Dosing pump programming.

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waucedah_joe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by waucedah_joe »

rimai wrote:I'd like you to use hard coded to make sure it is not some memory settings error.
So, Try this code here:

Code: Select all

ReefAngel.DosingPumpRepeat(Port7,0,60,2);
ReefAngel.DosingPumpRepeat(Port8,5,60,2);
Can you visually see it??
I highly doubt that a peristaltic pump is siphoning.
They are mechanically designed to operate without siphoning and because they are designed this way, it is virtually impossible to siphon. If you look inside the head of the pump, you will see that there is always one roller pressing the tube and preventing it from siphoning. The only way it could happen is if the pump had only 2 rollers instead of 3, but I don't think the pump would work at all if it had just 2 rollers.
It's got to be something else.

Pretty sure I accomplished that by what I did already. Using the following code;

ReefAngel.DosingPumpRepeat(Port7,0,60,2);

ReefAngel.DosingPumpRepeat(Port8,5,60,2);
if (ReefAngel.Params.PH > 835)
ReefAngel.Relay.Off(Port8);

First day, Pump A on port 7, Pump B on port 8. Each pump drawing off of 3/4 gallon DI in separate jugs and discharging into a bucket so the head is the same on both.
- Pump A uses less than 1/4c. Pump B uses over 1/2 gallon.

Second day, Pump B on port 7, Pump A on port 8. Each pump drawing off of 3/4 gallon DI in separate jugs and discharging into a bucket so the head is the same on both.
- Pump A uses less than 1/4c. Pump B uses over 1/2 gallon.

Same result regardless of which port is used.

I've not seen it siphon.
rimai
Posts: 12881
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by rimai »

Well, you are biasing port7 by disabling port 8 when pH is high.
Can you just use the dosingpumprepeat functions?
When the pumps do pump, do they pump for 2 seconds only?
2 seconds every hour is very little. 1/2gallon seems so strange and I'm still having a hard time getting the idea of siphoning, but since Lee thinks that it is possible, I'd like to eliminate the siphoning out of the equation.
Can you place the bucket above the level of the jugs to test?
Roberto.
waucedah_joe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by waucedah_joe »

Well, I've got "pump A" working on port 8 adding alk to my sump so, I'm going to leave that alone. I will continue to troubleshoot "pump B". I dissassembled the pumping head to inspect and didn't see anything of concern there. I was using some old tubing on it also. So, over the next few days I will; use the same tubing as on the one that works. (can't see how this could possibly matter but...). I will keep using port 7 to run it unconditionally. First I'll try to duplicate the original problem with the discharge below the source and if it still over-adds I'll raise the discharge above the source and see what happens then. Expect a report back later in the week.

Thanks for the help so far.
waucedah_joe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by waucedah_joe »

I had to work late yesterday, but this morning before leaving for work, I set up the problem pump with the same tubing that I have on the one that works. I plugged it into a hot outlet to fill the tubing then plugged it into port 7.

Immediately I could see that it was siphoning.

There was a small air bubble in the discharge tube that was visible and it was moving right from the start. Steady drip drip drip out the end too. so, something must be out of spec. Either too much clearance between the rollers and housing or the tubing is too small I suppose. How do I go about getting it repaired or replaced? It is new.
rimai
Posts: 12881
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by rimai »

Send me a PM for RMA.
Roberto.
waucedah_joe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by waucedah_joe »

rimai wrote:Send me a PM for RMA.
PM Sent.
waucedah_joe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by waucedah_joe »

I got the new pump head on Saturday and it works great! Thanks Roberto.

Now I'd like to switch the Dosing pump commands back to memory based but, again, have questions.

I guess the big question is, is there an index or reference detailing the defined memory parameters?

For instance, the parameters for hard coded dosing are; relay number, offset(minutes), interval(minutes) and duration(seconds). However when I use my android tablet "Internal Memory" page I see 4 parameters; Dosing Pump 1 Timer, Dosing Pump 1 On Hour, Dosing Pump On Minute and Dosing Pump 1 Repeat Interval. Right now I've got them hard coded to run 5 seconds, every 30 minutes, with a 5 minute offset on pump 2 but I'm confused as to where to store these values in memory. Just for fun, the apple app, in the memory section under Dosing Pump looks like; DP1 On:(xx):(yy) (zz), where (zz) has a column heading of interval. OK interval is straight foreword enough but what are xx and yy values for?

Again, if you can point me to a memory definition/map, I can probably answer the rest of my questions myself.

You'd probably never guess that I've got a degree in CS. Of course that was back in the days of Fortran ;-)

Thanks
binder
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Location: Illinois
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Re: Dosing pump programming.

Post by binder »

The best answer for your questions is going to be this: look at the libraries (~/Documents/Arduino)
1. Check out the ReefAngel/ReefAngel.cpp file
2. Check out the ReefAngel/Globals.h file

The first one will show you how the "simplified" functions work. They just call the full functions with the proper internal memory locations.
The second one will show you what the memory locations are.
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