HELP! AC3 Glitches!

[Tswifty]

Ok... My tank almost got fried tonight. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what and if any damage was caused. Luckily I decided to look at the AC3 head unit before hitting the sack. When I hit the "up" button to display the Temp/pH/pH2 stats, all the display posted was "Temp" on the top line and "temp_" on the bottom line???

So I unplugged the unit, and then plugged it back in. The tank was sitting at 86 degrees!!! I felt both heaters and both were ON, despite obviously being way over the set values. I tried to log into the controller from my computer, and cannot log in. Despite powering everything down multiple times. It keeps asking me for my user name and password, even after I enter them.

This is just the latest of a series of glitches I have been experiencing this week. What's the deal? I haven't changed anything in the program, and my controller isn't even a year old.

1st - Earlier this week CO2 shut off, even though reactor pH probe was reading way above the set reading for it to turn on.

2nd - Lights shut off, because temp probe read 121 degrees. Obviously the tank was not that hot.

3rd - 2nd Metal Halide light did not turn off at programmed time.

4th - Random check on the tank at night. When I press the "up" button to view the Temp and pH readings, all the screen displays is "Temp" on the top line left hand side, and "temp" on the bottom line left hand side. Unplugged unit, and replugged it back in... tank was at 86 degrees!

5th - Can no longer log in to AC3 unit via computer. Continues to ask me for user name and password even though I type it in.

Please offer some insight into what is happening? I have my entire tank programmed through this piece of equipment. If it fails my tank is toast.

I would like to post my program, but like I said... I cannot get into my controller to view/edit it.

[Tswifty]

Ok, I finally was able to log into my controller. What the heck happened to my program!!! Labels are messed up... lines are missing... symbols were inserted... values and limits changed... The controller wasn't touched, so how did this happen?

Timer Names
MH1$-A01
MH2$-A02
CO2&-A03
T�%-A04
KLK#-A05
FUG$-A06
ATO%-A07
HT2%-A08
RTN#-B04
FAN#-B05
FS1&-I11
FS2&-J01
ALM&-A09

Program Statements
If Time > 00:00 Then ALM PF5
Empty
If Time > 13:14 Then MH1 PF5
If Time > 20:30 Then MH1 OFF
If Time > 14:25 Then MH2 ON
If Time > 21:00 Then Yÿ OFF
Max Change 144 M Then MH1 OFF
Max Change -286 M Then MH2 OFF
If TmpD > 83.0 Then MH1 OFF
Empty
If Time > 22:14 Then FUG ON
If Time > 10:00 Then FUG OFF
If Temp < 79.8 Then T� ON
Empty
If TmpD > 91.2 Then HT2 OFF
Empty
If Temp < 40.0 Then Yÿ OFF
If Temp < 50.0 Then Yÿ OFF
If Temp > 83.0 Then ALM ON
If Temp < -28.4 Then Yÿ ON
If Temp > 82.0 Then FAN ON
Empty
OSC 005/144 ON/OFF Then KLK ON
Empty
If pH2 < 06.56 Then CO2 OFF
If pH2 > -28.48 Then ALM ON
If SwitchD1 CLOSED Then FS1 OFF
Empty
If SwitchD1 OPEN Then FS1 OFF
If Switch1 OPEN Then Yÿ ON
If Switch2 CLOSED Then FS2 OFF
If Switch2 CLOSED Then Yÿ ON
If Switch1 OPEN Then ATO OFF
If Power 000 Then ALM ON
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
OSC 255/255 ON/OFF Then Yÿ ON

[Tswifty]

Here is what the program is supposed to look like, what I re-entered tonight.

Timer Names
MH1$-A01
MH2$-A02
CO2&-A03
HT1%-A04
KLK#-A05
FUG$-A06
ATO%-A07
HT2%-A08
RTN#-B04
FAN#-B05
FS1&-I11
FS2&-I12
ALM&-A09

Program Statements
If Time > 00:00 Then ALM OFF
If Time > 00:00 Then RTN ON
If Time > 13:30 Then MH1 ON
If Time > 21:30 Then MH1 OFF
If Time > 14:00 Then MH2 ON
If Time > 22:00 Then MH2 OFF
Max Change 015 M Then MH1 OFF
Max Change 015 M Then MH2 OFF
If Temp > 83.0 Then MH1 OFF
If Temp > 83.0 Then MH2 OFF
If Time > 22:00 Then FUG ON
If Time > 10:00 Then FUG OFF
If Temp < 79.8 Then HT1 ON
If Temp > 80.3 Then HT1 OFF
If Temp < 79.5 Then HT2 ON
If Temp > 80.0 Then HT2 OFF
If Temp < 50.0 Then HT1 OFF
If Temp < 50.0 Then HT2 OFF
If Temp > 83.0 Then ALM ON
If Temp < 76.0 Then ALM ON
If Temp > 82.0 Then FAN ON
If Temp < 81.0 Then FAN OFF
OSC 005/240 ON/OFF Then KLK ON
If pH2 > 06.80 Then CO2 ON
If pH2 < 06.50 Then CO2 OFF
If pH2 > 07.00 Then ALM ON
If Switch1 CLOSED Then FS1 OFF
If Switch1 CLOSED Then ATO OFF
If Switch1 OPEN Then FS1 ON
If Switch1 OPEN Then ATO ON
If Switch2 CLOSED Then FS2 OFF
If Switch2 OPEN Then FS2 ON
If Switch2 OPEN Then ATO OFF
If Power 000 Then ALM ON

[DiscoReefRover]

i am interested in the explanation of this cause the same thing happend to me twice in the last few months ....reload in program and it works fine but everyhting goes nuts and the program is all jumbled up ??wierd all this time i thought it was just me ?

[kenargo]

Are you by chance making program updates with AquaNotes?

If you use an older version of AquaNotes with the newer firmware (newer since the AquaSurf) then it will change timers to PFx (profiles) and other stuff. Your program looks suspiciously like this might have happened.

If so; download the newer AquaNotes and update your copy, all should be better...

[Tswifty]

Thanks for the response Ken. I don't use AquaNotes to edit/update my program. I make all my changes via the website's program editor, when I log into the controller (type the IP address into my web browser).

[kenargo]

In that case I would be concerned about the integrity of the memory.

A number of things can cause issues like this; brown-outs, power spikes/surges, etc and since you have had corruption my suggestion would be to Init the controller then reprog it.

I'm concerned that whatever caused the corruption could be in memory and a init would clear anything that might be 'not quite right' (init all being the best of the options but init program might be sufficient).

[Tswifty]

init? Can you elaborate?

Another person also brought up the possibility of a power surge, or spike. How can this be prevented in the future? Is a simple power strip/surge protector enough to ensure this doesn't happen again?

[ciphros]

Go into the setup menu and there should be an option to restore to factory defaults. Ken is talking aobut completely wiping the controller memory and then re-programming.

I had something like this happen a couple years back and Curt had me go in and reflash the controller with the firmware and reload the webpages after reverting to factory default.

Keep in mind, any calibration of temp/pH/ORP will be lost with a full initilization.

[Tswifty]

Ok. I figured that is what he meant.

Thanks for the heads up about the probes.

[melev]

Init is short for Initialize. And a nice surge protector will probably run about $20 or so. A computer UPS is a perfect example of a surge protector, plus it would keep power to the AC3. I might just do the same thing with mine.

The AC3 uses 9v of power, and most any UPS can supply that for a long time, allowing it to contact you via text if you have your computer and router also in a UPS during a power outage.

[Padrino]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15491117#post15491117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Init is short for Initialize. And a nice surge protector will probably run about $20 or so. A computer UPS is a perfect example of a surge protector, plus it would keep power to the AC3. I might just do the same thing with mine.

The AC3 uses 9v of power, and most any UPS can supply that for a long time, allowing it to contact you via text if you have your computer and router also in a UPS during a power outage.

Couldn't agree more! i have my AC3 and all my tunze controllable pumps connected to a UPC. I have not had any issues with my AC3,

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15491117#post15491117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Init is short for Initialize. And a nice surge protector will probably run about $20 or so. A computer UPS is a perfect example of a surge protector, plus it would keep power to the AC3. I might just do the same thing with mine.

The AC3 uses 9v of power, and most any UPS can supply that for a long time, allowing it to contact you via text if you have your computer and router also in a UPS during a power outage.
I think I have one of my nice surge protectors downstairs. I thought I had everything hooked up through them, but I guess forgot somehow when I set everything up initially.