Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Yeah the feeder should be on when you connect it to controller but the manual feed button should work as using the controller to power up is the same as the batteries. The main 3.3v and ground from controller should go where the batteries would connect. If you just hook those up and ignore the data wire it should operate just like it was using batteries. The data wire puts out 3.3v when the controller tells the feeder to run but its only stays active for about 1 second then the data wire goes back to 0v and the feeder electronics take over.
Can you see a Rev version on both the controller boards? I can't remember what you have, that'll tell us if you need to run that jumper.
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
1st gen rev-A powerboard and rev 3 display board
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
You will need to add that jumper. Right now pin 3 on the feeder USB is for ground but there is no ground on that pin, that jumper will put a ground on it. Once you do that it should work.
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
But if there is no ground, why does it power up without the battery's in the feeder?
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Not sure, I did think about that but if you are using pin 3 and 4 on the USB for power there is no ground there. I checked the schematics for all the connector boards and pin 3 goes to that "feeder" header on the connector board so if nothing's connected to that header that pin is empty. If you're using pin 1 on USB for ground you might have, that one is switched so it could be on or off but for sure there is nothing on pin 3.
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
What is the use of the feeder spare pin?
Its not connected to ground..
Is it for a second feeder?
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
I put a header on that pin for more flexibility so any feeder would work one way or another. If you use a jumper or solder a wire from a ground to that header you should be ok.
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
03-16-2017, 12:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-16-2017, 01:39 PM by fietsenrex.)
already fitted it to the USB port as shown by the images you uploaded
edit: it works now, thanks for the explanation.
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Great, glad you got it working.
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
Is there a way to adjust the pulse given to the feeder?
Mine doesn’t move far enough from the start position anymore to detect it has moved and should finish its rotation..
Adding grease to the wheels didn’t help :(
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Hi Fietsenrex, yeah you can increase the time so it rotates further, in the first gen I just used a delay so you only need to increase the value, in v2.3 I had it set to delay(1500) which is 1.5 seconds so increase to maybe 2000.
In v2.3 find line 3446 and 3453 in power bar sketch, those both need to be changed. These delays are in the two function below if you're using a different version.
void AlarmFeed1()
void AlarmFeed2()
Posts: 355
Threads: 8
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Likes Received:
12 in 12 posts
Reputation:
13
Joined: Dec 2015
Country:
Guessing it is in the display sketch?
Going to fix it tomorrow if i have some spare time
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Changes need to be made in the controller sketch.
Posts: 47
Threads: 4
Likes Received:
0 in 0 posts
Likes Received:
0 in 0 posts
Reputation:
1
Joined: Mar 2018
Country:
Rob,
I just finished wiring and hooking up the same eheim feeder to my reef tank and I'm having an issue on the Gen 3.
- Works with batteries and by using the feed button.
- Once hooked to the controller, power is on for the unit after hooking up according to your attached picture: Brown to ground, White to Port 14 "Feeder", and Orange to +3.3v
I went to feed and pushed the "Auto-feed" button. Pumps and powerheads turned off as normal but drum never rotated. Noticed on the feeder page, was "Feeder Disabled" so I enabled it, stopped the current feed, and initiated it again. Still didnt rotate the drum.
Thought maybe I had switched the White and Orange and changed them on the controller side. When I plugged it in, the drum kept turning. Any ideas?
Posts: 47
Threads: 4
Likes Received:
0 in 0 posts
Likes Received:
0 in 0 posts
Reputation:
1
Joined: Mar 2018
Country:
02-17-2019, 09:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 09:03 PM by midwestE.)
Thanks Rob! All working now. Had to solder the data wire to the point closest to the +3.3v as shown in the image from the post you linked. The diagram I used from this post had it mid way between GND and 3.3v and that didn't work with Gen 3.
Posts: 3,250
Threads: 90
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Likes Received:
163 in 120 posts
Reputation:
184
Joined: Sep 2015
Country:
Yeah that's the one people typically use. You have to open it and solder 3 wires to the circuit board and then it connects directly to the controller, I believe you have Gen3 so the transistor in the diagram isn't required. I was going to post a link with some images but it's not very clear so if you give me 30 minutes I'll open mine and get better pictures.