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Well your order has just been shipped otherwise we could have installed the RF transmitter for you. If you’d soldered before, this would be a really easy modification as it’s just three pins to solder. Also, this is easy to expand — if you need to control more devices you can just add more sockets, and there will be no extra wiring or relay.
That being said, I understand some users are more familiar with relays, and they are after all more reliable. Regarding the 24V relay you linked to: it’s not clear to me the coil runs on AC voltage. The page says coil voltage is 24V, with no indication whether it’s AC or DC. All the AC terms are referring to the contact voltage, and not coil voltage.
Thanks for ordering OpenSprinkler.
To answer your question about relay: the one you linked to seems to be a DC relay (specifically the spec says Coil Power is 4 watts DC). I suspect it’s not compatible with OpenSprinkler, because DC relay coils will probably not work well under AC voltage. In the past I’ve used this 24VAC relay with OpenSprinkler:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/RT314524/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiqgdqtVWfjKo5IK6OgllgyKqIUN%252b%252bDeJ5M3AT%2fmg8vzw%3d%3d
which has worked well. What to look for here is that the coil voltage should be 24VAC (or anything between 22VAC to 28VAC). Of course you should also check the contact rating is sufficient to drive your lights (maximum current, maximum voltage). The one above can switch up to 16 amp and up to 250VAC, which I assume is sufficient for your application.An alternative solution, which is what I really prefer, is to use a remote power socket, which is low-cost, a lot safer, and requires almost no wiring. The latest OpenSprinkler firmware (2.1.1) has added built-in support for radio frequency power sockets. This is a better solution if you want to switch multiple lights or multiple devices, because it involves no additional wiring from OpenSprinkler. For details you can check this blog post: https://opensprinkler.com/opensprinkler-firmware-2-1-1-new-feature-control-remote-power-sockets/
Actually it’s a glitch in the firmware — it’s supposed to disable changing port number on the controller using buttons. The recommended way to change HTTP port is to use the web interface, not on the controller. For one, you will have to press the button for a long time if you want to change it to, say, 8080. Any reason why not set the port number using the web interface?
1. No, Zimmerman’s method currently does not consider the forecast of the next day. However it does consider the forecast of today, and the history data from the previous day, so the rain on Friday will have an effect on Saturday’s watering time.
2. The method calculates a percentage value. So whether it will completely stop the watering on (to 0) or not depends on how much it rains.Coming back to this thread: the issue of weather data not updating (when port number is not 80) is now fixed in firmware 2.1.1. Thanks.
Coming back to this thread: the HTTP port issue (which caused time and weather data to not update properly) has been fixed in firmware 2.1.1. Thanks.
Coming back to this thread: the RAM over-use issue (which caused failure to write to SD card) has been fixed in firmware 2.1.1. In addition, firmware 2.1.1 has added a ‘Enable Logging’ option in case someone wants to turn off logging.
If your old expansion board is of version 1.1, it should work well with the current version of OpenSprinkler. To make sure, you should check if the expansion board cable is polarized (i.e. has a bump on the connector). If so, then there is no problem.
Regarding the question about DIY kit: other than soldering and assembling the DIY kit, I don’t think there are other complications using the microcontroller-based OpenSprinkler, especially if you are using wired Ethernet.
Actually OpenSprinkler already has two built-in fuses: one connected in series with the 24VAC common wire protecting solenoid shorting, and one protecting the +5V line. Also, there are 10 bidirectional TVS (or MOV in DIY kits) to protect the circuit from transient high voltages.
I did think a lot about adding opto-isolators, and decided not to adopt them for the moment, because the opto-isolator is bulky, expensive, and in the event of shorting it has the same risk of leaving the solenoid open. It does, however, isolate the microcontroller so the microcontroller will not be damaged.
Just an update on this thread: firmware 2.1.1 is released and it has fixed the HTTP port issue (specifically, the issue where the controller fails to call weather script when HTTP port is not 80).
Just an update on this thread: firmware 2.1.1 has been released and has added the functionality to log water percentage each day. The UI now also supports plotting the water percentage log data.
Hi Bill, I was not aware that the TP-link router draws that much current. I did some measurement before and I think the peak current draw I’ve seen is about 400mA whereas the average current draw is just around 200 to 300mA. To make sure we are on the same page, this is the TL-WR702N router, right?
@automate: the recommended way to upgrade is to use the firmware updater program. If you need to look for the firmware file, it’s in the subfolder called Firmware. All firmwares are in .hex format (not .bin format).
@sgruby: yes, this firmware should have fixed that issue. To summarize, that issue was caused due to RAM over-usage. Firmware 2.1.1 considerably reduced the RAM usage. I would definitely recommend you to upgrade to 2.1.1.
@mike1: interesting thought to add a manual override switch unit. I think it’s suitable for a DIY modification, but I don’t see a high demand for this because the main purpose of OpenSprinkler is web-based control.
Yes, you can use 26VDC bench power supply to test power supply. The positive pin should be connected to pin 2 as you said (the one that’s further away from the USB port). There is a diode on the circuit board for polarity protection so you don’t have to worry about connecting DC power the wrong way.
The hardware design files are generally released in Github. Here is the direct link to version 2.2:
https://github.com/rayshobby/opensprinkler/tree/master/OpenSprinkler%20Controller/hardware/v2.2The BOM is not included, but you can generate the BOM from the schematic using the EagleCAD software.
You are right. The version you received is an updated version of 2.2u. I am in the middle of updating the instructions right at the moment. The differences between the updated version and the original version of 2.2u are:
1) C1, C2, C3 are now renamed C0, C1, C2
2) Inductor L1 and the Reset tactile button are now through-hole components to be soldered (previously they were surface mount components).You will need an ISP programmer (such as USBasp, USBtiny, AVRisp). Flash the optiboot bootloader to the microcontroller through the ISP pins on the circuit board. Once the bootloader is flashed, you can program the microcontroller through the USB port.
@Fr33: did you change the port number to something other than 80? If so, I think it has to do with a bug that causes the weather script to fail when the HTTP port is not the default 80. This has been fixed in the just released firmware 2.1.1. Please check the announcement for 2.1.1 for details.
OK, I see. Yes I am aware of the two-wire valve. Unfortunately OpenSprinkler is not designed for two-wire valves. They typically require an encoder on the controller and decoder at each valve. The encoding method is probably proprietary and each manufacturer uses a different encoding method. Also, although the wiring is simpler, the cost of the controller and each decode are considerably higher. So my understanding is that it’s meant for commercial systems with a large number of stations.
This part of the output:I am traveling out of town currently so I won’t be able to get back to you very quickly. Sorry about that.
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is definitely very strange. It should not be there and I’ve never seen this before. I will have to think about what may have caused this to happen.Sure, OpenSprinkler can be used for drip irrigation and it can handle multiple zones (up to 48). Do keep in mind that it’s not waterproof, so if it will be exposed to rain, you should use a waterproof enclosure (this is the one we recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-57095-Sprinkler-Weather-Resistant-Outdoor-Mounted/dp/B000VYGMF2)
