02-23-2016, 11:17 AM
Came across your software while looking into LED lighting control as I'm considering setting up my reef again.
When I was in the hobby controllers did not really exist. So while watching your GUI video I started making some notes which I'll post below.
Then I started looking into controllers! You seem to have a lot of stuff covered and some to go yet.
Please note I'm not knocking you in any way. I root for the startups and underdogs. For example I'm also into Radio Controlled airplanes. I got involved about a year and a half ago with the Taranis controller, which is open source. A few of us got together to create a training website for the opensource operating system and how to use it. Its at OpenTx University I'm the admin/webmaster of the site. I have 25 years in the IT industry with over 10 years of that as an IT Project manager (PMP). I also dabble in electronics, not so much with fancy controllers like the the Arduino or the Raspberry Pi. I was licensed as an Amateur Radio Operator at the age of 12, therefore I love to DIY almost to the point of excess, where if I purchased a turnkey system I would have been $$$ ahead instead of building it.
I figure I'll do a bullet list of items I gathered from watching your GUI video and other thoughts:
In my other thread I started you stated you sold 45 controllers. What was the time frame of the sale of the 45 controllers?
Maybe on the website recommend some lights that will connect right up to Robo-Tank. Or list what is required in a lighting system to be compatible.
I hope you take everything above as helpful and not criticism. I'm in no way criticizing your work What you've done looks great and I think it could make a great commercial product. That is why I asked about making some turnkey stock available.
I'm also curious what your (Rob) background is?
Thanks,
John
When I was in the hobby controllers did not really exist. So while watching your GUI video I started making some notes which I'll post below.
Then I started looking into controllers! You seem to have a lot of stuff covered and some to go yet.
Please note I'm not knocking you in any way. I root for the startups and underdogs. For example I'm also into Radio Controlled airplanes. I got involved about a year and a half ago with the Taranis controller, which is open source. A few of us got together to create a training website for the opensource operating system and how to use it. Its at OpenTx University I'm the admin/webmaster of the site. I have 25 years in the IT industry with over 10 years of that as an IT Project manager (PMP). I also dabble in electronics, not so much with fancy controllers like the the Arduino or the Raspberry Pi. I was licensed as an Amateur Radio Operator at the age of 12, therefore I love to DIY almost to the point of excess, where if I purchased a turnkey system I would have been $$$ ahead instead of building it.
I figure I'll do a bullet list of items I gathered from watching your GUI video and other thoughts:
- Random storms: I think it would be cool to have random lightning storms, where you can set the number per day, maybe even set the days they will occur. That way its a surprise event instead of something I set off. So if you set 4 storms per day from the time lights come on till they go off the 4 storms would happen at random times on the days specified.
- Simple wave action using powerheads, where you alternate the power on/off of each powerhead that would create random currents in the tank. I see in my recent searches they have fancy powerheads to do this but they seem expensive. Instead of that route incorporate some into Robo-Tank for a cheap solution. I'm thinking just power on/off
- Profiles: Not sure how realistic this is but maybe have saved profiles that you can recall. Save the entire setup under a profile that can be recalled, that way if you want to change around stuff you have an easy way back. Allow the profiles to be saved externally for backup in case of system failure.
- Logic: Include logic into various areas, one area might be dosing, when a probe reads x, perform y. Or maybe even logic for a chiller depending upon temp.
- If an outlet is not used, have an icon to assigned to it as N/A so on the home screen or elsewhere it shows N/A so the user knows it's not being used
- Logging: store values so simple logging can be performed using the GUI/web interface and or for download to use in Excel
- Sell a turnkey system that includes all the boards assembled and in a box so a user can just hook it up and go with very little DIY except the setup
- Sell probes to add to the turnkey system ready to go
In my other thread I started you stated you sold 45 controllers. What was the time frame of the sale of the 45 controllers?
Maybe on the website recommend some lights that will connect right up to Robo-Tank. Or list what is required in a lighting system to be compatible.
I hope you take everything above as helpful and not criticism. I'm in no way criticizing your work What you've done looks great and I think it could make a great commercial product. That is why I asked about making some turnkey stock available.
I'm also curious what your (Rob) background is?
Thanks,
John