SpaSitter Documention

SpaSitterTM 2.0 

How to build your own Spa or Pool Monitor. 

Pool Monitor, Hot Tub Monitor, Aquarium Monitor to Cosm.com

Nanode Classic with Opti Boot 

The Nanode, developed in the UK by Ken Boak in cooperation with the London Hackspace

Code adapted from OpenEnergyMonitor.org 

Authors: Trystan Lea, Glyn Hudson and Francois Hug

Part of the: openenergymonitor.org project

Licenced under GNU GPL V3

Step 1

Assemble your Nanode 5 with an Opti Boot Loader (pre-assembled boards are available when requested)

Link:  http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:Nanode/Building_a_Nanode

Or 

Nanode RF with no RF module 

Link:  http://ichilton.github.com/nanode/rf/build_guide.html

Step 2

Build a temperature shield with the water proof DS18B20. Use digital pin 8 on the Nanode as the one wire input pin.  The red wire is 5V power, black is ground, and yellow or white is digital input.

Breadboard schematic of DS18B20

Simple DS18B20 shield with water proof probe

Step 3

Solder the Phidget 1130 pH and or ORP boards to the Nanode board.  Red is 5V, black is ground, and white is the analog input.

Analog Pin 0 is the pH probe input, analog Pin 5 is the ORP probe. 

Both pH and ORP boards from Phidget are attached to the Nanode

Wiki:  http://www.phidgets.com/docs/1130_User_Guide

Connect the pH and/or ORP probe and select the correct setting on the indicator switch of the Phidget 1130 board.

All sensors attached to the board: Temp, pH, and ORP

Step 4

Now its time to put it all together.  Setup a Cosm.com account.  Here is a great tutorial at Adafruit Learning System.

Download the Arduino IDE software:  http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Download the sketch for the Nanode at github: https://github.com/brianhuebner/OpenSpaMonitor2/tree/master/Nanode_SpaSitter_monitor_V_1_0
* Code adapted from the OpenEnergyMonitor.org  authors Trystan Lea and Glyn Hudson 

** Note, you need an FTDI cable for uploading the sketch to the Nanode

Add your Cosm.com feed ID and API key to the part of the sketch below:

Upload the sketch to the Nanode with a FTDI cable.  Plug in your Ethernet cable from your router to the Nanode and watch as it uploads your probe readings to your Cosm.com account.

Chemicals were added to the hot tub.  Our pH is low but the ORP is getting better. 

Step 5

Get some standard reference solution for you local hydroponics grow store.  Also fill a spray bottle with distilled water for cleaning the reference solution off of the glass probe junction.   Do not touch the glass probes with your fingers, as it leaves oil residue that will influence your reading.

Two calibration points will be fine pH 4 and pH 7.  Get some glass wear from the kitchen and add some reference solution.  Put the pH or ORP in the solution and wait for the value to adjust, one or two minutes.  You can use the serial monitor on the Nanode ( un-comment out the #debug  serial.print function) to read the output of your pH and ORP probe.   After one point calibration, spray the glass junction with distilled water for a couple minutes before putting it in the other standard solution.

The ORP reading for the standard reference solution is as follows:

pH Value	mV Value	pH Value	mV Value	pH Value	mV Value	pH Value	mV Value	pH Value	mV Value
0	990	3	800	6	640	9	460	12	280
1	920	4	740	7	580	10	400	13	220
2	860	5	680	8	520	11	340	14	160

The ORP probe in the pH 4 reference solutions should read around 740 mV and the pH 7 reference solution should read around 580 mV.


Now that your probes are calibrated and your SpaSitter is tested and working, its time to install it.  Run an Ethernet cable and power supply out to your  hot tub, pool or other water body and put it all in a water proof project box.   Have fun with your new SpaSitterTM.   Setup email or text message alerts to notify you when the conditions of your water need attention.  Add the Cosm.com widget to your smart phone for easy access to your SpaSitter.