Howto: Use a Linksys Router as Wireless Reef Controller - WRRC

[bad inferno]

Another approach maybe to take it apart find the relay driving cct and modify it with a 1wire digital output chip for each outlet.

[BeanAnimal]

That would defeat the purpose of purchasing an ethernet controlled switch.

If 1-wire control is the goal, then the DS2408 and a few optos is the best bet for 8 outputs. The DS2406 if you want discrete components for each output.

[nz_mitch]

How hard would that sort of scripting be?

I have very little programming experience although I have done a bit of web work (as far as PHP, but all home taught and VERY limited), although I work in IT so it comes fairly naturally to me..

It just seems to be that if you already had a spare Linux box, all you've got to do is add a couple of probes and some software and you've got a pretty solid reef controller.

[GrumpyDave]

I downloaded the beta User's Guide for the web switch, and on page 11 there is a sample perl script for what you want to do... From what I can tell (I don't know perl that well), you can control the switches by sending the box a specially crafted web request, something like:
http://dave:mypassword@192.168.0.100/outlet?1=ON

I would talk to their technical support to make sure that the above is even close to reality - but you get the idea. It would be easy to code in PHP.

dave

[ydeschoe]

hello everybody on this WRRC subject

I'm completely new to this forum and I would like to start looking to make also one of these WRRC's,

I've looked into all the different pages but I don't know were to start, can somebody provide me a quick overview of all needed components + software what is needed to make this WRRC

[BeanAnimal]

This specific thread deals with using a hacked LINKSYS router in conjunction with Dallas 1-Wire devices. The thread and linked websites give you about all you need to know.

1) obtain suitable linksys router
2) hack hardware to accept firmware upgrade
3) install firmware upgrade
4) compile and install OWFS operating system
5) Build custom web pages for display of sensor inputs
6) Attach dallas 1-wire sensors to unit

What electronics experience do you have? Are you comfortable with soldering small components and writing code?

[ydeschoe]

BeanAnimal,

Electronics I've learned it about 15 year ago at school and this will be OK, from the moment I left school I started doing a complete other direction as I'm a network admininstrator and quite offen working with switches and routers

For Soldering small components this will be OK as my brother is working in this branch, writing code this is something else, experience is near to null

[nz_mitch]

Originally posted by GrumpyDave
I downloaded the beta User's Guide for the web switch, and on page 11 there is a sample perl script for what you want to do... From what I can tell (I don't know perl that well), you can control the switches by sending the box a specially crafted web request, something like:
http://dave:mypassword@192.168.0.100/outlet?1=ON

I would talk to their technical support to make sure that the above is even close to reality - but you get the idea. It would be easy to code in PHP.

dave

Hey Dave,

Cheers for that - it looks like that'll be the root I head down.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the manufacturer and it'll probably a month until I get a chance to look at one but I'll keep everyone posted.

If anyone else has any experience with them though please let me know!

Cheers

[GrumpyDave]

I have one of the Web Switches on order! I'll let everyone know what I find out! (I need one of them for work.. (hee, hee.))

aka_BigRed, when you moved the code for the Linksys over to Umbuntu, did you use the code from the updates in the repository, or did you have to UnSquish the original firmware package to get all of the web pages?

I am leaning towards doing the controller in Umbunto.
I have been able to unpack the WRRC updates onto my Umbunto box, but I am having a heck of a time successfully getting files out of the original firmware... Did you ever get a chance to post your experience moving the software over to Umbunbtu on the WRRC pages at bytality.com?

Thanks!
dave

[aka_BigRed]

I didn't take anything from the original firmware, I just installed the components from native ubuntu packages, or compiled from source.

Since this was my first setup of a linux machine, I tried to document most of the tricky stuff I had to lookup in case I needed to start over fresh. Some of this most of this stuff is applicable, but there's some stuff in there that I just wanted to keep/remember for my own install.

Basically the key components for a Custom Reef Controller are:

*Something to gather analog input from outside world for monitoring (OWFS)
*Some database for storing gathered data (MySQL)
*A scripting language for collecting data from OWFS and acting upon it (Perl)
*Some scheduling app to kick off tasks at specific times (chron)
*A web server frontend (PHP on Apache server)
*Optionally a graphing component (JPGrahp)
*Some way to act upon outside world to take action on gathered data (X10)

By using Ubuntu and the pre-configured LAMP server (Linux, Apache ,MySQL, PHP)

Here's my steps to go about setting up ubuntu for use as my WRRC:
http://www.bytality.com/offsite/wrrc...all_steps.html

I haven't posted my perl scripts yet, I can provide them if requested. BTW, I'm by no means an ubuntu/perl/php expert, just determined to getting ubuntu working and I have a great friend named google

[nz_mitch]

Hey bigred, thanks for that guide.

GrumpyDave, please post and let us know how you get on with the web switches.

They look like a great way of doing things, but I haven't been able to hear back from the manufacturer about whether or not what we'd want can be achieved.

I'd order one too but it's a bit of a job to get one all the way down to New Zealand if it's just going to be a fancy looking multi-tap

[GrumpyDave]

Hey BigRed! Thanks for the Ubuntu guide! It's great! The only thing that I could add is that people might want to add a web based control panel, such as WebMin. If you are not familiar with the shell commands, it can help with a lot of the set up of application and configuration, and you don't need the overhead of one of the desktops.

We got the Web Switch in! It looks great, and is very solidly built. Case feels like steel (where's my magnet?) with a flat black slightly textured finish. It sounds like it is using relays, rather than triacs or SCR's for the high current switching. I hear a click when switching on and off.

The web interface is quite nice. I can post screen caps if anyone wants them. The perl script in the manual works as advertised. I tried to write a quick PHP script to do the same, and failed. Probably because I was using file_get_contents rather than curl. (I can get into why it doesn't work, and how the login password is encrypted if there is interest.)

All in all, this looks like a great bargin.
So yes, if you can code in perl, you could us this as the AC switch for WRRC, or some other reef controler, with very little modification. (and no soldering!)

The relay current ratings are not published - I'll have to check with Digital Loggers to see - I don't want to viod the warranty quite yet by exploring...

dave

[nz_mitch]

Cheers for the update GrumpyDave!

So what exactly do you think would need to be done to get it working as the AC switch?

I was hoping you could just write a simple php script to send web requests (as you suggested above), but it sounds like it could be more complicated...

[GrumpyDave]

nz_mitch,
Would you be controlling it from a Linksys box (running WRRC/OpenWRT) or an Ubuntu server, or something else? If the "controller" was able to execute perl scripts, you would have no problem. You would just substitute the calls to X-10 or 1-wire (OWFS) with calls to the perl script, and you'd be all set.

I don't think writing the PHP code would be that hard, I just didn't have time yesterday. The problem was with authentication with the switch. When I was already authenticated, then the PHP code worked. Again, using CURL will probably solve the problem.

I'll have to bug BigRed for his perl scripts and see if I can mod them to use the switch. (Which will be interesting, since this is my first perl project.)

[GrumpyDave]

On the web switch, each relay is rated at 15 amps, and there is a main circuit breaker rated at 15 amps.

[nz_mitch]

Hey GrumpyDave,

I think I'll run it off a Ubuntu box - should be a bit easier that way. Might use an old laptop so there's a bit of battery and it'll fit in nicely

I don't have much experience with Perl and my Linux knowledge isn't much more but I come from an IT background so should be able to figure it out with a few late nights/beers

If you do have any luck with the script though please post it here, then I can get straight to the beers

[stugray]

I threw together an ubuntu box.

After getting: php, fuse, perl,owfs and various other packages installed ( and playing nicely together ) I finally can 'see' temps & 'feel' some PIO and toggle some switch states.

I plan on setting up the system with perlTk .... anyone got any experience? I have done plenty of perl, just never any GUI or widget experience.

Stu

[BeanAnimal]

They only thing I ever used Perl for was to do transaction processing in flat files...

[xpbeth]

Hello,

I'm interested in buying a wrt54g that's already been setup with WRCC and has the hardware changes (1-wire, etc) already setup. Is anyone here selling these as a completed unit? Anyone interested in building one for me?

If so, please email me at vista@hfield.com

Thanks!

Curtis

[aka_BigRed]

Originally posted by xpbeth
Hello,

I'm interested in buying a wrt54g that's already been setup with WRCC and has the hardware changes (1-wire, etc) already setup. Is anyone here selling these as a completed unit? Anyone interested in building one for me?

Thanks!

Curtis

If you are looking for something pre-built, I'd go with one of the commercial controllers because they are tested and ready to go.

There's several different aquacontrollers from http://www.neptunesys.com/products.htm

or an octopus controller: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...product=OP1113

Part of the fun of this project is building it from scratch. The flip side of building it yourself is that there may be some bugs. If you don't build it, finding or fixing bugs could be very difficult, so for now I'd suggest going with an alternative commercial product.

[BeanAnimal]

I would agree, this is not something you want to have built for you. Chances are you will need to get under the hood. It is not a bad project for beginers though!

[aka_BigRed]

Originally posted by stugray
I threw together an ubuntu box.

After getting: php, fuse, perl,owfs and various other packages installed ( and playing nicely together ) I finally can 'see' temps & 'feel' some PIO and toggle some switch states.

I plan on setting up the system with perlTk .... anyone got any experience? I have done plenty of perl, just never any GUI or widget experience.

Stu

Perl is pretty easy to pick up. I've never really done anything with it before this. I haven't ventured into the TK world, I've used it only as a scripting language and have left the GUI stuff to php.

I picked it because it's very powerful, fairy easy to learn/use, and is quite extensible with packages. Sometime later today, I'll try to post my perl scripts on the wrrc website for others to look at. They may not be expertly coded, but they get the job done, and are a good place to start if you want some direction.

[Pixel du Rezo]

6) Attach dallas 1-wire sensors to unit

Is it possible to have more informations about that ?
I can't find any schematics that I could understand.

Thx

[pescadero]

Originally posted by aka_BigRed
I didn't take anything from the original firmware, I just installed the components from native ubuntu packages, or compiled from source.

Since this was my first setup of a linux machine, I tried to document most of the tricky stuff I had to lookup in case I needed to start over fresh. Some of this most of this stuff is applicable, but there's some stuff in there that I just wanted to keep/remember for my own install.

Basically the key components for a Custom Reef Controller are:

*Something to gather analog input from outside world for monitoring (OWFS)
*Some database for storing gathered data (MySQL)
*A scripting language for collecting data from OWFS and acting upon it (Perl)
*Some scheduling app to kick off tasks at specific times (chron)
*A web server frontend (PHP on Apache server)
*Optionally a graphing component (JPGrahp)
*Some way to act upon outside world to take action on gathered data (X10)

By using Ubuntu and the pre-configured LAMP server (Linux, Apache ,MySQL, PHP)

Here's my steps to go about setting up ubuntu for use as my WRRC:
http://www.bytality.com/offsite/wrrc...all_steps.html

I haven't posted my perl scripts yet, I can provide them if requested. BTW, I'm by no means an ubuntu/perl/php expert, just determined to getting ubuntu working and I have a great friend named google

Thanks for posting this. I have to admit, I had no clue what was going on when I looked at people's refrences to the network storage appliances, but being familiar with building LAMP servers, now I understand exactly what this whole project is about.

I think I'll join you in going the Ubuntu route.

thanks!

[aka_BigRed]

Originally posted by pescadero
Thanks for posting this. I have to admit, I had no clue what was going on when I looked at people's refrences to the network storage appliances, but being familiar with building LAMP servers, now I understand exactly what this whole project is about.

I think I'll join you in going the Ubuntu route.

thanks!

Good to hear!

Last week I got my UPS (Uninterpretable Power Supply) talking to the controller. I monitor it with the free UPS tool NUT. I can log power outages and even page/SMS my phone when the outage lasts over a preset duration (5 mins in my case).

During Thanksgiving dinner, we sat eating in the dark b/c the power went out for almost 2 hrs. I had things on UPS's but didn't have any monitoring capability. The dark thanksgiving feast finally convinced me to set it up. It was a bit of a challenge but worth it. If you are using Ubuntu, I ended up getting a newer version than on in the apt repositories - I just installed the debian package. That went OK, but tweaking the notification configurations was what took the time. Part was due to my learning curve, part to scant availability of tutorials, and my inability to follow directions (oops! )