Grow Automation and Industrial / Computerized Systems Controls

[hvac guy]

Link4Corp has some nice controllers, pricey but very reliable.

 

[Catatafish]

Nice thread....I love automating jobs at work! LIke to write a little code here and there too.

I'll be back, gotta finish up my new sealed room a quick vacation and then i'll have a little more time to soak this in then.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Link4Corp has some nice controllers, pricey but very reliable.

Yes I've been looking at the Iponic series.. I'm just trying to figure out my needs. The 600 looks like what I need. Now there is a Iponic 614 and I'm just trying to see what the difference is.

Dreaming here....

Im think an Iponic 600 with communication kit and a Bluelab Dosetronic.. Do able for around 2K USD. A few solis tech programmable ballasts.

... someday.. someday...

 

[overbudjet]

I will use growtronix over ioponic much more flexible and for 2k you will have all the control you wan ,over what you wan

 

[Snype]

Been looking for something like this for a while now! Growtronix it is! Thanks for the info.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I will use growtronix over ioponic much more flexible and for 2k you will have all the control you wan ,over what you wan

I'm not looking for more I'm looking for simplified HVAC/C02 control.
I dont want a PC running stuff either.. I prefer a PLC. This will save me time with setup and teardown. 1 box 1 sensor array. I prefer that.

I would rather go with the Bluelab dosetronix.. I recently replaced my Hanna constant monitoring gear with a bluelab guardian.. very impressed! I want that gear watching my tanks

I'm sure growtronix works for you, but I dont think its for me...thanks for the suggestion tho'.

 

[rives]

I think that the Growtronix is worth the price of admission even if you are using a PLC for the mission-critical stuff. There are many things that it would be nice to have a handle on that PLCs simply don't lend themselves to. The ability to send text messages, e-mails, compile report information and perform security functions would be some things that are pretty damn attractive to me and would be either impossible or extremely expensive to do with a PLC.

It is very common in industrial applications to have the PLC running the machinery, and a PC taking care of all the gingerbread.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I think that the Growtronix is worth the price of admission even if you are using a PLC for the mission-critical stuff. There are many things that it would be nice to have a handle on that PLCs simply don't lend themselves to. The ability to send text messages, e-mails, compile report information and perform security functions would be some things that are pretty damn attractive to me and would be either impossible or extremely expensive to do with a PLC.

It is very common in industrial applications to have the PLC running the machinery, and a PC taking care of all the gingerbread.

The iponic 600 has a communication add on for around 120 bucks. It has the txt and alert features you are asking about.

And there is some data logging features.. All within the single enclosure.

Yes I'm very familiar with industrial facilities running a mix of PLC's and industrial PC's. I operate that kind of equipment on a regular basis. The PC based stuff is more sensitive, every so often theres some kind of error and I loose my screens for my data, but the allen bradley stuff touch panel stuff never seems to break.

I really dont have an opinion on growtronix.. I just dont think its the right gear for me.

 

[rives]

The iponic 600 has a communication add on for around 120 bucks. It has the txt and alert features you are asking about.

And there is some data logging features.. All within the single enclosure.

Yes I'm very familiar with industrial facilities running a mix of PLC's and industrial PC's. I operate that kind of equipment on a regular basis. The PC based stuff is more sensitive, every so often theres some kind of error and I loose my screens for my data, but the allen bradley stuff touch panel stuff never seems to break.

I really dont have an opinion on growtronix.. I just dont think its the right gear for me.

The Iponic looks like very interesting gear.

I'd be a little circumspect about being single-sourced for the equipment, and anticipating the reliability of an Allen-Bradley might be setting the bar pretty high.

My needs are substantially different though - I've already got an A-B Micro running things, and would just like to add some alert/report functionality. With the Growtronix software and one of the old PC's sitting around here, it's a pretty economical way to go. Now if I just had the time & energy to get it running....

 

[DapperDon]

Been looking for something like this for a while now! Growtronix it is! Thanks for the info.

If anyone would be after the precision of data that can be collected from this system I knew it would be you Snype! BTW How are you coming on your YouTube project? Are you going to meet your deadline?

 

[overbudjet]

I agree a plc is much more reliable than a computer,but in my case i am the plc,meaning by that i am always at home and be in room almost 2 hour a day.
So in my case GT have control over everything except ph and nute ,for those i use my old blue lab meter.
P.S. I am also able to overide all fonction in case of a computer crash.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I'm not here to suppress _any_ ideas about automation, I think I raise valid points when it comes to PC vs. PLC . My situation is different.. Im simply not there at the greenhouse. Time to time but my stuff has to run without fail.

 

[rives]

I'm not here to suppress _any_ ideas about automation, I think I raise valid points when it comes to PC vs. PLC . My situation is different.. Im simply not there at the greenhouse. Time to time but my stuff has to run without fail.

I don't think that any of us are here to suppress anything, but rather to exchange ideas and experiences. I did my first PLC installation in 1981 and would agree that they are far more reliable than virtually any PC.

However, from what I've seen on their site, I'm not sure that I would call the Iponic a PLC. There are many varieties of dedicated controllers around, from sprinkler systems to linear hydraulic control, but very few of them are built to the specifications that industrial-grade PLCs are. I don't see much in the way of spec's on their site and the links to their product sheets are broken.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[overbudjet]

I'm not here to suppress _any_ ideas about automation, I think I raise valid points when it comes to PC vs. PLC . My situation is different.. Im simply not there at the greenhouse. Time to time but my stuff has to run without fail.

Agree everybody have different life and hobby

 

[Ttystikk]

I don't know any more about industrial PLC technology than I do about Arduino. Since my time is the most limited and therefore most precious resource, I'm choosing to spend a bit more to get what I want already built and working, with all the features I'd have to recreate anyway.

I'm pretty sold on the ease of setup, operation and expandability with Growtronix.

 

[hvac guy]

Industrial PLCs are great, using analog sensors can be tricky. Link4Corp is a very reliable controller, the growtronix have issues with some digital ballasts causing problems, I have seen three grows where growtronix was used and the system failed several times.

 

[overbudjet]

Yep,Growtronix did'nt like digi but it is a easy fix lol !(after i have tried many's options)

 

[rives]

Industrial PLCs are great, using analog sensors can be tricky. Link4Corp is a very reliable controller, the growtronix have issues with some digital ballasts causing problems, I have seen three grows where growtronix was used and the system failed several times.

Good to hear about the Link4 gear. Is it an established name in commercial green houses?

The Growtronix gear, being based on consumer-level PCs, is very unlikely to be able to stand up to the rigors that commercial/industrial gear is designed to withstand. That is why I like the idea of it as a "sidecar", with a PLC doing the heavy lifting. It would be interesting to see how the Growtronix would do if it was implemented with premium components and some industrial-grade I/O like Opto 22, though.

 

[Ttystikk]

Good to hear about the Link4 gear. Is it an established name in commercial green houses?

The Growtronix gear, being based on consumer-level PCs, is very unlikely to be able to stand up to the rigors that commercial/industrial gear is designed to withstand. That is why I like the idea of it as a "sidecar", with a PLC doing the heavy lifting. It would be interesting to see how the Growtronix would do if it was implemented with premium components and some industrial-grade I/O like Opto 22, though.

People are listening to us. We ARE the cutting edge of indoor cultivation technology, sexy pictures in Philips lighting catalogs be damned. Home growers are asking why we can't have top quality full featured automation and the market is beginning to respond. I think there will be some breakthroughs in the next few years and this will drive price down and capabilities up.

 

[leedsutd95]

OK LargePrime, I will be honest and say that most of what you said was over my head, the part about teaching bad habits I got, I am happy to do more work/research rather than do messy short cuts. I am basically a PC nerd has has been looking for an excuse to get an Arduino/Pi/Begalbone for awhile and feel like a grow room is a great excuse to learn.

I have no idea if I have a three speed motor on my fan, how do I go about determining this? I have it hooked up to a cheap fan controller to adjust it and frankly it has two settings high and slightly less high. It is not a click or a distinctive low medium and high setting. If i turn the dial even close to medium it just stops spinning.

I am certainly open to going with the Begalbone or an alternative to the arduino, to be honest I would prefer the Beaglebone/Raspberry Pi if for no other reason than having linux as an option. My main reason for looking more at Arduino is compatibility with all the sensor, etc. out there. I do like the idea of testing and logging more than I need to, so cheap sensors, adapters, plug ins, accessories etc. is very appealing, and this aspect does seem to make the Arduino seem likeable. Then again I have heard of people just connecting the Arduino to a Pi/Beaglebone as well so. . . I'm still figuring this all out. I see monitoring things like light levels, CO2, wind speed, humidity, temp, etc. as a great way to allow me to feel like I am doing something with my plants without actually doing so much to/with them to kill them. Controlling the fan is not my only or even primary goal, it is just the foggiest piece of the puzzle.

sounds like your controler on its way out from my experience (as power gen eng)