Controlling two MCP655 pumps remotely, in tandem?

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Mysterae

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Sep 11, 2005
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My soon to be created wc rig will be running two MCP655 pumps, but I want to remotely control both pumps from the outside of the case, rather than the silly switch at the back of the pump.

Also, if it's possible, to have them both adjusted at the same time with one control rather than two controls (one for each pump).

Does anyone have any ideas how this could be done?
 
By physical adjustment; sorry it's the engineer in me talking! I'm not mad enough to try something like controlling it from the network!

Basically to control the settings of both pumps from a rotary switch on the outside of the case, one switch controlling both pumps.
 
You could run both pumps off of a rheostat. Just make sure it can handle the watts...
 
Just out of curiousity, how much adjusting do you foresee doing?
And why?
I tinkered with the settings when I first installed my pump, but haven't touched it since then (didn't really hear any diff between #5 and #4-didn't dare try any lower...).
 
Ice Czar - you network control your pumps? Now that is insanity - in the same way that the first manned flight was insane :p

This familliar article on the mcp655 at systemcooling shows the inside of the pump, and says that it's a potentiometer (that controls the speed), where as I thought it might have been a switch because of the 5 steppings. Those that have a mcp655, is it a smooth potentiometer or is it indeed a rotary switch?

Say it is a pot inside the pump, would it be better to:

1 - set the pump to it's max setting and control the 12v supply to it from a rheostat?
2 - take the pump apart and desolder the existing pot, solder in some wires and connect them to a remote potentiometer/rheostat?

I'm in favour of the 2nd option, as the pump is designed to be fed with 12v, and it's internal circuitry to do the speed control. Start giving the internal circuit anything less than 7v and it may misbehave or damage something, dunno.

Good question Sprocket, and that may be none at all after the system is leak tested, bedded-in and running under normal everyday conditions. The adjustment control is mainly for the initial build, filling, draining and testing. Setting the pump flow to low when filling and draining must be a good thing - I wouldn't need to even open the case to do this. Testing to see what the best setting of pump speeds and fan speeds yeild the best results just by turning a knob and looking at the temps. Without the control on the outside I would need to open the case, fiddle with a small screw driver with both pumps quickly after each other. Plus I could have two settings, one for desktop work and another for games. A little bit of fiddling at the start will save me a lot of time later.

Rheostat circuits are easy, the trick here is to wire both pumps internal circuits to the one pot. I think it's as easy as connecting the new pot's output pin to the corresponding pin of the pumps pot. That's if it is a pot in the pumps circuit and not a rotary switch.
 
Mysterae said:
Ice Czar - you network control your pumps? Now that is insanity - in the same way that the first manned flight was insane :p
Click to expand...

err...well there will be a few pumps computer controlled, but Im trying to build an environmental test chamber not cool computers, or more accurately not directly, computers go in the chamber ;)
 
Mysterae said:
Good question Sprocket, and that may be none at all after the system is leak tested, bedded-in and running under normal everyday conditions. The adjustment control is mainly for the initial build, filling, draining and testing. Setting the pump flow to low when filling and draining must be a good thing - I wouldn't need to even open the case to do this. Testing to see what the best setting of pump speeds and fan speeds yeild the best results just by turning a knob and looking at the temps. Without the control on the outside I would need to open the case, fiddle with a small screw driver with both pumps quickly after each other. Plus I could have two settings, one for desktop work and another for games. A little bit of fiddling at the start will save me a lot of time later.
Click to expand...
Hmmm....alrighty then.
I admit that I'm dubious, but would be interested to know how useful you find this mod after you've done it.
BTW, you use the pump to drain the system?
I'd think this would be kinda risky...pump running dry and all.
Mysterae said:
Plus I could have two settings, one for desktop work and another for games. A little bit of fiddling at the start will save me a lot of time later.
Click to expand...
I assume this is for noise control of the pump itself?
Have you heard the pump(s) in operation?
I can't hear mine at all at setting #5, but your hearing may well be more acute than mine.

Anyways, good luck and post results please.
 
Ice Czar said:
err...well there will be a few pumps computer controlled, but Im trying to build an environmental test chamber not cool computers, or more accurately not directly, computers go in the chamber ;)
Click to expand...

I get you...so you can test & monitor for various change conditions remotely, without having to open the chamber each time. Kinda like what I'm doing, but on a eh, much smaller scale.
 
that and an environmental test chamber requires a multi-loop PID control
easier and cheaper to accomplish with a computer, and DIO card
the Data Aquisition is actually handled with my Keithley 2700 DMM\DAQ
also hooked to the computer via GPIB
 
sprocket said:
BTW, you use the pump to drain the system?
I'd think this would be kinda risky...pump running dry and all.

I assume this is for noise control of the pump itself?
Have you heard the pump(s) in operation?
I can't hear mine at all at setting #5, but your hearing may well be more acute than mine.
.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have said flushing the system rather than draining. For instance, when it comes time to change the coolant, I would like to do this as hassle free as possible! Here's what I think the procedure would be:
1. flick the pump override switch - runs the pumps with the computer off, so all the coolant is flowing in the circuits
2. adjust the pump flow to low as possible,
3. open the drain valve - with the pumps set to low, coolant won't be flowing all over the place!
4. collect the old coolant in a bucket at the drain valve,
5. top up / refill with new coolant from the top of the case via a DD fillport at the same time the old coolant is draining (fillport is on top of the reservoir),
6. once all the old coolant has been replaced with new, close the drain valve, close the fillport, switch off the pump override, set pump speed to normal setting.
7. switch on computer!

Gravity won't be enough to drain the system, and the last thing I would want to do is take everything apart or undo any connections, however infrequent changing the coolant may be. I'm trying to design in everything I can think of to make my new watercooling life a happy one :D Well, everything except the 6 parallel circuits no one thinks will work! :D
 
Ice Czar said:
that and an environmental test chamber requires a multi-loop PID control
easier and cheaper to accomplish with a computer, and DIO card
the Data Aquisition is actually handled with my Keithley 2700 DMM\DAQ
also hooked to the computer via GPIB
Click to expand...

Okay, it's nothing like what I'm trying to do!

Is all that kit and testing for work or for the [H]; or are you Dr Evil in your [H]igh Altitude Lab? :D

Years ago in my work when we did design and testing ourselves, we had a few isolation/enviromental chambers. They were the size of a small house and took days to start up and climatise before any work could be done.
 
well the last two, for the [H] and to further my plans of world domination :p

actually all three I guess Im now employed by Kyle :p
for reviews as freelance
 
man the 655/D5 is enough to power anything
what kinda loop are you gonna have where u need 2 pumps
 
After looking at that article on using a pot as a rheostat all I can say is I would not want to use it that way for anything I cared about being reliable since pots are generally rated for less than 5W.

This would explain why the rheobus' that you purchase from the store use a pot to drive a MOSFET to vary either voltage or pulses of voltage (at full voltage) in the case of a PWM controller.
 
Lucid, think pump1 > 6 parallel loops > reservoir > pump2 > radiator > pump1 and so on... and that's putting it simply without getting my crayons out!

madmat, yes the D5/655 is rated at 2A, 24W @ 12V, a bit on the high side for a rheostat and the majority of off-the-shelf controllers. However, look at that puny little pot on the circuit board of the pump - that's not got 2A going through it! It's not acting as a rheostat, but controlling the circuit.

It looks so simple to remove that pot and wire in one of equal resistance. Use a dual potentiometer so both pumps can be controlled from the one knob, the internal circuits of the two pumps never meet. Now, who has a circuit diagram of the circuit board of the D5/655 or can tell me the resistance value of that pot? :p
 
Actually the D5 draws 1.4a at full draw so it's more like 16.8W which if you ran each pump to its own channel on a rheobus you could use one to control both of your pumps indepently of each other.

As to the value of the trimmer in the pump it should be marked right on the pot's chassis and yes a stereo pot would work pretty smoothly as a single knob control option.
 
madmat said:
Actually the D5 draws 1.4a at full draw so it's more like 16.8W which if you ran each pump to its own channel on a rheobus you could use one to control both of your pumps indepently of each other.

As to the value of the trimmer in the pump it should be marked right on the pot's chassis and yes a stereo pot would work pretty smoothly as a single knob control option.
Click to expand...

Ah right, I got the power rating from systemcooling website I linked to above. It doesn't matter which is right as I'm going to go the route of removing the pot inside with one on the outside of the case. Hmm, might need to wait until the pumps arrive and remove it to meter the resistance :eek: before I've even switched it on :eek: :eek:
 
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