Cai Webcontrol as true thermostat

[CAI_Support]

The diode D9 servers two purposes: 1) protect the sensor from being damaged by hooking up reversely; 2) to protect the board if user using external power supply to power 1-wire bus, to prevent external power feeding into baord. The hw 2.2.2 removed this diode, since it uses 5V to power the 1-wire bus, user has no need for external power on 1-wire bus.

If you already use 5V from humidity side to power the 1-wire bus, then it should be plenty of power, you don't need to use external power to power the 1-wire bus. Do not know why your hook up not work after adding 2nd sensor to the bus. In our lab test, we are able to drive 8 temperature sensors. Could you please check to see if removed the 2nd sensor, would the first one back to working again?

 

[siafu]

Hello Cai,

Yes I use the humidity power to power the sensors, so from what you are saying it's probably no advantage to remove the diode, and will feel better not to do so.

I just tied to hook the second temp sensor, and as soon as I do, both temp sensors report fail. It sees them the first time, but as soon as I save on the temp page and return to the status page they both report fail. The humidity sensor keeps working even while both sensors report fail.

As soon as I remove the second temp sensor, the first one (original one) starts to work again. Not sure why this is.

The voltage shows around 4.5 with 2 temp sensors and the humidity sensor hooked up, and shows about the same with one temp sensor and the humidity hooked up.

What else should I try?

 

[siafu]

OK, after many hours of trial and error, and frying several temp sensors, I came to the conclusion why I could not run more than one temp sensor from one particular location.

It's the cable I was using. In one location I was utilizing thermostat cable, and I guess it must not be compatible with the temp sensor, not 100% sure, but as soon as used cat 5 cable it works.

I can confirm that I have 3 temp sensors running good (so far) on two different webcontrol boards, one of the boards also has the humidity sensor hooked up as well and running fine as far as I can tell.

Hope others that are having similar problem could look at the cable they are utilizing, could be the problem.

 

[CAI_Support]

great. the newer board in hw 2.2.2 supports even longer cable, since it has active pull up on 1-wire bus.

 

[siafu]

When did the new boards become available?

 

[fwd03]

I already brought one from Amazon.

 

[CAI_Support]

We released WebControl HW rev 2.2.2 at the end of August. All the shipment now are hardware rev 2.2.2.
If your board running firmware version 3.1.x that is 2.0.2. If your firmware is 3.2.x, that is hardware rev 2.2.2

 

[siafu]

Thanks for the info Cai. Both my boards were purchased prior to August. so they are HW 2.0.2,

 

[CAI_Support]

For HW 2.0.2, using 5V from the humidity terminal pin 3, or short the protection diode D9, either way will improve the 1-wire function a lot.

 

[CAI_Support]

Siafu,

If you control the heater by hooking up to your HVAC system, you may only have 24AC power supply there. You can use this little board to switch that 24VAC to 9VDC to power the WebControl and your relay board:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150471487189

That may reduce some of your wirings need.

CAI Support

 

[mantamania]

Hi Cai support and others !

Stalle from Sweden here. At last I found a forum for the Webcontrol.
I found the WC this spring and have some fun, and some strugle with it.

My first question is, how do you write to a VAR (ie. VAR1 = 1) from a web-browser ?
I have tried with the string in Cai;s FAQ " http://192.168.1.15/api/setvar.cgi?varid=1&value=23456789"
but the browser answes " page not found" I use IE 8

How do I do ???

I have more questions, but one at a time.....

Regards/Stalle

 

[mantamania]

Hi Cai support and others !

Stalle from Sweden here. At last I found a forum for the Webcontrol.
I found the WC this spring and have some fun, and some strugle with it.

My first question is, how do you write to a VAR (ie. VAR1 = 1) from a web-browser ?
I have tried with the string in Cai;s FAQ "My IP" api/setvar.cgi?varid=1&value=23456789"
but the browser answes " page not found" I use IE 8

How do I do ???

I have more questions, but one at a time.....

Regards/Stalle

I have to add....I use my own IP in front of api/setvar.cgi?varid=1&value=23456789

 

[techbuilder]

Hello all, great to see other people using the webcontrol cards. I have just bought 2 and I'm a Newbie!

Could anyone help, how to a view the status of the inputs remotely from another PC ? I have a netgear router DGN1100 with dynamic IP address.
Would really appreaciate some help. I have connected ok and can view it on my local home network. Thanks

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Hello all, great to see other people using the webcontrol cards. I have just bought 2 and I'm a Newbie!

Could anyone help, how to a view the status of the inputs remotely from another PC ? I have a netgear router DGN1100 with dynamic IP address.
Would really appreaciate some help. I have connected ok and can view it on my local home network. Thanks

So you want to view this 'outside' your router, i.e. from a computer not inside your home?

 

[techbuilder]

Hello, thanks for your reply, yes that's right a remote computer or mobile phone (nokia E5) with internet access to view the status of the inputs and control the outputs.

I have the webcontrol board working fine from within my home network