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APEX Controller (2016) - How to Shut Down


shaywood

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Is there a proper way to shut down an APEX, rather than simply unplugging it.  I'm always worried when I re-plug-in the controller because it draws a lot of power.  It seems like a lot of juice when plugging in.  Should I first turn devices off in the control panel, before unplugging?  Is there a "shutoff" option in the interface? 

Shawn

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More worried about the powering back up.  When I plug the controller in, there is an intial sound - like things are turning on - then goes quiet for several seconds. Then, everthing powers up.  I' m using two EB832's with a lot of equipment powered. 

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No, there is no graceful "Shutdown" process.  

If you're concerned about everything powering on at the same time, there is a way to delay outputs from turning on after power is restored.  Add this line to the end of each output you want to delay:

If Power Apex Off 001 Then OFF

where 001 is the number of minutes you want to wait after the Apex powers back on.  You could set some things for 1 minute, others to 2 or 3, etc.  Anything without this command will power on immediately.

Also, if there are any devices you want to remain running even if the Apex is off, such as powerheads, use the Fallback command on those outputs:

Fallback ON

This forces the output to remain on if the Apex is not in communications, such as when rebooting, or if the Apex is unplugged but the EnergyBar still has power.

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Sounds good thanks.  Had a minor catastrphoe today.  Installed a replacement gyre.  The outlets were adjusted to spray water straight up in the air, out of the tank.  Wasn't good when water started hiting my UPS and outlet.  Interesting the UPS and surge protected power cord didn't trip, but instead the wall GFI. Eitherway, that saved things. 

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Just now, shaywood said:

Sounds good thanks.  Had a minor catastrphoe today.  Installed a replacement gyre.  The outlets were adjusted to spray water straight up in the air, out of the tank.  Wasn't good when water started hiting my UPS and outlet.  Interesting the UPS and surge protected power cord didn't trip, but instead the wall GFI. Eitherway, that saved things. 

The exact same thing happened to me with a gyre a while back.  Unfortunately my UPS was fried from the saltwater.

It was amazing to see how high the water shot up in the air.  That's a mistake I'll only make once. 😞

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Regarding the syntax -  If Power Apex Off 001 Then OFF.  I read it as "If Power APEX OFF for 1 minute than turn off", which isn't correct.  You're saying if the power to the APEX is off, then turn ON after 1 minute.  Correct?  Why does it end with "then OFF"?

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5 minutes ago, shaywood said:

Regarding the syntax -  If Power Apex Off 001 Then OFF.  I read it as "If Power APEX OFF for 1 minute than turn off", which isn't correct.  You're saying if the power to the APEX is off, then turn ON after 1 minute.  Correct?  Why does it end with "then OFF"?

It's telling the output to turn off when the Apex has no power, and to remain off for 1 minute after power is restored.

It's no different than any other Apex command.  If it evaluates True, the output will be set to the state specified after the word "Then".  In this case, it evaluates True for up to 1 minute after a power failure, and the state specified is OFF.

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9 minutes ago, shaywood said:

Sounds good thanks.  Had a minor catastrphoe today.  Installed a replacement gyre.  The outlets were adjusted to spray water straight up in the air, out of the tank.  Wasn't good when water started hiting my UPS and outlet.  Interesting the UPS and surge protected power cord didn't trip, but instead the wall GFI. Eitherway, that saved things. 

I lost a 7.1 surround receiver do that. 
The sound you hear when you first plug in. Is it a slight wurring sound? Almost like a small fan starting up? Kind of like the old CRT tvs? If so, its most likely the 2 sockets in the EBs that are for the higher amps. The rest are solid state relays but the mechanical kinds have to charge up

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2 minutes ago, shaywood said:

Last question.  Can I still leave Fallback ON at the top?  And, that won't impact the Power statement?

Fallback and If Power can conflict.  Here's an example:

Fallback ON
Set ON
If Power Apex Off 001 Then OFF

The moment you unplug the Apex, the module loses communications so the Fallback ON kicks in and keeps the output On.  But once the Apex boots back up, Fallback no longer applies because the Apex is back in communications.  Then the If Power Apex Off 001 timer begins, and you're telling it to turn Off the output for 1 minute following a power outage.  So the output will turn off for 1 minute, then back On once everything is back to normal.  

All of this ties in to whether you have your Apex integrated with your UPS as explained in my tutorial on Apex Power Monitoring:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-4-power-monitoring.698/

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