Pentair i-Link?

The protocol
============

	The protocol uses short binary packages for information exchange. The
	packages have variable size. The minimum length is 8 bytes and the
	theoretical maximum is 6+256+2=264 bytes. The largest I have seen on
	a live Pentair bus is 37 bytes.
	The format is:

	<ldb> <sub> <dst> <src> <cfi> <len> [<data>] <ckh> <ckl>

	<lpb> - leading packet byte, 0xa5
	<sub> - ?
	<dst> - destination address
	<src> - source address
	<cfi> - command/function/instruction
	<len> - size of data field (may be 0!)
	<data ...>
	<ckh> - most significant byte of checksum
	<ckl> - least significant byte of checksum

	The checksum is a 16 bit unsigned sum of all bytes in the message up to
	the checksum field.
	Most packages are preceded by a preamble of 1 or more 0xff bytes and a
	0x00 0xff sequence.

	Every device on the bus has an address:
	0x0f - is the broadcast address, it is used by the more sophisticated
	       controllers as <dst> in their system status broadcasts most
	       likely to keep queries for system status low.
	0x1x - main controllers (IntelliComII, IntelliTouch, EasyTouch ...)
	0x2x - remote controllers
	0x6x - pumps, 0x60 is pump 1

	Apart from unsolicited broadcasts, information exchange is done by
	a device A sending a message to device B and device B sending an answer
	to device A. Messages for simple exchanges only differ in the fact
	that <dst> and <src> are swapped.
	For example:
		C: A5 00 60 10 04 01 ff 02 19
		P: A5 00 10 60 04 01 ff 02 19
	is a request from the controller to the pump to turn panel control off,
	which enables it to send other commands to the pump. The pump confirms
	the action in the answer.
	The following sequence will turn panel control back on:
		C: A5 00 60 10 04 01 00 01 1A
		P: A5 00 10 60 04 01 00 01 1A

	The interpretation of a <cfi> depends on the destination of a message,
	meaning a <cfi> for one device might mean something else for another.

	And there are exceptions to this protocol. The IntelliChlor C40 puts
	messages on the bus that start with a 0x10 0x02 sequence, a data field,
	a single byte checksum and a 0x10 0x03 trailer sequence... The checksum
	is the unsigned sum over the data field + 18.

	There are many <cfi>s I have seen in data dumps, the interpretation of
	the datafield is somewhat cumbersome without knowing the system, so my
	focus is more on messages to and from a pump.
	However, here are some basics I found:
	A <cfi> to a controller seems to work like this:
	bits   <76543210>
		00xxxxxx - ?
		01xxxxxx - ?
		10xxxxxx - transfer(write) <cfi>&0x3f to controller
		           controller acknowledges the write with <0x01><0x01><cfi>
		11xxxxxx - request <cfi>&0x3f from controller
		           the controller broadcasts it in response

	My pump is an IntelliFlow VS, it does follow instructions from an
	IntelliComII controller, provided the external programs are setup and
	enabled. It has to be in FILTER mode AND Started to make it go.
	Unlike other controllers, which take over full control of the pump, the
	IntelliComII grabs control only for a short interval of time, every 30
	seconds, to communicate what external program to run. If all inputs are
	off it does not even do that after it has had a respone from the pump.

	The sequence for input 1 active is:

		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=04 l=01 FF       <0219> SETCTRL remote
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=04 l=01 FF       <0219> CTRL is remote
	*	C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 03210008 <0146> WRITE (0x0008) to 0x0321
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=01 l=02 0008     <0120> VALIS (0x0008)
		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=04 l=01 00       <011A> SETCTRL local
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=04 l=01 00       <011A> CTRL is local

	*       C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 03210000 <013E> is a stop
	*	C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 03210010 <014E> is program 2
	*	C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 03210018 <0156> is program 3
	*	C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 03210020 <015E> is program 4

	If one quits repeating the sequence for about a minute the pump stops.
	The IntelliComII is not aware of the status of the pump and will keep
	repeating the sequence as long as an input is active. You can stop and
	start the pump with the START/STOP button on the control panel anytime,
	unless, of course, you hit the period when it is in remote control.

	More decoding of binary data from an IntelliTouch controlled system
	with a VS pump surfaced that there is a status report from the pump.
	It is only obtainable when the pump is in remote control.

		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=07 l=00 <011C> SEND status
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=07 l=0f 0A0602024A08AC120000000A000F22 <028A>
        		RUN 0a   Started
			MOD 06   Feature 1
			PMP 02   ? drive state
			PWR 024a  586 WATT
			RPM 08ac 2220 RPM
			GPM 12     18 GPM
			PPC 00      0 %
			b09 00   ? 
			ERR 00   ok
			b11 0a   ? 
			TMR 00   0 MIN
			CLK 0f22 15:34

	The above sequence is embedded within the cyclic exchange of data
	between the controller and the pump. The full cyclic sequence is:

		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=04 l=01 FF       <0219> SETCTRL remote
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=04 l=01 FF       <0219> CTRL is remote
		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=01 l=04 02E40012 <0212> WRITE (18) to 0x02e4
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=01 l=02 0012 <012A>     VALIS (18)
		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=05 l=01 06       <0121> SETMOD 06 (Feature 1)
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=05 l=01 06       <0121> MOD is 06
		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=06 l=01 0A       <0126> SETRUN 0a Started
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=06 l=01 0A       <0126> RUN is 0a Started
		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=07 l=00          <011C> SEND status
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=07 l=0f 0A0602024908B1120000000A000F22 <028E>

	The controller never releases the pump as long as it is in AUTO mode.
	The display on the pump shows "Display not active..." and the LEDs
	above FEATURE 1 and START/STOP are on. Experiments with my pump showed
	that one can change the GPM setpoint 0x02e4 on the fly, it follows it!
	If the controller releases the pump the cyclic sequence changes to:

		C: A500 d=60 s=10 c=04 l=01 00 <011A> SETCTRL local
		P: A500 d=10 s=60 c=04 l=01 00 <011A> CTRL is local

	It is important for any serious controller implementation to know when a
	pump runs into trouble and the Pentair IntelliFlow VS is fully capable
	of doing that!

vining wrote: »

Yeah I saw that but that's nothing I want to get into now.

roognation wrote: »

Aside from the little serial line reset-issue on the Jandy we have had pretty good success with them, but a new client is asking us to look at using Pentair (we avoided them 5 years ago); I had heard that Pentair is a bit troublesome; can you guys comment on how good the Pentair is compared to the Jandy?