NEW: aquaero 5 series

[Phatboy69]

@zoomee: a first version of the aquasuite 2012 should be available this Friday.

@Phatboy69: your poweradjust should be available as 5th fan channel. You will not read the word poweradjust anywhere because it fully integrates to the aquaero as another fan channel. When a poweradjust is connected via aquabus (high speed port) it will appear automatically in the menu structure. There is no need to setup anything to get it working with the aquaero.
Is there anything connected to the PA2 and running? Otherwise you will not see any data in the aquaero.

Thanks Shoggy, i got the first 3 PA2's working and I can now see this is going to take a while to setup, test and install!

I know this isnt the place to report bugs but FYI.

A slight anomaly I noticed is the PA2's have trouble reporting the correct RPM signal. The AE5 fan controller with exact same programmed settings manages to display correct RPM though.

The PA2 reports 2500-2800RPM on the AE5 display page when set at 30% power when it is actually about 500rpm. It is tracking the controller power/temp curve I set for it though, but just isnt measuring and reporting the RPM pulses properly. Sometimes it will jump around a bit and very occasionally show the correct speed but it usually just displays 2800rpm. I guess the Aquabus might be susceptible to noise introduced to the bus, probably from the Fans LEDs?? At least the actual RPMs are consistent with the programmed curve.

I can replicate this on all PA2s with identical settings.

[Paradoxxx]

Is it necessary to for me to use the USB cable with a PA2 for Aquasuite 2012 control and monitoring purposes IF the PA2 is connected to a Aquaero 5 Pro via high speed aquabus and the Aquaero is connected to the motherboard via USB?

BTW: Looking forward to the Aquasuite 2012 release.

[pociej]

Can Aquaero 5 track flow from flow meter connected to PA2?

[Phatboy69]

Is it necessary to for me to use the USB cable with a PA2 for Aquasuite 2012 control and monitoring purposes IF the PA2 is connected to a Aquaero 5 Pro via high speed aquabus and the Aquaero is connected to the motherboard via USB?

BTW: Looking forward to the Aquasuite 2012 release.

No the PA2's are recognised by the AE5 as extra controllers and sensors. Thats the whole point of the aquabus so you can dasiy chain upto 6 PA2's off the AE5 and only have 1 USB.

As im learning myself now in setup and testing... its just as well, thera are so many power cables and fan cables as it is. It would be a nightmare if everything had to be connected to USB.

[Phatboy69]

Can Aquaero 5 track flow from flow meter connected to PA2?

Yes!

[pociej]

Yes!

Can You help me set it right?
In tab with Flow Sensors all says "0"..

[Phatboy69]

Can You help me set it right?
In tab with Flow Sensors all says "0"..

Im still learning the setup myself but you have to assign inputs and outputs in the settings.. its a little complicated but once you do it once its easier for the rest.

You have to make sure you have a unique address id for each PA2 between 50-55 and upgrade PA2 to firmware 1003 for starters.

I guess you will also need to add a page to the interface to view the flowmeter as well as the ones on the default screen are for the AE5 flow meters i think...
As i said its a little complicated.
I learnt how to set up the AE5 by just connecting 1 fan and trying to get it to appear in the page view.

I have 2 flow meters im going to setup myself so later tonight If im successful Ill let you know how I go.
For now im just running the AE5, 6x PA2s and temp/flow sensors externally outside the case until I figure it all out.

(well except for the flow sensors which I fitted a while ago in anticipation of the AE5 but not electrically connected -the cables will reach my desk though due to my setup with case the MM extended ascension horizontal MB layout)

I can even access USB headers on the MB without getting on hand and knee.

[pociej]

I have only 1 PA2,

I had done configuration for 3x temp sensor, 2 groups of fans and PA2, but can't set this flow meter..
Anyway thanks, will try something else..

[zoomee]

Overall I'm really quite impressed after have a quick play yesterday - interface is intuitive to use (if you know what your doing unlike me lol!). Numpty here bought a 1/4" temp monitor thinking I could just replace the XSPC top res fill port - lol, it's too small! - I'll get a proper flow and temp setup once I get bored and have time to take the loop apart.

@@ Shoggy - I understand now about raising fan speed when water temps rise - I'm too use to air cooling thanks for the heads up

eek! - On the Fan monitoring screens - one of them is displaying a temp of 69Degrees C! - I havn't connected any temp sensors - is this correct? i.e. Temp of the vrm for that channel? sorry for being a noob

[Paradoxxx]

Hey guys, I would like to compare VRM temperatures, I'm running a fan at 40% power and my VRM is running ~75C using the heat sink.

[Phatboy69]

Hey guys, I would like to compare VRM temperatures, I'm running a fan at 40% power and my VRM is running ~75C using the heat sink.

It doesnt mean much to compare temps with out the spec of the fan(s)
What amperage is the fan(per fan)?

[zoomee]

Hey guys, I would like to compare VRM temperatures, I'm running a fan at 40% power and my VRM is running ~75C using the heat sink.

3 x Scythe GT's 1450RPM on Fan controller 1 - throttled down to 70% (1000RPM) and my VRM is running ~69Degrees C without heatsink

[Paradoxxx]

On that channel i have two Yate Loon High-Speed-D14SH-12

Its supposed to be rated at 6w i.e.0.5A each

[Shoggy]

@Phatboy69: we had a similar problem with another customer. Below a specific voltage some fans do not generate a clean rpm signal anymore which leads to weird rpm values. The way the PA2 and AE5 reads out the rpm is different so it is also normal that for example the AE5 will provide a normal value while the value from PA2 is messed up. The AE5 will get even better on this with the next firmware because we added another filter for muddy rpm signals.

Here is an example for a fan that we analyzed with an oscilloscope:



Looks like a clean signal at first but it is not. If you take a closer look at the end of the wave from the center you can see a another small wave behind. When we zoom into this area you will get this:



This little second wave is causing all the trouble because it generates another impulse for the rpm value. That is the reason why you get such a huge rpm value.

So, nothing wrong with both devices. It is just the fan which is not able to generate a clean rpm signal if the voltage is too low.

@Paradoxxx: If you use the PA2 with the AE5 via aquabus you don't have to connect the PA2 via USB. Everything can be done through the AE5. The PA2 integrates like a 5th (6th, 7th, ...) fan channel.

@pociej: Yes, that is possible so in total you could have 8 flow sensors. Which flow sensor are you using and which tab do you exactly mean?

@zoomee: this is the temperature control of the voltage regulators. If the temperature becomes to high the speed will be set to 100% so the voltage regulator can cool down. Afterwards your settings will be loaded again. If the temperature still goes up the fan channel will be turned of to avoid damages on the AE5 controller. With the next firmware the overheat monitoring will be changed so it can allow larger loads.

@Paradoxxx: you should wait for the next firmware because of changes that we did to the monitoring. Comparing it now is pretty useless in my opinion.

[Phatboy69]

@Phatboy69: we had a similar problem with another customer. Below a specific voltage some fans do not generate a clean rpm signal anymore which leads to weird rpm values. The way the PA2 and AE5 reads out the rpm is different so it is also normal that for example the AE5 will provide a normal value while the value from PA2 is messed up. The AE5 will get even better on this with the next firmware because we added another filter for muddy rpm signals.

Here is an example for a fan that we analyzed with an oscilloscope:



Looks like a clean signal at first but it is not. If you take a closer look at the end of the wave from the center you can see a another small wave behind. When we zoom into this area you will get this:



This little second wave is causing all the trouble because it generates another impulse for the rpm value. That is the reason why you get such a huge rpm value.

So, nothing wrong with both devices. It is just the fan which is not able to generate a clean rpm signal if the voltage is too low.

Thanks Shoggy, any chance of firmware patch with similar filters for the PA2?
Otherwise I'll have to replace 27 fans!!!

[Shoggy]

Very very unlikely because the CPU on the aquaero 5 has much more processing power, also the programming structure is different.

[Church]

Shoggy & Phatboy69: "some fans" with such problems are particular models or few particular bad fans of worth quality in batch? If there are several fans on one channel, maybe it's worth to change from which one rpm signal is fed?
2Phatboy69: again, if it's several fans on one channel, and you use some kind of Y wire splitter for interconnecting fans, are you really sure that tach signal wire is connected from only one of fans on that channel? I've heard before that with some DIY wire splitters where user that made them wrongly connected together yellow tach wires from all the fans on channel, then rpm proper reporting got fscked up aswell.

[pociej]

@Shoggy,
I have AC High Flow flow sensor.
Tab which I mean is: Menu -> Sensors -> Flow Sensors.
When i connect flow meter to PA2 don't have any information about flow..
All sensors says "0" like when no one is connected. So temporaly I connected flow meter to Aquaero.

And i saw difference in calibrate..
On Your site in flow meters description right value for calibrate is 169 but pre definied value for High Flow is 167..

And what with Aquasuite 2012?

[jcrouse]

Is there a specific flow direction for the AE flow meter? If so, which way (how about a pic)? I was expecting to see an arrow like a fan but see nothing.

Thanks,
John

[zoomee]

Thanks Shoggy - Whats the maximum temperature for the VRM's before it starts putting fans back up to 100% please? Also whats the absolut maximum before damage starts occuring to the AE5.

Also - Still looking out for the Aquasuite software

[Shoggy]

@churchy: I don't think it has something to do with the quality. Every fan will start to have tis problem with low voltage. For example the fan from the screenshots is rated with a start voltage of 4,5V while we have seen the problems below 4,4V. So there is nothing wrong with the technical specs provided by the manufacturer.

@pociej: both problems are known. There is a scaling bug which causes a value of 0 if you try to read out the flow sensor through a PA2. The calibration value of 169 is correct. Both things are already fixed and will also come with the new firmware next week. Also the aquasuite 2012 has been delayed to next week.

@jcrouse: it does not matter. You can use both directions.

@zoomee: at 85°C the output will be set to 100% and at 95°C the output will be deactivated.

[pociej]

Shoggy,

2 more questions..
New version of Heatsink is more better?
My VRM's are close to 70*C.

And can I turn on fans when the computer is turned off?

[zoomee]

No Aquasuite till next week

[Shoggy]

@pociej: it provides some better cooling but the real magic will be done by the new firmware. You can not use the fans when the PC is off because the aquaero needs 12V from the PSU to control fans etc.

[Phatboy69]

Shoggy & Phatboy69: "some fans" with such problems are particular models or few particular bad fans of worth quality in batch? If there are several fans on one channel, maybe it's worth to change from which one rpm signal is fed?
2Phatboy69: again, if it's several fans on one channel, and you use some kind of Y wire splitter for interconnecting fans, are you really sure that tach signal wire is connected from only one of fans on that channel? I've heard before that with some DIY wire splitters where user that made them wrongly connected together yellow tach wires from all the fans on channel, then rpm proper reporting got fscked up aswell.

FYI i was testing a single fan (a couple of different ones the same brand actually) and it happens below about 6v. They still run fine down to about 4v they just don't report rpm properly at that range. Since Im using power and not rpm to control them they work just fine. Nice that with the Aquaero we can choose either rpm or power to control the fan speeds!

BTW 400rpm is lower than I would normally operate the fans anyway so it shouldnt be a problem.

Im about to assemble it all after a bit more testing this afternoon.
Damn there's a lot of cables once you hook a few PA2s and sensor up.

If I wasnt so damn impatient I would make some custom power and aquabus cables from the parts I got by shortening them all and doing a daisy chain power cable. Maybe when I get it all setup and running properly I'll order some connectors and redo it when I do the rest of the cable cleanup and sheathing.