Jandy AMX module missing SPA PUMP

RicardoSiqueira

I spent a lot of time today integrating with the Jandy Aqualink using the AMX Netlinx v1.6 Jandy module and everything worked but the SPA PUMP. The ability to control the SPA PUMP is missing in the module. I looked at the Jandy RS-232 protocol and it supports a SPA command like:

SPA = 0 (Off)
SPA= 1(On)

I wonder why the AMX engineers left this one out. I looked at the old Landmark zoom file and it has commands to turn on/off the SPA PUMP. The current AMX module uses the MODE to force the SPA PUMP on. If you select SPA MODE, the SPA PUMP goes on. But the problem is that when I go back to POOL MODE, the filter pump goes off. I don't want to confuse anyone more than needed, but I was holping to be able to control the POOL PUMP and SPA PUMP separately. Has anybody used the PASS= command in the Jandy Module? I wonder if I could use it to control the SPA PUMP and how to get feedback on it. Any ideas?

Ricardo

DHawthorne

It's not AMX, it's the way the Jandy works. The pump control is dual purpose. In pool mode, it controls the pool pump, and in spa mode it controls the spa pump - same control. So when you switch the spa mode on, the pool pump is now the spa pump. That assumes, of course, the pool installer hooked it up in the standard fashion; they could have used an aux relay circuit to maintain independent control. But that is again, not a problem with the module, just how it was hooked up.

Brad.Odegard

Re: Jandy

Also, be aware that the water temperatures will only report a temp for the mode that is currently active. IE: In Pool mode, the spa temp will not update and vice-versa. This is again a limitation of the Jandy product and not the AMX module. I spent a while trying to troubleshoot this before I discovered this particular "feature".

Brad

cma

DHawthorne wrote:

It's not AMX, it's the way the Jandy works. The pump control is dual purpose. In pool mode, it controls the pool pump, and in spa mode it controls the spa pump - same control. So when you switch the spa mode on, the pool pump is now the spa pump. That assumes, of course, the pool installer hooked it up in the standard fashion; they could have used an aux relay circuit to maintain independent control. But that is again, not a problem with the module, just how it was hooked up.

Actually I just did one in Scottsdale that had separate pumps for each and the Jandy Spa command does work independantly. It all depends on the Controller model number and the pool/spa configuration, the 232 command set is a universal command set so depending on the model of controller some commands will work, others wont.

The Jandy also supports unsolicited feedback which the AMX module tells you that it does not and that you need to poll the controller.

OP, do yourself a favor and write your own module, it will work much better in the long run. You will also need to run the Jandy 232 interface power wire through a relay to reboot the interface periodically. It will lock up, it just a matter of time, and the only way to resume communication is a hard reboot.

RicardoSiqueira

Thanks for replying to my post. My Jandy controller uses the single pump for both the pool and spa. The problem I am having is when I switch to SPA MODE, it is turning the PUMP on automatically and when I go back to POOL MODE, the PUMP goes off. I wonder if this is a bug???

Here is the scenario: The pool has an auto program that runs from 8am to 5pm and if I access the SPA MODE during this time range and go back to POOL MODE, it is turning off the PUMP by itself. I wonder if the single pump can handle both modes simultaneouly and why it is turning off when I switch modes.

I looked at the RS-232 protocol that is part of the AMX Jandy Module download and on pages 20 and 21 there is a command for PUMP and another for SPA. On the Jandy LCD keypad there is also discrete commands for Filter Pump and Spa. I wonder if I could implement these commands using the PASS= from the AMX module and send:
PASS='#SPA=ON',13
PASS='#SPA=OFF',13
Has anybody used the PASS= commands? Is this the way of using it? Thanks.

DHawthorne

cma wrote:

Actually I just did one in Scottsdale that had separate pumps for each and the Jandy Spa command does work independantly. It all depends on the Controller model number and the pool/spa configuration, the 232 command set is a universal command set so depending on the model of controller some commands will work, others wont.

The Jandy also supports unsolicited feedback which the AMX module tells you that it does not and that you need to poll the controller.

OP, do yourself a favor and write your own module, it will work much better in the long run. You will also need to run the Jandy 232 interface power wire through a relay to reboot the interface periodically. It will lock up, it just a matter of time, and the only way to resume communication is a hard reboot.

There is nothing to prevent the installer from putting the spa pump on an aux relay, but there is no RS-232 command in the Jandy protocol specifically for the spa pump (I just reviewed it to make sure I remembered it correctly) - just the spa mode on and off. I suppose this falls under the spa/pool configuration, but the default is how I have said, and it appears to be the situation the original post is dealing with.

You are absolutely correct about the lockup thing - very annoying. I have mine set to reset power if nothing comes in on the port for a period of five minutes.

As for the pump going on and off with the spa mode state, I would talk to the pool installer to see if there is a setting to override this. There is often a whole sequence of things that can happen for spa mode, and it is going to vary with the pool layout. I'm controlling one where the spa acts like a waterfall in pool mode, and when it transitions to spa mode, the level drops a foot or two so that it is no longer flowing into the main pool ... it's entirely transparent to my controls, but someone had to set it up in the Jandy.