My Arduino Controller Project

[Jbroadway]

The thing that confuses me about that code. Is you put t.hour * 60 why is that?

[bikedoctorr]

Originally Posted by 10b0b

1037, just a Chinese built thing, needs some headers welding on though

it must be a 1307 chip used if it uses that library

Originally Posted by johnski

the library i use for my 1307 rtc is from here, http://www.henningkarlsen.com/electr...rary.php?id=34

i thought you were running the same as me but now i realalized that he dose both librarys the 1307 and 1302(which i use)

Originally Posted by Jbroadway

The thing that confuses me about that code. Is you put t.hour * 60 why is that?

if you read my thread it kinda goes threw it in more detail but if you want to timer for straight hours its easy but if you want to then add in mins it gets tricky. say you want it to turn on at 8.30am and it will. but then at 845 you have a power cut. when the power come back on at 8.50 as soon as the arduino went threw the instructions it would turn your lights back on (all well and good). but if the power didnt come on untill lets say 9.05. the hour is now more than 8 but the mins is not higher than 30 so the lights will not switch on till 30 mins past the hour after any power cut if at the right time. now think about if your timer is set at 59 mins past. possiable extra hour your lights could be off on top of power cut time. so john suggested to use mins as the timer instead. this way then amount of mins in the day is only ever one thing that has to be right so they switch on straight away after a power cut. so to timer for 8.30 you put 8*60(turns the hours into mins) and then add the mins past the hour say +30 this is the time in mins. this has to be measured in both parts of the if satement in mins.

[Jbroadway]

Originally Posted by bikedoctorr

it must be a 1307 chip used if it uses that library



if you read my thread it kinda goes threw it in more detail but if you want to timer for straight hours its easy but if you want to then add in mins it gets tricky. say you want it to turn on at 8.30am and it will. but then at 845 you have a power cut. when the power come back on at 8.50 as soon as the arduino went threw the instructions it would turn your lights back on (all well and good). but if the power didnt come on untill lets say 9.05. the hour is now more than 8 but the mins is not higher than 30 so the lights will not switch on till 30 mins past the hour after any power cut if at the right time. now think about if your timer is set at 59 mins past. possiable extra hour your lights could be off on top of power cut time. so john suggested to use mins as the timer instead. this way then amount of mins in the day is only ever one thing that has to be right so they switch on straight away after a power cut. so to timer for 8.30 you put 8*60(turns the hours into mins) and then add the mins past the hour say +30 this is the time in mins. this has to be measured in both parts of the if satement in mins.

that makes total sense now i understand didnt the first time i read it. the library im using uses now.hour() and now.minute()

so my code was

if ((now.hour() <= 8) && (now.minute() <= 30);
digitalWrite (ledPin, HIGH);

if ((now.hour() <= 8) && (now.minute() <= 45);
digitalWrite (ledPin, LOW);

delay (1000);


i only had leds to play with lol.

but i had a problem with turning it off because it would come to 8 45 and turn the led off but then after the delay it would flash on then flash off and do that every second.

if ((now.hour() == 8) && (now.minute() == 30);
digitalWrite (ledPin, HIGH);

if ((now.hour() == 8) && (now.minute() == 45);
digitalWrite (ledPin, LOW);

delay (1000);

so i changed it to that but this doesnt cover for power cuts. but cant think how to add this, i may add the library you guys are using as looking at the examples on the website theres so much more controlabilty

[bikedoctorr]

its even more to it than that. like you said it will flash on and off. instead of taking up 10b thread shall i explain in my thread. ill post up to full code for you of the timer., i think its even on there already. you finding out all the things i did and it took me about a week to get it sorted and i dont think i would of fully if john hadnt suggested a few things

[10b0b]

Originally Posted by bikedoctorr

wow never heard of that one. i hope you can find a library for it or can you write one your self. or you could just use the proper comands if your really good. like ch.44 and all that but i dont have a clue on that stuff. i got my timers working spot on now so shoutt me if you have probs getting code to work as there not as easy as youd think they are. the code was psoted up on my thread. well most of it anyway. the code for the dosing pumps is up now too. onto version two and its not even been on the tank yet hehehehe

1307 I mean. Typo, I was tired

[10b0b]

Well, my controller project has died a death, not had much time for it over the last few weeks, new job an'all.

However the more i try to work on it the more i know i need to spend some time learning the programming and it's a bit heavy going when diving in at the deep end So my Tank Controller is going on the backburner for now...

However, im still learning it and have decided to build a simpler controller to do a simpler task in order to have a practical project to learn from.

As i have a very unhealthy obsession with my RODI unit. My controller will be controlling that!

In short it will measure TDS values, using some HM Digital sensors, and a series of solenoid valves, and have the abiliy to monitor the membrane and DI, and drain off the excess TDS before diverting the good stuff to a water butt. The water butt will have a float switch installed and shut they system down when its done etc...

In the end i hope to have a "one touch" system that will prime, flush and fill a water butt with 0TDS water

Completely over the top? Absolutely!

But it will have a range of analogue, digital inputs and outputs and will still use the LCD. As i said, its a project to learn the system with and wont require any special librarys to make it work.

So far ive dug my Arduino out the cupboard, aquired a few extra parts and the TDS sensors are on the way. Once ive cracked them i will aquire some solenoids and various fittings.

[twin sisters]

Originally Posted by 10b0b

Well, my controller project has died a death, not had much time for it over the last few weeks, new job an'all.

However the more i try to work on it the more i know i need to spend some time learning the programming and it's a bit heavy going when diving in at the deep end So my Tank Controller is going on the backburner for now...

However, im still learning it and have decided to build a simpler controller to do a simpler task in order to have a practical project to learn from.

As i have a very unhealthy obsession with my RODI unit. My controller will be controlling that!

In short it will measure TDS values, using some HM Digital sensors, and a series of solenoid valves, and have the abiliy to monitor the membrane and DI, and drain off the excess TDS before diverting the good stuff to a water butt. The water butt will have a float switch installed and shut they system down when its done etc...

In the end i hope to have a "one touch" system that will prime, flush and fill a water butt with 0TDS water

Completely over the top? Absolutely!

But it will have a range of analogue, digital inputs and outputs and will still use the LCD. As i said, its a project to learn the system with and wont require any special librarys to make it work.

So far ive dug my Arduino out the cupboard, aquired a few extra parts and the TDS sensors are on the way. Once ive cracked them i will aquire some solenoids and various fittings.

I did something similar, so I have a small suggestion for you.

I also incorporated a time delay, so that if for some reason the float switch didn't register the full water butt, the system didn't overflow (to much) as it would stop anyway after a fixed period of time, and had to be manually reset by the operator.

I also did this because my Aquarium is auto topped up direct from the RO into the sump, and I didn't want to run the risk of the consequences of the float switch failing/sticking there either.

[10b0b]

Originally Posted by twin sisters

I did something similar, so I have a small suggestion for you.

I also incorporated a time delay, so that if for some reason the float switch didn't register the full water butt, the system didn't overflow (to much) as it would stop anyway after a fixed period of time, and had to be manually reset by the operator.

I also did this because my Aquarium is auto topped up direct from the RO into the sump, and I didn't want to run the risk of the consequences of the float switch failing/sticking there either.

Already part of the plan my man

[10b0b]

Programming is going well so far. Managed to fathom a structured system within the code itself, also created a user editable "Settings" type menu for adjusting how the system will operate.

Got my HM sensors, just need to have a play and figure out how they work (no data sheet sadly) they also appear to have a built in temp sensor... hence the 4 wires.

[twin sisters]

Originally Posted by 10b0b

Programming is going well so far. Managed to fathom a structured system within the code itself, also created a user editable "Settings" type menu for adjusting how the system will operate.

Got my HM sensors, just need to have a play and figure out how they work (no data sheet sadly) they also appear to have a built in temp sensor... hence the 4 wires.

Nice looking device.

If the other sensor is a temperature sensor, this is because true TDS measurements are relative to temperature, but probably doesn't make much difference for our requirements.

I think what you have is two conductivity sensors, each with a temperature sensor in. Does each sensor have 4 wires?

Forgive me if you already know this, but I was a little concerned when you said you need to have a play to figure out how it works. All it is (apart from the temperature sensor) is two inert metal electrodes.

To measure conductivity/TDS, you need to use an alternating supply across the electrodes. If you use a DC supply, it just rips the molecules apart, the molecules that you are trying to measure, and you get a completely eroneous result.

If you want a circuit to interface to a microcontroller A/D input, this one isn't bad.

http://www.octiva.net/projects/ppm/images/Schematic.jpg

Sorry if you already know this, but I wasn't sure.