In this area all information provided for developing the software of the T-Balancer.
Software developers will find the documentation of the program interfaces with the download of the open source file.
Interfaces are open to enable the development of other software to communicate with the T-Balancer and to develop solutions for other platforms like Linux.
Every developer who is interested is invited to write hisser own T-Balancer Software. The data exchange is realized with a virtual serial interface, so it is not highly complex.
We kindly ask you to send us your solutions to share with other users. The best solutions will be presented here on this page.
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Version 1.2 |
Version 2.x |
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Editing language files You can find your language files in the /resource folder of the T-Balancer directory. You can easily replace the words within the files with the NotePad. |
Editing language files
You can find your language files in the database tban.mdb, in the table <sprachdateien>. For every language, you have one column. If you insert a new language, you have to define it in the column <sprachen>. |
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Editing help files
You can find your language files in the /help folder of the T-Balancer directory. You can easily replace the words within the files with the WordPad. |
Editing help files You can find your language files in the /help folder of the T-Balancer directory. You can easily replace the words within the files with the WordPad. |
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Editing skins
You can use the actual skin bg.bmp in the /skin folder and edit it. Your edited version must be exported as bmp file with the option cmyk and without anti-aliasing. The green has to stay in exactly the seem color to be transparent for Windows XP. For Windows 98 you can choose another background instead of green, because the transparency function is only available in Windows XP. |
Editing skins The skin are composed of many bitmap pictures which you can find in the images subdirectory. You can edit them and replace them. |
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Communication protocol 1.2
With the communication protocol,
SW developers can write their own software to work with
T-Balancer. It is only available in
German. |
Communication protocol 2.0 With the communication protocol, SW developers can write their own software to work with T-Balancer. It is only available in English. |
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Programing example
An example is developed in Visual
Basic 6. |
Programing example
An example is developed in Visual
Basic 6. |
>> Alarmcodes?
0: OK - Short
flash. Sytem works without failures
1: Start - Fully illuminated. System start - all fans are
accelerated to
100% to check their speed. In some sec. they will slow down
to your settings.
5: Sensor Error - Long flash. Error assigning the sensors!
There is a
sensor which is not assigned to any fan channel.
10: Fan Error - Long flash and short beep. Unexpected
blockage of a fan.
Your system is getting too hot, please check your
configuration and system!
12: Flowmeter Error - long flashes and beep. The flowmeter
delivers value
out of the range. Please check them, otherwise this may lead
to an automatic emergency switch.
18: Critical Temperature - Long flash and long beep.
Temperature limit
exceeded at one channel. Your system gets too hot, please
check your configuration and system!
19-20: Switch Off - long and continius beep. Switch off is
activated. A
critical temperature was reached or the flowmeter delivered
values out of the allowed range.
>> Driver for Linux
Der T-Balancer hat einen USB-Chip von FTDI. FTDI bietet sowohl für Windows als auch für Linux Treiber an.
FTDI supports 2
kinds of drivers for Linux:
- VCP (virtual com port driver) is included in the kernel
2.4.20 or greater
- D2XX drivers allow direct access to the USB device through
DLL access.
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/FT232-FT245Drivers.htm#D2XX
>> C++ example for Linux
This page
contains examples of communicating with FTDI devices through
the D2XX drivers and FTD2XX.DLL using C++ Builder:
http://www.ftdichip.com/Projects/CodeExamples/C++Builder.htm
>> Linux developer forum
http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1271826&forum_id=462785
>>
Interface Samurize
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=18979
>> How can I interprete the values from the T-Balancer?
- FanMaxSpeed: add the low- and high byte to a 16bit value (256*HB+LB), multiply it with 10.5 to receive the value for turns per minute.
- Fan RPM and Volt are only interpolated values. RPM is linear interpolated from maximum, and voltage is quadratic interpolated (results from root mean square from ideal rectangular signals)
- The flowmeters are a little more complicated. You receive a simple impulse count value. But this value is dependent from the measuring windows (1 to 4 seconds) – 235 TWI_SHWerte[10]. The 232 and 233 then means the measured pulses per second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds or 4 seconds. Divided through the window width you get the pulses per second, multiplied to 60 seconds you get the pulses per minute. To get the liter per minute or hour you have to respect the adjusted flowmeter dependent pulses/liter value. Our standard flowmeter have 509pulses/liter. This value can be found in the TBAN database on the table “Einstellungen” with the keys “Durchfluss1” and “Durchfluss2”.
-Getting the pulses is similar to pumps and fans, but not exactly. It is only usable without damaging something, if the impulse function works with an open drain circuit. Standard fans uses the 12V for reference, the flowmeters are not powered their self and receive only 5V from the sensor hub. The signal input on the sensor hub is only build for 5V input. You only have to connect ground and pulse with a pushbutton to get an impulse.