Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Tim I really like the looks of these sensors. Which package are you using. Please elaborate. I'm assuming you have a small air line run to the bottom of the tank?
thanks,
mark

Wow Tim! It is so wonderful you are moving ahead. The steps look great so it was worth waiting for the professional brick layer there! Keep up the great efforts and it will soon be party time!

Thanks to you and Nic for the food for the fishies - they too are most appreciative!

Jazz, I am using the enclosed package ones. I am either going to mount them in a IP68 box in the GB or encase them in resin.

The air line to atmospheric pressure and the Cat5e will go through the bottom of the GB through cable glands.

A short piece of air line tubing will measure the water pressure.

I have made a circuit which will convert the 2.5mV/KPa to a range of about 1-4V which will suit my USB controller perfectly.

Thanks Tim. This looks very interesting. I'd do the same interface for my PIC controller. Have you found a cheap source. I just looked and I'm seeing $87. I might have to stay with my little $5 float switch at that price....

yeah timmy boy, bet it feels great having that step done now!!!

Looking great Tim. Some of the technical stuff is a bit over my old head, but I'll watch progress with interest.

Jazz, try Digikey... You can get them for $12 ea.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... X2010DP-ND

Thanks Tim. I'm going to order a couple.

I will try and draw up my opamp circuit for you soon... I still have to test it to make sure it is stable... I will be a 12V circuit though...

Very nice Tim, do you then plan to have a water tank (or similar) hooked up to automatically add water to the system when sensors detect a low level?

I am going to use an automatic pressure pump to a 3000L water tank that is attached to the shed. I will use one of my ball-valves to do an auto top up.

Should be good when all hooked up - I have been thinking along the lines of a float valve and gravity feed to the sump tank as an auto top-up for my next modification

Tim I'm putting in a sprinkler valve connected to my main water line in the yard. I'll sense the level in my FT sump and just turn the valve on for a few seconds. This way I don't need to worry about low and hi sensors. The system will balance itself then.

I am hoping that with all the sensors in place I can calculate total system volume. So I can schedule an auto-top up once a week or something...

On your auto topup once a week i would go for a little bit as needed then if you have chlorine ect it will be dispersed easley