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Hey Ray,
can you clarify what you mean by the 5v terminal port:“2) OpenSprinkler has a +5V terminal port, it can be used to power the controller. Find a 5V mini UPS and connect it between 5V and GND and that will keep it running.”
Is that an internal connection on the AC version or the external VIN terminal which I understood was for 5v output?
After this discussion, I realized this option for redundancy is so easy and cheap, that I may implement it even if I may never need it.
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Yes, VIN is the +5V pin that’s internally wired to the +5V pin on the circuit. In older version of the enclosure, it’s marked VIN; in newer version it’s marked +5V. This pin is normally used to power certain sensors that require +5V. But it can also be used to provide +5V to the controller. You have to be certain that it should be regulated +5V (not to exceed 5.5V).
If you want to make sure current can only flow in one direction (e.g. from external battery into +5V pin and not the reverse), you can put a Schottky diode inline to control the direction.
One other major advantage of being able to restart all programs at their current state instead of having to wait until their next start time comes along would be to better emulate the “manual mode” of commercial controllers.
That’s one more major thing I’m missing with OpenSprinkler. OpenSprinkler’s “manually run a zone” feature is nothing like true manual mode in a commercial controller.
Manual mode in a commercial controller instantly turns on a zone, and in many models it doesn’t turn off running programs (active zones) unless you explicitly turn them off first (and of course in commercial controllers you can restart programs without having to wait up to 24 hours just by setting it back to “run mode”).
An alternative implementation of manual mode would be to add a way to turn on a zone (either with a countdown timer or until turned off) no matter what else is happening (i.e. without queuing the manual zone), e.g. with a check-box in the dialog that chooses between queue and instant. Then one could either pause whatever is running first, or just turn on the manual zone in parallel (perhaps with a software limit to prevent overloading the power supply).
A third way to implement “manual mode” would be to first require the programs to be paused, then push any manual zone request that’s shorter than the remaining pause period to the front of the queue and allow it to run immediately despite the pause being active, but that may be very confusing for many people to use. Better to just have a check-box in the manual run dialog that selects between queuing and instant parallel activation.
Being able to turn on a zone immediately without disturbing any programming, one way or another, is extremely useful for testing for leaks, testing replacement rotors, adjusting rotor swing ranges, etc., etc., etc. I had forgotten that I use this feature almost every time I work on the irrigation system until I went to try it with OpenSprinkler and I was stymied.
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