Intelligent Room Controller v2

[Jonathan Thursby]

Any one tried the new Intelligent Room Controller V2

I use the digital out from v1 and now its an analogue output just trying to work out the best way to connect my valves to new controller.

[Aaron]

I'm using version 2 since finally installing my actuator airs on the radiators. Much prefer the interface and ux.

I just dragged the outputs onto the blocks and let the config decide what to do. You could try converting the v1 to v2 to see what the config suggests. No need to persist it.

[Andras Gaal]

Using it since quite a while but I am still a bit confused how I should really wire it up with CC / ITC. Currently, IRCv2 drives the proportional valves and the connected CC will start the pump/boiler.

I have the following issues with this setup though:

• sometimes (eg: arriving home and switching off "everybody away") the heating load is switched on immediately. In this case the IRCv2 would give a 10.0 signal to the valves and the ITC would activate the pump soon too. The valves take around 2-3 mins to open though in which time the system is under overpressure. CC's pump output is delayed but only around 60 seconds, so still no real solution other than manually delaying the activation
• IRCv2 can only support three temperature targets: FrostProtection, NotInUse, InUse. IRCv1 supported the entry of custom target temperature values for specific times.

Other than that, IRCv2's are working fine for me, controlling the temp nicely:

[Jonathan Thursby]

The problem is I don't have proportional valves only mains valves on/off

[Andras Gaal]

That should be fine too. IRCv2 can do PWM (5 minute base time) as well.

[Rob_in]

Hi,

I'm just starting to look at this too. Previously was using a single IRCv1 for the entire house. However, have now ordered some valves to fit on the UFH manifold so will need to control those with separate IRCs for each of the rooms.

First thing I notice is that IRCv1 has separate comfort temperatures for heating and cooling whereas v2 has only one. How is one supposed to tell the cooling system it's 'comfort' is, say 26C whereas the heating comfort should be lower, say 21C?

In v1 there are 4 options in the schedule settings there are 4 pre-defined temperatures (comfort, cosy, frost/overheat protection, party)

In v2 these are gone and the schedule can only choose between off & in use. Is this by design or can more be added?

The HC output is for 'heating or cooling' output. Eh? Does this assume you have only one system for both functions (we have reversible UFH for example) the relevant heating/cooling ITC has put that system in the correct mode of operation and this HC output can be used to PWM your manifold valves?

I see there is the usual parameter templates, but is it possible to copy the schedule/config between different IRCs? Or tell them all to use the same schedule, etc?

The doco leaves a lot to be desired, sorry if this is written down somewhere & I missed it.

Cheers,

Robin

[Andras Gaal]

Hey,

I have fed the comfort temp parameter from logic, this way I can feed separate temps in heating/cooling operation. I have not found any way to add custom temps. Actually there are fours temps you can set: Frost/overheat protection (Tmin/Tmax), Not in use (set as a TaMin/TaMax relative to Tc), In use (Tc) and manual (Tm). I am using the manual setting to do boost operation (Tc+2 in heating, Tc-2 in cooling).

I have not found a way to copy schedules between IRCs.

HC assumes you have a heating and cooling system in place. There are dedicated Qh and Qc outputs as well to retrieve the discrete heating/cooling output. When connecting the CC, you can set these to be PWM or not.

I have been trying to get used to IRCv2+CC since it came out, but I have a lot of issues with it as well. Thinking about going back to v1.

• CC outputs not respecting valve travel time
• CC outputs switch on based on a threshold of average demand, not based on whether any (at least 1) room requires some (eg: 30%) heat.
• documentation, especially an overview how these blocks should interact and how CC works internally is non existent

IRCv2 seems to be tracking the target temp better though (Tc=23). I had more fluctuation in temp with the v1.

[Duncan]

i think the IRC 2 is very much geared to the continental model of having the heating on at a constant temperature for the whole heating season and therefore doesnt cater for the multiple different temperatures of the V1 controller. This works well if you have supplementary heat sources in certain shared rooms, such as a log burner.

theses houses may well have higher summer temperatures as well so perhaps are more likely to have an active cooling system built in, unlike uk homes.

since the V2 seems to have lost the 'intelligent' bit and needs to have the room parameters set, there doesnt seem to be many advantages for many people. ive also gone back to V1 and separate heating curve blocks where the weather compensation is separate from the demand and can be controlled properly.

[Rob_in]

Hi,

Thanks for that feedback guys.

I had a play with the ITC V2 and finally twigged from looking at the config/UI that there appear to be 3 temperature setpoints: In Use (with a tolerance), Not in Use (with absolute min/max) and Off. This was not particularly clear from the doco. These seem akin to V1 Comfort, Eco, Frost/Overheat protection (TBH, I prefer Comfort/Eco concept although I didn't particularly like the V1 cosy/party concept).

I find it odd how the V2 Not in Use temperatures are set max/min (for cooling/heating) but the In Use is not like that and has a fixed setpoint plus tolerance. I don't really like this inconsistency.

We don't have any fixed daily routine here so if we are at home want all the rooms 'In Use' (which could be done with a setpoint and/or threshold dictated by logic as Andras has done). If we go out, would mark all rooms 'Not in Use'. That's easy, but let's say we want an 'Eco' temperature setting. This is useful for backing off heating at night and when sunshine is expected later in the day (why waste power heating things up when the sun is going to come and do it for you?).

For setting that 'Eco' temperature there would be several choices: actually make 'Not in Use' that temperature and mark everything Not in Use even when we are home (seems illogical), do it yourself in the setpoint logic or increase the tolerance with logic. I think the latter of these is the best of a bad lot.

My valves have now arrived so will install them and make this coding change over the next couple of days (hopefully). Will report back after a while to see how it's going.

Robin

[Andras Gaal]

Oddly enough, the mobile UI shows these mappings: In Use = Comfort, Not In Use = Economy, Off = Fabric protection, Manual target temperature = Manual. The terminology is totally inconsistent, I wouldn't worry much about having to use "Not In Use" when the room is actually in use :)

An other way to achieve the eco mode when sun is expected could be to use a negative comfort adjustment to throttle heating requirement. This is only available though through the UI, not in logic. Frustrating. 

[Rob_in]

Well, I have now implemented the IRC v2.

My old ITC sees the rooms configured (the IRC v2s I have created) and I have checked the left band box in the ITC to 'connect' it to the IRC v2s but not sure this is working. The 'assigned' column in the ITC is blank. It also doesn't appear to getting correct load information from the IRCs :(

Then in the IRCs there is the 'assign objects' thing at the bottom of the block in grey. Ie. nothing assigned? The 'Energy Source', 'Heating' and 'Cooling' tabs in the IRCs are all blank. Next to the 'Add' button it says, "No selectable objects found'.

Am I missing something or should one be able to tell the IRC V2 that heating is done by one ITC and cooling by another?

The documentation is pretty hopeless here :(

Cheers,

Robin

On Monday, 17 December 2018 14:59:22 UTC+1, Jonathan Thursby wrote:

[Rob_in]

On Thursday, 17 January 2019 08:48:01 UTC+1, Rob_in wrote:

Am I missing something or should one be able to tell the IRC V2 that heating is done by one ITC and cooling by another?

Ahhhhh... yes indeed. The IRCv2 works with Climate Controller/Room Ventilation Controller blocks and not ITC blocks!

Will have a play with these.

Robin