[Dan in CA]

Making progress.

Regrading the problem with manual mode; I believe the latest version of Samer’s app as well as Ray’s micro-controller based OpenSprinkler have eliminated manual mode as an option.

Can you use the ospi program’s native UI to turn off manual mode?

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Thanks for reporting this. I see the problem also.

I will look into it today.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

The only thing unique abut the master is that when the system is in sequential mode (the default) it is allowed to run at the same time as another zone. You might try setting the system to concurrent mode:

Options page > Station Handling, uncheck Sequential and save changes.

Then go to manual mode, turn on two zones at the same time and check the voltage on both. That may give a clue about what’s going on.

FYI
I am planning to release a major software upgrade later today.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Hi Phil,

The master zone should output 24v like all the rest of the zones. If you are getting 1.5V there may be a problem with the board or somewhere in the circuit.

The software can switch things on and off but is not able to control the output voltage. That would require additional hardware support.

There is a plugin system for adding software features. You can look at the files in the OSPi/plugins directory to see how they work.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

This sounds like a bug in the software.

I’m guessing you are in Australia. Another user there has reported a similar problem. There will be a major software update shortly which may fix the problem. If the same behavior still exists after the update please report back an I will dig into it.

It would be helpful to know your timezone and an example program that shows the problem.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

What are you timing?

I have a set of LEDs attached to my test system and they turn off after the programmed time. If you are timing a sprinkler valve, it may have a delay between the time the power is turned off and when the water actually stops running.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

To use the logging feature go to Options > logging and be sure the box next to “Enable logging:” is checked. Click SUBMIT CHANGES. After you run a test you can go to the LOG page and you should see the length of the run in the Duration column.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

When you say “RUN NOW”, are you referring to the button on the PROGRAMS page or the one on the RUN ONCE page?

I have tried both and so far don’t see the problem you describe.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

The Python interval program has a small example in the plugins folder “relay.py”.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Are you using the raspi-config program on the Raspberry Pi to change the timezone? That is where the system time is set.

sudo raspi-config

4 Internationalisation Options

I2 Change Timezone

On thing that is not obvious is that you need to use the space bar on your keyboard to set/unset the timezone for your location.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

This wiki post might help:
http://rayshobby.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Secure_Remote_Access

Dan

[Dan in CA]

I tried it with accented characters and got the same error.

I will work on fixing it and post here when an update is ready.

Thanks for reporting this.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

I’m glad you fixed it but the names should be able to have accents.

Could you post an example of a station name that causes the problem?

Thanks.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

For sensing the 3 phase line you could use something like:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11005

Here is some info about measuring 3 phase current:
http://www.electrical4u.com/measurement-of-three-phase-power/

Dan

[Dan in CA]

An interesting project.

You will need to have the OSPi on a battery backup so it will not be effected by power outages. It does not draw a lot of power so that should not be a big problem. Perhaps a small solar panel would help.

I think Scott’s suggestion of running the zones in ten minute intervals is a good idea.

The latest versions of the OSPi boards have analog inputs and a small relay included. The analog inputs could probably be used to monitor power to the pump and the relay could be used to start the pump.

You could write a plugin for the Python program that would monitor elapsed time for each zone and re-schedule irrigation after a power outage based on programmed duration minus elapsed time. The software is designed to make custom features easy to add.

Ray will probably have some interesting suggestions.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Hi Jay,

One thing that could be a problem is the stop time. Do you want it to run until 3:30 PM? In which case it should be set to 15:30.

Starting at 2:00 and running 2 zones for 60min in sequential mode would take it until 4:00 to finish and it would only run once.

There could also be a problem with the irrigation timeline display on the Home page but that should not affect the operation. I am setting up a program as you described and will be testing it. Thanks for the detailed description.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

OK, It is fixed.

You can update your installation from GhiHub to get the fix.
Instructions for updating the program are on the wiki:
http://rayshobby.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Python_Interval_Program_for_OSPi#Updating_the_program

Changed the start of line 859 in ospi.py from “elif” to “if”.

Thanks for reporting this bug.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

I can reproduce the problem on my test rig.

I”ll work on a fix and post here when an update is available.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

There is also the possibility that a plugin would require a non-standard Python module e.g. for machine learning. A script in a makeself archive could handle installing the required module. I don’t see how that could be done with GitHub.

There are some plugins under development that are designed to work with additional hardware such as an LCD display. They needs extra documentation. How would that be handled?

Don’t get me wrong, I would like to use GitHub but just don’t see how.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Thanks for the great feedback so far.

Based on your comments here are my thoughts at this point.

Using GitHub as a repository for the plugins was my first thought, but due to the varied nature of possible plugins and some restrictions of GitHub, e.g. not being able to upload individual files:
https://github.com/blog/1302-goodbye-uploads

That does not appear to be a viable option.

Including plugins in the program download has a couple of issues:

1. Avoiding “bloat”.
It would be good to keep the program download and updates as small and fast as possible. Not everyone who might want to use the program is guaranteed to have a fast or reliable internet connection.

2. Security:
I for one would prefer to have more control over what gets downloaded and installed on my system. Allowing users to pick and choose the plugins that get downloaded to their Pi would be preferable.

I agree that managing plugins should be part of the program’s UI and not require users to ssh into the OS to make changes.

A Plugins page that would list all the installed plugins on the Pi is doable. It could include a check box next to each plugin name so the individual plugins could be enabled / disabled or even removed from the system. Currently plugins must be enabled by setting file permission and the program could change permissions without requiring a config file.

I think it might be good to have something like a wiki page + plugin repository. Not part of the program but a separate space on the web that could include descriptions and documentation for plugins so users could browse for plugins of interest. A list of plugin names in the UI would not provide all the information a user would want about a plugin. Having a separate wiki would allow plugin developers to keep their information updated without requiring users to constantly pull updates to their local systems. The plugins themselves could be hosted at various locations and links provided on the wiki.

The plugins page in the UI could include links to descriptions and documentation for installed plugins. There could also be a link to the plugins wiki and a form field for downloading and installing new plugins.

The program is evolving and your input will guide further development.

Thanks.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

Scott it correct in that the 32 program limit was a carry over from the micro controller version of the OpenSprinkler user interface. It does not apply to the Python program and the latest version of the UI does not include a mention of the limit on the number of programs.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

daver,

How are you connecting to the OSPi, wifi?

Since the ssh server is included with the OS and the OSPi web interface is part of the ospi software and you are loosing access to both, it sounds like it could be a problem in the communication link. Does the OSPi continue to run your sprinklers when you can’t access it?

Dan

[Dan in CA]

zkab,

With the new version of the program, it is good to have logging enabled because the irrigation timeline on the home page shows log data in a graphical form.

The reason I suggested using a new CD card was because daver had mention that he has been running his system for a fairly long time. SD cards can wear out after writing a lot of files to them as explained on the wiki:
http://rayshobby.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Set_Up_RPi,_RTC,_WiFi,_Data_Log#Data_Logging_on_the_Raspberry_Pi

It is a good idea to use a different media to store the log data. I use an 8GB SanDisk Cruzer Fit USB flash drive on my OSPi. It is small enough to fit inside the case with the cover on.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

I would suggest reviewing the instructions on the wiki:
http://rayshobby.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Python_Interval_Program_for_OSPi#Updating_the_program

It might be a good idea to use a new SD card also especially if you have had logging enabled.

The files from your old installation that contain your settings are:
sd.json – contains the option settings and other preeferences
snames.txt – contains station names
programs.json – contains irrigation program configurations.

Dan

[Dan in CA]

A plugin for the Interval Program would be the way to go.

For controlling irrigation with soil moisture probes, multiple probes at different depths are generally used at each monitoring location. The frequency of irrigation is controlled by shallow probes and the duration of each irrigation is determined by deeper probes.

I think it would be fairly easy to adjust each station individually using a plugin.

It is exciting to see such interest from folks with more hardware knowledge than I have.

Dan

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