KVT-400 Wind-Direction Curtain Controller – Setup & User Guide
Wind-direction weather station, curtain staging, and the complete parameter reference for the AutoVent KVT-400 controller built for naturally ventilated dairy barns. Firmware version v87.
Main features
The system is designed for the unique challenges of dairy cow facilities.
The KVT-400 controller system:
- Moves curtains in stages as temperature changes
- Rain sensor keeps your barn dry
- Wind sensor closes curtains to protect the bedding
- Overrides to manually control each circuit
- Operates fans and soakers
Installing the controller system
Consider the following before installing the controller system:
- Protect the controller from moisture – mount it in a secure and dry place.
- Place it in a location where cows are not able to come in contact with it.
Installing & wiring the wind sensor
Deciding where to install the wind meter
The first thing you need to do is to decide where to install the wind meter. The meter needs to be installed somewhere outside and above any obstructions. A convenient location is often above the peak of the barn.
You will mount the wind sensor on a 1″–1.5″ pipe, which should be at least three feet above the roofline of the structure.
Running wire for the wind meter
When shipped, the wind meter comes with a short cord with a sealed connection board. This connection board combines the wind and rain signals. Mount it in an accessible place. Run a Cat5 or 8-conductor wire between the connection box and controller.
The connection board and controller board have the terminals numbered. Match the numbers when wiring.
Assembling the wind meter
The wind meter comes partially assembled. Do the following to completely assemble the wind meter before mounting and wiring:
- Push the wind cups up onto the stainless-steel shaft as far as possible, as shown below. Use the Allen wrench provided to tighten the set screw on the side of the wind cups. The wind cups should drop slightly when you let go.
- Slide the anemometer arm into the base while taking care to protect the cable. Refer to the diagram below.
- Route the cable through the channel.
- Install the screw and nut as shown in the diagram above.
- Install the U bolt (not pictured) and nuts loosely onto the wind meter base.
Mounting the wind meter
Now that the wires are in place and the wind meter has been assembled, it’s time to mount it. Do the following to mount the wind meter:
- Slide the assembled wind meter over the pipe which you mounted above the roofline.
- Wind vane direction on the top shaft: line up the flat spot on the shaft and vane, then slide together and tighten the set screw.
- Rotate the anemometer arm until it points 10:00 in relationship to the barn (refer to the figure below).
- Lift the wind meter until it is approximately three feet above the roofline.
- Tighten the U bolt securely while taking care not to pinch the cable.
Verifying the wind meter installation
Make sure the direction shows correctly on the screen. If MPH stays at zero for over a minute with the wind meter spinning, something is wired wrong.
Installing temperature sensors
Mount the temperature sensor in a position that represents the barn temperature. Keep it away from drafts that might cause the curtain to cycle. One sensor is included with each KVT-400 – up to 2 additional can be added.
Wiring the temperature sensor to the controller
Keep temperature wires away from 120/240/480v wires. Keep 24″ away from VFD power wires. 6 inches away is generally fine for all other non-pulsed loads. Use shielded cable, solder connections, or gel crimps if extending probe wires.
If using probe #3, an additional step must be done. If using probe 3, Row 2’s jumper must be moved to the T position. The T and the 2 are printed upside-down on the board. Look carefully to find it.
Programming: find “Number of temperature probes” P38 in the config menu. Set it to the number of probes connected.
Installing the rain sensor
First, decide where you want it to be installed. The sensor needs to be outside and exposed to the sky. Rain needs to be able to hit the sensor lens from all directions. Make sure the rain sensor will not get ripped off by sliding snow.
The rain sensor will automatically adjust to lens dirt over time. But it’s best to have it in a relatively clean location (not in barn exhaust air).
Running the wires
Connect the rain sensor to the wind meter’s terminal board. Match wire colors to the terminal board. You only need to bring 1 cable back for the wind and rain sensor total.
Connecting DC motors
The KVT-400 includes a 20-amp 24v motor supply. It is prewired to run several DC curtain motors. Each has a circuit breaker to protect the motors. Connect motors directly to the board as shown (connector bars installed).
Curtain setup & teach mode
The control unit has several sizing parameters that need to be configured.
Curtain teach mode
Each curtain must be taught with teach mode!
The controller needs to know how fast each curtain moves. Otherwise, it couldn’t guess how far open the curtain is. Teach mode is a method for the controller to measure the curtain’s speed. It also guesses at the amp setting, as it assumes everything is in good condition during the teaching process.
This means the 30th to 35th parameters of each curtain don’t have to be manually entered.
Using teach mode
- Teach every curtain, but only 1 curtain at a time. Make sure neighboring motors are out of the way.
Example:
- Put all curtains to off.
- Put the curtain that you want to teach to Auto.
- Set teach mode to 1 for the curtain you are teaching.
- Repeat for each curtain.
Each curtain has a teach parameter. It’s the 36th parameter per curtain. Set it to 1 and start the sequence. It will take several minutes as it runs open and closed twice.
The status – Not ran, In progress, Success, Failed, or User aborted – is shown on the bottom line of the parameter’s description.
The most common reason for a teaching failure is a low amp reading. The motor must take at least an amp. It will only show Success if it gets to the end of the sequence. The teach function also guestimates an amp setting for the curtain. You can change it afterward if it’s too low.
Curtain neighbors and sizing
The controller can be set to keep motors from crashing into each other. To do this, the controller needs to know which motors neighbor each other and their range of motion. This is for a curtain that overlaps another curtain. If it does not neighbor another curtain, set it to zero.
Once you then punch in how close to mother earth the curtain is when fully open and closed, the controller will try to keep neighboring curtains at least 10 inches apart.
Curtain temperature
The first 16 parameters for each curtain set all the temperature and wind settings. The defaults for Curtain 1 hold out for a bottom curtain; Curtain #2 defaults are for a top curtain.
Punching all these in gets tiring. You can copy the 16 parameters from another curtain by selecting the curtain you wish to copy from via the 37th parameter.
Wiring variable-speed fans
Most VFDs use 2 signals: a speed signal and a start signal. Wiring both these signals is a minimum of 4 conductors.
The speed signal is a DC voltage which varies between 0–10v. 10v is 100% speed; 0 = stopped (but still energized).
The start signal is a Normally Open switch. It signals the VFD to energize the motor. The max load per zone is 5 milliamps.
Expansion boxes
The KVT-400 works with expansion boxes. Shown below is an 8 relay with (2) 0-10v expansion unit. The Xnet & power terminals provide communications and control voltage between the boxes.
Xnet is limited to a 6 ft. cord. Keep it 12’ from parallel 240/460v wires.
If 24vdc curtains are connected to the expansion box, you need motor power. Install aluminum bus bars under the NO and NC terminals. Power expansion bus bars by jumping to bus bars in the main controller. Use 12awg wire. Use fork crimps as the wire will not fit directly under the screw terminals.
Break and remove bus bar sections when outputs are controlling non-curtain assets.
Garage door curtain function
If you want to operate a gable-end curtain, somewhat like a garage door, it is possible. The intent would be for a curtain to open or close for a skid loader. Curtain motors are slow, so it’s generally for an opening that you go through 1 or 2x a day at the most.
Up to 2 curtains can be operated this way (more available as a developer feature and an expansion card). A push button needs to be wired as in the diagram.
Setup parameters
- P782 Curtain #1’s button: 0 = not used, 2 = Button A, 3 = Button B
- P783 Curtain #2’s button – see above. Any curtain can be assigned to a button.
- P767 Minutes a curtain stays in manual after it was run as a door (time it takes until you are normally done driving through and want it to go back to normal ventilation mode).
Rain and bedding saver
Closing curtains when it rains
Rain is sometimes a problem. This happens when it’s warm and the wind blows the rain inside. You set the MPH it takes to close a curtain when it’s raining.
Bedding saver – saving bedding from high wind speeds
At times strong winds blow bedding out of the stalls. This happens during summertime when you normally want curtains open. You set the MPH it takes to close a curtain, so bedding does not blow out of the stalls.
Temperature override
Maybe it’s too hot to shut curtains from wind. The bedding saver turns off if it’s too hot. This is provided for safety purposes. You can adjust with the parameter.
Setting the rain MPH threshold and bedding saver thresholds
Wind MPH threshold: the MPH threshold is the wind speed (MPH) it takes for the wind to blow water into the barn. A curtain closes during rain only if wind MPH is above the threshold. There is an individual threshold for each curtain. You set them based on your preferences. Typically, bottom curtains can be set to 4 MPH and top curtains to 8 MPH. This depends on barn design.
Bedding saver thresholds: the bedding saver threshold is the wind speed (MPH) for bedding to blow out of the stalls. A curtain immediately runs fully shut when wind MPH exceeds its threshold. Typically, a bottom curtain could be set to shut at 12 MPH. The top curtain would be set to 0.0 so it would not shut, because normally the top curtain stays open for ventilation.
How do the curtain’s temperature settings work?
Each curtain can be in 1 of 4 positions: Closed, 10% open, 50% open, or fully open. You can individually change the 10% & 50%. You set the temperature° for each of the positions. You can also set the max MPH for each position.
How do the wind settings work?
If it gets too windy on the curtain, it shuts completely for the windy side. You set the max MPH at several temperatures. The warmer the barn, the more MPH it takes to close the curtain. You can disable the MPH over 85° (adjustable).
How do the rain settings work?
The curtain will close if it’s windy and raining. It will close only if rain is blowing from the right direction.
For rain or wind, a curtain will close in 1 swipe. However, it reopens incrementally. If it’s not reopening fast enough, adjust P764 and P765. These adjust how often a curtain can run from temperature. However, you don’t want them running too quickly or they will tend to hunt. Hunting is continually running, which will wear out the motor prematurely.
What if the wind is coming from the wrong direction?
You normally would not close the west curtains if rain is coming from the east. Each curtain is set to only respond to wind from a certain direction. This is based on the direction the curtain is facing. You set this direction in the curtain’s menu.
Slave settings (v91 or higher)
If you have a large barn with multiple sections facing the same direction, the timing of temperature fluctuations can cause offset positions at times. Making a curtain a slave forces it to follow another curtain’s position. It removes its temperature & wind settings. If you notice a curtain’s temperature and wind are removed from the menu, check its slave setting.
Finding the slave setting per curtain. Example: for curtain #1, set the curtain to be followed with P128.
Curtain parameters
Each curtain has its own menu for its temperature, wind, and position settings. Curtain 1 uses P100 thru 139. Curtain 2 uses P140 thru 179. Curtain 3 uses P180 thru 219. Curtain 15 would be P660 thru 699.
| ID | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P100 | The temperature° at which you want the curtain fully shut. | 60° | 1° | 99° |
| P101 | Stage 1 (10% open) temperature°. | 60° | 1° | 99° |
| P102 | Stage 2 (35% open) temperature°. | 60° | 1° | 99° |
| P103 | Stage 3 (60% open) temperature°. | 60° | 1° | 99° |
| P104 | Fully open temperature. | |||
| P105 | Max MPH when temperature is at Stage 1 (10% open). | 10 | 5 | 50 |
| P106 | Max MPH when temperature is at Stage 2 (35% open). | 5 | 2 | 25 |
| P107 | Max MPH when temperature is at Stage 3 (60% open). | 5.0° | 1.0° | 20.0° |
| P108 | Max MPH when fully open. | .5 | 125 | |
| P109 | Bedding saver – max MPH till curtain should shut to save bedding. | .5 | 125 | |
| P110 | Bedding saver disable temperature°. | .5 | 125 | |
| P111 | Completely shut MPH. When raining, MPH it takes to close the curtain completely. | .5 | 125 | |
| P112 | 10% closed rain MPH. MPH of rain it takes to only close to Stage 1 or 10%. | |||
| P113 | 35% closed rain MPH. MPH of rain it takes to only close to Stage 2 or 35%. | |||
| P114 | How far open the curtain will be in Stage 1, i.e. the 10% is adjustable. | 10% | ||
| P115 | How far open the curtain will be in Stage 2, i.e. the 35% is adjustable. | 35% | ||
| P116 | How far open the curtain will be in Stage 3, i.e. the 60% is adjustable. | 60% | ||
| P117 | Gordy Jones mode – temperature at which the curtain should reclose. The concept is to close when it gets hot and fans are running. 0 = disabled. | 0 | 0 | 120 |
| P118 | Gordy Jones % open. When the curtain is supposed to close because it got hot, % open the curtain should be. | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| P120 | Direction curtain is mounted. Set this to the direction the curtain is facing. | N | ||
| P121 | Bottom neighbor – if there is a neighboring curtain underneath that might hit. 0 = None. | |||
| P122 | Top neighbor – set to the curtain number that would be above it. 0 = none. | |||
| P123 | Top inches – how far from the ground the curtain is when fully open. | |||
| P124 | Bottom inches – how far from the ground the curtain is when fully closed. | |||
| P128 | If the curtain should simply be a slave or track after another curtain. Use this when you have multiple curtains on a building and only want 1 temperature setting. Set it to the curtain number that will be followed. 0 = not used. | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| P129 | Temperature probes used for the curtain. 1 = probe 1, 2 = probe 2, 3 = 1&2 averaged, 4 = probe 3, 5 = probe 1&3 averaged, 6 = probe 2&3 averaged, 7 = average of all 3. | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| P130 | Max amps opening (can be automatically set by teach mode). | |||
| P131 | Max amps closing (can be set automatically by teach mode). | |||
| P132 | Close seconds (auto set by teach mode). | 100 | 1 | 255 |
| P133 | Open seconds (auto set by teach mode). | 100 | 1 | 255 |
| P134 | Closing calibration factor (auto set by teach mode). | |||
| P135 | Opening calibration (auto set by teach mode). | |||
| P136 | Teach mode – set this parameter to a value of 1. Then it will run the curtain up and down several times to figure out how big it is and how much electricity it takes. Set to 5 to abort the process. The curtain must be in automatic! The curtain must not be able to collide with any other during the process! | |||
| P137 | Copy temperature settings. If you want to copy the first 16 temperature settings from another curtain, set to the curtain number you wish to copy. | 0 |
| ID | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P700–763 | % of wind the curtains use from the prevailing wind. | 0% | 200% | |
| P764 | Pause minutes between curtain movements. Keep total minutes high enough to allow all curtains to move, as there is no priority control. | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| P765 | When the curtain moves, % the curtain moves every pause minute. Prevents cycling from wind or temperature changes. Rain overrides this function as rain shuts the curtain in a single move. | 3% | 1% | 100% |
| P766 | Wind hysteresis – % beyond the setpoint the MPH must be to trigger movement from wind. | 2% | 1% | 10% |
| P767 | Time a curtain waits after being activated as a door. | |||
| P779 | Minimum inches of clearance between top and bottom motor (to keep top and bottom motors from hitting each other). | 10 | 0 | 50 |
| P780 | Curtain’s movement tolerance. Change before activating the motor. | |||
| P782 | Curtain #1’s input. | 0 |
Curtain status & controller thinking
Go to more screens. To get more information or to reset an overload, press the position info on the bottom right corner. The working buttons will turn red if the curtain overloads. Press to reset.
Understanding controller thinking
If you are wondering what the controller did, you can look at the internal “thinking.” Reading the “thoughts” makes it easier to understand how settings can be adjusted.
The controller keeps track of the last 100 decisions it made. It records the time, temperature, and wind at each step. This allows you to see how often the curtains cycled or other conditions. Decision 0 is the most recent. There are about 50 different actions.
Example decision messages
“So rainy it will stay closed” · “So windy it will stay closed” · “Leaving closed for Stage 1” · “So cold it must stay closed” · “Hanging out with it closed”
“Too rainy for Stage 1” · “Too cold for Stage 1” · “Too windy to stay in stage 1” · “Too rainy to leave stage 1” · “Warm enough to leave stage 1 for stage 2” · “Hanging out in Stage 1”
“In stage 2 but so rainy it’s going completely closed” · “In stage 2 but won’t go open farther because of rain” · “Too cold for Stage 2” · “Too rainy for Stage 2, going completely shut” · “Too windy to open farther than Stage 2” · “Too rainy to open farther than Stage 2” · “Warm enough to leave stage 2 for stage 3” · “Hanging out in Stage 2”
“In stage 3 but so rainy it’s going completely closed” · “Leaving stage 3 for Stage 1 because it’s rainy” · “Leaving stage 3 for Stage 2 because it’s rainy” · “Too cold for Stage 3” · “Too windy for Stage 3, going completely shut” · “Too windy to open farther than Stage 3” · “Warm enough to open the rest of the way” · “Hanging out in Stage 3”
“Fully open but so rainy it’s going completely closed” · “Fully open but rainy so it’s going to Stage 1” · “Fully open but rainy so it’s going to Stage 2” · “Too cold to stay completely open” · “Fully open but got too windy” · “Just staying completely open” · “Closing for Gordie Jones mode” · “Leaving Gordie Jones mode”
“Somebody put me in manual close” · “Somebody put me in manual Stage 1” · “Somebody put me in manual Stage 2” · “Somebody put me in manual Stage 3” · “Somebody put me in manual Open” · “My override status is out of whack” · “Somebody used me for a garage door”
Circulating fans
Circulating fans can turn off when it is windy outside or if cows are not in the pen, simply to save electricity.
Setting the circulating fan temperature
The start temperature for each circulating fan circuit is set individually. The following table indicates where to set each circulating fan circuit’s start temperature.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P900 | Fan #1 on at | The temperature at which circulating fan #1 will switch on. | 60° | 1° | 120° |
| P901 | Fan #2 on at | The temperature at which circulating fan #2 will switch on. | 60° | 1° | 120° |
| P902 | Fan #3 on at | The temperature at which circulating fan #3 will switch on. | 60° | 1° | 120° |
Temperature hysteresis or dead span
Each fan has its own dead span between on and off. Only the first 3 are shown in the table below.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P960 | Fan #1 dead span | The temperature gap between on and off for fan #1. | 2.0° | 0.0° | 12.0° |
| P961 | Fan #2 dead span | The temperature gap between on and off for fan #2. | 2.0° | 0.0° | 12.0° |
| P962 | Fan #3 dead span | The temperature gap between on and off for fan #3. | 2.0° | 0.0° | 12.0° |
Fan shutoff when too hot
Each fan can be turned off for staging or sequencing when the temperature goes too high. Only the first 3 are shown in the table below.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P925 | Fan shutoff enabled? | If any fans should turn off after the temperature rises. Often used for sequencing stages. 0 = No, 1 = Yes. | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| P935 | Fan #1 shutoff? | Fan #1 shutoff temperature. 0 = disabled. | 0° | 0° | 100° |
| P936 | Fan #2 shutoff? | Fan #2 shutoff temperature. 0 = disabled. | 0° | 0° | 100° |
| P937 | Fan #3 shutoff? | Fan #3 shutoff temperature. 0 = disabled. | 0° | 0° | 100° |
Fan shutoff when curtain opens
Do you want a circulation fan to only run if the curtains are closed? You can select which curtain will turn off any of the first 4 fans. (Fans 5 and above cannot be selected.)
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P926 | Fan shutoff from curtain | If fans may turn off when a curtain opens. 1–100% how far open when a fan can stop. 0 = disabled. | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| P927 | Fan #1 assigned curtain | Curtain that will turn off Fan #1 at P926 % open. | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| P928 | Fan #2 assigned curtain | Curtain that will turn off Fan #2 at P926 % open. | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| P929 | Fan #3 assigned curtain | Curtain that will turn off Fan #3 at P926 % open. | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| P930 | Fan #4 assigned curtain | Curtain that will turn off Fan #4 at P926 % open. | 0 | 0 | 15 |
Understanding the fans MPH settings
The circulating fans can shut off when enough wind is blowing on the outside of the barn to save electricity.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P920 | Fan max MPH | How windy it must get till the fans shut off. | |||
| P921 | Wind MPH deadspan | The MPH gap between on and off MPH. |
Understanding the fans humidity settings
Circulating fan #1 can start when humidity is high.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P922 | Fan max humidity | How high the humidity goes till fan #1 will run to clear it out. | |||
| P923 | Humidity deadspan | The gap between on and off humidity. | |||
| P924 | Fan humidity limit | How low the temperature must be until the fan no longer runs for humidity. |
Fan probes
The temperature probes each fan will use.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P981 | Fan #1 probes | The probes fan #1 will use. 1 = probe 1, 2 = probe 2, 3 = 1&2 averaged. | 1 | 1 | |
| P982–P999 | Fan probes | Fan #2 probes. (Each fan has its own probe settings.) |
Fan #1 duty cycle
Do you want a fan to cycle on and off to maintain minimum ventilation? This is used to keep barns from getting too stuffy when it’s cold. Instead of turning off forever below the setpoint, Fan #1 can duty cycle. This only applies to fan #1, and only when it’s too cold for Fan #1 to be on (P900).
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P931 | Fan #1 off minutes | When it’s too cold, Fan #1 can duty cycle on and off instead of being off forever. This parameter sets the minutes off of the cycle. 0 = cycle disabled. | 0 | 0.0 | 20.0 |
| P931 | Fan #1 on minutes | This parameter sets the minutes on of the cycle. 0 = duty cycle disabled. | 0 | 0.0 | 20.0 |
Variable-speed fans (0-10 volt)
The variable-speed module is designed to control the speed of HVLS fans. The variable-speed module does not control the starting temperature of these fans. The start signal is provided by a fan relay.
Controlling the speed signal
The speed of the fans is ramped between Low and High temperatures. While the temperature is below the Low temperature, the 0-10V signal remains at the low speed. This allows the fans to rotate at a flat-line speed when the start/stop circuit is switched on at a cooler temperature than Low temperature. When the temperature is warmer than the High temperature, the speed signal is at 100%.
Manual speed control
The 0-10v signal can be manually held to a constant speed. The manual speed is where you set the desired constant speed. The following table contains all the variable-speed module settings.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 870 | Variable fan LOW temp | The low-speed temperature for fan zone 1. | 65 | 0 | 99 |
| 871 | Variable fan HIGH temp | The full-speed temperature for fan zone #1. | 85 | 0 | 100 |
| 872 | Fan speed at LOW | The minimum speed for the fans. | 20 | 0 | 100 |
| 873 | Manual speed | Auto or manual. 11 = auto, 1 = 10% … 5 = 50%. | 11 | ||
| 874 | Humidity low speed | The low-speed temperature for the fan if the humidity is high. |
2 additional 0-10v zones can be added with an expansion box. Use parameter P6 to set if you want to use the additional zones. These extra zones can just mimic zone 1 or use their own settings. See P6 in the config menu.
Tunnel mode
Tunnel mode closes curtains and starts fans so air gets sucked across a building. Natural mode assumes the fans off and the curtain open. You can set which fans are part of tunnel mode, and the curtain’s position during tunnel mode.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1041–1060 | Fan affected by tunnel mode | Per fan, if it should only turn on when in tunnel mode. | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| P1061–P1080 | Curtain tunnel position | Position each curtain should be in during tunnel mode. 0 = disregard, 1–100% % closed. | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| P1076 | Tunnel° | Starting° for tunnel mode. | 65 | 0 | 100 |
| P1077 | Tunnel° hysteresis | Degrees the temperature must drop before leaving tunnel mode. | 5 | 1 | 20 |
| P1078 | Tunnel wind mode | If tunnel mode should exit when it gets windy outside. 0 = no. | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| P1079 | Tunnel direction | Which way the curtains are facing for tunnel mode to decide if it’s windy. 0 = NW. | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| P1080 | Max wind | Tunnel mode max MPH at starting°. | 10 | 0 | 100 |
| P1081 | High° max MPH | Tunnel mode max MPH at 15° above the starting°. | 25 | 0 | 100 |
| P1082 | MPH deadspan | How much the wind must drop for it to go back in tunnel mode. | 0.1 | 20.0 | |
| P1083 | Tunnel timeout | After it flips modes, delay time till it can change again. | 30 | ||
| P1084 | Fan off delay | Minutes the fans will stay on after it exits tunnel mode, so that the fans can keep air going while curtains open. | 2.0 | 0.0 | 25.5 |
| P1085 | Tunnel override | 0 = auto mode, 1 = forced natural mode, 2 = forced tunnel mode. | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Lights
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1101 | Lights on time | Time of day the light will turn on. | 0:00 | 0:00 | 23:59 |
| P1102 | Lights off time | Time of day the light will turn off. | 0:00 | 0:00 | 23:59 |
| P1103 | Lights 2nd on time | Optional 2nd time for lights to turn on. Set to 0:00 to disable. | 0:00 | 0:00 | 23:59 |
| P1104 | Lights 2nd off time | Optional 2nd time for lights to turn off. | 0:00 | 0:00 | 23:59 |
Sprinklers
The sprinkler function is intended for soaker-type functionality. The amount of water used and how often it sprays is controlled by the temperature.
Understanding “sprinkler temperature”
The sprinkler zones look at the temperature to decide when the barn is warm enough to begin sprinkling the cows.
Sprinkler temperature settings
The sprinklers activate when the “sprinkler temperature” reaches the Low temperature. Each zone switches on consecutively. The sprinkle time ramps between Low and High sprinkle seconds with the barn temperature. Each zone has its own sprinkle seconds. The dry off/interval time ramps between Low and High dry off minutes with the barn temperature. All zones share the dry-off/interval seconds. The interval time is the amount of time each zone waits between sprinkles.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | Sprinkler on temp | Low / on temperature. Sprinklers turn on when “sprinkler temperature” is greater than this. | 75° | 1° | 120° |
| 801 | Sprinkler high temp | The high temperature for sprinklers. | 95° | [N1] | 120° |
| 802 | Low dry off minutes | Dry off / interval minutes at low temperature. | 15.0 | .1 | 25.5 |
| 803 | High dry off minutes | Dry off / interval minutes at high temperature. | 5.0 | .1 | 25.5 |
| 804 | #1 low sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #1 sprinkle seconds at low temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
| 805 | #1 high sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #1 sprinkle seconds at high temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
| 806 | #2 low sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #2 sprinkle seconds at low temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
| 807 | #2 high sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #2 sprinkle seconds at high temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
| 808 | #3 low sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #3 sprinkle seconds at low temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
| 809 | #3 high sprinkle seconds | Sprinkler #3 sprinkle seconds at high temperature. | 60 | 1 | 255 |
Configuration menu
The configuration menu contains the parameters that control the setup and functions. Do not modify these parameters unless you understand the function of each parameter. The following table is a list of the parameters in the Configuration Menu. Use this table as a reference when changing any of the parameters.
| ID | As on display | Description | Default | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P00 | # of curtains | The total amount of curtains the system is controlling. | * | 0 | 15 |
| P01 | # of circulating fans | The total amount of circulating fan circuits the system is controlling. | * | 0 | 10 |
| P02 | (variable-speed fans) | – | * | 0 | 6 |
| P03 | # of sprinklers | The total amount of sprinkler circuits the system is controlling. | |||
| P04 | # of heaters | The total amount of heater circuits the system is controlling. | |||
| P05 | Lights enabled | If lights are being used. | 0 | 4 | |
| P06 | If variable-speed fans enabled | 1 = 1 zone, 2 = 2 zones, 3 = 3 zones, 4 = all zones mimic zone 1. | |||
| P07 | Tunnel mode | Enable tunnel mode. Tunnel mode closes the curtains and starts the fans above a set temperature. | 10 | 1 | 100 |
| P10 | Curtain relay | The 1st relay the curtains will use. All curtains are in consecutive order. | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| P11 | Fan relay | First fan’s relay. | 30 | ||
| P13 | Sprinkler relay | Starting relay for sprinkler. | 30 | ||
| P14 | Heater relay | Starting relay for heaters. | 30 | ||
| P15 | Light relay | Starting relay for lights. | 30 | ||
| P18 | Wind sensor calibration | Set to 24 for MPH, 15 for KPH. | 24 | ||
| P19 | Wind average minutes | Minutes to include in wind speed average. | |||
| P20 | (temperature scale) | 0 = Fahrenheit, 1 = Celsius. | |||
| P29 | Temperature readings | How many readings to include in the temperature average. | |||
| P30 | Reset defaults | Set to 0 to reset controller to its factory default settings. | |||
| P34 | Amp at 10v | Amp sensor is a 0-10v device; at 10 volts amps are assumed to be ___. | 20 | 1 | 255 |
| P35 | Wind direction offset | Offset to correct wind direction. CW degrees from NW. | 0 | 0 | 360 |
| P36 | Humidity sensor | If a humidity sensor is connected. | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| P37 | Amp sensor connected | If an amp sensor is connected. | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| P38 | Temperature probes | How many probes are connected. | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| P39 | Wind sensor connected | If a wind sensor is connected. 0 = no, 1 = yes. | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| P40 | Total relay count | The total number of output relays connected. Very important to adjust this when adding an expansion box. | 10 | 10 | 40 |
| P80 | Max rain motors | The number of motors that may run at the same time if closing for rain. | 1 | 3 | |
| P81 | Max concurrent motors | The number of motors that may run at the same time in normal operation. | |||
| P89 | Sensor override enable | Set to 1 to override the sensors during setup or troubleshooting. | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| P90 | Temperature 1 override | Temperature 1 override value. | |||
| P91 | Temperature 2 override | Temperature 2 override value. | |||
| P92 | MPH override | MPH override value. | |||
| P93 | Wind direction override | Wind direction override value. | |||
| P94 | Humidity override | Humidity override value. | |||
| P95 | Amp override | Amp override value. | |||
| P96 | Rain override | Rain override value. |
* Defaults for P00, P01, and P02 are set by the configuration of your unit.
Troubleshooting
Common wind meter problems
“The wind cups are spinning, but the MPH doesn’t change on the screen”: if it’s a new installation and the MPH just stays at zero, check the wires. There is an LED on the terminal board up at the wind meter’s junction box. It will flicker with each rotation of the wind cups. Verify that it flickers. Remove the cups from the wind meter (loosen the set screw). Put the cups back onto the shaft and make sure to slide them up the shaft as far as possible. Check your cables for visible nicks and cuts.
“The wind direction is stuck on Northwest”: there is likely a broken connection somewhere between the wind vane and the controller. Check the cables for visible nicks or cuts.
“The wind cups don’t spin or don’t spin as fast as they should”: the wind meter may be located where the wind is blocked by something, or there may be friction interfering with wind cup rotation. Remove the wind cups (loosen set screw) and clear out any debris. Turn the shaft on which the cups rotate. If it feels gritty or stiff, a replacement bearing cartridge is available.
“The readings are not what I expected them to be”: comparing the wind speed to measurements from the newspaper, weather reports, or neighbors is NOT a valid method of verifying your readings. Readings can vary significantly over short distances. How you sight the wind meter can make a big difference. If you have questions, contact AutoVent LLC.
Temperature sensor problems
“A temperature sensor reading is way too low”:
- The temperature sensor wire most likely has an intermittent connection. Check the sensor connection at the controller and at all splices (splices give problems).
- Check for any corrosion at any splices.
“A temperature sensor reading is too high”:
- A sensor may be exposed to direct sunlight. It is important that the temperature sensor is protected from the sun and not in a microenvironment that is different than the livestock area.