bcs usage clarification

Suggestions, Problems, Availability, etc. Everything is up for discussion.
User avatar
oakbarn
Posts: 846
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:28 pm
Bot?: No
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by oakbarn »

OK I understand that I have only six temp inputs that I can use to control the 6 PWM Outs. The other 2 can be used to moinitor and on an exit state to turn on or off something but not really control something like a Mash temp or a fermenter. I wish that had been more plain in the description prior to buying as I might have gone for 2 BCS 460s rather than a single 462 as then I would have had full control of all eight outs with temp input. :roll:
JonW
Site Admin
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:51 am
Bot?: No
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by JonW »

oakbarn wrote:The other 2 can be used to moinitor and on an exit state to turn on or off something but not really control something like a Mash temp or a fermenter.
The first half of your sentence says yes, you can turn something on or off based on temperature, but then you say "not really control something like a mash temp or a fermenter". Seems to me that if you can turn something on/off based on the temp, that you could do mash or fermenter control.

The bottom line is that they system has 6 "automatically" controlled outputs based on temperature for PWM or hysteresis. I think the documentation mentions that many times. While not fully automatic, you are free to use the extra 2 temp probes with logic to accomplish the exact same thing. I used to run my fermenter that exact way with a couple of states that would jump between either not having any input turned on or it would have a state that turned on the chiller or the heater based on which state was required. No, that method is not fully automatic, but it's still pretty easy to implement in a couple of states.
mellman
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:19 pm
Bot?: No

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by mellman »

JonW wrote:
oakbarn wrote:The other 2 can be used to moinitor and on an exit state to turn on or off something but not really control something like a Mash temp or a fermenter.
The first half of your sentence says yes, you can turn something on or off based on temperature, but then you say "not really control something like a mash temp or a fermenter". Seems to me that if you can turn something on/off based on the temp, that you could do mash or fermenter control.

The bottom line is that they system has 6 "automatically" controlled outputs based on temperature for PWM or hysteresis. I think the documentation mentions that many times. While not fully automatic, you are free to use the extra 2 temp probes with logic to accomplish the exact same thing. I used to run my fermenter that exact way with a couple of states that would jump between either not having any input turned on or it would have a state that turned on the chiller or the heater based on which state was required. No, that method is not fully automatic, but it's still pretty easy to implement in a couple of states.
So on a BCS I could build a process that if temp input 4 saw a temp >65* It'd trigger output 8 to "on" which could be hooked up to a chiller. That same process could also be watching temp input 4, and if the temp was <60 trigger output 9 to on which could be a heater. What you're saying though is basically outputs 1-6 automatically trigger based on temp, just without having to build a process?
JonW
Site Admin
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:51 am
Bot?: No
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by JonW »

mellman wrote:So on a BCS I could build a process that if temp input 4 saw a temp >65* It'd trigger output 8 to "on" which could be hooked up to a chiller. That same process could also be watching temp input 4, and if the temp was <60 trigger output 9 to on which could be a heater. What you're saying though is basically outputs 1-6 automatically trigger based on temp, just without having to build a process?
Yes, exactly.
mellman
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:19 pm
Bot?: No

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by mellman »

Jon what about max length for sending signals? Could I put together a remote box with some cat5 connecting the BCS to another box? Lengths would be in the ~20-30ft range. Then the bcs could send signals to relays, and receive signals from temp probes.
JonW
Site Admin
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:51 am
Bot?: No
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by JonW »

mellman wrote:Jon what about max length for sending signals? Could I put together a remote box with some cat5 connecting the BCS to another box? Lengths would be in the ~20-30ft range. Then the bcs could send signals to relays, and receive signals from temp probes.
Absolutely. Until recently, my rig was setup using 3 Cat-5 cables connected to data jacks on the wall. I was probably at about 25' of wiring. The critical thing to do here is make sure that in the panel where you have the BCS, that you make a jumper from the BCS ground to your AC ground. If you don't you will see fluctuations in the temperatures.

I used one Cat-5 for temp probes, one for SSR relays (120v control) and one for control of a 12v relay board.
mellman
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:19 pm
Bot?: No

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by mellman »

Another question regarding the BCS, more specifically the 7 segment display. is there any reason I couldn't take display signals from the BCS for these displays, and route them through a few 3 way selector switches to change what it's displaying? I.e. have 2 switches to change between fermenter1 or 2? Since http://wiki.embeddedcc.com/index.php/Ex ... nt_Display looks like it requires ground and 12v power; the other two are the signal,

heck...even a speaker selector switch or something similar should work right? something that would allow you to select 2 signals and send them to a single place.
brahn
Posts: 543
Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:01 am
Bot?: No

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by brahn »

It seems like that would work mellman, but I've never tried it with anything other than a direct connection.
JonW
Site Admin
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:51 am
Bot?: No
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by JonW »

I'm not following this. How would you change the I2C addressing with a selector switch? The selection of address is via pushbutton menu selection on the displays. All displays share the same power and data lines, but display different data based on what address the display is told to use.
brahn
Posts: 543
Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:01 am
Bot?: No

Re: bcs usage clarification

Post by brahn »

You're right Jon. Duh.
Post Reply