Robo-Tank v6.0 is Ready - Now v6.5

[gandalf]

Do you have some tips for checking if my weldings are done properly ? Because now the ph probe is undetected, i'm thinking that one or more weldings are gone...

[gandalf]

As raspberry pi has an internal temometer, could you please automatically add a fake temp probe with the Pi temperature ? ( vcgencmd measure_temp )
Doing so allow us to see a Pi temp graph and also add some rules

[Rob F]

It won't be your soldering as it was working, I think it's just something with the app. I will be adding the internal Pi temp, I also think it's good to have.

[gandalf]

found the issue: with v6.0 works, if i upgrade to v6.3 from the webpanel, it stops

[Rob F]

6.0 is needed to originally detect the probe but after detected and working it should be fine with 6.3, it just won't detect new ones. I don't think it applies to you, but there's also an issue if multiple pH probes are used, they will show NaN instead of a value. This is fixed for next release.

[gandalf]

it show NaN but i have just one probe

any ETA for the new release? (and any new features?)

[Rob F]

Not really sure why NaN maybe due to other things, I should have it sorted in a week or so. Nothing exciting for update, just some bug fixes and v2-v3 compatibility. More features will come next.

[gandalf]

if i can suggest you: please add some features to the dosing system.

1. allow to schedule a defined amount (and not only the amount set in the configuration page)
2. allow to automatically schedule a defined amount over a defined number of hours. in example, dose 10ml in 20 hours, should add 0.5ml every 1.20 hours (one single schedule would be ok, clicking on it we'll can see the dosing Plan, ie 0.5ml at 10:00, 0.5ml at 11:20 and so on and adjust them accordingly)
3. stirrer advance and Port: X seconds before each dose, stirr the solution using the Y port. (ie: 30 seconds , DC6, 30 seconds the dose, Power on the DC6 Port until you start to dose)

in other words, the amount to dose should be in the schedule not in the pump configuration

[Rob F]

Thanks, in the next day or two I'm actually going to start a thread for suggestions so be sure to drop any others you have there. One of the first things I will be working on after next update is dosing pumps, after your last comment I was going to add ml to the schedule, I can see that being useful. I also like your #2 idea and will make sure that's an option. The stirrer feature isn't working yet, I was actually thinking something very similar so any AC/DC port could be used for the stirrer.

[gandalf]

Thank you very much.

Again, if you need help with the code, just ping me.

[simonv92]

Hi Rob,
just an information... e-mail alerts are working right now?
Thank you very much!

[Rob F]

Yeah they should be but very basic. At this time it will send an email when the controller is restarted, I added that in the beginning so I would hear from people if they always got that email continually indicating the program crashed and restarted. I think I will add an option for it shortly as I'm not worried about that happening now.

[gandalf]

another useful feature to add when you make changes to dosing system is the continuous dosing like Ecotech Versa

[Rob F]

Would a person really dose something all day long? Or would this be useful for things like water changes and not actual dosing?

[gandalf]

honestly i don't know, but Ecotech Versa does this so i think would be useful in some way.

[gandalf]

Rob, i think i've solved my issues with ph probe and the wave maker. I've replaced the probe and now readings are "stable", BUT, sometimes (even if I power off all electrical eqipment) i get very very low readings, like 2 or 3 ph.

sometimes (not always) a raspberry reboot is enough, sometimes, like now, even after 3 reboots, reading are still around 3.50

Obviously, such a low value is impossible.
the probe is calibrated.

Any idea ?

   

[Rob F]

That seems odd, what about if you unplug the equipment not just turn it off? Also when you have this low reading what happens when you unplug the probe from controller?

It seems like noise is still getting in the system from something electrical. A few times I've also seen airborne noise from a light ballast interfere with the pH so it could be something like that.

[gandalf]

when the Reading is ok, if i unplug the probe and plug It again, reading goes bad and i have to reboot

if i boot with the probe unplugged , then plugging it will read bad. i have to reboot with the probe attached

physically unplugging are cables is not essy but all outlet are smart, when i shut off, the outlet is powered off with no power coming out (not a stand by like the TV decoder)

lights are LED and powered off

i'm still thinking at a wrong welding, maybe a bad contact that broke the pH circuit shield/insulation ?

[Rob F]

Interesting, the pH circuit is essentially a very delicate volt meter, it reads millivolts which is converted using a math formula to a pH value, this is why it's so sensitive.

I have an idea, I was thinking you had v1 controller, sorry I keep thinking you are someone else, you have v2. I was thinking I mounted the BNC connector on the controller board as I was doing that, I did make a small error on that board which caused a ground loop and caused the pH circuit to read 7 no matter with or without a probe, it was unusable. To work around this is was a simple matter of not soldering the 2 small pins on the BNC. Although you are experiencing something very different I wonder if it's related. Are those pins welded? If so do you think you can remove the solder from them?

Another possibility is static buildup when you unplug and plug back in but I'm not sure how a reboot would eliminate it. At this point I don't think it's probe especially as you have replaced it, I think it has to be electrical noise or something with the board.

[gandalf]

At which are you referring to ? Could you post a pic ?