Peterphrastus

The new minor version of HHS provides support for the Phidget Single Board Computer in 8/8/8 emulation mode. It is not recommended to use the wireless capability but rather to hardwire the device.

A new tab has been added to the main screen. It provides a graph of pH and EC sensor readings at 5 minute intervals. The values to date are not saved if HHS is shut down and restarted. Graphing will resume from the new startup time.

A brief mid-season report of the 2009/2010 setup results can be seen here.

The Phidget SBC is now supported (albeit in simple 8/8/8 mode) in RHS. This provides an ethernet (cable only recommended) solution. While wireless is possible, the reliability of such connections could prove problematic. A plan is afoot to use the SBC as a smarter controller in the future. More later..........

In keeping with the important trend towards more efficient use of our resources, RHS has been enhanced to include more energy monitoring capabilities. It now has:

• Household power usage monitoring
  • Monitor and record power usage on two independent circuits. These can be whole house or they can be two particular circuits such as HVAC, hot water, pool heater, etc.
  • voltage, current, kWh and kVa are tracked in real time for both circuits
  • real time and historical charts and graphs

RHS can now be run in simulation mode. In this mode, no Phidgets are required. Weather input must come from Weather Watcher Live. To use this mode, go to Options->Misc and click on the simulator check box. A brief manual describing how to set up HHS for simulations is here.

After installation of a geothermal HVAC system, it was desireable to log the 2 stage compressor and backup resistance heating activity. This has been added using Phidget 8/8/8 digital inputs 4-6. The method for triggering the events is a relay for each stage connected to the thermostat output signals. The thermostat outputs 24 volts AC. Any small relay with at least a set of SPST contacts will do the job. Using DPDT constacts will provide for some future uses that are yet to be thought up.

The following is a sample of a real time HVAC activity graph

Summer is short here in Canada. It is time to get ready for the next growing season. For 2009/2010, there will be four growing units:

• a seedling ebb and flow unit;
• a three pot HydroHomeSoft growing tray;
• a homemade 6” PVC pipe aeroponics unit; and
• two General Hydroponics Rainforest™ 66 units

Well it is time to shut down the indoor garden and attend to the outdoor gardens here in Ottawa, Canada. This has been a busy and very productive year for HydroHomeSoft (HHS).

• a new configuration for Phidgets provides a more economical starter solution
• pH and EC management can be automated for each channel
• EC can be progressively changed from growth stage to growth stage
• Bruce Bugbee’s refill solution strategy was tested

Many have requested the ability to have all the basic functionality of HHS without environmental, pH and EC control. In response to this, HHS now has a single Phidget option. In addition, the peristaltic pumps can be replaced by one pump and an array of solenoids. This single Phidget solution provides nutrient management to refill channels, automatic nutrient changes between growth phases, email notification and so on. This is a great way to get started with your own automation project.

There are many theories about controlling the EC of hydroponics nutrients. Each grower usually develops a strategy by experimentation. No one size fits all. Then too, there are specialized strategies for particular crops, hot peppers for example. To help implement a nutrient strategy, the next version of HHS has been enhanced with several new nutrient management scenarios. The scenarios work in conjunction with the three growth phases - Grow, Bloom and Final – and the various nutrient components being used.

Scenario one – phase change