Summer Clock

Started by dgd, September 27, 2014, 10:55:20 PM

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boB

The RTC battery cannot go on the Classic board.  There was no room left to put it there.

Having the battery on the MNGP was not a mistake. It was planned that way.

However, the Local App was not originally planned to do time/date either.

But, also, the time/date issue was not planned to be a PITA for you guys.

boB
K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me

dgd

#16
Interesting you mention the battery for the RTC - I often wondered why this was considered necessary on a device designed to be permanently connected to a reliable power source, ie a battery bank.
I realize each time the Classic is power cycled the time/date settings would be lost (as happens with Classic Lite), but its real easy to re-enter these values when a necessary power cycle is needed such as firmware upgrading.
So I think the RTC battery is really a non-issue. Its dead in one of my C150s but I have never bothered replacing it.

So without the battery could the RTC ic not have found room on the main board?
Maybe in next board revision? or even a teensy pcb with RTC on top of main pcb
similar to that tiny extra pcb in the Classic 250 at top of main pcb?
(Maybe also just a two pin header on pcb for wiring an optional external rtc battery)

just overthinking as usual  ::)  maybe an RTC is functionless anyway, the firmware could check for internet connection then just go read time server for date/time, but this would need the Classic to identify the time zone it is in  :o

dgd
Classic 250, 150,  20 140w, 6 250w PVs, 2Kw turbine, MN ac Clipper, Epanel/MNdc, Trace SW3024E (1997), Century 1050Ah 24V FLA (1999). Arduino power monitoring and web server.  Off grid since 4/2000
West Auckland, New Zealand

dgd

..or perhaps a reverse dns lookup on Classics IP number or subnet would reveal the  ip address/domain to determine the origin country and hence timezone information.

dgd
Classic 250, 150,  20 140w, 6 250w PVs, 2Kw turbine, MN ac Clipper, Epanel/MNdc, Trace SW3024E (1997), Century 1050Ah 24V FLA (1999). Arduino power monitoring and web server.  Off grid since 4/2000
West Auckland, New Zealand

boB

Quote from: dgd on October 01, 2014, 01:03:59 AM
..or perhaps a reverse dns lookup on Classics IP number or subnet would reveal the  ip address/domain to determine the origin country and hence timezone information.

dgd


For this one, I suggest you watch the yootoob video that Andrew posted.  It's right on and very interesting to
geeks like you and me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY&list=TLQGLcdBlFqCBGGCFtH3HiPtW3p4HqLx5w

Quote from: dgd on October 01, 2014, 01:03:59 AM
Interesting you mention the battery for the RTC - I often wondered why this was considered necessary on a device designed to be permanently connected to a reliable power source, ie a battery bank.
I realize each time the Classic is power cycled the time/date settings would be lost (as happens with Classic Lite), but its real easy to re-enter these values when a necessary power cycle is needed such as firmware upgrading.
So I think the RTC battery is really a non-issue. Its dead in one of my C150s but I have never bothered replacing it.

The Trace Engineering SW inverter/charger was this way. It would also not remember its settings
as well as time.  We had lots of complaints about that.   Wasn't going to let that happen again.
I even made an external powering dongle that required a 9V battery to keep up the system
when the power went out.  I think we sold quite a few of those.


Quote from: dgd on October 01, 2014, 01:03:59 AM
So without the battery could the RTC ic not have found room on the main board?
Maybe in next board revision? or even a teensy pcb with RTC on top of main pcb
similar to that tiny extra pcb in the Classic 250 at top of main pcb?
(Maybe also just a two pin header on pcb for wiring an optional external rtc battery)

just overthinking as usual  ::)  maybe an RTC is functionless anyway, the firmware could check for internet connection then just go read time server for date/time, but this would need the Classic to identify the time zone it is in  :o

The RTC is not a separate chip.  It's in the processor.  It does have its own 32,768 Hz xtal though.
Any extra PCBs, even teeny tiny ones would raise the price.  There is already the MNGP with
the battery and another processor on it that can take the place of that PCB, although it would
be nice to be able to have the battery on either or both boards if wanted.  The internal power
runs the MNGP clock when the battery goes dead as you have found.

Too much fun.
boB





K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me

Halfcrazy

Hm if the RTC is in the Processor on the control board it occurs to me we could remove the battery, change the programming slightly and have it done with. Magnum works this way when you boot the ARC50 it asks you to set the time. No TimeSync needed then.
Changing the way wind turbines operate one smoke filled box at a time

mike90045

Quote from: Halfcrazy on September 30, 2014, 06:18:31 AM
So working with Andrew this AM we are going to give you a tick box to disable timesync. Then we will grey out the time adjustment on the Local App when time sync is enabled. This will make it as useable as possible I think.

We will then have the time and date on the MNGP go away when time sync is off. Replaced with a message saying "TimeSync Disabled see Tweaks"

Ryan

Great.  I'm off grid, and have no internet near the battery shed.  So I'm very glad this is getting tweaked.
http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar

Classic 200| 2Kw PV, 160Voc | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph )| Listeroid 6/1, st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | midnight ePanel & 4 SPDs | 48V, 800A NiFe battery bank | MS-TS-MPPT60 w/3Kw PV

ClassicCrazy

That was a great video on time zones !
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera   Classic 150 ,8s2p  Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 20kwh  ,Gobel 16 kwh  lifepo4 Outback VFX 3648  8s2p 380w Rec pv EG4 6000XP

boB

Quote from: ClassicCrazy on October 03, 2014, 12:02:16 PM
That was a great video on time zones !


Yes, it REALLY tells a story, doesn't it ?
K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me

mike90045

not really 'summer clock' , but has the time tweak been implemented yet?
my local app version  is v0.3.61 (June 2014?)  the updater does not seem to find a later one.
http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar

Classic 200| 2Kw PV, 160Voc | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph )| Listeroid 6/1, st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | midnight ePanel & 4 SPDs | 48V, 800A NiFe battery bank | MS-TS-MPPT60 w/3Kw PV

mike90045

Quote from: Halfcrazy on September 30, 2014, 06:18:31 AM
So working with Andrew this AM we are going to give you a tick box to disable timesync. Then we will grey out the time adjustment on the Local App when time sync is enabled. This will make it as useable as possible I think.

We will then have the time and date on the MNGP go away when time sync is off. Replaced with a message saying "TimeSync Disabled see Tweaks"

Ryan

bump ?
http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar

Classic 200| 2Kw PV, 160Voc | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph )| Listeroid 6/1, st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | midnight ePanel & 4 SPDs | 48V, 800A NiFe battery bank | MS-TS-MPPT60 w/3Kw PV