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rgormley Senior Member Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 245
Posted: 12:23pm 26 Sep 2009
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Hi Gordon,
Got one more probe today,
your software is good for multi probe readings when you run the program. and doing the calcs to show grid/RE/net etc etc)
but the current cost meter software allows me to download the 2 days (stored in black unit) of logs, thus i can keep a tally going. (yes i know it has the downside of not being able to work the 2nd probe software with the 2 probes like your version can.
if you can have a "download data" button on your version that would be great!.
PS i have been following another lead for the software with full featured logging (&9 UK pounds (euros?) when they release in early next month.
supports the new and our "classic" units
i have the emails at work and i will post here on monday
Cheers for now i off to bed....
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 10:20pm 28 Sep 2009
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Hi Richard,
I don't know about 2 days of stored data.
There are 2 hourly readings for the last day, as well as daily totals for the last month as well as yearly totals. All this info is transmitted most times in the SER COMM output string.
I see no use for a download button as such, as the data is already streamed from the unit. There may be merit in display of the historical data, but this is available from the graphed logged data. There is a lot of decoding required to get to the data, and as the totals are the algebraic sum of the 3 sensors, I see little value in the totals.
What is the fully feature software? Do you know what it is likely to do? You were going to post some email references yesterday.
I have now set up my logging on a separate server. 4 loggers running, including my weather station. All programs and logged data can be viewed remotely through my LAN. This could become real armchair stuff. The remote desktop has overcome the COMM issues with Vista64 and the cabling birdsnest. I can also remotely modify the programs and in theory reprogram picaxe remotely.
Gordon.
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rgormley Senior Member Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 245
Posted: 10:54pm 28 Sep 2009
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Gordon,
This the link to some software i am playing around with at the moment.
you have to email them for an invite to trial the software
http://www.makehistori.com/
antony.fenn@makehistori.com
is the guy i emailed
see if this link works for you. It is my tori page i`m
playing with at the moment.
http://www.makehistori.com/makehistori.aspx?toripage=83
also see
http://www.techtoniq.com/downloads/Edited by rgormley 2009-09-30
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 11:22pm 28 Sep 2009
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Hi Richard,
I am not sure of the bandwidth needed for a decent amount of data with this. I was hoping to make my stuff web accessible as well. The 10sec logging rate, makes many kB per day, almost MB. The internet is much slower than browsing data on a PC. Maybe upload once a day some totals, but not sure about live data. My software is giving me so much info. I can remotely compare wind, solar, house power etc. I now just have to incorporate all the logging streams into a single graphing database, like my weather station.
Gordon.become more energy aware
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 12:49am 29 Sep 2009
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Hi Richard,
I don't see the techtoniq software as giving me any more info to the free CurrentCost software. I will continue with my own datalogging for the moment.
Gordon.
PS the only drawback with logging at short intervals is the need for a PC running. The info gained though, far outweighs the 10-15W used by my logging PC. I would not use a normal home computer for logging. I don't mind looking at the data remotely on the big screen though.
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 02:20pm 01 Oct 2009
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The commercial software being developed for the current cost power meters seems to be directed at trending.
I have a variety of daily graphs from my software that goes beyond the kWhr numbers, that show the effects on solar panel performance with cloud. I have noticed the dramatic increased power output resulting from cloud fringing. I have seen problems with the way commercial GridTiedInverters respond to changing power levels. The comparisons of kW on say one week, to the next, can lead to better energy use habits, but cannot directly identify aspects outside of human control.
I see that the commercial software focusses on consumption. I have a graph that shows what I expect many readers with a solar installation would hope for. The net result with a high export ratio.
The blue graph is the normal house consumption during the solar day. The red graph is the solar production. The white horizontal line is the net zero consumption. the white graph associated with this is the net import/export. Export above the line, and import below. Most of my power on a tytpical sunny day is exported. The key is to have low base consumption. The fridge coming on and off is quite visible in the blue graph. The electric kettle is evident. A cloud bank passed at around 1500.
The information that I gather will not be available with a consumption type approach.
I think that the companies offering commercial software should be thinking a bit outside the box and maybe offer something beyond consumption. The normal billing power meter gives this data.
I expect that over time I will get a good feel for how my systems really work together, and how I can get the best outcome, both economically, or in a green way.
Gordon.
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 06:35am 06 Oct 2009
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Here are some screens from my PC with remote access to my Data Logging computer. I am monitoring a windmill and battery with a Piclog, A Lithium battery pac with a combination picaxe system, and the solar panel power and house consumption with a CurrentCost meter. The front end and graphing software I have adapted to suit each different application. I have data update rates set at 10 seconds.
I am about to test a No-IP system so I can view my system anywhere with an internet connection.
Gordon.
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 04:52am 27 Oct 2009
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Hi Richard,
the currentcost cc128 is advertised as available. Don't see much difference to the classic. Check the internal recording specs. 2 hourly for the current day, and daily for the month, and monthly for up to 84 months. This is the same as I found in the classic.
The way I record gives much more historical information.
I will be looking at 3 channel, individual appliance recording with a second classic unit.
I now have a couple of months data recorded. I don't think I will be able to reduce the base load grid consumption to lower than 100W. Over 90% of my solar is exported. I have a credit with TRU for $366 for the 6months over winter, so can't wait for summer. A refund check for christmas would be good.
Gordon.become more energy aware
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 12:51pm 09 Nov 2009
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Hi Richard,
I now have a CC128 unit. Have successfully paired 2 TX units to it, giving 6 channels of AC current that can be measured.
The newer clamp sensors are no where near as good as the spring loaded type on the classic. More like red and black versions of a cent-meter.
The CC128 has a different output, at 55600 baud. The XML file requires more processing to extract which data belongs to which channel.
I hope to make new software that has more flex-ability. I want to include raw channel logging as well as spare channels for mathematical manipulations and graphing that are user configurable in software.
The CC128 is like a FIFO. As soon as data is recieved, it is retransmitted to the COMMs port. I have noticed the RF data from multiple TX units seems to clash and nothing gets through to the CC128. I would prefer a more structured data string output, but apparently CPU resources in the CC128 restrict what can be done.
I have looked at some of the other programs out there. One program tech something requires a heap of .net stuff, a 200MB download. The self extracting program files are 10's of Mb as well. Makes my 120kB program 30kB Zip, a lightweight.
How did you go with your follow ups?
Gordon.
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Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 01:27pm 09 Nov 2009
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Gordon,
I noticed you have said several times on the data clash problem with several Tx RX units.
Would it help if you run diffent baud rates on different TX RX units.
Or prehaps worth adding a TX on the receiver end and a RX to each transmitter and call the information from each unit. Ie all TX units off until addressed from the receiver for data and then transmit one at a time.
At $10.00 a module they are not that expensive.
I realize there is no easy way around this.
just a thought.
Pete.Sometimes it just works
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 09:33pm 09 Nov 2009
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Hi Pete,
The CC128 is a proprietry commercial product and is not changeable in this way. The TX/RX unit combo's are not something I have made with a picaxe. I am working with what is supplied. I am making a software component only.
Gordon.
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 07:00am 15 Nov 2009
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Hi Richard,
I can only assume that you had no success with other software for your Current Cost unit.
I have now finished my 10 channel Current Cost software, for the CC128.
I have made provisions for individual calibration of each channel, and provisions to compensate for the channel crosstalk that occurs on the same TX unit and the raw measured power by each sensor is displayed with the channel identifier. I have added baud rate selection, to allow compatibility with the CCclassic.
I can now record and compare
SolarRE, WindRE, to TotalRE, as well as HotWaterpower and battery recharging to total economy rate power, and Inverter power and grid house peak power to Total house power, and also Net house Import or Export.
I have added kWhr calculations for all these power readings. The zoom within zoom feature is retained, and the recalculation of kWhr for each channel in the zoomed window.
I have color coded the graphs, to match the colour coding of the channels with different colours for each.
I have retained the calculation of Export kWhr, as I found that this correlated well with the Import/Export meter numbers.
I have refined the scaling of the graphs, to keep the scales constant. This allows visual comparisons day to day with a constant set of axis. The auto scaling can be turned on to check low data if needed.
I hope to have access to more Tx units, to test the full potential for 30 sensors, and possibly up to 50 channels of logging.
Here are some pics of the real time window, and a typical graph.
The CC128 does make recording AC power ccts easy.
Gordon.
PS sorry about the pic quality. JPG and Gizmo's 500pixel sizing blurrs the image. too bad.
become more energy aware
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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