Apex Programming

This taught me everything I know.

http://www.neptunesystems.com/support/docs/
Use the search it's your friend.

 

here's my settings for my heater:

Fallback OFF
If Temp < RT+2.0 Then ON
If Temp > RT+1.0 Then OFF
If Temp < 70.0 Then OFF

-so this code says that in the event of a controller error fall back to off (so it don't cook my fish!)
-then if the temp is less than RT (seasonal table +2 degrees) (I like to keep my water a little warmer than the seasonal table, as you will see it goes down to 75 in the cold season! Jan/Feb)
-then if temp is greater than the seasonal temp +1.0 degree then OFF

This effectively keeps my temp higher than seasonal average in a window that has +/-1 degree of tolerance, but this way there is overlap so it doesn't teeter on/off/on/off/on/off (clicking over back and fourth). Alternatively you can build this same command by setting a delay with the statement: Defer 000:30 Then ON (or whatever you want the delay to be (this one says 30 minutes it's the deferment I use for my email alarm)). This way it only clicks over to either on or off and then before it can switch back it has to wait for the specified amount of time.

BTW I would recommend using a second controller for your temp as a built in redundant switch. I have a JBJ controller that is plugged into the heater outlet and if one of them fails the other has specified controls built in to override. (likewise situation if you have a heater with a built in thermostat).

You could also build a statement that notified you of the APEX's failure if it were to occur. You would create a virtual outlet (a dummy outlet that just switches on/off based on statements and then other things function as a response to it's condition (on or off). So I'm thinking you could build an outlet based on your amperage (because the heater is going to generate the most amount of switched draw on your system (everything else static or low amperage; pumps/lights). Then you could say

"IF Amp1 < (idk something like 6) then 003 ON
IF Heater OFF then OFF:

(statement "then 003" dictates that it waits for that condition to be true for 3 minutes before switching (note that this is different from the delay) The last statement here will override the previous statement and take precedence.

The last statement in my code above; If Temp < 70.0 then OFF

This guards me from any problems if my temp probe falls out of the water, or if I'm doing a water change. That way my heater doesn't blow up or cook my tank because a temp probe has become exposed to air.

The APEX is a mini prologic controller, if you can think of the scenario you can find a way to program it. It's wild figuring it all out but once you understand a half dozen commands you'll be coming up with all sorts of ideas. Check out virtual outlets for a really interesting tool.

 

hey wait...how the hell did you get the entire week off?! lol

 

Wow, this sounds way complicated.

 

Nah, it's not that bad. Like I said, once you get the gist of it and have a few commands memorized (and understand what they mean) the rest is straight forward.


->Fallback setting

->command

->command

->highest priority command


What was really difficult was figuring out how to set up a profile that would fade in over a couple of hours, then run a weather pattern throughout the day and then fade back off, and set all of it to follow the seasonal table +4 hours. Then staggering each of 3 different strings by an hour.

 

Like many things it can be complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's really quite simple.