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Starting at $174.95 the AquaController Jr base unit
delivers the highest price performance ratio in the industry
and brings truely affordable aquarium monitoring and control
to tanks of all sizes. The AquaController Jr has the same
great programming configuration language of our higher
end controllers as well as the temperature and pH monitoring
and control, lighting and pump/powerhead control. The
Jr is now available with an optional serial port so that
it can be connected to your PC. With AquaNotes Lite, our
free Windows software permanent records and graphs of
the datalogs arepossible. In addition the AquaController
Jr is able to: |
The AquaController Jr has an easy to use and intuitive three
button user interface. The buttons are used to navigate through
the menus and to modify the standard setup. All setup and
program modifications are possible through the buttons on
the AquaController Jr - no external computer is required.
The base unit includes a comprehensive owner's manual, which
contains instructions and examples on how to best utilize
your AquaController Jr. No technical background is necessary
to setup and operate the controller. The base unit measures
2.75" x 4.60" x 1.00".
To help you perform the initial setup of the AquaController Jr, the base unit comes pre-programmed with a default setup
which requires little if any modification to work with most
aquarium setups.
The base unit includes software which is capable of monitoring
pH, temperature. The monitored data is continuously displayed
on the large LCD display and also logged into the internal
RAM for later retrieval. All probes support digital calibration.
The AquaController Jr base unit comes standard with a high
quality temperature probe with a 10 foot cable (part number
PRBTMPJR).
The AquaController Jr also contains the functionality to
control the pH, and temperature in your tank. The standard
control functions for the monitored parameters listed above
are possible.
For pH control typically CO2 is injected into the aquarium
when the pH rises too high. The AquaController Jr continuously
monitors the pH and can turn the CO2 injection system on or
off based upon the user defined high and low set points. Because
of the AquaController Jr's highly programmable nature, it
is possible to control pH in new and non-standard ways. For
example, in reef tanks with a calcium reactor it is desirable
to stop injecting CO2 into the reaction chamber if the pH
of the tank falls too low. The AquaController Jr is currently
the only known controller on the market capable of this type
of control. The CO2 injection system is not included with
AquaController Jr.
Also the AquaController Jr can control both a heater and
chiller to maintain a stable temperature environment in the
tank. The heater and/or chiller enable and disable temperatures
can be set independently. Given the tank has an adequate heater
and chiller, the temperature can be maintained within +-.3
°F.
Additionally, the AquaController Jr has many more features
for temperature control. For example, if the temperature of
the tank exceeds a preset value, the AquaController Jr can
turn on a fan to cool the tank. If the temperature rises higher,
an additional fan or chiller can be enabled. If the temperature
rises even higher, lights can be shut off. There is really
no limit to the number of ways that the AquaController Jr
can control the temperature.
Also, the AquaController Jr has a special temperature cycle
which is used to simulate seasonal temperature variations.
All of the above mentioned features for temperature control
are available in this mode as well; only the target temperature
set point varies with the day of the year. This mode of operation
is most interesting to the serious aquarist trying to induce
his corals and fish to spawn.
If the AquaControllerJr is purchased with the optional serial
port it can be connected to PC via a standard RS-232 cable
(available from Neptune Systems). The serial interface allows
you to download the datalog log as well as retrieve the current
status of the monitored parameters and controlled devices
in the aquarium. A computer is NOT required to program or
operate the AquaController Jr.
Standard terminal emulator programs interface quite easily
to the AquaController Jr. These terminal emulators are bundled
with Windows or available as a public domain program for the
Macintosh.
Please see the AquaNotes web page
for complete details on our Windows program which completely
automates the datalog retrieval and graphing process. AquaNotes
Lite is now available for free.
If the AquaJr is purchased with the serial port option, then
it has one external switch input which can be used to activate/deactivate
devices in response to an external stimulus. Applications
for the input includes connection to water level float switches,
water pressure and flow sensors, and water on the floor sensors.
The AquaController Jr program can be set up to signal alarms
or act upon the input condition.
The timer functionality included in the base unit is capable
of turning devices on and off at specific times of the day
with one minute resolution. The AquaController Jr can also
turn the devices on or off multiple times per day not just
one time per day as with other controllers. The flexible timers
allows for the standard lighting control as well as for dosing
of various elements. Up to 12 devices can be controlled by
the AquaController Jr. All outputs of the AquaController can
either following the automatic programming, or can be manually
turned to an on or off state.
The AquaController Jr has a special type of timer which can
be used to simulate the varying lengths of days throughout
the year. This feature is used to make the length of daylight
hours longer in the summer than in the winter. This results
in a more realistic simulation of natural lighting variations.
The AquaController Jr has another special type of timer which
can be used to simulate the moon cycle in your tank. The lunar
simulator is used for this feature and is capable of varying
the intensity of light emitted from its LEDs. The intensity
variations are controlled by the AquaController which is preprogrammed
with correct intensity values for each day of the moon cycle.
The AquaController automatically updates the intensity value
depending upon the current setting of the AquaControlle's
clock. With this artificial moon cycle, it is possible to
induce corals and fish to spawn.
Each pump to be controlled can either have a random or fixed
time period. Both the on and off times are fully programmable
and can range from 1 minute to 4 hours in 1 minute increments.
Up to 12 pumps can be controlled by one base unit. A variable
length feed timer cycle can be initiated with the press of
a button and will disable some or all of the pumps in the
system (programmed by the user). Soft start for pumps is available
when the Jr is used with the Direct Connect 8. Soft start
reduces wear and tear on pumps and results in noticeably quieter
start up for most powerheads.
Like the entire AquaController product line, both X10 and/or
hardwired control options are available. For new installations
we recommend a hardwired installation. Up to 3 Direct Connect
4s (DC4) or Direct Connect 4 Heavy Dutys (DC4HD), or 1 DC8
and 1 DC4/DC4HD can be used with the AquaController Jr if
a hardwired control solution is desired. The DC boxes connect
directly to the AquaController through a standard 4 conductor
telephone cable. With 3 DC4HDs connected 12 different devices
can be controlled independently, with a maximum total power
dissappation of approximately 3 * 120 * 15 = 5400 Watts. No
X10 modules or interfaces are required if Direct Connect control
boxes are used.
For X10 control, the AquaController sends a digital signal
to the control interface (part number IM513) which places
a small RF signal onto the powerlines in your home. The control
modules (typically part number CM466) receive this X10 signal
over the power lines, and if the code matches the user settable
address the module is turned on or off. Up to 12 control modules
can be controlled with the AquaController Jr.
One of the AquaController Jr's most compelling features is
its simple to use yet very powerful programming language.
A simple example best illustrates the power and versatility
of the AquaController Jr. Suppose that you wish to simulate
the sunrise and sunset in your tank as well as having longer
or shorter sunlight hours as based upon the seasons. The following
program achieves this effect:
If Sun 000/000
Then LT1 ON
If Sun 060/-045
Then LT2 ON
If Temp > 83.0
Then LT2 OFF
The first statement of the program turns light 1 ON at sunrise
and OFF at sunset. The second statement turns light 2 ON 60
minutes after sunrise and shuts it off 45 minutes before sunset.
This feature is not available in any other controller. The
keyword 'Sun' tells the AquaController Jr to use the preprogrammed
timer which calculates the sunrise and sunset times for the
current day of the year.
The programming flexibility does not stop here though, as
illustrated by the third program statement. This statement
will shut off light 2 if the temperature of the tank ever
exceeds 83.0°F. With this type of feature, the temperature
stability of the tank can be more easily obtained on those
hot summer days. Additionally your tank is protected from
overheating in the event of chiller/fan failure.
Similar program statements are used to enable or disable
all the different control functions. The base unit comes pre-programmed
with a default program which contains the majority of the
control functions required in the average tank. Using this
default program your tank will be up and running in very little
time.
The extensive owner's manual thoroughly describes the installation
and customization of the AquaController Jr for use in your
tank. The manual also contains many programming examples which
illustrate many of its unique features. With this system the
control of your aquarium is limited only by your imagination.
The AquaController Jr can be programmed to enable an audible
alarm when a monitored condition exceeds a preset value. The
AquaController Jr will immediately let you know when your
tank needs attention.
The AquaController Jr has data logging for the aquarist that
wants to keep an accurate log of the conditions in his aquarium.
Temperature, pH, and are sampled and stored into RAM. The
sample interval is user programmable and can be from 1 minute
to four hours in 1 minute increments. The data log can be
viewed on the LCD display.
Even in the event of a power failure the AquaController's
clock maintains the correct time. Since all of the controller's
configuration settings are stored in nonvoltile memory, no
reprogramming/reconfiguration is necessary following a power
failure.
You never have worry about your controller becoming obsolete.
The AquaController Jr has flash memory which can be upgraded
with new software as new functionality is developed. To perform
the firmware update an optional serial cable is connected
between the AquaController Jr's temperature connector and
an RS232 serial port of a Window's PC. The WIndow's PC runs
a flash update utility to replace the firmware.
The large and informative backlit display on the AquaController
Jr is capable of displaying 16 characters by 2 lines of text/special
characters. In the status mode the display shows the either
current conditions in the aquarium or the date/time and the
status of all the controlled devices.
To keep unauthorized users from accessing and modifying the
AquaController Jr's configuration, the display can be locked.
To unlock the display a user settable password must be entered.
Further Information
If you are not convinced that the AquaController Jr brings
truly flexible and affordable aquarium control, contact our
knowledgeable sales and technical staff at Neptune Systems,
and we'll answer any of your questions.
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