Light channels influence each other

[Arne]

Hi,

This is crazy...
I got everything setup and all looks fine.
Until I hooked up my lights...

In my case there is absolutely no way to setup the ligts propperly.
What ever slider I'm moving, they all influence the output signal of every single channel.
I did a restore, no luck.

No, it NOT my lights... ;-)
Of course I thought of this but the lights haven't changed when I moved over from Gen1 to Gen2.
But to be sure I unplugged everything and measured the output signal directly from Robo-Tank.
It's messed up...

Is there anybody who has their lights working propperly?

[Rob F]

I made a change which caused that issue, I'll send an update later today which should solve it. If I remember correct I think v2.91 works for the lights, the change causing it was in 2.92. Hang tight, the update is coming for sure. I have to leave for a while but as soon as I return I'll make the change.

[Arne]

Yeah, V2.90 works also...

---

What shall I do Rob, I don't want to stress you... ;-)
Install V2.91 ?

[Arne]

Tested it again, in my case, V2.90 is the only version where the light outputs are working propperly...
So both V2.91 and V2.92 are not okay.

[Arne]

I'm running V2.90 and lights seems to work fine in this version.

What I did notice are some strange characters in the light temp area.
Leaving the home screen and returning back to it takes care of it but I thought I'd mention it.
I also saw a small red text for a very short time, above the dosing pumps tubes. Could't read it, was too short.

What a day, it took me hours to figure out the software wasn't okay.
Took it out of the cabinet and flashed all available versions multiple times...
I'm wondering what version you are running Rob. And others with gen2, what software version are you running?

I cannot understand that nobody noticed this "basic" function (lights) wasn't working properly...

[niksunen]

I'm running V2.90 and lights seems to work fine in this version.

I'm wondering what version you are running Rob. And others with gen2, what software version are you running?

I cannot understand that nobody noticed this "basic" function (lights) wasn't working properly...

Hi. I currently run modifed V2.92. And it is working fine. But i don't use led lights to my aquarium yet, so that way i am not noticed that basic function is "broken". All other bugs that i encounter i have been report to Rob, and all it taken care of :) 

And what kind of "strange characters " you see ? I had similar problems. Example if i go sensor page some values there are incorrect (i dont even have those probes attached, and also air temp shows values, even it not connected etc. 

There is video of it, which i send to Rob. You can see video title, that i found what causes my problem :D 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpGfgiReKG4


And there is video where it is fixed :) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0RsCqftkNg

My problem causes "re-connect" code part, (and compined with my faulty ic, so display thoughs that my controller is always disconnect and try to re-connect every 5 seconds, and controller try to re-connect to display, every 4 seconds) 

Code:

prevMillisConn = millis();
    Serial.println("re-connecting");
    Serial1.end();
    Serial2.end();
    Serial3.end();
    Serial1.begin(115200);
    Serial2.begin(115200);
    Serial3.begin(115200);

And like you see, it simply cuts out serial connections (force close) and because system reconnects, after 5 and 4 seconds. There was only 1 second window to send and read all probe & temp data correctly. Mine does not get it and data slowly corrupt, and being readed wrong. So it shows values in strange places, switch between N/A and real ph value, etc. And even give some weird 2049 etc readings to temp probes (and they show red) 

But i modified that code, so it never reconnect, and never cut out serial connections. And like you see in second video. All is good now :) 

Normaly this re-connect code dont "run" but i have problems with my ic and i have to made this modication. Now my ic is changed and maybe i dont need this modification anymore, but i still keeps it, because i dont like that there is possibility to force close those serial connections :) 

I don't know if this helps you at all, but this is what causes my "weird values" problem :) You may have been same or totaly diffrent issue :)

[Arne]

Niksun,

My sensor reading look okay, no values shown that has no sensor connected... ;-)
At the home screen in the light temp area, the degree character (°) get distorted.
I use °C...

[niksunen]

Niksun,

My sensor reading look okay, no values shown that has no sensor connected... ;-)
At the home screen in the light temp area, the degree character (°) get distorted.
I use °C...

Ok. i use °C too. If you clik / touch that light temp area, so its switch to min / max temps. Are they ok ? Or is there anything strange readings. Because i once have problem, that °C get distorted too if there was strange readings (example bigger / wider readings than normal, like 4096). if it get those strange readings, it "breaks" that °C mark and need, to go other page than homepage, then when you go back, it redraw all values and marks.

[Arne]

The min and max temperatures look okay Niksun.
But I know what you mean, I also had a larger value only once, strange big number... ;-)

BTW, Niksun, do you know how to view .raw images on a pc?

[niksunen]

The min and max temperatures look okay Niksun.
But I know what you mean, I also had a larger value only once, strange big number... ;-)

BTW, Niksun, do you know how to view .raw images on a pc?

Yeah i know. I assume you mention robo-tank raw images? It is kind of simple, atleast when you do it couple of times. But first you have to pick up right .raw file, and then open robotank display sketch and find there that current .raw file. This example i use homeicon.raw, so open display sketch and use ctrl+f to open find. Write there homeicon.raw. and when it found following line "myFiles.loadBitmap(0, 0, 228, 59, "homeIcon.raw");" you have to pick up those values 228 + 59 (they are current icon widht and height) 

Then go to site http://www.rinkydinkelectronics.com/t_render_rgb565.php and browse and open that homeicon.raw, and put those icon sizes their places. X size is that first value (228) and y size is second (59) and then just press render. It render you normal png image, that you can edit like you want.

And when you are edit that file. You have to use ImageConverter565.exe (that came robotank zip file) and this program just open that editet png file and choose "save as" to .raw and save. Dimension should be same that earlier. And then just transfer that new homeicon.raw (or any else) to sd-card and reboot whole robotank system, and it uses your modified file.

[Arne]

Great, that works... ;-))))

[Rob F]

I just sent an email with the update, this should solve those issues.

[Arne]

If you don't mind, I will wait for a while to put on a newer version... ;-)

Rob, comming from V2.90, what should be done to update to the newer version.
Only flash the display and controler?
I hate it fiddling out my memory cards every time...

[Rob F]

You can run an older version but there will be other problems you'll come across that were likely fixed in newer versions. You don't need to do anything but upload to go to older version.

[Arne]

Yeah, I understand.
So to go to a newer version Rob, I only have to flash the display and controller?
I don't have to put other files on both the memory cards?

Rob, what happens to the settings when I flash a newer version?
Are they saved? If not, that would be a very pratical thing which makes upgrading a lot easier.

Me running an older software version has it's reasons. I have a live situation here, expensive fishes and corals.
So switching to a newer software version is easiers said than done.
And when you bump into things not working anymore...

[Rob F]

It depends on the update, in the email I send for the update I say if images need updating, last update required that. Next one may or may not require images, depends what I do. When you change versions all the settings remain the same, they're stored on an eeprom so they can never get lost. As I mentioned because its new hardware there will be a lot of updates at first, later they will slow down. If its to difficult to update it might be best to run old controller until this one gets closer to finished.

[Arne]

Rob, it's not always easy to get a sence of how people are feeling writing an email.
If you want your customers to deliver ideas and report bugs, I hope it will not irritate you...

[Rob F]

Sorry to come off wrong, I definitely want to hear about bugs found. I just said that because I don't want you to upset your aquarium, if it's difficult to update then you might want to wait a bit is all I meant. Because I'm completely re-writing the software the new one will still have some bugs. It is getting more stable but sometimes if I make a change it can affect something unrelated.

[Arne]

I understand Rob, no problem.
But, I expected the basic functionality to be tested before a software gets released and yes, I know testing is a lot of work.
Of course some things are not that easy to test but for something as light it's not that hard to make a test setup.

Now it looks everything has to be tested over and over again from start to end in stead of only the extra added.
I like it when I know that when I install a new version, I know all, or most, off the old stuff works.
Now there were two releases (2.91 and 2.92) without anybody ringing a bell that the lights aren't working.
And you keep developing from there...

[niksunen]

I understand Rob, no problem.
But, I expected the basic functionality to be tested before a software gets released and yes, I know testing is a lot of work.
Of course some things are not that easy to test but for something as light it's not that hard to make a test setup.

Now it looks everything has to be tested over and over again from start to end in stead of only the extra added.
I like it when I know that when I install a new version, I know all, or most, off the old stuff works.
Now there were two releases (2.91 and 2.92) without anybody ringing a bell that the lights aren't working.
And you keep developing from there...

Yep, but how many user/customer uses gen 2 boards and also led lights same time? I assume that number is not so high yet. And i use gen 2, but i don't have led lighting system just yet, so i don't even know if there is some problems. All other problems, that i found i reported to Rob. And current v.2.93 i dont have any problems atleast not yet. :) So all functions i use, is working.