Questions about the ports of the OSPi 1.5 (COM, +5V, GND, SN1/2)

[nightingale]

Hello,

I bought a Raspberry Pi 4 and the OpenSprinkler (OSPi 1.5). There should now be 2 x 4 solenoid valves from Rainbird, so 8 pieces in total, but divided into two different valve boxes.

A few questions

* There are two COM ports on the OSPi. Should/can all 8 be connected to the same COM port, or would it be better to have 4 on one and 4 on the other - or does it simply not matter?

* Have the medium 2A AC adapter. Can you use it to supply the Raspberry PI, which actually draws 2A itself or has it as an adapter. If so, how do you connect the power supply from the Raspi to the OSPi? I saw that there is a “+5V” port on the OSPi – somehow connected to the mini-USB power from the Raspi?

* What are the GND and SN1/2 ports for? Should you connect GND (ground?) to the metal housing, where the ground from the AC connection is already there?

Best regards,

Jens

 

[Admin]

Hello,

so:

1. 2x COM: These are both connected and only serve to simplify the wiring. If you have more than 20 solenoid valves, you should distribute them across both COM ports to reduce the current load on the contacts. Otherwise you can do this, but you don't have to.

2. 2A 24VAC Adapter: Yes, this also powers the Raspberri PI. Since version 1.5, this can be up to 10W (5V x 2A). This should be sufficient for most applications. However, if you connect high consumers like hard drives to the USB port, this will hardly be enough and you should connect the Raspberri PI adapter additionally.

3. Just do not connect the GND to the housing! The two signal inputs are switched via GND+SN1 or GND and SN2. So a signal is triggered when GND is present at SN1 or SN2. VIN or +5V is intended for connecting external sensors that require power, such as our soil moisture sensor.

Furthermore, we recommend taking a look at the OpenSprinkler firmware manual, which you can find in the download area. Here all connections are explained (they are the same as with the OpenSprinkler 3.2)

 

 

[nightingale]

Thank you.

I hadn't seen the manuals at all. I read the FAQ and "How it works" several times (could it be that these are not linked from these pages?!). Anyway, I will take a look at that right away.

[nightingale]

In the file https://opensprinklershop.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/os-manual_2.1.9-DE.pdf?v=3a52f3c22ed6 there is a note on page 5 about a YouTube video with a link button. However, this is not linked. Can you send me the link? (or update the document). When I search for the topic on YouTube myself, I find all sorts of things and don't know what the right one is.

[nightingale]

Hello,

@Admin I wanted to ask again where I can find this video? As I said, the link is still not correct in the PDF manual.

Best regards,

Jens

 

[Admin]

Oh, it seems that converting the PDF deleted the link.

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0nWP22GOE4

[Author]

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