Reply To: Can't read/store values from Yosemitech using WingShield

@rachel.murray, that’s great to hear that you were able to get the YosemiTech Y4000 sonde working with our

@rachel.murray, that’s great to hear that you were able to get the YosemiTech Y4000 sonde working with our Modbus Mayfly Wing Shield and associated documentation. I developed all of that for a team at Winona State University in Minnesota, but I hadn’t been aware of anyone else trying to integrate the Y4000 with our EnviroDIY stack. So that’s satisfying to hear that you got it working, for a while.

BTW, are you working with my friend Troy Baisden?

I will say that the Y4000 sonde is the one sensor from YosemiTech that has given me headaches to get working and also to keep working. Unfortunately I haven’t kept up with documenting everything.

The first challenge with the Y4000 is that it needs a stable and consistent 12V of power with the capacity for high amperage draw during startup and when the brush is spinning. I was able to barely get it to work on the Mayfly with the Modbus Wing + two 680 uF capacitors, but only when no other sensors were attached. The system was browning out when I attached other sensors, and I’m guessing that if the radio were drawing power while the Y4000 is on that would also brown out the system.

The solution was to wire up an independent 2 Amp 12V power supply that is switched on & off by the Mayfly. While the power for the Y4000 system comes from this separate power supply, the Modbus communication still passes through the Wing Shield. None of this is publicly documented yet, but here are my notes:

Redo Y4000 line, with built-in power regulation and switching

Overview of connections
– Battery to Pololu Power Switch HP to control by Mayfly
– Pololu 12V Voltage Regulator to Sonde

Details
Pololu Big Pushbutton Power Switch with Reverse Voltage Protection, HP,
Battery Side:
– Vin to battery +, This powers the system
– GND to Battery
Sonde side (via regulator)
– Vout to 12V regulator Vin
– GND to 12V regulator GND
Mayfly Control side
– CTRL to Mayfly switched power (Setting D10)
– GND to system/Mayfly ground

Pololu 12V Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S18V20F12
Battery Side (via switch)
– Vin to switch Vout
– GND to switch GND
Sonde side
– Vout to Sonde red
– GND to Sonde black

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