Apex Newbie - What are these?!?

[JeF4y]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the Apex and controllers in general.

I am setting up our new Apex, and have all my outlets configured but have a question about "other outlets" showing up in my status.

VarSpd1_I1 OFF
VarSpd2_I2 OFF
VarSpd3_I3 OFF
VarSpd4_I4 OFF
SndAlm_I6 OFF
SndWrn_I7 OFF
EmailAlm_I5 OFF

These were here when I powered it up and I have no means of deleting them or doing anything with them. Is this something normal? I RTFM but haven't seen anything on this.

Thanks.

-Jeff

[tamu]

I believe the variable speed ones are for control through the 0-10v inputs/ouputs to control things such as Tunze pumps.

The send warning and send alarm can play a sound if a certain criteria is met. (such as If Temp > 82 Then ON

The email is the same thing, if you have your email setting setup correctly, you could have it send an email if the above statement was true.

Make sure you keep the Set OFF in those last three.

[JeF4y]

Ahh okay, that would make sense. Right now I only have the Apex & EB8 on my desk, doing configs via web interface. I don't have the display module or any probes here so I suppose setup of those will be possible once I have it all connected.

Seems all I can setup right now are the EB8 outlets & the network portion. I can't do anything with temp alarms or configuring feed cycles via the web interface. So I'm guessing those need to be done after the probes are installed or via the display.

[JeF4y]

Is there a place online or anywhere that I can get full available syntax for the Apex? I ask because the manual is lacking and there's virtually nothing at the Neptune site that I've found.

I have a lot of simple questions regarding how to configure basic stuff, and I can't find any documentation to assist with it. I don't want to deluge the forum with seemingly stupid questions, but I just don't know all that I can do with this and some of it isn't making sense.

I.e.,
do I have to program temperature related alarms via the display? Is there a way to do it through the web interface?

Where do I program the length of a feed cycle?

If I cancel a feed cycle, should the outlets which I have a delay configured into respect that delay?

Is this forum the only real source for documentation/reference?

[tamu]

I say ask away here on the forum, that is what it is for. Plus, it might answer someone's question.

You can put temp alarms via the web interface/outlet configuration.
If Temp > 82.0 Then ON

The default feed times I found by navigating the display

Which delay statements are you referring too?

[JeF4y]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15592238#post15592238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tamu
I say ask away here on the forum, that is what it is for. Plus, it might answer someone's question.


Fair enough, will give it a whirl.


You can put temp alarms via the web interface/outlet configuration.
If Temp > 82.0 Then ON


Where in the web interface would I configure this? Ahh wait. nevermind, I found this out myself. Interesting to find things out as you move along. However, it raised another question. What is the difference between an alarm and a warning? I'm assuming the audible tone must come from the display because I just forced it on and got no noise...


The default feed times I found by navigating the display


I'm waiting on a replacement display. My last one went POOF.


Which delay statements are you referring too?

For my filter, I would like it to wait 5 minutes after the feed cycle before it comes back on. That'll give the main pump time enough to make sure the water level is settled before the filter comes on. So I have the programming as follows:

Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedA 005 Then OFF

Now with that, I don't have a means of kicking on the feed cycle except through the web interface. So I turned on Feed Cycle A and everything reacted as it should. Then I clicked "CANCEL FEED" and immediately the filter outlet kicked back on. It didn't wait for the 5 minutes programmed into it.

So this seems to indicate one of two things. Either my programming is wrong, or the feed cycle has to complete on its own before any programmed delays will be respected.

If the latter is the case, I will have to figure out exactly how long it takes to feed and program it as such. Right now we do everything manually, so I don't know. Sometimes may take longer than others, etc. I was hoping I could just bring the tank into a feed cycle and then stop it when I was done and have it act as if the feed cycle ended "normally".

Does that make sense?

[kenargo]

Cancel feed cycle stops the feed cycle; the time value in the if FEED command is after the feed cycle completes but if you cancel then it never completes. Cancel is like abort; revert everything right away so it will ignore the value.

[JeF4y]

Thanks Ken. It's all making more & more sense as I go along.

[tamu]

To me I think that if you can cancel the feed cycle the delay statements should still comply. You are basically saying, ok, I'm done now not 3 more minutes from now. Please start the pumps/outlets back up the way they would if the cycle completed normally.

I made an artificially long feed cycle to do my water change. When I get done with the water change, I would like to manually end it, but have the pumps start in the order I need them too.

[kenargo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15593252#post15593252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tamu
To me I think that if you can cancel the feed cycle the delay statements should still comply. You are basically saying, ok, I'm done now not 3 more minutes from now. Please start the pumps/outlets back up the way they would if the cycle completed normally.

I made an artificially long feed cycle to do my water change. When I get done with the water change, I would like to manually end it, but have the pumps start in the order I need them too.

IMO, while that might be valid I would not like to have it that way; I have on more than 1 occasion over the years started a cycle then found a problem that could have resulted in damage to equipment and cancelling 'now' saved my but. An option to have it one way or the other, or different types of feed/maintenance cycles might be OK but I error on the safe side (though for others the safe side might be different).

[phuzzykins]

I would prefer to have both methods available... there are valid use cases for each.

[RussM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15593252#post15593252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tamu

I made an artificially long feed cycle to do my water change. When I get done with the water change, I would like to manually end it, but have the pumps start in the order I need them too.

Why not just walk away, and let the feed cycle being used as a maintenance windows finish as programmed? Just set the feed time appropriately for your water change routine, plus a few extra minutes for flexibility

I did this for a couple of years with my AC3... set a cycle for 60 minutes base time - ample time for water change, filter sock change, & skimmer cleaning; at the end of it, the return pump started, then 3 minutes later my CL & skimmer pumps restarted, and my JBJ ATO was reactivated. Worked flawlessly, and I never had to turn anything off manually for routine maintenance.... and therefore I never forgot to turn it back on.

[tamu]

If I'm done, I would rather just let the tank get back to normal.

It would be nice if there was an option for both, a complete cancel and an end early.

[psiconauta]

is that what the cancel feed option does? cancels the feed cycle?

[kenargo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15603235#post15603235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psiconauta
is that what the cancel feed option does? cancels the feed cycle?

Yes, 'Cancel', cancels the feed cycle and returns all outlets to program control right away. JeF4y wants a way to 'end' the feed cycle (like a jump to 0 seconds remaining) such that the time values that extend certain outlets would kick in (in cancel they are skipped).

[igotshotbymike]

Hi I just found this post and I am having the same problem I know this was a few years ago but i was wondering if you ever got a resolve to this problem?

Mike

[RussM]

Hi I just found this post and I am having the same problem I know this was a few years ago but i was wondering if you ever got a resolve to this problem?Please be more specific... this old thread discussed several topics.

[igotshotbymike]

APEX? If I cancel a feed cycle the outlets programed for delays don't apply?

When I cancel a feed cycle it returns all outlets right away, bypassing the delays I have set?
Is there a way to 'end' the feed cycle such that the time values that delay certain outlets (ATO,Skimmer)would kick in (in cancel they are skipped)

I know I could just let the time run out but it would be nice to know if Im done with a feeding and have to go to work that I leave everything in the working order I want.

or if Im done with my maintenance I can get the tank back running without adding extra water from the ATO.

Thanks
Mike

[swearint]

Correct, cancelling a Feed cycle ignores the additional delay. There is an alternative method using the Defer command. The drawback is that the Defer applies to the entire outlet rather than just the Feed command.

Todd

[RussM]

The whole point of using feed cycles is that it is automatic. If you use them, just walk away and let the controller do what you've told it to do.

[igotshotbymike]

I was able to achieve what I was looking to do with the help from jpsika08 he sujested
Just to set out an example, in my system I have the skimmer delayed for 1 minute after the return pump is turned ON.
I need to do this as my return pump once it's on it takes time to fill in my external skimmer.

Here is my skimmer outlet programming:

Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Outlet RT-Pump = OFF Then OFF
Defer 001:00 Then ON

The Defer function delays the outlet for 1 minute.
The If statement above this tells the skimmer pump that if the Return outlet is off, then, the skimmer pump will go off as well.

Thats what I did and it worked wonderful see my settings below.

Skimmer:

Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Power EB8_3 Off 005 Then OFF
If FeedA 005 Then OFF
If FeedC 005 Then OFF
If Outlet ReturnPum_3_ = OFF Then OFF
Defer 002:00 Then ON

ATO:

Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Power EB8_3 Off 009 Then OFF
If FeedA 009 Then OFF
If FeedC 009 Then OFF
If Outlet ReturnPum_3_ = OFF Then OFF
Defer 015:00 Then ON

Thanks Russ I know I can just walk away but its also nice to know there are other options and now I can have piece of mind knowing Im going to work for 8 hours and I left everything in working order. :thumbsup: