IntelliDose

The intelligent hydroponic doser!

Works tirelessly to keep your nutrient tank in perfect balance.

Automatically adds nutrients and corrects pH as the plants feed.

Built-in USB – PC interface with USB cable and IntelliGrow software included.

Simple to operate – with AutoSet

Good looking and smart – the perfect companion for your nutrient tank

Up to 8 part nutrient dosing with variable ratios

Schedule to automate A:B:C:D etc ratio and EC changes

Feature packed

This hydroponic doser sets a new benchmark in the small dosing controller market. The Intelli-Dose is absolutely feature packed to enable it to cope with just about any hydroponic system. Just take a look at the specification overleaf.

Simple to operate

The secret to its simplicity is that the controller can be configured to suit various systems and when this is done all of the irrelevant settings disappear from the menus and PC screens. In addition to this, the controller can even be instructed to set itself up.

Knowledge is power

Once you have used the PC interface you will never go back to a controller without it. The reason is simple; you get to see all the settings in one list – no more fumbling around looking for a menu screen. You also get accurate logs of exactly what happened – you can see at a glance just what effect each dose is having and if anything starts to go wrong you will see it immediately. In addition, the PC can sound an alarm or even phone you if anything goes wrong.

Special functions

The controller can be set to operate with a different EC for day and night. Plants need weaker nutrient when they are transpiring in the heat of the day and stronger nutrient at cooler times. Now you can give them exactly what they need. An “add water output” can be used to reduce the EC as required. The irrigation output can be used to switch on an irrigation pump periodically to irrigate plants grown in pots. This can also have different settings for day/night.

AutoSet may be used to initially set the dosing timings. Just fill reservoir tank with plain water and stock tanks with regular solution – then select AutoSet. The system will perform a series of tests (by dosing and measuring the results) in order to automatically set the system dosing times.

For standard 2 part nutrients, proportional dosing may be selected so that it makes bigger doses when it is a long way from the setpoint and smaller doses as the setpoint is approached. A schedule can be entered that automatically adjusts the EC and even the nutrient ratios over the entirety of the plants growth. Now, how intelligent is that?

Features:-

8 outputs which can be freely allocated to nutrient dosing, pH lower and/or raise, irrigation and add water to lower EC

Nutrient measured in EC, CF or TDS (user selectable)

Temperature measured in oC or oF (user selectable)

Date format dd/mm/yy or mm/dd/yy (user selectable)

Doses up to 8 part nutrients (adjustable ratios)

Scheduling of nutrient ratios and EC - fully automatic changes every monday morning

Doses pH lower and/or pH raise

Autoset – automatically tests the system to choose best settings for dosing times and interval

Proportional dosing available for 1 and 2 part mixes (not suitable for 3 or more parts)

Possible to set different EC for day and night (avoid tip burn on lettuce etc)

Can raise EC (by dosing) or lower EC (by automatically adding extra water)

Three types of alarm independently selectable – local siren, PC sound card, phone alert via PC modem. All alarms can be independently disabled.

Irrigation pump output (or can be used for lighting control) programmed by time of day or time interval (different interval for day/night).

Fail safe dosing shut outs – stops dosing if probe failure detected or if it suspects incorrect settings.

USB cable and IntelliGrowTM PC software supplied for Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP. Supports up to two Intellidose controllers

Where to buy

In the USA contact American Hydroponics www.amhydro.com or phone 800.458.6543
In Western Australia contact Growth Technology www.growthtechnology.com.au +618 9331 3091
For the rest of Australia and New Zealand contact Autogrow direct www.autogrow.com +64 9 415 2380

Specification:-
8 outputs 24V DC

Nutrient measurement units EC, CF or TDS (EC x 500)

Measured range 0.00 to 9.99EC, 0.1 to 99.9CF, 0 to 1999 ppm

Nutrient resolution 0.01 mS/cm, 0.1 CF, xxx ppm

Nutrient measurement accuracy +/- 0.1 EC, 1.0 CF or 10ppm - temperature compensated

Nutrient dosing range 0.00 to 5.99EC, 0.1 to 59.9CF, 0 to 1190 ppm

pH resolution and accuracy – 0.1 pH

pH measurement range 2pH to 12pH

pH dosing range 5 to 7 pH

Nutrient and pH dosing times settable from 1 second to 30 seconds

Dosing interval settable from 0 minutes (continuous dosing) to 30 minutes

Dosing operates valves sequentially to reduce power surge

Temperature resolution and accuracy 1oC, 2oF

Temperature range 0-50oC, 32-125 oF

Operating temperature range 0-50oC, 32-125oF (and not in direct sunlight)

Power source – mains transformer pack supplied - 24VAC; specify mains voltage and pin type (power to controller can be between 12V and 24V either AC or DC)

Outputs will have the same voltage as the supplied voltage from the power pack. The supplied transformer is 24V AC and so the outputs will be 24V AC.

Large graphics display using simple four key interface (similar to cell phone key operation)

Nutrient sensor uses DiPulseTM technique to resist fouling

Dosing shut-off

- if nutrient is below 0.1EC, 1CF, 10ppm

- if pH below 4.5 or above 8.0

- if dosing effect is counterintuitive ie by dosing pH lower the measured pH goes up

- if sensor fault detected

Supplied with PC software and 5m USB cable

Can also be supplied with solenoid valve kit or peristaltic pump kit

NutriDose II b
The NutriDoseII b is designed for use in a batched multi-station fertigation system. The main controller is used in conjunction with other modules to allow the system to be configured to best suit the growers needs.

Ten station, expansion modules are also easily added to provide from 10 to 30 irrigation stations.

A smart environment sensor module is available to provide data for triggering irrigations. Based around a solar integrator, this module monitors solar irradiance, air temperature, relative humidity and uses these factors to modify the solar integration rate. This means that if the environment is very sunny, very hot and very dry then the watering freqency will be at maximum whilst for dull, humid, cool conditions it will be at a minimum. For outside use the Autogrow weather station can provide additional information such as wind velocity and rainfall to further modify integration rates and reset the integration counters of outside zones if rainfall exceeds a set limit.

During the evening, night and early morning, irrigations may be triggered on a time-of-day basis whilst during the sunny part of the day triggering may be by means of a solar integrator. For example, a user may set the system to irrigate all stations at 6pm, 10:30pm, 3:15am, 7:30am, 7:45am and then switch to the solar integrator time zone in which each station has its own solar integration trigger. This allows crops that require frequent irrigations to be mixed with those that only require infrequent watering. In addition, each irrigation station has its own EC and pH value allowing quite different crops to be catered for.

Each irrigation station can have its own solar integrator trigger point and when reached a batch tank is prepared for that station just before irrigation. The tank is pre-filled but not dosed until a trigger is reached. It then doses and stirs to suit the station in question and then immediately irrigates that station. This allows each zone to receive a different EC and different additives. Batching provides for better mixing and greater accuracy than an in-line system but obviously takes longer to perform a complete irrigation of all zones. This makes it suitable and very cost effective for small to medium systems having relatively few irrigation zones or those that do not need very frequent watering.

Finally, each station can be dosed from one of two different sets of stock solution tanks. This allows two different nutrient to be selected from. In many cases a vegetative mix and a generative mix will be available to suit both mature and immature crops. Alternatively, a differnt mix may be used foir day-time or night-time waterings.

Where Tee tape is used, alternate zones can be used for Tee tape draining back into the main tank. This avoids the drip problem experienced at the lower end of drip tape runs.