Aquarium controller

Description of the device

This is a modern device for controlling the lighting and the heaters in an aquarium. It has a built-in clock, so different switching cycles for the lighting can be programmed. A remote control with a numeric keypad and function keys is used to operate the device and to set its parameters.

Fig. The aquarium controller prototype.

The device has four output channels able to switch any appliance supplied with, for example, 230 V, but a safe voltage of 24 V is equally possible. The only requirement is that it must be alternating voltage. The output channels are fully programmable, so they can drive a heater based on the measured temperature or the lighting based on the current time. In addition the device has two temperature sensors, an ambient light sensor and a battery-backed real time clock. A VFD display is used. The device provides an RS485 interface, so a web server can be attached to it and the aquarium watched from anywhere in the world. The controller can also serve other purposes, such as switching illuminated signage and many more.

Fig. The aquarium controller with the enclosure removed.

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