AquaController Jr Owner`s Manual
Contents
1. Figure 1 AquaController Jr Connectors The AquaController Jr should be installed in a dry environment that has little chance of getting wet The AquaController Jr is a sensitive piece of electronic equipment and is not waterproof Ideally it should be located several feet from the aquarium Velcro strips with adhesive backing can be used to install the controller in its permanent location Velcro strips work well because the unit can be easily removed from its mounting It should be noted that no state changes will occur in the external control modules during a power outage After power is returned all controlled devices will be in the correct state within the Repeat Interval The default interval is 5 minutes See section Repeat Interval on page 14 for more details on modifying the Repeat Interval The 9V DC power adapter should be plugged into a 120V wall socket and the plug on the end of the cable should be connected to the power connector on the AquaController Jr Refer to the above figure for the location of the connector Powerheads and pumps switching on and off generate power spikes that can damage electronic equipment The AquaController Jr has protection circuitry in the base unit however it is recommended as an added safety precaution to plug the controller in a clean AC socket Power strips with transient suppression circuitry can be used to make a clean socket and to prevent power s2. Feed Cycle on page 7 for more details To exit the Run Display and enter the root level menu press the Select button Control and Status The control and status menu option allows the user to take any timer out of the automatic mode of operation and force it to either an on or off state as well as viewing other operational status Feed Cycle A special case of manual mode of operation is the Feed Cycle This option allows the user to shut down certain pumps powerheads etc for a fixed period of time for the purpose of feeding the tank To start a Feed Cycle select the Feed Cycle entry in the Control and Status menu When this mode is entered the Feed Cycle controlled modules are temporarily forced into the programmed state The display shows a countdown of the number of seconds remaining When the count reaches zero the Feed Cycle controlled modules return to normal operation The Feed Cycle can be interrupted early by pressing the Select button See section Feed Cycle Timer Events on page 19 for instructions on how to program a timer to use a Feed Cycle and section Feed Interval on page 14 on how to change the Feed Cycle duration 7 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved To reduce the number of button presses required to initiate a Feed Cycle a shortcut has been added to the Run Display command When the Run Display is active see section Run Disp
3. AquaController Jr Owner s Manual Version 3 20 Neptune Systems 6288 San Ignacio Ave B San Jose CA 95119 Phone 408 578 3022 e Fax 408 578 9383 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All tights reserved Chapter 1 Introduction Scope of this Document Congratulations you have just purchased the most advanced aquarium controller on the market It is recommended that you completely read the Owner s Manual before proceeding to set up the AquaController Jr to perform any t Feature List The following features are fully supported in the AquaController Jr base unit Lighting Control Wave Maker Simulated Moon Cycl Seasonal Lighting Variation Seasonal Temperature Variation Temperature Monitor and Control pH Monitor and Control Flash Memory for Easy Firmware Upgrades Data Logging Local Alarms Simple Yet Sophisticated Programming Language Built in Self Test 070000000000 1 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Chapter 2 Getting Started Base Unit Installation The following figure points out all the connectors located on the side of the AquaController Jr Please refer to it during installation E O Power X10 pH 9VDC UIT Temp BNC
4. Sounder Only and Continuous The following program statement makes OFF the default state for the ALM control module If alarms are used this statement must be present If Time gt 01 00 Then ALM OFF The following program statements signal an alarm if the temperature is greater than 80 0 F or less than 75 0 F The alarm timer name is assumed to be ALM If Temp gt 80 0F Then ALM ON If Temp lt 75 0 Then ALM ON The following program statements signal an alarm if the pH is greater than 8 5 or less than 7 9 The alarm timer umed to be ALM name is If pH gt 8 50 Then ALM ON If pH lt 7 90 Then ALM ON The following program statements signal an alarm if the power has failed The alarm timer name is assumed to be ALM If Power 000 Then ALM ON The number after the Power keyword specifies the number of minutes after power is restored to keep the Power statement true Some or all of the above alarm conditions may be programmed into the AquaController Jr Refer to section Timer Program on page 14 for the procedure to enter the above program statements into the AquaController Jr s memory 20 AquaController Jr Owner s Mai Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Hysteresis The MAX Change timer command allows for timer channels to stay in a particular state for a minimum length of time This is useful when a control input pH temp may oscillate be
5. then installed in a vertical position in the aquarium or sump where there is adequate water flow Route the coax cable to the location of the AquaController Jr Attach the BNC connector on the cable to the pH BNC input of the AquaController Jr Refer to figure 1 for the position of the pH BNC input on the AquaController Jr Turn the BNC connector 1 4 turn clockwise to lock it firmly into place The pH probe can be add or removed from the run display in the Setup Temp Setup menu Probe Calibration Calibration of the AquaController Jr is quite simple and should be checked at regular maintenance intervals to insure accurate operation Temperature Calibration It is not necessary to calibrate the temperature probe of the AquaController Jr It has been properly calibrated at the factory to maintain accurate temperature readings for the lifetime of the probe However it is possible to make small adjustments to the displayed temperature so that it is more closely correlated with another temperature monitor The following procedure should be used 11 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved 1 Note the amount that the temperature needs to be adjusted either up or down For example if the AquaController Jr temperature reads 77 4 F and the reference thermometer reads 77 0 F an offset of 0 4 F should be added to the AquaController Jr temperature 2 Go to the Setup Temp Setu
6. Following the directions listed below can set the clock or date 1 Goto the Setup Clock Setup 2 Select either Set Tank Time or Set Tank Date from the menu depending on which clock needs to be set ed value When the value until all time values are 3 Use the Up and Down buttons to adjust the selected field to the ck is correct use the Select button to advance to the next field Rep entered Leap Seconds The Leap Seconds allows the user to fine tune the accuracy of the clock used in the AquaController Jr The number programmed into the AquaController Jr indicates how many seconds to adjust the internal clock per day For example if the clock is gaining 1 5 seconds per day a value of 1 5 would be entered to offset this inaccuracy The AquaController Jr uses this value to slow its time down by 1 5 seconds each day Temperature Setup Temperature setup and probe installation are described in section Temperature Probe Installation on page 11 and Temperature Calibration on page 11 pH Setup PH setup and probe installation are described in section pH Probe Installation on page 11 and pH Calibration on page 12 Init Memory Init All will initialize the AquaController Jr s memory with the default program and calibration constants Init Program will only initialize the program and timers to the default program which can be found in Appendix B Self Test The Self Test feature of the AquaControlle
7. at first but after a little practice you will find that they are arranged in a logical and consistent manner All menus and sub menus follow the same user interface The Up and Down buttons move the arrow cursor up and down When the cursor reaches the bottom entry and the down button is pressed again the menu items scroll as expected Similarly if the cursor is at the top and the up button is pressed the menu items scroll The Select button activates the current menu entry pointed to by the cursor The activation will execute a command bring up another menu or exit the current menu The menu choices are in a circularly linked lis all the control is returned to the previous next higher level menu gt repeated presses of the Up or Down button will cycle through hoices Common to all menus is the Exit entry When Exit is selected the current sub menu pops up and To make it easier to enter data into the AquaController Jr all three of the buttons have an auto repeat function When any button is pressed for greater than 3 4 of a second the current action begins to repeat If the button is pressed an additional 1 second the auto repeat rate increases For quick reference the following table lists all of the menus and commands available to the AquaController Jr On the left side of the table are the root menu entries Entries in the 2nd through 4th columns are sub menus of the column to the left of it 5 AquaCo
8. character represents the status of the second timer name and so on If the character displayed is either an M or m then that timer is in manual mode operation The M indicates that the controlled device is operating and the m indicates the device is idle Manual Mode Operation is described in section Control and Status on page 7 A U indicates that the timer is undefined because none of the program statements associated with timer have ever been true The other special characters displayed on this line indicate that the timer is in Automatic mode and the controlled device s are either on or off The character that is displayed for a particular timer is programmed in the Setup Timer Setup Timer Names sub menu The following table shows the special characters the first column represents on and the second off Typically Lights Typically Heater Chiller Typically Pumps Powerheads ond Other Controlled Devices Figure 2 Run Display Special Characters In the top right comer of the display the temperature is displayed in F ot C In the bottom right comer of the display thee pH is displayed Pressing the Down button while the Run Display is active will initiate a Feed Cycle During the Feed Cycle the display will show a countdown of the number of seconds remaining The Run Display is resumed following the completion of the Feed Cycle The Select button can be used to end the Feed Cycle early See section
9. important to maintain an accurate and stable temperature throughout the day Large fluctuations in temperature can result in the loss of aquatic life The AquaController Jr is capable of controlling the temperature very accurately 3 F since it continuously monitors the environment Depending on the external conditions both a heater and chiller may be necessary to maintain a stable temperature for the aquarium inhabitants The AquaController Jr is capable of controlling a heater a chiller or both Turn Heater Turn Chiller On S On Cold Hot Desired Temperature Heater and Chiller Off 14 AquaController Jr Owner s Mai Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune S All rights reserved Figure 3 Temperature Scale The above figure illustrates the mechanism that is used to maintain the temperature When the temperature drops below a preset value the heater is turned on and when the temperature rises to the desired temperature the heater is shut off Likewise when the temperature exceeds the preset high value the chiller is turned on and when the temperature falls to the desired temperature the chiller is shut off Temperature Control Program Fixed Temperature Suppose that the desired temperature of the aquarium is 77 F The heater should be enabled if the temperature falls below 76 7 F and disabled when the aquarium reaches the desired 77 F Likewise the chiller should be enabled if t
10. switch in the sump is open and the AquaController Jr is informed that the water level is too low via 21 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved the external switch inputs Typically the make up water in reef tanks contains kalkwasser and the following program example shows how kalkwasser addition could be implemented If Switch OPEN Then H20 ON If Switch Closed Then H20 OFF If pH gt 8 30 Then H20 OFF Max Change 010 M Then H20 OFF Notice that kalkwasser is only added to the tank if the pH is below 8 30 See section Hysteresis on page 21 for a description of the Max Change program statement Advanced Programming This section explains some of the complicated programming styles that are possible with the AquaController Jr Most users will not have to worry about these subtleties If you attempt to program the AquaController Jr in a non standard way experiment with the program on a non critical sub system of the tank A buggy program could be potentially dangerous to your tank s inhabitants Statement Evaluation Order Most programs do not care which way program statements are entered however there are some cases in which order is important The program statements ate executed from first statement to last scroll through with Modify State with down button The one exception to this rule is program statements that start with If Time The If Time st
11. Warranty Neptune Systems warrants this product excluding probes to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of purchase Probes carry a 90 day warranty If repair or adjustment is necessary and has not been the result of abuse misuse or accidental damage within the 1 year period please return the product with proof of purchase and correction of the defect will be made without charge Opening the AquaController Jr base unit voids this warranty For your protection items being returned must be carefully packed to prevent damage in shipment and insured against possible damage or loss Neptune Systems will not be responsible for damage resulting from careless or insufficient packaging Before returning please obtain a return authorization RMA number from Neptune Systems at 408 578 3022 Returned merchandise will not be accepted without a RMA number Except for the warranty set forth above Neptune Systems is not responsible for any damages including but not limited to consequential damage occurring out of or in connection with the delivery use or performance of Neptune Systems products Buyet s remedies for breach of warranty shall be limited to repair or replacement and full or partial adjustment to purchase price pe AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune S All rights reserved ystems
12. al temperature RD pH Controller Setup pH is perhaps one of the most critical parameters to maintaining su ul aquariums Many reef aquariums that are heavily stocked with stony corals require large additions of kalkwasser on a continuous basis The large additions of kalkwasser can result in the pH rising too high To counter the high pH CO2 is injected into the aquarium However the pH must be monitored closely when CO2 is injected so that the pH does not dip too low The injection is difficult if not impossible to do adequately by hand This task is ideally suited for the AquaController Jr since it continuously monitors the pH and can enable disable CO2 injection at the appropriate times Turn CO2 Paii On Desired pH Turn CO2 Injection Off Figure4 pH Scale The above figure illustrates the mechanism that is used to maintain the pH When the pH rises above a preset level the CO2 injection is turned on and when the pH falls to the desired value the injection is shut off pH Control Program Suppose that the desired pH of the aquarium is 8 35 and the CO2 injector should be enabled if the pH tises above 8 40 It is recommended that the high set point be at least 0 05 from the desired pH For the pH control described above the following code produces the desired result The code assumes that the CO2 injector timer name is CO2 16 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Nep
13. atements are executed first regardless of where they are located in the program code This requirement is ary due to the circular nature of Time type statements ie the cycle repeats day after day The execution also be displayed on the LCD screen by selecting Modify State in Setup Timer Setup Timer Program Timer and scrolling from first statement to the last by pressing the Down button 22 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Chapter Serial Port Commands The following commands ate available from the serial port They are executed by typing the command followed by a carriage return lt Enter gt 1 The list command will display all the defined timer names and program statements This command is useful in debugging the program used by the AquaController Jr c The current status command will display the current conditions in the aquarium It will also list the state of all the control modules d The data log Command will print to the serial port all the data logged by the k AquaController Jr 6 S e n a Po rt l nte rfa C t The reset datalog will initialize the data log memory and set the number of log entries to zero Refer to the installation chapter to setup the serial port connection between the computer If it is installed correctly an AquaController gt prompt should be displ AquaController Jr and the on XXX This command puts
14. ce for the Moon cycle must be a lamp module so that the light intensity can be vatied NOTE Only use an incandescent light bulb for the moonlight not a fluorescent bulb Feed Cycle Timer Events The AquaController Jr is capable of shutting off certain devices for a period of time and then resuming normal operation This behavior is desirable for the main pumps and powerheads in the aquarium during feed times With the pumps shut down floating food will not be washed into the surface skimmer before the fish have had a chance to eat it The AquaController Jr must be told by programming which modules should be shut off during a feed cycle Suppose that there is one main pump and a powerhead in the system and they should be shut off for 5 minutes on a user initiated feed cycle The following program will accomplish this If Time gt 00 00 Then PM1 ON OSC 20 10 ON OFF Then PM2 ON If FeedA 000 Then PM1 OFF If FeedA 005 Then PM2 OFF Refer to section Programming Basics on page 13 for instructions on how to program the timer names and this code into the AquaController Jr 19 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Programming the length of the Feed Cycle time interval is described in section Feed Interval on page 14 The letter A through D following the Feed keyword specifies which feed timer to use The number following the Feed keyword specifies the number of minu
15. device XXX in manual mode and turns it on XXX is the after every carriage return timer name Example on LT1 off XXX This command puts device XXX in manual mode and turns it off XXX is the timer name Example off LT1 Serial Connector Pinout Following is the pinout of the serial port This diagram assumes that you are looking at the connector on the auto XXX This command puts device XXX into automatic module XXX is the timer name AquaController Jr Example auto LT1 Figure5 Serial Port Connector Pin Number Description 1 Switch Output 2 External Switch Input 3 Serial Transmit Data 4 5 Externa Ground Serial Receive Data 6 Ground 7 Reserved 8 Ground Figure 6 Serial Port Signal Description 23 24 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved All rights reserved Appendix A Trouble Shooting Problem Possible Cause Possible Solution No Display The base unit has no power Make sure the AC adapter is installed in the base unit and the wall socket correctly The base unit control program is hung Remove the AC power from the AquaController Jr for 10 seconds Reapply power and the AquaController Jr will reset Incorrect pH reading The probe is not correctly calibrated Calibrate
16. e is displayed 7 Place the pH probe into high valued calibration solution Wait for the numbers on the bottom of the LCD screen to stop changing When the display stops changing press the select button 8 The pH probe should now be properly calibrated 12 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Chapter 5 Programming the AquaController J r The AquaController Jr comes equipped with a simple yet powerful programming language which enables it to perform the normal aquarium control tasks as well as many tasks which are impossible to perform on a conventional controller All program statements ate entered through the three button user interface of the base controller unit and follow the same user interface as the menu navigation commands The Up and Down buttons navigate through the various options of the fields The Select button advances to the next field or completes the command entry The program and configuration information input are stored in the AquaController Jr s non volatile memory Power failures do not affect the contents of this memory The default program installed in the AquaController Jr is listed in Appendix A Most users will only have to make minor modifications to this program to control and monitor their aquatic system Programming Basics Timer Names The first step in setting up the AquaController Jr for any type of control is d
17. eciding which communication channel is to be used for a controlled device It does not matter which channel is used only that it is unique for each device in the household For example one control module is to be used to control the heater in the aquarium The description name HET is chosen for the timer name and it is assigned the communication ID of A1 Make sure that the control modules communications ID matches the ID that Name sociated with the Timer To program the AquaController Jr with this communication ID and Timer Name the following procedure is used 1 Goto the Setup Timer Setup Timer Names menu 2 Select Add Name from the menu 3 Input a4 character descriptive name for this timer channel HET in the above example Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the alphabet and the Select button to advance to the next character The fourth character entered is special in that it is displayed on the Run screen to indicate that status of the controlled device 4 Input the communications ID letter and number next These letters and numbers should match channel IDs set on the control module earlier 13 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Timer Program The AquaController Jr uses a simple programming language to control the external modules The program statements are input through the three button interface The procedure below illustrates how to
18. he temperature rises above 77 3 F and disabled when the temperature reaches the desired 77 F It is recommended that the high and low set points be at least 0 3 F from the desired temperature For the heater control described above the following code produces the desired result assuming that the heater timer name is HET If Temp lt 76 7 Then HET ON If Temp gt 77 0 Then HET OFF For the chiller control described above the following code produces the desired result assuming that the chiller timer name is COL If Temp gt 77 3 Then COL ON If Temp lt 77 0 Then COL OFF If the aquarium only has a heater it is necessary to only enter the heater portion of the control program shown above Conversely if only a chiller is to be used then the chiller portion of the control is all that is necessary to enter into the AquaController Jr NOTE The default factory setting comes with the HET and COL timer names already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify Name command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Name menu to modify the names and channel IDs Also the Delete Name can be used to remove unwanted names NOTE The default factory setting comes with genetic heater and chiller programs already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify State command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Program menu to modify the temperatures Also the Delete State can be used to remove u
19. input a typical program statement 1 Go to the Setup Timer Setup Timer Program menu 2 Select Add State from the menu 3 Use the Up and Down buttons to locate the desired token word When it is displayed use the Select button to advance to the next input field 4 Continue to input the control statements until finished by jumping back to step 2 If a mistake is made entering a statement the Modify State command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Program can be used to correct it Repeat Interval The Repeat Interval defines how often the AquaController Jr retransmits commands to the remote control modules The commands are repeated on a periodic basis to ensure that all of the control modules are in the correct state The default setting for Repeat Interval is 5 minutes and should not have to be changed by you The following procedure is used if you chose to modify this parameter 1 Go to the Setup Timer Setup Repeat Interval menu 2 Use the Up Down buttons to enter the desired Repeat Interval minutes When finished push the Select button Feed Interval The Feed Interval menu allows you to change the length of time for a Feed Cycle The procedure for modifying it is described below 1 Go to the Setup Timer Setup Feed Interval menu 2 Use the Up Down buttons to enter the desired feed interval minutes When finished push the Select button Temperature Controller Setup For the successful aquarium it is very
20. lay on page 7 the Down button can be used to initiate a Feed Cycle and then press the up or down buttons select which feed cycle A to D to start Manual Control The manual timer menu allows you to place a control module out of Automatic Mode and turn it continuously on or continuously off The following procedure is used to modify the on off or automatic status of a timer 1 Go to the Control amp Status Manual Control menu 2 Use the Up and Down buttons to locate the desired timer When the cursor points to the desired timer press the Select button 3 The underline cursor should now be under the ON OFF or AUTO status of the timer Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll to the desired state Press the Select button to complete the operation No commands are sent until the Select button is pressed Data Logging Data logging is a powerful feature that enables accurate tracking and recording of the conditions in the aquarium There are many possible uses for the data some of which include analysis to help find cause and effect relationships trends which may foreshadow potential problems and monitor the tank conditions necessary to induce fish or coral spawning The AquaController Jr s internal memory can hold up to 744 data logs This size log buffer is enough to hold hourly data logs for four weeks When the data log exceeds 340 entries the oldest log entry is replaced by the newest log entry Display Data Log The Displa
21. ntroller Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Root Level 2nd Level 3rd Level 4th Level Run Feed Control amp Status Manual Cntl Display Lock Exit Print Data Log Display Log T pH Data Log Reset Data Log Log Interval Exit Modify Name Timer Names Add Name Delete Name Fy State Timer Program Add State Delete State Exit Repeat Interval Interval Exit Tank Time Set Clock Setup Tank Date Set Leap Second Exit Setup pH Calibration pH Setup pH On Off pH Temp Comp Exit Temp Calibration Temp Setup Temp On Off Temp Celsius Fah Exit Tnit Memory Exit 6 AquaController Jr Owner s Ma ar Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Run Display The Run Display indicates the system time temperature temp and pH During most of the AquaController Jr operation this will be the active display If no input occurs button selection the LCD screen will automatically return to this display It can be selected by pressing the Select left button when the arrow cursor is pointing at RUN The first line displays the tank time hourminute second The second line indicates the current status of the control modules the first character represents the status of the first timer name the second
22. nwanted statements Seasonal Temperature Variation One of the AquaController Jr s more advanced features is its ability to simulate the varying temperatures during the seasons of the year The following table lists the default temperatures for the first of each month On days other than the first the temperatures are interpolated with the current and next month values Month Temp CF January 76 0 February 75 0 March 76 0 April 76 0 May 765 June 715 July 785 August 805 September 7 15 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved October 715 November 76 5 December 76 0 To illustrate how to use this advanced feature for heater control refer to the following program If Temp lt RT 0 4 Then HET ON If Temp gt RT 0 0 Then HET OFF The above statements turn the heater HET on if the tank temperature falls below the season temperature RT of the day by more than 0 4 F and shuts the heater off when the tank temperature exceeds the season temperature RT For chiller control a similar program is used and is illustrated below If Temp gt RT 0 4 Then COL ON If Temp lt RT 0 0 Then COL OFF The first program statement turns on the chiller COL when the tank temperature exceeds the seasonal temperature RT by 0 4 F and shuts the heater off when the tank temperature is below the season
23. ode produces the desired result It assumes that the light timer names are LT1 and LT2 NOTE The AquaController Jr time display is in 24 hour military format IF Time gt 08 29 Then LT1 ON If Time gt 21 29 Then LT1 OFF IF Time gt 09 29 Then LT2 ON If Time gt 20 29 Then LT2 OFF NOTE The default factory setting comes with the LT1 and LT2 timer names already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify Name command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Name menu to modify the names and channel IDs Also the Delete Name can be used to remove unwanted names NOTE The default factory setting comes with generic lighting programs already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify State command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Program menu to modify the enabled and disabled times Also the Delete State can be used to remove unwanted statements Timed Pumps The AquaController Jr can be used to simulate the tide in an aquarium This can be accomplished by having two power heads at opposite ends of the aquarium that are alternately turned on and off The following AquaController Jr code will produce this effect If Time gt 00 00 Then PM1 OFF If Time gt 06 00 Then PM1 ON If Time gt 12 00 Then PM1 OFF If Time gt 18 00 Then PM1 ON If Time gt 00 00 Then PM2 ON If Time gt 06 00 Then PM2 OFF If Time gt 12 00 Then PM2 ON If Time gt 18 00 Then PM2 OFF ia AquaController Jr Owner
24. oduce this effect and assumes that the fixed interval is 20 minutes OSC 20 20 ON OFF Then PM1 ON OSC 20 20 ON OFF Then PM2 OFF The only tricky part about the above code is that the ON or OFF value following the timer name PM1 or PM2 determines what the initial condition of the pumps will be at power on In the above example PM1 will be on and PM2 will be off when the controller is first powered on Seasonal Lighting Variation One of the AquaController Jrs more advanced features is its ability to simulate the varying lengths of daylight during the seasons of the year The following table lists the default sunrise and sunset times for the first of each month These times are based upon a typical tropical reef at 15 north latitude On days other than the first the suntise and sunset times are interpolated Month Sunrise Sunset January T851 February 19 07 March 19 17 Apal 19 21 May 19 25 June 19 34 July 19 41 August 19 38 September 19 21 October 18 59 November 18 41 December 18 38 18 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved To illustrate how to use this advanced feature refer to the following program If Sun 000 000 Then LT1 ON If Sun 060 045 Then LT2 ON The first statement tums on the first light LT1 at sunrise of the particular day and off at sunset The second prog
25. p Temp Calibration menu 3 Use the Up Down buttons to enter the desired offset which is_ 0 4 F in the above example When finished push the Select button 4 Go to the Run menu and now the temperature should match the reference If not go back to step 1 and try again pH Calibration Because of the variability in pH probes and the fact that they change over time it is best to calibrate the AquaController Jr s pH circuitry A two point calibration scheme is used to obtain good results For the most accurate results it is best to use pH 7 00 and 10 00 solutions for salt water and pH 4 00 and 7 00 for fresh water The following procedure outlines the steps necessary 1 Go to the Setup pH Setup menu Enable or disable temperature compensation depending upon your requirements 2 Select the pH Calibrate menu 3 Use the Up and Down buttons to select the lowest valued calibration solution In order for the calibration procedure to work correctly the lowest valued calibration solution must be used first 4 Place the pH probe into lowest valued calibration solution Wait for the numbers on the bottom of the LCD screen to stop changing It does not matter what value is displayed only that it is not changing When the display stops changing press the select button 5 Rinse the probe in room temperature tap water 6 Use the Up and Down buttons to select the high valued calibration solution Press the select button when the correct valu
26. r Jr performs a short diagnostic on the major internal components in the base unit If the Self Test is selected and the unit is operating correctly a passed message is displayed on the screen The other information displayed indicates the date and revision of the AquaController Jr firmware as well as the controller s serial number 9 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Chapter 4 Probe Installation and Calibration Probe Installation Temperature Probe Installation Before installing the temperature probe in the aquarium the probe should be rinsed under tap water to make sure that it is clean Route the cable from the location of the AquaController Jr to the aquarium or the sump Make sure that at least 2 inches of the temperature probe are fully submerged in water The temperature probe can be add or removed from the run display in the Setup Temp Setup menu PH Probe Installation The plastic cap on the end of the probe should be removed before it can be used Once the protective cap has been removed the probe must be kept wet at all times Failure to do so will result in damage to the probe If the probe is to be stored for some period of time place pH 4 0 calibration solution into the protective cap before placing it on the end of the probe Before installing the probe in the aquarium it should be rinsed of any white residue under warm tap water and
27. ram statement turns on the second light LT2 60 minutes after sunrise and shuts it off 45 minutes before sunset By varying the sunrise and sunset offsets of various lights it is possible to simulate the increasing intensity at sunset of light at sunrise and the decreasing intensity Simulating the Moon Cycle One of the AquaController Jr s more advanced features is its ability to simulate the phases of the moon by simulating both the moonrise and moonset as well as varying the intensity of the light source The AquaController Jr s moonrise and moonset times match the true lunar cycle On days other than the first of the month moonrise and moonset times are interpolated NOTE Just like in the real world the moontise and moonset are approximately 50 minutes later each day During a new moon the moonrise is in the moming and the moonset is in the evening During a full moon the moonrise time is in the evening and the moonset time is in the morning So it is possible for the moonlight to be on during the day period To illustrate how to use this advanced feature refer to the following program If Moon 000 000 Then MON ON Refer to section Programming Basics on page 13 for instructions on how to program the timer names and this code into the AquaController Jr The first statement turns on the first light MON at the moonrise of the particular day and off at the moonset The control module used to control the light sour
28. rogram has the capability to control 2 pumps 2 lights the pH level and the temperature The current program and settings can be erased and the following default program loaded at anytime by selecting Init Memory from the Setup menu Default Timer Names The notes following the semicolon are comments and not part of the program LT1 A01 Light 1 on Channel A01 LT2 A02 Light 2 on Channel A02 PM1 A03 Pump 1 on Channel A03 PM2 A04 Pump 2 on Channel A04 HET A05 Heater on Channel A05 COL A06 Chiller on Channel A06 CO2 A07 CO2 on Channel A07 ALM A08 Alarm module on Channel A08 Default Program The following program is the default program in the AquaController Jr s non volatile memory If Time gt 08 30 Then LT1 ON If Time gt 21 30 Then LT1 OFF If Time gt 09 30 Then LT2 ON If Time gt 20 30 Then LT2 OFF If Temp gt 77 0 Then COL ON If Temp lt 76 5 Then COL OFF If Temp lt 76 0 Then HET ON If Temp gt 76 5 Then HET OFF OSC 010 010 ON OFF Then PM1 ON OSC 010 010 ON OFF Then PM2 OFF If Feed cycle Then PM1 OFF If Feed cycle Then PM2 OFF If pH gt 8 45 Then CO2 ON If pH lt 8 35 Then CO2 OFF If Time gt 00 00 Then ALM OFF If pH gt 8 50 Then ALM ON 26 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved If pH lt 8 00 Then ALM ON If Temp lt 75 0 Then ALM ON If Temp gt 78 0 Then ALM ON Neptune Systems Limited
29. s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved This program assumes that pump 1 PM1 and pump 2 PM2 are located on opposite ends of the aquarium Refer to section Programming Basics on page 13 for instructions on how to program the timer names and this code into the AquaController Jr Repetitive and Random Events Suppose that it is desired to have a power head oscillate on for 20 minutes and off for 10 minutes and another power head in the system should be randomly turned on for 1 to 10 minutes and off for 1 to 15 minutes The following AquaController Jr code will produce this effect OSC 20 10 ON OFF Then PM1 ON RND 10 15 ON OFF Then PM2 ON The abbreviations OSC and RND stand for oscillate and random respectively The code assumes that power head 1 s timer name is PM1 and power head 2 s timer name is PM2 Refer to section Programming Basics on page 13 for instructions on how to program the timer names and this code into the AquaController Jr The wave maker capability of the AquaController Jr can be used to create an alternating left to right and then right to left current in the aquarium This type of water motion can be accomplished by placing one powerhead on the left side of the tank and one on the right side The pump on the left is turned on for a fixed interval and then shut off Then the pump on the right is turned on for a fixed interval and then shut off The following program will pr
30. tes that the timer is to remain on off following the completion of the feed cycle count down In the above example PM1 will turn back on at the end of the feed interval and PM2 will turn on 5 minutes later To initiate a Feed Cycle select Manual Control Feed menu item Also pressing the Down button while the Run Display see section Run Display on page 7 is active will initiate a Feed Cycle The display should say Feed and give a countdown of the number of seconds left When the countdown has terminated the pumps will resume normal operation The Feed Cycle can be shortened or canceled by pressing the Select button during the countdown Alarms The AquaController Jr is capable of signaling out of range conditions in the Aquarium By using an Alarm Module CM506 or plugging a buzzer into a direct connect outlet and the appropriate program setup in the AquaController Jr an audible tone can be signaled when the monitored conditions exceed a setpoint The program statements below describe how to setup the AquaController Jr for out of range conditions on pH and temperature First add a timer name Refer to section Timer Names on page 13 for a detailed description on the procedure to perform this task For the example following the timer name is assumed to be ALM on channel A09 In addition to making the alarm modules address match the address programmed into the AquaController Jr the switches on the Alarm module should be set to
31. the control module to turn both on and off te Note In order for either of the above two programs to operate correctly the statements must be in the same order as shown above The AquaController Jr evaluates the program statements from top to bottom and if the If Temp gt 83 0 was executed first the desired operation would not be achieved Timer State Statements The AquaController Jr adds a new timer evaluation statement which allows the state of another timer to activate ot deactivate a control module The following example illustrates the use of this statement If Time gt 08 00 Then LT1 ON If Time gt 20 00 Then LT1 OFF OSC 010 015 M Then PM1 ON If Timer LT1 OFF Then PM1 OFF These statements cause the pump PM1 to oscillate for 10 minutes on and then 15 minutes off The Timer statement causes the pump to be shut off if the light LT1 is off Externally Switched Events The AquaControllet Jr with the serial port option is capable of sensing whether or not an external switch is open or closed and uses that information to operate a control module The switch inputs are brought into the AquaController Jr by two pins on the serial connector See section Serial Connector Pinout on page 23 for a diagram Only the AquaController Jr with the serial port option has this statement feature One possible use for the external switch input is to monitor the water level in the sump When the level is too low the float
32. the probe The probe is old or defective Replace the probe No control modules operating The control interface module is not connected to the base unit Attach the interface module to the base unit Some control modules do not operate in both manual and auto mode The control module and timer b addresses are not the same Make the both addresses the same See section Timer Names on page 13 A control module does not operate in auto mode The timer module is in manual mode as indicated by an m or Min the run screen Put the timer in automatic mode See section Manual Contro on page 8 The control program is incorrect Examine the timer control statements for correctness Compact florescent lights turn on when it is suppose to be off Every other controlled device works correctly The standard control modules have a feature called local control which causes the control module to turn on if the input impedance changes 1 Plugan additional load into the control module controlling the lights 2 Or disable local control in the conttol module See the support section of www neptunesys com for details 25 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Appendix B Sample Programs The following default program is programmed into the non volatile memory of the AquaController Jr The p
33. tune Systems All rights reserved If pH gt 8 40 Then CO2 ON If pH lt 8 35 Then CO2 OFF NOTE The default factory setting comes with the CO2 timer name already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify Name command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Name menu to modify the name and channel IDs Also the Delete Name can be used to remove unwanted names NOTE The default factory setting comes with a generic pH control program already installed to ease the initial setup Choose the Modify State command from the Setup Timer Setup Timer Program menu to modify the pH set points Also the Delete State can be used to remove unwanted statements Timed Events Setup The AquaController Jr can control such devices as lights pumps power heads and chemical dosing The AquaController Jr has an internal real time clock which can be used to enable disable many control modules throughout the day The times programmed into the AquaController Jr are compared with the Tank Time clock not the Normal Time Clock The timed events capability is best illustrated through several examples Timed Lighting Suppose that a reef aquarium has two independent lights which need to be turn on and off at appropriate times The first lighting system should come on at 8 30 AM and be turned off at 9 30 PM The second lighting system should come on at 9 30 AM and be tutned off at 8 30 PM For the lighting control described above the following c
34. tween two values which in turn causes a pump light etc to turn on and off over a very short period of time For example suppose the following program is used to control kalkwasser addition to a reef tank If Sun 000 000 Then LT1 ON If Temp gt 83 0 Then LT1 OFF The goal of this program is to turn the lights on normally if the tank temperature is not too high This program mostly works except when the light is on and the temperature value oscillates between 83 0 and 83 1 In this case the LT1 control module may turn on and off rapidly To alleviate this problem a hysteresis command is included in the AquaController Jr language The MAX change command forces the control module to stay in a certain state for a minimum length of time before being allowed to change The minimum length of time can be specified for either the ON or OFF state but not both The following program corrects the potential problem If Sun 000 000 Then LT1 ON If Temp gt 83 0 Then LT1 OFF Max Change 010 M Then LT1 OFF The Max Change statement at the end of the program forces the LT1 control module to remain in the off s for a minimum of 10 minutes before being allowed to turn back on The off state was chosen as the sticky state so that Light will have time to cool down after it has shut off because of a too high of temperature In general it is only necessary to use this command when there is single value of a monitored parameter pH Temp that can cause
35. urges from damaging the AquaController Jr Coil up all power cords to reduce the amount of tadiated electrical noise 3 AquaController Jr Owner s Manual V3 20 Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune Systems All rights reserved Control Interface Installation Simply plug the control interface into the wall outlet located close to the AquaController Jr and aquarium It may be necessary to use one or more power strips if multiple devices are to be controlled Plug one end of the cable with the RJ11 connectors phone cable into the Control Interface and the other end into the AquaController Jr Control Module Installation For each device to be controlled by the AquaController one control module typically CM466 is required The address dials need to be set to match the configuration of the AquaController default program is shown in Appendix B The device to be controlled is plugged into the control module It is recommended that the control modules and control interface are plugged into the same circuit If they are not on the same circuit they it is recommended that a signal bridge part SBLEV is installed Direct Connect Installation If Direct Connect boxes are used for control follow the instructions included with the DC4 DC4HD or DC8 4 AquaController Jr Owner s Mai Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune S All rights reserved Chapter 3 Menu Overview The options and menus in the controller may seem overwhelming
36. y Data Log menu allows you to scroll through the contents of the data log on the LCD screen The first line displays the Month Day Hour Minute of the datalog entry and the second line displays the Temperature and pH The initial display shows the earliest data entry and the Down button scrolls to a later data entry The Up button scrolls the display to an earlier data entry To exit the Display Data Log menu press the Select button Reset Data Log The Reset Data Log menu option clears the log memory in the AquaController Jr NOTE The data log is also cleared if the tank time is changed or the log interval is modified Log Interval The Log Interval menu allows you to set how often the AquaController Jr logs a pH or temperature measurement to the data log To modify the interval select Log Interval and use the Up and Down buttons to advance to the desired setting When the correct interval is displayed press the Select button Sixty minutes is the default setting for log interval NOTE The data log is also cleared if the tank time is changed or the log interval is modified Setup Timer Setup The timer setup and programming instructions are described in chapter 5 on page 13 8 AquaController Jr Owner s Mai Copyright 1999 2006 Neptune S All rights reserved Clock Setup The clock keeps track of the time in the tank and is used as the reference for the timer program to turn off or on the desited modules
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