|
The AquaController III Pro base unit contains all the
necessary capabilities to monitor and control even the
most demanding aquarium setup. All of the features described
below are present in the base unit; there are no additional
software upgrades to buy. The AquaController 3 Pro is
able to: |
The AquaController III Pro has an easy to use and intuitive three
button user interface. The buttons are used to navigate through
the menus and to modify the standard setup. All setup and
program modifications are possible through the buttons on
the AquaController III Pro - no external computer is required.
The base unit includes a comprehensive owner's manual, which
contains instructions and examples on how to best utilize
your AquaController III Pro. No technical background is necessary
to setup and operate the controller. The base unit measures
4.0" x 7.50" x 1.10"
To help you perform the initial setup of the AquaController III Pro,
the base unit comes pre-programmed with a default setup which
requires little if any modification to work with most aquarium
setups.
The base unit includes software which is capable of monitoring
pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and dissolved oxygen.
The monitored data is continuously displayed on the large
LCD display and also logged into the internal RAM for later
retrieval. All probes support digital calibration.
The AquaController III Pro also contains the functionality to
control the pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and
dissolved oxygen in your tank. The standard control functions
for the monitored parameters listed above are possible.
For pH control typically CO2 is injected into the aquarium
when the pH rises too high. The AquaController III Pro continuously
monitors the pH and can turn the CO2 injection system on or
off based upon the user defined high and low set points. Because
of the AquaController III Pro's highly programmable nature, it
is possible to control pH in new and nonstandard ways. For
example, in reef tanks with a calcium reactor it is desirable
to stop injecting CO2 into the reaction chamber if the pH
of the tank falls too low. The AquaController III Pro is currently
the only known controller on the market capable of this type
of control. The CO2 injection system is not included with
AquaController III Pro.
Similarly, the AquaController III Pro can control the ORP level
in your tank with the injection of ozone. If the ORP in your
tank drops to an user defined settings, the AquaController III Pro
can enable ozone injection into the tank. The ozone injection
system is not included with AquaController III Pro.
Also the AquaController III Pro can control both a heater and
chiller to maintain a stable temperature environment in the
tank. The heater and/or chiller enable and disable temperatures
can be set independently. Given the tank has an adequate heater
and chiller, the temperature can be maintained within +-.3
°F.
Additionally, the AquaController III Pro has many more features
for temperature control. For example, if the temperature of
the tank exceeds a preset value, the AquaController III Pro can
turn on a fan to cool the tank. If the temperature rises higher,
an additional fan or chiller can be enabled. If the temperature
rises even higher, lights can be shut off. There is really
no limit to the number of ways that the AquaController III Pro
can control the temperature.
Also, the AquaController III Pro has a special temperature cycle
which is used to simulate seasonal temperature variations.
All of the above mentioned features for temperature control
are available in this mode as well; only the target temperature
set point varies with the day of the year. This mode of operation
is most interesting to the serious aquarist trying to induce
his corals and fish to spawn.
The timer functionality included in the base unit is capable
of turning devices on and off at specific times of the day
with one minute resolution. The AquaController III Pro can
also turn the devices on or off multiple times per day not
just one time per day as with other controllers. The flexible
timers allows for the standard lighting control as well as
for dosing of various elements. Up to 30 devices can be controlled
by the AquaController III Pro.
The AquaController III Pro has a special type of timer which can
be used to simulate the varying lengths of days throughout
the year. This feature is used to make the length of daylight
hours longer in the summer than in the winter. This results
in a more realistic simulation of natural lighting variations.
The AquaController III Pro has another special type of timer which
can be used to simulate the moon cycle in your tank. A special
lamp control module is used. This control module is capable
of varying the intensity of light emitted from an incandescent
bulb. The intensity variations are controlled by the AquaController III Pro
which is preprogrammed with correct intensity values for each
day of the moon cycle. The AquaController III Pro automatically
updates the intensity value depending upon the current setting
of the AquaController III Pro's clock. With this artificial moon
cycle, it is possible to induce corals and fish to spawn.
Each pump to be controlled can either have a random or fixed
time period. Both the on and off times are fully programmable
and can range from 1 minute to 4 hours in 1 minute increments.
Up to 20 pumps can be controlled by one base unit. A variable
length feed timer cycle can be initiated with the press of
a button and will disable some or all of the pumps in the
system (programmed by the user).
The AquaController III Pro comes equipped with 4 TTL level
external inputs which can be used to activate/deactivate equipment
in response to an external stimulus. Applications for these
inputs include connection to water level float switches, water
pressure and flow sensors, and water on the floor sensors.
The AquaController III Pro program can be set up to signal
alarms or turn on/off appliances in the event of external
switch open or closure.
One of the AquaController III Pro's most compelling features is
its simple to use yet very powerful programming language.
A simple example best illustrates the power and versatility
of the AquaController III Pro. Suppose that you wish to simulate
the sunrise and sunset in your tank as well as having longer
or shorter sunlight hours as based upon the seasons. The following
program achieves this effect:
If Sun 000/000
Then LT1 ON
If Sun 060/-045
Then LT2 ON
If Temp > 83.0
Then LT2 OFF
The first statement of the program turns light 1 ON at sunrise
and OFF at sunset. The second statement turns light 2 ON 60
minutes after sunrise and shuts it off 45 minutes before sunset.
This feature is not available in any other controller. The
keyword 'Sun' tells the AquaController III Pro to use the preprogrammed
timer which calculates the sunrise and sunset times for the
current day of the year.
The programming flexibility does not stop here though, as
illustrated by the third program statement. This statement
will shut off light 2 if the temperature of the tank ever
exceeds 83.0°F. With this type of feature, the temperature
stability of the tank can be more easily obtained on those
hot summer days.
Similar program statements are used to enable or disable
all the different control functions. The base unit comes pre-programmed
with a default program which contains the majority of the
control functions required in the average tank. Using this
default program your tank will be up and running in very little
time.
A new construct added to the AquaController III Pro's program
allows for the state of one controlled appliance to be used
to control another appliance. For example to have certain
pumps shut down at night something like this could be used:
If Sun 000/000
Then LT1 ON
OSC 010/015 M
Then PM1 ON
If Timer LT1 = OFF
Then PM1 OFF
The extensive owner's manual thoroughly describes the installation
and customization of the AquaController III Pro for use in your
tank. The manual also contains many programming examples which
illustrate many of its unique features. With this system the
control of your aquarium is limited only by your imagination.
The AquaController III Pro can be programmed to enable an
audible alarm when a monitored condition exceeds a preset
value. The AquaController III Pro will immediately let you
know when your tank needs attention. With an internet connection
(cable or DSL connection) and alarm email can be sent. The
information received in the email includes the current pH,
temperature, ORP, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, power
status, and the state all the controlled devices at the time
of the alarm.
The AquaController III Pro has data logging for the aquarist
that wants to keep an accurate log of the conditions in his
aquarium. Temperature, pH, ORP, conductivity and dissolved
oxygen are sampled and stored into battery backed RAM. The
sample interval is user programmable and can be from 1 minute
to four hours in 1 minute increments. The data log can either
be viewed on the LCD display or downloaded to a PC or Macintosh
via a standard RS232 serial connection or an Ethernet telnet
or HTPP connection.
When the AquaController III Pro is connected to your local
network by its ethernet port, the controllers status and configuration
settings are available through a standard browser. Below is
a screen capture of Internet Explorer accessing the controllers
current status.
Notice that not only can the current status be access, but
also any of the controlled devices can be manual turned on
or off. Also available through the web interface are the ability,
view/modify the current controller program, view the datalogs,
graph the datalogs, set the clock, and view the seasonal table.
If an internet connection (DSL or cable modem) is available
where the AquaController is installed, then your system can
be checked on in almost any location in the world. Of course
all access to the controller is password protected to ensure
security. Note that a PC is not required for the AquaController
to serve web pages; the webserver is built into the AquaController
III Pro
The AquaController III Pro can be optionally connected to
PC or Macintosh via an Ethernet cable. The computer interface
allows you to download the datalog log as well as retrieve
the current status of the monitored parameters and controlled
devices in the aquarium. A computer is NOT required to program
or operate the AquaController III Pro.
In addition the III Pro also supports a standard telnet
server, so that the current status, datalogs, etc. are also
available by a standard TCP/IP Ethernet connection.
Please see the AquaNotes web page
for complete details on our Windows program which completely
automates the datalog retrieval and graphing process.
An internal lithuim battery powers the AquaController III
Pro's internal real time clock in the event when no external
power is present. In the event of a power failure on both
the primary AC adapter or the optional secondary power backup
source, no configuration, program state, or clock settings
will be lost. After power is restored all controlled devices
will be in the correct state within five minutes after power
is restored.
The internal battery is only used to retain the time of
real time clock; the program and settings are stored in non-volatile
memory. Since this is non-volatile memory, the AquaController
III Pro retains the program and settings even during a power
outage or failed internal battery. Once the AquaController
III Pro is configured no more setup or reprogramming is required.
In the event of power failure the AquaController III Pro
can signal by email or a local audible alarm the fault condition.
The III Pro has a second AC adapter connector which should
be plugged into an external UPS to power the controller internal
circuitry. The AquaController can sense the loose of power
on the primary AC adapter connector and signal either a local
audible alarm or send an email through its Ethernet internet
connection. In addition the AquaController III Pro logs the
time that power failure started and when the power was restored.
The large and informative display on the AquaController III Pro
is capable of displaying 20 characters by 4 lines of text/special
characters. In the status mode the display shows the current
conditions in the aquarium, the date and time, and the status
of all the controlled devices. The large display also makes
it much easier to program the controller as well as look at
the data log. No other aquarium controller offers as large
and informative a display. The AquaController III Pro comes standard
with a backlit LCD display.
To keep unauthorized users from accessing and modifying the
AquaController III Pro's configuration, the display can be locked.
To unlock the display a user settable password must be entered.
You never have to worry about the AquaController 3 Pro becoming
obsolete. The software internal to the controller can be easily
updated through your a PC on your local network. Just download
the firmware update from our website and install it on the
controller.
The AquaController III has been designed so that additional
probe interfaces, digital inputs can be easily added via the
I/O connector. Up to 7 additional expansion modules can be
added to the AquaController 3 Pro. It is now possible to monitor
multiple aquariums through just one AquaController base unit.
The expansion possibilities are virtually unlimited.
The first expansion module, the PX 1000 (shown above) , with
a pH, ORP, temperature (or 2 pH and 1 temperature), and 6
digital inputs is available now. To order click here.
The PX 1000 features are:
- Monitor/Control pH, ORP, and tempprobe (or 2 pH and a
temp probe).
- 6 digital inputs for float switches, water on floor sensors,
pressure sensors, etc.
- Full datalogging support in AquaController and AquaNotes.
(1024 data points per measured parameter)
- Up to 7 expansion modules can be used. For a AC3Pro that
would make a total of 26 probes and 42 digital inputs.
- Attaches to AquaController 3 Pro's I/O port with a 5'
cable.
- Additional Expansion modules daisy chain off the previous
expansion module.
The AquaController III Pro comes with a built-in self test diagnostic
program which lets you know if the system is operating correctly.
Also displayed on the self test screen are the revision and
date of the firmware.
Further Information
If you are not convinced that the AquaController III Pro brings
truly flexible and affordable aquarium control, contact our
knowledgeable sales and technical staff at Neptune Systems,
and we'll answer any of your questions. |
