Aquatronica’s new touch controller is born in Italy

By Ryan Gripp on Apr 13, 2012

Aquatronica, the Italian aquarium controller company, is set to release a new controller called “Touch” which as the name implies allows you to use your fingers as a stylus. The Touch Controller will sport a 7” touch display, and the ability to connect to the internet via Ethernet or WIFI. Data storage will use SD cards, allowing you to upgrade capacity as needed. Because this controller will be connected to the internet, you’ll be able to control it via your favorite browser or with your iPad or iPhone. All of Aquatronica’s existing systems including power bars, modules, and electrodes will be compatible. The new Touch controller should be released mid-May with full sales available in late September or October 2012.

However, the Touch controller isn’t the only new product that Aquatronica has been working on. Aquatronica is expected to release another new controller that will follow the features of the above mentioned Touch Controller but it will not sport a 7” screen. Instead, 4 LEDs will show the user what is happening with the device. This display-less device should have a much lower cost and your phone can now function as the display. Again, this new device will be released mid-May with full sales available in late September or October of this year.

aquatronica-touch-controller-no-display

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TY62P4IMCIOGM5T3WOGV625FII The Jesus

Are you sure that isn’t my Garmin Nuvi… it was stolen from my car a couple years ago.
aquadigitalinc

Good to see new advances in the controller industry but the name Touch is already used on another well known controller -

http://www.aquariumcomputer.com/System__E_/Products/Controller/Computer_accessories/ProfiLux_Touch/ProfiLuxTouchDisplay_Main_E_280x192.png
TerenceF

Since the integration of controller features and interfaces into smartphones and tablets, this is yet another yawn for me. Want to impress me? Improve the packaging of your other components, revolutionize interconnectivity of modules with wireless using zigbee or whatever, create more integrations with other aquarium products directly or through partnerships, give me some real AI or expert system that crunches the data gathered and in realtime actually tells me something other than a pH value on a read-out — a la the oft-incorrect “It’s going to rain tomorrow” on my digital weather center. I am really getting bored looking at the every controllers new display as the revolution in aquarium controllers…all gloss…waste of cash…soon to be as extinct and irrelevant as last year’s photo frame or GPS.
aquadigitalinc

I do think its good to see updates and upgrades of controllers like this it keeps the industry on its toes, we all benefit whether a fan of the latest one launched or your own favoured choice.

However in general terms of industry offerings I actually agree with you, and this is why I always loved GHL as they focus on hardware and important components rather than APPS etc, not saying they are not important to the client base as a whole but they do nothing to stop your tank from crashing, where as -

Items such as the flow sensor which will switch off a duff pumps tell you and then switch on a redundancy pump – Or leakage wet floor sensors and more ++ Now thats GHL field of control.
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.h.sim Christopher Sim

Where’s the info on the soon to be released Vertex Cerebra?
Acrocap

Agreed, another case of me too!
I think it was the Cerebra that pushed all these guys to go this route. Still to this day the best controller I’ve used was Apex and I’ve tried the first version Aquatronica and profilux.
While profilux had a few more options, not user friendly at all and not much for wireless options!
I also think that instead of changing the look they should try to get on different platforms such as Android! data collection and analyzing based on what you need is the next forefront! But I guess no one is willing to spend the cash to develop these days!
I too hope Cerebra comes through! I guess Interzoo is just a few weeks away and if they do deliver what they have promised, this and many other units will be obsolete!
As for the flow sensor, you can buy this off the shelf.
If you have an opensource platform such as Android you can write your own app for it.
For this or any other device!
Acrocap

yes, Ryan, update on Cerebra please!
aquadigitalinc

I agree about buying parts off the shelf, however open source is far from easy and not for everyone, there is only one open source controller as far as I am aware I think, and that is the DIY driven lighthouse?

The wireless options are equal to all the others and I think this will be expanded to some very intriguing new avenues also, watch this space in that regard I think.

I would assume most controllers are open source for coding so you too can write your own app also, but the controller first has to be capable of managing the task the APP is written for, and this is where you seperate the haves and the have nots.
CaliReefer

Lighthouse? Is that still around? I can’t find anything current on it. No love for the Reef Angel and its fantastic wireless capabilities?

With an arduino controller you can add the ability to control and ADD more features to ecotech products (Radion light and MP powerheads) with it. Can a GHL controller do that today, nope? Can I customize every aspect of the GHL controller, how it sends data, displays data, exact features you want without paying for extras you don’t want? No.

I agree, DIY/Open source is certainly not for everyone, actually the far minority (like me) would pick an open source controller, but to keep saying “GHL does this and no one else does” is just false. The controller that has the most capabilities is obviously an open source controller because you have no limitations on what features you can add to it yourself, but again, that gets into the uber computer geek area where the majority would not consider getting into. Still, I can do everything a GHL controller can do and more for a lot less money. I added a touchscreen to my arduino controller 2 years ago, cost me a whopping $35 to add on and less than an hour to update the code to use it (that included designing the touch interface).

Your assumption about “most controllers are open source” is false. If it were true, I would have the ability to go to any of their websites and be able to download the source code, but I can’t.
aquadigitalinc

I think maybe some research needs to be done, GHL have been able to control Vortech units for 2 years now with official develoment from Ecotech through the Ecotech developers packs, and the only thing being waited upon for Radion implentation is the developers pack from Ecotech for the radion, I acknowledge one open source controller has been “DIY’d to work on a Radion but the functionality was limited and required I quote “hot wiring the unit” (I read the thread)

Most controllers are open source as I said for “APPs” to be written not open source for hardware I did not say that, you can go the the GHL site right now and download the pack for writing your own webserver, just as you can I am sure for APEX.

Open source hardware driven units for sure is a select market due to the requirement to know quite a bit about electronics as you quite rightly put it, the minority.

But to put back on track the thread, my main points were other than the name being the same is that it is great to see such developments in the industry as it keeps everyone on their toes (including open source DIY units)and only betters the industry.
Aquatronica

it’s possible to develop and produce everything but we have to be careful on the final price… if we have to add zigbee in every module the price will be too high…
Aquatronica

the Touch Controller and the Balck Box are developed in a web service so it is compatible with Android, OS systems and so on… The web protocol will be open so that users which are able to make such things, can create themsels application for the control of the controller!
Aquatronica

more detailed description of the most important features:

CONNECTIVITY: USB – micro USB – SD card – Ethernet – WiFi through
Internet Key.
Display touch 7”
4 programmable functional key

SOFTWARE:
·
Web service for PC, Smartphone, tablet connection in
order to have the remote control through LAN/Internet.
·
Both controllers will be controllable from the web and
no other software are required.
·
Web protocol will be available and open so that users
can create the own application in order to control the controller as they
prefere.
·
Notification via e-mail.
·
Possibility to program and customize the home page in
order to have immediately under control what the user update, modify more often
or need to see the most important parameter. Possible to program in the page
max 12 points.
·
Movement among pages thanks icons and scrolling system.
·
Operating system Linux.

All these features are available for both controller; the only
difference is that the “Black Box” has not the display.

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