Adding a pressure sensor to alarm system

[Jack Russell]

Not sure if this is the right place. We have a CTI control alarm system on our pig unit. It monitors power and temp, any issues it calls my phone. I want to add a pressure sensor to the water line so I know if there is an issue with the water. I emailed CTI who are a Spanish company and asked their advice. This is what they sent back -

the alarm could work with any pressure switch that can work like a "dry contact".
I mean, the alarm can detect if the switch is open or closed, this switch must be free of charge, just let or not pass the current.
You have to connect it to the digital output of your alarm.
That way in your case if the pressure fall the switch change the position and the alarm advice you.


Does that make any sense to the more technical people here? Where could I get such a sensor?

 

[rollestonpark]

Hi,
This is similar to what did to my John Deere a few years back.
I have a blackbox GPS, I wanted to colour in the map when my mounted drill was down and not colour the map when the drill was up.

So I bought a 12v pressure sensor. It has a dial around the outside to set the on pressure and another for the off pressure.
I plumbed it into the pipe that feeds the hydraulic lift arms ram. Then wired the pressure switch to 12v to power it and the switch side to the GPS. So when the pressure goes over the set amount the map stops colouring in and when below, colours the map.

You would need to know the pressure range you would normally be working at, so that would need to be tested (or guessed, maybe). You can the get a pressure switch that works within the range your looking for. Depending on the switch, it may need a 12v power supply. But there maybe simple switches that don't, but these are likely to be much less flexible.

I can probably get some info on my switch type if I look back through the emails.

However, I would just say that this type of monitoring system your talking about, could be considered 'internet of things' or 'IOT' type territory, alot of this type of stuff can be done with free downloadable software and very cheap hardware like arduinos and the like.

I use an IOT system I setup to monitor my CHP/boiler heating plant. Monitoring temperatures of the water in the system, checking for problems and then either emailing or maybe reacting in some way automatically, like turn off fan heaters, adjusting boiler settings automatically or whatever you like. Some call this: 'if this, then that' so monitor whatever you want, if some happens, then do this...

For example I use IOT to run my central heating in the farmhouse. If the boiler goes off, then the IOT server knows it. So when the return temperature on heating network drops, it switches off fan heaters in the farm sheds to keep what heat we have left for the house, then eventually turn off the house heating because the water is too cold to be of any use.

Chris