024deeweed420
Active Member
Now im thoroughly confused, for which circuit do I need 10v 1 A powersupply?
HurricaneX dimming and off with COB led setup
- Thread starter 024deeweed420
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024deeweed420
Active Member
Im sorry, but there is no stevesled converter in my diagram just the stevesled hurricanex controller. The two circuits are the two rhings you recomended my to buy. Can you please look again at my diagram. The image under the hurricanex is the relay.
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VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
The converter needs 10v power supply not 5v power supply. The relay gets 5v signal and power and the pwm driver gets 10v power supply with 5v pwm signal. The 5v pwm drives the 10v pwm signal.
024deeweed420
Active Member
Ok thanks again. I think im close I appreciate your help, can you please check my latest diagram and give me feedback.
VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
That looks correct. That should work
024deeweed420
Active Member
Cheers, ill hook it up today and test it. One more question regarding the 10v 1 amp suppy for the converter, on the ebay page it says it can take 5v to 12v....from ebay:
"VCC: Power supply 5V-12V
GND: Common
Vin: input voltage 0-10V
GND: Common
PWM: PWM output"
but you are saying it needs the 10v 1 amp for it to work for this application?
Isawthelight
Well-Known Member
I'm bothered by using only one HurricaneX 5v PWM output to drive voltage level shifter board and the relay board. The problem I imagine is the relay will chatter (close/open/repeat) because it is being sent +5v/0v pulse train unless PWM is set to 100% on or off (0%pwm). Relay control channel PWM output should always be either 0% (zero volts) or 100% (+5 volts) for reliable operation. You still have 3 other HurricaneX PWM outputs that you can do the sunrise- noon- sunset thing.
024deeweed420
Active Member
Theres actually 16 chanels ! But yes I was curious/concerned about running this all off one chanel as well. The only reason for the relay is because you cant dim the driver to off. So you could have one chanel doing the dimming and the other switching off or on when needed to coincide with each chanel?
024deeweed420
Active Member
Replying to my own post, not sure if thats kosher.... but I think it will work because the relay has its own power supply that is isolated from the 0 to 5v signal and should stay on untill it reaches 0 which is when I would want it off. Its DC so its always on untill its not. Again Im no expert. The other thing is I can safely try both. Just gotta get me a bloody 10v 1 amp wall wart now! Saturday evening here so may be hard to find till monday.
wietefras
Well-Known Member
I agree with Isawthelight that having a PWM signal on a relay isn't the best idea. Why not use another channel (on the same timing) for the relay and set that to 0% or 100% only?
I also wonder if that 5V tot 10V "converter" actually works. The specifications say it's a voltage input to PWM signal converter. That would mean it expects a voltage at the input and not a PWM signal. Although if it has a snubber on board to convert the PWM to a voltage it might work. Perhaps the driver will even work without any converter. The actual datasheet was offline, but another on stated the PWM high needs to be 3V minimum.
Needing 3 power supplies for this setup seems a bit over the top too. I'd have used a 12V relay to get rid of the 5V power supply. I'd also drop the 10V by either using the DIM of the driver as a source or use the PWM of the HuricaneX itself.
I also wonder if that 5V tot 10V "converter" actually works. The specifications say it's a voltage input to PWM signal converter. That would mean it expects a voltage at the input and not a PWM signal. Although if it has a snubber on board to convert the PWM to a voltage it might work. Perhaps the driver will even work without any converter. The actual datasheet was offline, but another on stated the PWM high needs to be 3V minimum.
Needing 3 power supplies for this setup seems a bit over the top too. I'd have used a 12V relay to get rid of the 5V power supply. I'd also drop the 10V by either using the DIM of the driver as a source or use the PWM of the HuricaneX itself.
024deeweed420
Active Member
Using another chanel should be no problem.
When I get a 10v power supply I will test if the "converter" works... unless what is your opinion on trying 12v 800ma powersupply that I have lying around in the meantime?
Yes 3 powersupplys sorta sux but I dont know how to do a relay. Could you elaborate? Relay from which power source?
Using the DIM of the driver as a 10v source? Can you also explain? I would have thought the Dim + and - would not carry current but again Im totally new to this shit.
Using the PWM of the hurricane itself? I was lead to believe that was the problem in the first place. It transmits a 0 to 5 v signal on each chanel whist the Cob Driver needs to recieve a 0 to 10 v signal thus needing the "converter". stevesleds sell a 0 to 5v to 0 to 10 v converter for four chanels but I didnt get cause I thought this was a cheaper option. It also needs a power source
024deeweed420
Active Member
Well i tryed the relay by itself, without connecting the converter at all and unfortunately I cant get it to work at all. I bought two relays and ive tried both chanels on each relay and it doesnt work. It is receiving the signal from the hurricane as you can see the little led increase and decrease or turn off when you switch to different settings but the cob lights are always off, the relay never completes the circuit. The cobs work fine with the driver directly but once I put the ac power on the relay I get nothing.
I have the relay going through the neutral wire not the live but from my understanding that shouldnt matter? Because its just either connecting or disconnecting? Or maybe that is the prob? Anyways goot to see the aurdino signal coming through the relay.
I also tried the hurricanex directly connected to the pwm + and - of the driver. Nothing. So it definately needs the 0-10v signal.
I have the relay going through the neutral wire not the live but from my understanding that shouldnt matter? Because its just either connecting or disconnecting? Or maybe that is the prob? Anyways goot to see the aurdino signal coming through the relay.
I also tried the hurricanex directly connected to the pwm + and - of the driver. Nothing. So it definately needs the 0-10v signal.
Isawthelight
Well-Known Member
Did you make a connection between the HurricaneX out PWM - wire to the 5 Volt power supply - wire and Relay GND input pin? And the PWM + wire to the IN1 input of the relay board? Relay board has two leds; one or the other should light when the PWM channel is either at 0% or 100% if all parts are undamaged, turned on, and the 5 volt power supply - wire, relay GND, and HurricaneX PWM- are all connected. Test your relay circuit with the 5v to 10 v converter board not connected to the HurricaneX. If relay operates, then connect the 5 to 10 board to the second PWM signal pins and see if relay still works. Finally hook up the DIM wires to the 5 to 10 board and test the LED dimmer. Godspeed deeweed!
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024deeweed420
Active Member
Damn, found the problem, I did check with a voltimeter but obviously not correctly! My 5v power supply was reversed, switched the wires and blamo! Works a treat. But still waiting on a 10v power supply to try the converter. Thanks everyone for help
024deeweed420
Active Member
BAM, got it working ! Im still waiting on a 10v 1 amp powersource, but found a 9v 210mah one so thought would test it! EUREKA it works! Mostly! I also separated the chanels for the relay and the converter.
So currently i can use the hurricane as a timer but the dimming sunset , sunrise doesnt work properly, i am putting that down to the wrong voltage and amperage on the powersuppy. thanks again everyone.
So currently i can use the hurricane as a timer but the dimming sunset , sunrise doesnt work properly, i am putting that down to the wrong voltage and amperage on the powersuppy. thanks again everyone.
024deeweed420
Active Member
https://vid.me/UzL0
A vid of me lowering the brightness of the cobs with the hurricane setup. You see it flickers and dies at a certain point and when I ramp it up again you can here the circuit making a not so happy sound. This was using just 9v and 210 mah powersupply as a test. Hopefully the proper 10v 1amp voltage will fix this.
A vid of me lowering the brightness of the cobs with the hurricane setup. You see it flickers and dies at a certain point and when I ramp it up again you can here the circuit making a not so happy sound. This was using just 9v and 210 mah powersupply as a test. Hopefully the proper 10v 1amp voltage will fix this.
VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
congratulations. persistence works. reversed voltage is common. great job. now you can show others how to save money and not buy those $25 converters from steves. you can run both devices with the same 5v signal, I do it all the time. works great. try it. you can also use a 9v battery to get 80%b dimming or a 12v battery if you have one. congrats again. not easy, as you can see.
VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
at 10% the meanwell driver is a little unhappy. move past the first 10% and your driver will love you for it. The real saving is NO TIMER anymore. Now you can time your lights with the signal to the relay and be assured they will work. Be warned stevesled controller does not keep time if power goes out, the GrowGreen does. makes a difference when you are not at home and power goes on and off. GrowGreen keeps time as if nothing happened, while steves needs to be reset. I know I have worked with both and prefer the GrowGreen. I had a power outage recently to remind me of the difference. I use the GrowGreen but also test Stevesled controller too. I prefer the GrowGReen 8 channels no time issues. great job. keep up the good work. We wil make an electronics technician out of you yet.
024deeweed420
Active Member
Thankyou again, yes it is fun tinkering with electronics, definately learnt some new knowledge, makes me feel more confident with electronics. Yep you may make a technician out of this old man
Even had half baked ideas of Aurdino-ing the whole house.Your GrowGreen sounds like a great system, if someone bought one do they still need to add relays to drivers?
Thats a huge edge on the hurricanex that the GrowGreen keeps time when power is out.
I might look into a backup battery powersupply for my hurricanex.
I agree the primary purpose of one of these controllers is the timer and they are even more useful if you have different leds to go on at different intervals.
Well cant wait to get down to the buisness end of this project and get those seeds into seedlings and into the coco fibre!
Im also installing an automated watering system that I have a separate timer that does down to seconds which I will need, be great if I can encorporate into the hurricanex but dont think it goes down to seconds. Would your gro green have that sort of capability?
Anyways I might post pics of the whole grow setup when its done, cheers.
VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
ALL controllers need relays to control on/off except in Europe, Menawell drivers dim to zero for them. The advantage of the relay is controlling on/off timing without a timer to wear out. I remember the old HPS days, when timers cots a lot because of wattage demands. GG controllers and others address that environment, you just plug it into a wall. For 240v systems they have a Solid State Relay SSR that handles 240v, 40A and 5v pwm control, similar to the beefcake relay for 120v systems. congrats on getting it all together. I am working on openHAB for whole garden automation next.