Lawn automation
- Thread starter sandjunky
- Start date
apostolakisl
Senior Member
I agree that CAI can certainly do the trick. 8 zones per unit. They are not wifi but they are IP enabled. There is a huge range of possiblities when it comes to programming and you can have other network enabled devices use the REST interface to integrate it with other stuff.
Michael McSharry
Active Member
mcsSprinklers has considerable capability to irrigate based upon weather conditions or classic time schedules. It can run in a PC or plug computer and controls hardware such as etherrain and rain8. It can control just about any other home brew valve setup via xAP or Homeseer. It has web access so remote control via browser or phone App.
potts.mike
Active Member
what relays are you using with the webcontrol board?
Dean Roddey
Senior Member
Lawnomation. Has anyone trademarked that yet?
roussell
Active Member
For this WCB (I have 5) I'm using some 12vdc Radio Shack relays, and a handfull of transistors, diodes and resistors as drivers and isolation circuitry for the WCB. That was before I found the eBay boards, my other 4 WCBs use those. I don't remember the part # but it's the square boards, with two rows of 4 relays. I drive the relay board, WCB, and irrigation solinoids from a 12/24 volt center tapped transformer with 24 VAC to the solinoids and a 12VAC leg that gets filtered, rectified and regulated down to about 10VDC that drives the relay board and the WCB. The whole setup has been flawless for over two years now.
Terry
apostolakisl
Senior Member
I have used a couple different sets of relays off of ebay and they have all worked. But they require be powered separately since cai board has a current limit of 100ma total, 20ma per output. Roussell worked that out as above which sounds pretty slick.
I just came across these relays on ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SainSmart-8-Channel-5V-Solid-State-Relay-Module-Board-OMRON-SSR-AVR-DSP-Arduino-/280825893280?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41628711a0
The advantage here is that if you aren't turning more than a few on at a time, you won't exceed cai's current limit, meaning that there is no need for a second power supply or doing any of the fancy stuff roussell did. I would assume that with a sprinkler system you would never have more than one zone on at a time so I would expect all to do fine using those solid state relays from ebay.
Of course sprinkler valves run on 24vac, so no matter what you will need a second power supply or you will need to modify the 24vac to suit your needs as above if you want to keep it at 1 power supply total. Rectifying and reducing 24vac to 9vdc isn't terribly hard or costly so it sounds like a nice idea.
I just came across these relays on ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SainSmart-8-Channel-5V-Solid-State-Relay-Module-Board-OMRON-SSR-AVR-DSP-Arduino-/280825893280?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41628711a0
The advantage here is that if you aren't turning more than a few on at a time, you won't exceed cai's current limit, meaning that there is no need for a second power supply or doing any of the fancy stuff roussell did. I would assume that with a sprinkler system you would never have more than one zone on at a time so I would expect all to do fine using those solid state relays from ebay.
Of course sprinkler valves run on 24vac, so no matter what you will need a second power supply or you will need to modify the 24vac to suit your needs as above if you want to keep it at 1 power supply total. Rectifying and reducing 24vac to 9vdc isn't terribly hard or costly so it sounds like a nice idea.
mantamania
Member
Hi !
I have used this relayboard with my WebControl for over a year now and it works fine !
http://www.denkovi.com/product/4/8-relay-way-output-module-board-for-your-pic-avr-project-5v.html
/Staffan
I have used this relayboard with my WebControl for over a year now and it works fine !
http://www.denkovi.com/product/4/8-relay-way-output-module-board-for-your-pic-avr-project-5v.html
/Staffan
