WebControl: $35 Web- and email-enabled data acquisition and control

[potts.mike]

I was thinking that you could use the digital input to count the number of times the bucket in rain gauge is filled and then emptied.

 

[apostolakisl]

Here, this is what you need.

http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/1504290-sensor-gauge-press-57psi-max-mpxv5004gc6t1.html

.5 psi is roughly 15 inches of water. You would need to setup a system to empty it every 24 hours. You could use a 2:1 funnel and get readings to 7 inches, they also have transducers that max out at higher psi's so you could use a 10:1 funnel.

The didital input is either on or off, so you could probably set something up that made it turn on/off every time the bucket emptied and count that. It would only work if you could write a plc program to count those on/off cycles. Worst case scenario, it turns an output on/off every time the input goes on/off and something else counts the outputs on/off cycles.

EDIT:The unit does have variable support, so you should be able to count "bucket dumps" using cai's internal processor.

 

[apostolakisl]

We have joined the latest craze and are now having backyard chickens. We have a henhouse and 4, six-week-old chicks. I am wanting to automate the chicken coop.

I want to play. . .yes. . .the chicken song, every night at sunset. At that point I plan on some device spreading food in the henhouse. Perhaps 5 or 10 minutes later (when hopefully the hens have entered the henhouse) I want the henhouse door to close keeping them safe for the night.

I think I can use the cai to do all of this. Any ideas from the gallery will be welcome. I plan on using an old car window motor to open/close the henhouse door. I haven't figured out how I am going to play the music or spread the food yet.

 

[project_x]

There's another thread on the HomeSeer message board where I posted this info:
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=138729

The CAI WebControl printed circuit board PCB is 80 x 88 mm

The outside dimensions of the case are 100mm x 100mm x35mm. The case is well-made from steel with threaded (not sheetmetal) flush screws. There are four standoffs inside to which the PCB is attached with screws.

It is roughly the same footprint as a Comtrol DeviceMaster Air http://www.comtrol.com/products/family/dmair and a Netgear 5-port hub (100x 92mm). Together they make a complete wireless system together that can be expanded to include an RS-xxx device and provide internet connection to up to three additional devices or redundant wired connection + 2 others.

DeviceMaster Air --> Hub --> Comtrol TCP/IP->RS-232
....... .... ...... ..... ..... ....... --> WebControl
....... ..... .... ........ ....... ... --> To wired network (optionally)
...... ..... .... ........ ...... ..... --> Other device
....... .. ..... ........ .... ........ --> Other device

I am working designing a companion PCB that would fit inside the CAI WebControl case and provide:

1) Regulated DC power for the WebControl and companion PCB
2) Multiplexor for additional analog and digital I/O
3) Amplifiers for signal conditioning
4) DPDT relays
5) Optionally:
... a) Analog signal differencing / comparators
... B) Power for other devices
... c) Be powered from standard 24VAC HVAC transformer
... d) Be powered by Power Over Ethernet (POE)
... e) Trickle charger for battery backup.

HTH ... Marc

Marc,
I was wondering if you made any head way on your companion PCB, I'd love to make mine POE?

Cheers,
Rob

 

[tmbrown97]

Lou - This might be overkill for what you're trying to do, but it sure is unbelievably simple...

I use an Elk124 Recordable Module in my system today - you can program 8 one-minute sounds to play whenever the input is triggered (you can do longer recordings they just eat up one channel per minute of audio). It has a built-in 24-watt amp too... works great for me - I use it for doorbell sounds and other custom audio (especially handy around halloween).

 

[apostolakisl]

I have been playing with my cai extensively and found a few problems with the firmware. The company has been very prompt in all of my communications with them and I believe it will be fixed very soon.

Problem;
1) When using "state inverted" for the outputs it does not save the states (after clicking save) so a power cycle loses your states.
2) When using "state inverted" for the outputs, it still displays 0/1 on the gui as well as http get commands not inverted.
3) It labeled the 32 bit variables as 16 bit variables on the gui. This is really totally un-important, but they are fixing it.

The first two probs are kind of a big deal since I am using state inverted and power loss totally screwed me up.

 

[apostolakisl]

CAI tells me they fixed the issues with firmware 3.1.6. At least they fixed problem number 1 and number 3. Not sure about number 2. As it turns out, problem number 1 was not that it didnt' save them, it was saving them as non-inverted so a power cycle would come back with everything opposite, either way, it is not good. But, supposedly fixed.

 

[CAI_Support]

Per reqeust of some members of this board, we would like to come to this community board to help our customers. Please let us know your question and concern, we will work with you resolve them.

For Save Output State, that is for the need to power up the board at last saved state. We did find a problem when the output inverted - thanks to Lou pointed out. If the output is not inverted, the saved state will be rememberd correctly. This has been fixed in V3.1.6 firmware.

The web GUI TTL level indicats the actual level on each TTL output. When the output is inverted, this can be different from internal logic level. When writing PLC code, one should pay special attention on this, because PLC logic is before the output being inverted.

In addition to Lou pointed out the VARs display being fixed in 3-1-6 firmware, we also extended non-blocking delay to 30 bit number from 16 bit number.

Please feel free to ask us questions here or email us directly. Because this board cover vast topics, we might miss your posted question, please email us directly in that case. Thanks!

WebControl Support
CAI Networks, Inc.
[email protected]

 

[electron]

I am more than willing to set up a subforum (just like we did for HAI/ELK/etc.) if there is enough interest. Would make it easier to find this information, without having to invest in your own forum platform.

 

[linuxha]

I am more than willing to set up a subforum (just like we did for HAI/ELK/etc.) if there is enough interest. Would make it easier to find this information, without having to invest in your own forum platform.

I vote yeah! The CAI device is probably one of the neater devices I've seen and at a cost that's hard to beat.

 

[drozwood90]

CAI_Support,

Great to see you here!

I was wondering, the web page states 8 Temperature sensors. I have a need to put in 10 sensors, is that possible? That is, maybe use one of the digital I/O ports?

I want to get something that does 1-wire...and have been oscillating on 3 things. I think the easiest would be to use the Webcontrol. Next "harder" is t buy a serial/USB adapter, gives me a bit more flexibility, but I will end up paying for the device (they cost about the same as the WebControl...but I'd be losing the extra Digital and Analog I/O). Finally for $5-10 less than both, I can get an Arduino and write my own...which lets me have the ultimate in flexibility...but I end up paying in time (which I am short on right now).

I have a use for some Digital Outs...so I end up getting the WebControl, or getting a 1-wire adapter+digital out device (total cost ends up being more). I realize the 1-wire on this is very basic (hence no "full" support for talking to all 1-wire type devices).

Thank you for your assistance!

--Dan

 

[CAI_Support]

CAI_Support,

Great to see you here!

I was wondering, the web page states 8 Temperature sensors. I have a need to put in 10 sensors, is that possible? That is, maybe use one of the digital I/O ports?

I want to get something that does 1-wire...and have been oscillating on 3 things. I think the easiest would be to use the Webcontrol. Next "harder" is t buy a serial/USB adapter, gives me a bit more flexibility, but I will end up paying for the device (they cost about the same as the WebControl...but I'd be losing the extra Digital and Analog I/O). Finally for $5-10 less than both, I can get an Arduino and write my own...which lets me have the ultimate in flexibility...but I end up paying in time (which I am short on right now).

I have a use for some Digital Outs...so I end up getting the WebControl, or getting a 1-wire adapter+digital out device (total cost ends up being more). I realize the 1-wire on this is very basic (hence no "full" support for talking to all 1-wire type devices).

Thank you for your assistance!

--Dan

Dan,

Thanks for your question. WebControl board we are selling now is a 8 bit board. We are also developing a 32bit WebControl32 board that may come to market early next year. Current WebControl board which we call it WebControl8 has 8 of everything, temp sensor, input and output, VARs.
WebControl32 will have 16 of everything, double the I/O. Of course, its cost will be higher, too.

We have little code space left in the WebControl8 board that we can add more temperature sensor, or I/O. But we are thinking maybe reserve that space for support LCD and kaypad. The LCD and keypad will be attached to the 1-wire bus. Then through PLC programming, you can display your own defined message on LCD, and push the 12 button keypad to enter your own code, like those alarm system, or for machine control purpose.

We love to hear your input, so that we can develop it fit most people's need. If most people like to see more temperature sensors, we can add more temperature sensor support on WebControl8, if people like to see more digital I/O, we can make option I/O board and add logic to that, too.
We want to make this as flexible and useful as possible.

Please let us know what you think we should add first.

Thanks

CAI_Support

 

[tparvais]

Dan,

Thanks for your question. WebControl board we are selling now is a 8 bit board. We are also developing a 32bit WebControl32 board that may come to market early next year. Current WebControl board which we call it WebControl8 has 8 of everything, temp sensor, input and output, VARs.
WebControl32 will have 16 of everything, double the I/O. Of course, its cost will be higher, too.

We have little code space left in the WebControl8 board that we can add more temperature sensor, or I/O. But we are thinking maybe reserve that space for support LCD and kaypad. The LCD and keypad will be attached to the 1-wire bus. Then through PLC programming, you can display your own defined message on LCD, and push the 12 button keypad to enter your own code, like those alarm system, or for machine control purpose.

We love to hear your input, so that we can develop it fit most people's need. If most people like to see more temperature sensors, we can add more temperature sensor support on WebControl8, if people like to see more digital I/O, we can make option I/O board and add logic to that, too.
We want to make this as flexible and useful as possible.

Please let us know what you think we should add first.

Thanks

CAI_Support

Hello

any plan to add the following on Webcontrol

-support the possibility to read/write RS232 interface (to/from TEMP08 for example from Midon to simplify weather sensor capture)
-support xPL standard to broadcast sensor values to Database


Thank you

 

[CAI_Support]

Hi Thomas,

We are developing another "big brother" WebControl-32 board now. That board has RS-232 over TCP network. Your computer software can directly connect to the device attached to the RS-232 port and talk to them like directly connected. That board also support "post" to a web server for its sensor value. These two features are already working on our lab testing environment.

The WebControl board we are selling now will continuously be offered. It will be continuous improved with add-on hardware modules to extend its capabilities.

Thanks for your interests!

CAI Support

 

[NC7U]

Found a program called Illumination Software Creater that will generate cross platform OS files and can be located here http://radicalbreeze.com/.
I bullt an interface for CAI WebControl (very crude and slow but works) for Linux desktops only and can be found here http://www.freedrive.com/folder/332920
You should be able to custom the program to your liking.