-aquarium-controller/ 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 Or you can just download this and enjoy life. http://code.google.com/p/jarduino-aquarium-controller/ Seen it. Love it. But this has to be very simple. If you look at the Jarduino, you have to wire everything remotely and there's a lot of libraries to install. The code is also not the most user-friendly. I want this controller to be usable by people with no coding experience at all. All of my variables are long, but you can easily see what each one is for. Freaking sweet! How many PWM outputs though. Being limited to 4, like on the typhoon, is very limiting! I can have up to 6. There are only 4 right now because I want to get the basic code working. But why do you need more than 4? One channel for blues, one for whites, one for OCW, one for violets. Quick question: Does the lightning effect on the Vega actually put a bunch of current through the leds or does it simply use something akin to a camera flash? Quote Link to comment
McJosh13 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I can have up to 6. There are only 4 right now because I want to get the basic code working. But why do you need more than 4? One channel for blues, one for whites, one for OCW, one for violets. I like to have more control over the individual channels so I can fine tune their intensities for optimal aesthetics, ex: Channel 1: Royal Blue Channel 2: White Channel 3: Cool Blue Channel 4: Cyan Channel 5: Deep Red Channel 6: Violet <---- Doesn't really need it's own channel because it need to be either off or 100% on 2 Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Quick question: Does the lightning effect on the Vega actually put a bunch of current through the leds or does it simply use something akin to a camera flash? Jumps up the current. Need a driver with a good response time to be able to do the same without it looking bad. I like to have more control over the individual channels so I can fine tune their intensities for optimal aesthetics, ex: Channel 1: Royal Blue Channel 2: White Channel 3: Cool Blue Channel 4: Cyan Channel 5: Deep Red Channel 6: Violet <---- Doesn't really need it's own channel because it need to be either off or 100% on This. 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Jumps up the current. Need a driver with a good response time to be able to do the same without it looking bad. This. Okay then. Do you know of any such drivers? I think the LDD are good enough, but the datasheet doesn't say. Alternatively, you can just use a camera flash. I like to have more control over the individual channels so I can fine tune their intensities for optimal aesthetics, ex: Channel 1: Royal Blue Channel 2: White Channel 3: Cool Blue Channel 4: Cyan Channel 5: Deep Red Channel 6: Violet <---- Doesn't really need it's own channel because it need to be either off or 100% on I'll do all six channels then. But do you really need the red and violet channels? Quote Link to comment
McJosh13 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I'll do all six channels then. But do you really need the red and violet channels? Awesome! Red= Yes Violet= Not 100% necessary because they don't need to be dimmed, just 100% on or off, but having the sixth channel will allow the violets, controlled by LDD drivers, to be turned on and off with just one controller instead of requiring an additional separate timer. It will also give the option of using the channel to control something else for those who don't have violet, like maybe a moonlight 1 Quote Link to comment
Jacob042426 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 People have been saying that the acclimation mode on AI is very useful. Maybe create a mode like that? 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Awesome! Red= Yes Violet= Not 100% necessary because they don't need to be dimmed, just 100% on or off, but having the sixth channel will allow the violets, controlled by LDD drivers, to be turned on and off with just one controller instead of requiring an additional separate timer. It will also give the option of using the channel to control something else for those who don't have violet, like maybe a moonlight Okay then. Two channels coming right up. Currently you see the time of day. That actually took longer than expected. People have been saying that the acclimation mode on AI is very useful. Maybe create a mode like that? Maybe. Once the RTC gets here for sure. But I wouldn't count on it right now. Quote Link to comment
pj86 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Nice topic, will be following. 1 Quote Link to comment
Chrisl1976 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Rolling cloud cover wont be able to achieved without multiple drivers for sections of lights. Unless you have a long fixture and already break it up. There are alternate ways of making it happen, but are outside of this forums general hardware usage. 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Rolling cloud cover wont be able to achieved without multiple drivers for sections of lights. Unless you have a long fixture and already break it up. There are alternate ways of making it happen, but are outside of this forums general hardware usage. I've noticed that. The way I think I could do it would be to use drivers for sections of lights; if you have 6 drivers, you can pack the leds together in such a way as to make six adjacent sections of lights. However, this would almost certainly make a lot of disco. Alternatively, I could use a transparentish shade cloth and stepper motors. The arduino comes with a library to control stepper motors, so if I ever go into manufacturing I could do that. Quote Link to comment
Chrisl1976 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I've noticed that. The way I think I could do it would be to use drivers for sections of lights; if you have 6 drivers, you can pack the leds together in such a way as to make six adjacent sections of lights. However, this would almost certainly make a lot of disco. Alternatively, I could use a transparentish shade cloth and stepper motors. The arduino comes with a library to control stepper motors, so if I ever go into manufacturing I could do that. You just use the whites for cloud cover......no disco 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 What do you mean? Simply dim the the whites? That's kind of vanilla. The point is to have clouds drift across the tank, not simply appear and shade the tank. Although for now, I'll probably do that because of the complexity in doing it normally. Thanks Chris. Quote Link to comment
Chrisl1976 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 What do you mean? Simply dim the the whites? By no means. As I mentioned above you will need to split the LEDs among 4/5 drivers. If you have 16 white LED from left to right, split each 4 LED onto one driver so you can create a 1-2-3-4 motion effect across the tank. This is kind of a moot point on any small tank unless you are running very narrow optics and lots of LED's....that could make it really not cost effective. Running a LED with a 90 degree optic that spreads 2/3 of the tank, you will never get any dark spots. You need some distance for the motion to show itself. Lighting on the other hand is pretty simple. Couple strobe fixtures stripped down and a 110v relay and you are good to go. If the drivers will flash fast enough, you could just use the LED's 1 Quote Link to comment
McJosh13 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Not worth the trouble /added complexity /cost in my opinion. Just having an easy to build controller with 6 dimming channels and a slick touch screen is already a home run in my book. Add in lunar cycle control and you've really got a nice light controller that is unmatched in what is currently available! 1 Quote Link to comment
topjimmy Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I think clouds and storms are neat but really kind of a gimmick. I mean unless you had a huge tank and a rainmaker and a storm soundtrack...well you get the point. Cool at a public aquarium, or at parties, but every day? 1 Quote Link to comment
MeepNand Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 By no means. As I mentioned above you will need to split the LEDs among 4/5 drivers. If you have 16 white LED from left to right, split each 4 LED onto one driver so you can create a 1-2-3-4 motion effect across the tank. This is kind of a moot point on any small tank unless you are running very narrow optics and lots of LED's....that could make it really not cost effective. Running a LED with a 90 degree optic that spreads 2/3 of the tank, you will never get any dark spots. You need some distance for the motion to show itself. Lighting on the other hand is pretty simple. Couple strobe fixtures stripped down and a 110v relay and you are good to go. If the drivers will flash fast enough, you could just use the LED's That's what I was originally thinking of for the clouds. The problem with that is that you would have to wire it pretty well and hang it high to minimize disco; you would still need to have all six channels parallel to each other in lines. Clouds will be after I finish everything else for sure. The LDD drivers definitely work fast enough for lightning effects, easily. I'm not too worried about that. Although the meanwell lovers won't have a flash unless they hook up a camera flash to it. EDIT: Oh, I just saw you mean using only the whites. That's easier to do, but it would use up all the PWM pins I have! So that's not viable at this point. I think clouds and storms are neat but really kind of a gimmick. I mean unless you had a huge tank and a rainmaker and a storm soundtrack...well you get the point. Cool at a public aquarium, or at parties, but every day? That's true. But personally I like the the idea of a silent storm with small waves made by pumps. You don't have to use it. Again, first I'm making the display, followed by lights, followed by lunar cycle, followed by pumps, followed by lightning and clouds. So people that don't want lightning won't need to use it. Quote Link to comment
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