ECC Forum

As did I!! Already salivating as I await its delivery... oh, and as well, I'm redesigning my wiring schematic this weekend to take advantage of the new 12VDC capabilities, eliminating the five relays that I was going to use to drive motorized 12VDC valves, as well as the 12VDC transformer!

rednender wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:57 am

Will firmware updates be backwards compatible with the older 460/2s or will the new hardware introduce a fork in firmware development? How long will the 460/2s will be supported?

Same feature sets, but different firmware files. The firmware share many of the same source files, but have to be built into different target firmware files based on the processor. 460/462 updates and fixes will continue. There will obviously be things added to the 482 that the 460/462 is not capable of supporting (RS-485, internal & external I2C expansion, etc.).

Namako wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:51 am

As did I!! Already salivating as I await its delivery... oh, and as well, I'm redesigning my wiring schematic this weekend to take advantage of the new 12VDC capabilities, eliminating the five relays that I was going to use to drive motorized 12VDC valves, as well as the 12VDC transformer!

Just to be clear, you need a 12VDC transformer as the input to drive the 12VDC valves (I'm guessing the transformer you're eliminating then is a second one).

The ability to drive 12VDC loads will help simplify and save costs in many installations!

Unless I'm missing something, it looks like I'll still need a 12VDC transformer to drive the BCS-482 (in the absence of a dedicated wall wort like the BCS-462 had), but I won't need a 12VDC transformer to feed 12VDC through the load side of a larger 8-channel relay board - I'm assuming I can now drive all five valves using the 12VDC coming directly from the OUTs. In the BCS-462, these 5VDC OUTs were only sending a signal to the relay board, which then closed and sent 12VDC to the valves. Now I think I only need a 4-channel 12V relay board to drive my three 120VAC pumps and a 120VAC alarm/buzzer using what is now a 12VDC signal out of the BCS-482.

Namako - you are correct. A single 12VDC transformer will both power the BCS and provide the output power to your valves. Yes, you'll still need a relay board for 120VAC items.

What kind of 120VAC alarm/buzzer are you using? The 482 has a piezo buzzer built in.

I have the same 22mm buzzer/alarm (AD16-22SM) that Kal calls out in his "The Electric Brewery" build, though he uses PIDs instead of the BCS. It's then wired into the control cabinet much as depicted in Electric Brewing Supply's Wiring Guide Book (I added the ability to manually test it, so I use a 3-way selector instead of a 2-way). I've already had the front panel cut with the holes needed for the alarm and the 3-way selector switch (BCS/OFF/TEST), so I probably won't use the internal piezo buzzer. Oh well...

Will the 482 still have computer alarm or just the buzzer?

Other than minor changes for the different hardware components the UI is exactly the same as on the 460/2, so the alarm display in the UI remains.

I'm working up the schematic to incorporate the BCS-482 into my control panel design, and I'm looking at the photo provided. I see TWO 12VDC IN terminals and no unswitched 12VDC OUT terminal. Is that an error?

They are common terminals. Use one for in the other for out if you wish.