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Thread: 0-10v ports on 2016 Apex outputting higher than 0

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    0-10v ports on 2016 Apex outputting higher than 0

    I have a LED light fixture that uses a 0-10v to 5v PWM adapter. When I set all of my channels to 0% or even OFF in the dashboard the LEDs still emit a small amount of light.

    The value of zero or off still emits an output of 120mv at the ethernet port. Why is this not actually 0v?

  2. #2
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Is that between the varspd output V1+ and ground V1- or between the varspd output V1+ and the ground of the adaptor? Could be a ground reference issue.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    Note this is not my findings but I have the exact same 10v-5v PWN adapter and this was the discussion on the NanoReef / Nanobox Light Forum.

    Quote Originally Posted by 2016 Apex User
    If I put the Apex VarSpd ports (blue and white) manually to OFF it will dim them, but not completely off (same behavior). I think that testing with a pump could mislead us, since most of them stop below a certain % (i.e. 20%).
    Quote Originally Posted by Adapter Creator
    I think your APEX must be "leaking" a small amount of voltage to the adapter, even if it's set at 0℅. The adapter, by design, has pull down resistors on it's input side, so it has to be seeing some voltage from the APEX. Do you own a volt/ohm meter and feel comfortable enough with it to do some tests?

    If you've got a voltmeter handy, you can test the adapter for stray voltage fairly easily. See the 8 tiny resistors aligned in a row next to the APEX inputs? Those resistors are set up in pairs as a voltage divider for each of the APEX's 4 channels. Connect your vom's red (positive) lead to the first resistor on the left (when viewed with the input side facing down). Contact the resistor with your probe on the soldered end closest to the input jacks. Connect the BLACK (negative) probe to the same spot on the resistor that's just to the right the first one. With your APEX channel 1 set to 0%, take a voltage reading and let me know what you find. If there's voltage present, and your APEX isn't deemed defective, I can adjust the software on the adapter to compensate.
    Quote Originally Posted by 2016 Apex User
    I'm getting a very low voltage reading of 120mV at the points circled in yellow.



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    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Do you get the same reading on pins 1 and 2 (numbered left to right with clip pointed down and tip of cable pointed away from you) unplugged from the converter?

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    Do you get the same reading on pins 1 and 2 (numbered left to right with clip pointed down and tip of cable pointed away from you) unplugged from the converter?

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.
    I don't have my own Voltmeter to test. This was just the findings of another user. They also said that this adapter plugged into a VDM or Apex Classic did not show this issue. The light would dim to 0 and turn off the LEDs in those cases, on the 2016 Apex however the ports were outputting a small amount of juice.

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    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    I would pick one up then (even if it's a cheapo from harbor freight). A digital multimeter is an invaluable tool to own for everything from troubleshooting tank issues, to outlet problems in your house, to electrical problems in your car.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    Quote Originally Posted by eschulist View Post
    Note this is not my findings but I have the exact same 10v-5v PWN adapter and this was the discussion on the NanoReef / Nanobox Light Forum.


    What's the link to the other forum on nano box?


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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by davidewen View Post
    What's the link to the other forum on nano box?


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    https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/top...-apex-adaptor/.



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    Frequent Visitor mebeknob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eschulist View Post
    I have a LED light fixture that uses a 0-10v to 5v PWM adapter. When I set all of my channels to 0% or even OFF in the dashboard the LEDs still emit a small amount of light.

    The value of zero or off still emits an output of 120mv at the ethernet port. Why is this not actually 0v?
    I'm having the same issues with my Apex Classic. My V ports on the brain are shot apparently so I am using a VDM. My kessil won't turn all the way off, so I have to cut the power to it to turn it off. Kind of annoying.
    I'm more worried about the pumps attached, I have a feeling that always sending a low voltage through them when they're supposed to be off can't be good for them.


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    Quote Originally Posted by mebeknob View Post
    I'm having the same issues with my Apex Classic. My V ports on the brain are shot apparently so I am using a VDM. My kessil won't turn all the way off, so I have to cut the power to it to turn it off. Kind of annoying.
    I'm more worried about the pumps attached, I have a feeling that always sending a low voltage through them when they're supposed to be off can't be good for them.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I actually have this same issue. I have a single VDM port connected to a dimmable HO ballast and when Apex is set to 0%, the HO bulbs remain let at the ballast's minimal setting, which is 2%. I recently confirmed in another post that the voltage across the VDM is 0.03 volts at 0% and this lack of a true "off" maybe preventing devices that have a minimum power from fully shutting off. For this reason, when I shut off my HO's, I set the VDM to 0% and set the HO outlet to off. I am of the opinion this will be necessary for any other device that uses a VDM port but also regulates a minimum dim setting.

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    Ok I finally got myself a Multimeter.

    Tested the Nanobox adapter with the ports set to Off and 0%. Mine gets 112mv at the 2 points circled (2 On the right). 98mv if I select the 2 in the middle, 98mv if I select the 2 on the left

    Where should I be putting my pole testers on the ethernet cord or apex itself? Either way I think 0 is not 0 and voltage is leaking out at 0% and OFF.

  12. #12
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Pins 1&2 and 5&6 on the Ethernet cord.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    AHHHH I really regret messing around with this stupid multimeter. None of my led channels turn on anymore and on the Apex head unit itself only 1 of the green lights turn on at the ethernet port.

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    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    After some fiddling I got all 4 lights on the ethernet ports to come on and provide power. But I noticed my fan was no longer turning on (Its on the blue channel). So I powered down the Light and rebooted the Apex. When everything turned back on the blue LED channel wouldn't come on at all. Before I had blue light with no fan, now its nothing. I again tested the blue channel with the multimeter and its getting juice. At 100% intensity on the Apex its reading around 9.1v at the Nanobox Reef Adapter


    Funny thing is the other 3 channels now properly dim off. I tested them again and their mv reading was around 40-50mv when set to 0% and OFF. Anything above that they turn on correctly. Still no blue or fan though. What should I do or be looking at?

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    Quote Originally Posted by eschulist View Post
    I have a LED light fixture that uses a 0-10v to 5v PWM adapter. When I set all of my channels to 0% or even OFF in the dashboard the LEDs still emit a small amount of light.

    The value of zero or off still emits an output of 120mv at the ethernet port. Why is this not actually 0v?
    Add an inline Buck Converter, Potentometer, or properly sized resister to adjust the "zero" voltage to zero. Once done, you can program the remaining range through Fusion.

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