2Quills, 120G Re-build thread. - Page 37

Quote:

Originally Posted by meowzer 

Is this the same controller that I had gotten from Mark?

They are both Typhon's.

The guy who originally build and designed these things did so with the intent that they could be a diy project that people could do.  They could simply use his design, buy the components and assemble them.

So that is what the place that I got it from is doing.  Putting them together and selling them.  I don't know if that orginal controller that Mr. BTLD had was from the same place I got it from or if it was from another hobbyist who put it together himself.

But depending on sources there could be some discrepancies.  In many ways the design of this thing is still being toyed with or modified and expanded.  So I'm hoping that if it isn't compatible with my drivers then I can hopefully get some good information on not only how to make it work but have more capabilities.

If not then I already know of another alternative controller that utilizes analog input signal instead of a modulated (pwm) signal.  

So it's all up in the air for me right now as to how I'm going to end up controlling the lights.  But I'm going to control them one darn way or another.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cipher43 

Doesnt that driver have analog and pwm dimming capabilities?  

Hope you get the controller figured out..... I was planning on buying 2 of those very controllers for my build but think I will hold off till you find out what is wrong.

 

Supposedly, yes.  It's supposed to have pwm10v, analog 10v and resistance dimming.  Just like the HLG's.  I'm in a thread now with another hobbyist that is having what I believe to be the very same issue and we both got these controllers from the same place recently. In his case he has HLG 185-48B's.

What's going on is that the controller has separate 5v and 10v channels.  Everything works beautifully on my 4 individual 5v channels but I can only get the obvious maximum 50% output from my drivers running them on those channels.  So I need to run them on the 10v channels.  Problem is the controller is only putting out 5-10 volts for a dimming signal.  I should be getting 0-10 volts. But instead my drives run at 100% no matter what I do on the 10v channels. So I've already confirmed that something is incorrect with the controllers output signal.  

I think it's just limited to the Typhon controller ATM and the way the drivers aren't interpreting it's signal correctly.  But the way I also understand it is that the HLG and the LPF drivers interpret signal differently than the ELN's.  And this controller was origionally designed in big part around ELN's.  So that's why I'm hoping a simple hardware change can solve the issue.  If not, there are still other options that will do the very same thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Snapple 

Okay, thanks for the info Corey, Sorry to hear that nothing has been working for you, but if this is this big of a hassle, and this is just a sump light.......... Good luck.

lol  Thanks, Josh.  I wouldn't necessarily say that NOTHING is working for me.  I did my part right.  I just need these manufacturers and suppliers to get on the same page with one another. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr btldreef 

hey there.... wife told you were having an issue with the arduino or you had a question???

if you are running the hlg drivers you must re-write some lines in the software.

Yeah I think I pretty much figured out what I wanted to ask.  But just for confirmation, you were able to run your 240's on the Typhon, correct?  But you couldn't dim the lights dark?

I'm thinking the changes Mean Well made to all of there drivers goes well beyond just the manufacturing date issue seen with the HLG 240's.

Even though the specs in the data sheets are nearly identical for all of their drivers that offer the 3 in one dimming.  

The supplier has no idea what's going on and has pretty much washed his hands of it at this point and doesn't think there is an issue with the controller.  But the Typhon's creater is sure it is in issue with the driver not being able to read the pwm signal from the controller because some of the mean well drivers may interperat pwm signal differently and he didn't incorporate the Typhon to be able to compensate for either or in his original design.

So there' s a lot of things up in the air with it right now for me and my LPF D drivers.  The creater asked me to hold on to one to modify if I'd be willing so I'm going to try that for kicks and see what happens.

I just wanted confirmation that you were able to use it on your HLG's.  Because the supplier is saying he tested it on HLG's just not LPF's even though thier website lists LPF's as compatible drivers now.  Or at least they were I don't know if they took them down from their site yet or not.  We'll see.

They are sending the Typhons out now with the option to reverse the PWM signal already programmed into the controller.

Thanks for dropping in BTW.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr btldreef 

yes i was able to use the hlg 240s with the arduino controller.  problem was like i said a few values are reverse in the software. just changed 4 lines in the original program from "false" to "true" and then the worked just like the eln.  i see what you are saying... the hlgs never completely turn off to 0%.  i had used my tank controller to kill the 120v main power source to the drivers after the dimming sequence was timed out.  since hlg work in values of 10% anyways i left that 10% on for another half hour then had the controller kill the power. 

 

imo hlg drivers are great for those with big tanks.  beats the "dangerous" 12 eln driver i had originally. 

 

as for a tech support on these drivers...there is none.  you have the program for your arduino board???? if you do or don't it is very easy to change the values to make it work correctly with the hlgs.  look at the code for it there are 4 lines in the code that are labeled with "false" values... change them to "true" .  its the first true /false values in the code. if you still have a problem email me the code.

I don't think the issue here is with the coding.  As mentioned the controllers now are coming pre programmed with the ability to reverse the pwm signal.  The problem is that the drivers that I have don't work on the 10v channels on the controller.  Everything works perfectly fine on the 5v channels, just not the 10v ones.

I've tested the drivers with 100k pots and a 10k pot utilizing a 10v wall wart.  Everything works fine.  I can ramp up and down between 0-10v.  My leds even go dark once the voltage drops below 0.5v.  And that's another strange thing is that HLG's can't dim dark.  These can.

I think it's more a driver issue at this point.  Since my drivers already have a built in 10v reference source then that's how they can run on a 100k pot without needing a 10v power supply.  That signal is what the Typhon's creator thinks is conflicting with the 10v pwm signal coming from the controller.  The result of this would be a floating voltage signal that isn't being pulled to ground.  And my drivers interperate this signal as 0v.  When HLG's or LPF's get 0 volts going across the dimming wires then they run 100% wide open.  Which is what my drivers do when hooked up to the 10v channels on the controller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr btldreef 

okay.  good luck to you then.

just speaking from experience.

No problem.  Thanks for dropping in.  Some people may need to know that.  I'm trying to found out how many people have ran them with HLG's and which models.  So your input helps.

Couple of quick shots.  Finally got off my butt and finished up the remaining bits of the second led pendant.  Had to make the top piece and modify the mounting bracket.

Just have to make the cables and that should about finish it up for the scrubber lights.  I think I've made a final decision on a skimmer and return pump.  Just waiting for the place that I'd like to get them from to get the skimmer back in stock before I pull the trigger.

Skimz SK-181 

Water Blaster HY 3000

Quote:

Originally Posted by meowzer 

Who makes that skimmer?

Skimz.  They've been being used over sea's for a little while now.  Just started making there way into the states in the last couple of years.  So far there's only a few places carrying them.  Folks who are running them seem to really like them so I'm going to try one.  It should also be an easy skimmer to modify if I ever want to up size the pump.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al&Burke 

It is going to be a showcase - don't put doors on your stand.  Looking real good

 

Thanks, Bud.  Ha...it just looks nice and prestine now.  Once I start pulling algae and fish doo outta there it probably won't look so nice lol.