BCS-462 wiring for relay and ball valves

[Timbrew]

Hi. I have an open question and grateful any advice. Been speaking to OSCS about connecting some of their 2 way 12v ball valves to my BCS-462.
I have a driver relay board as per ECC recommendation (http://wiki.embeddedcc.com/index.php/Re ... mmendation) and have been trying to figure out how to wire these items up without too much destruction... OSCS suggested ECC could answer my question, so here goes:

VALVES: close with 12v +ve to Red and -ve to Black ; open with 12v +ve to Red plus Yellow, and 12v -ve to Black.
I'm wiring 7 of these valves to the 8 relay board (above) to be controlled by my BCS-462 and have a 12v DC supply both for the valves and the relay board.

Is this the correct configuration / connections (example say for relay No.1):
12v +ve supply goes to board terminal VDD
12v -ve goes to board terminal GND
Add 12v +ve link from VDD to C1 (common live terminal)

Valve Yellow to NO1
Valve Red to C1.
Valve Black to 12v -ve GND
(No connection to NC1)

BCS-462 6v signal to CH-1
BCS ground to board GND

Operation:
When when relay is OFF (board's diagram shows COM1 connected to NC1), then power only to Red and valve is CLOSED.

When relay is powered (COM1 connects to NO1) then Red and Yellow are both powered and valve OPENS.

Thanks in advance!

[Timbrew]

Hi - still looking for help / advice on whether I'm OK with the wiring config noted in original post. Appreciate any help. Tim

[JonW]

Yes, it looks like you've outlined it properly.

[Namako]

Tim,

Did you ever get your wiring figured out? I'm in the same predicament, trying to figure out how to get the BCS-462 to work the valves. Any back-of-the-napkin sketches would be VERY much appreciated

Michael

[Timbrew]

Yes I did - tested in situ too. I'm in the middle of a move right now but give me a day or two and I'll try to figure out how to post my wiring diagram.

[Timbrew]

Here you go Michael. Hope this helps. You'll need to check the colour coding of the valve wiring as this seems to vary between manufacturers. The OCS ones I bought (earlier post) should do the job. Although this is all operates on 12VDC, and in case you're wondering, note that my design here is for a 240VAC supply which we have in UK

BCS-462 valve control.jpg (151.6 KiB) Viewed 9547 times

[Ihop2many]

Hello Tim,

Would you please share your configuration to show how the outputs 10-15 are asserted so that they do not "chatter"? I have only recently purchased a BCS 462 and have been programming it to assert some small 2A SSR devices for fan or pump control (still experimenting) but have had a difficult time asserting an output so that it is a simple on/off and not oscillating with multiple on-offs before settling down.
BTW, I'm using 3.7.1. I'm turning an extraction fan on at 170F and turning it off at 150F, it's finally working without "chattering" but this seems a rather complex way to simulate a simple switch.

Hyst: 4
O/P: Cool
PID Sample Period: 3
Output Period: 10
Min Pulse: 80%
Max Pulse: 100%

Many thanks for any information

[JonW]

Ihop2many,

There's some confusing info in your post. You are asking about outputs 10-15, but yet you list PID data that you are using. Only the first 8 outputs are configurable for Direct on-off, hysteresis, PID or duty cycle and the remaining outputs are only on/off control.

For pumps, fans, valves and other items that should only be in an on or off state, you should not use PID or duty cycle configurations. The chattering you are describing is something that could happen if you are trying to turn a device on, but are doing it via PID and the controlled item doesn't like it. Think of PID like a dimmer switch. It pulls some of the current away from the device by switching it on and off very quickly. That can cause chattering.

If you are in fact using higher numbered outputs that are simply on/off outputs and are still getting chattering, then there may be something wrong with those SSR's or you may be over drawing the current supplied from the BCS. What is the 5V trigger current consumption of the SSR's? Can you supply a link to the SSR's that you are using?

Getting chattering on an output is not normal and indicates that there is something else in play here. I suggest you not continue using the BCS to drive your relays until we can determine the cause of your problems as I'm concerned that you may be over-driving the outputs and could fry them.

[Timbrew]

Yes, JonW has already addressed most of the questions raised.

However, you can (surely!) use duty cycle to control *pumps*...I have 3 Chuggers all of which are controlled by duty cycle at different stages of my brew processes. For example, using duty cycle gives me an adequate level of fine tuning for balancing fluid flows during my sparge (HLT->MLT; MLT->BK), especially as the electric ball valves shown in pic above are (and should only be) controlled directly as <On> or <Off>.

[JonW]

Yes, JonW has already addressed most of the questions raised.

However, you can (surely!) use duty cycle to control *pumps*...

Just to be clear (for others who come across this), this may be working fine for you, but is not a configuration that many have had success with. Being that the pumps are a centrifugal type head and somewhat slow speed, your range of adjustment is going to be very small and definitely not linear. Additionally, since the pumps are magnetically coupled you will run a much higher risk of decoupling at a slower speed. Pump lift variations, flow restrictions, wort viscosity, etc. are all going to become variables in your success to throttle the pump.

Tim - have you recorded your flow rates at various duty cycles? What is the effective range of duty cycles that you've been successful with? Knowing your operating parameters could give others a starting point if they want to experiment with this.