Is it possible to daisy chain leak detection sensors in series to one sense port. I don't want ton of sense ports to support my leak detection strategy. Knowing which leak detector senses a leak isn't critical. For a specific area I may have a few sensors, knowing specifically which sensor got wet isn't necessary just that one of the group is wet. Any ideas on if / how to accomplish this.
HYDROS Leak Detection Sensor, Daisy Chain
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I'm assuming that the point style hydros leak detector triggers on conductivity changes, perhaps resulting in a change of a sense voltage change. Does anyone know if this is the case, if so perhaps placing multiple detecters in parallel will work. Anyone with some insight?
Danny
HYDROS Expert
I have 4 leak detectors but I want to know which one it is since thay are not in the same place. One is at the tank, one is at my iV testing station, one is at my mixing station where the RODI unit, reservoirs and ATO and AWC pumps are at and the last one is under my central air conditioner unit. They do have the rope leak detectors and I think you can get extensions for those. The point leak detectors are optical.
Danny, thank you. So if optical they probably how how supplied by the controller and an internal circuit to sense water optically. Do they then close or open contacts read by the controller. I assume if they open a contact then series would work, if they close contacts then parallel should work. Yet the base control unit may be getting an analog signal and processing that. Any ideas?
Danny
HYDROS Expert
The sense ports have a analog and a digital interface and it depends on the device as to which one it uses. The rope detectors do use the analog input. There is a DIY section here that has the pinout of the different ports. Have you check that thread.
I just reviewed the Pinout DIY post. I do see both the analog and digital input, but there's no information on which pinouts the point leak detector uses. Do you know which input the Hydros Leak Detection Sensor ( point leak detector ), uses, analog or digital?
Danny
HYDROS Expert
If it helps when I unplug a point leak detector it goes into leak mode instead of unknown. The devices using the digital interface will go unknown instead. Also with the float switches and older optical water level sensor if they are unplugged they go to the wet state. So my guess is the dry state on both the water level sensors and leak detectors is switch closed. The triple level sensor uses the digital interface. The temp sensor, TDS sensor also use the digital interface.
The evidence is that when dry it is closed, wet is open on analog signal. This seems to make sense based on the operation you have experienced, also an open failure should always trip an alarm. As always you have been a big help.
I'm maxing out on my sense port inputs and don't want to have to purchase another controller for my system. I already have five+ Hyrdros components in my design.
When I finally begin to piece my system together I'll report back. I'm intending on wiring several point leak detectors in series to the analog signal input. I'll let everyone know how that works out.
Thanks again!
Danny
HYDROS Expert
If you are going to use the 5v supply keep in mind there is a limit to that and since there are normally only 4 devices connected with just 4 sense ports just make sure to not overload that if using it
Good point, it may be difficult to understand what load this would place on the unit. I assume there is an amp limit. If I have three point leak detectors with each powered by the 5v pins (in pararllel) I suspect there is little to no current when dry. When wet there will be, if the three units all get wet there will be more current. Yet, I'm not certain how to estimate that without better understanding both the leak sensor and controller.
Do you know if the sense ports of load (current) protection on the 5v power.
Danny
HYDROS Expert
There is load protection but the controllers have to be powered down and powered back up to reset it if the 5v goes into protect mode. Usually if this were to happen with the 4 sense ports in use you would unplug all of them. Then power down and wait a minute and power backup to reset the 5v and then start plugging the the devices one at a time checking to make sure they work. If you loose the 5v connecting one then that is likely the culprit causing the loss of the 5v supply. If you loose 5v it would be to all the sense ports on that controller and not just one.