More devices than RS-485 connectors on Aqualink

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R

rosensama

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 12, 2013
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Austin, TX
I'm upgrading my Aqualink board and adding an iAqualink and a Pentair Intelliflo VS pump. I have one All Button control panel. So that's 3 devices that want to use RS-485 and there's only two (red 4-pin) connectors. I think that RS-485 is a serial protocol and devices each have an address, so I can connect multiple devices to the same terminals. The manual hints at this saying something like "if you want to connect more than 2 devices to a connector, get the expansion board". Can I just connect the pump and the control panel to one terminal and the iAqualink to the other?

Thanks,
Rob
 
Someone should be along shortly to help you with this.
 
RS485 is a serial protocol.
You can, in fact, attach two devices to the same red, 4 pin, connector.
From experience, though, I strongly recommend using the expansion board.
 
i have connected 2 devices per 485 but if more i have used the 4 in 1 exp board. when you connect the Intelliflow you will only need the green and yellow wires connected to the 485. have the pump on 24hr power and once you program the pump via the aqualink the Aqualink will tell it when to start and at what speed etc.
 
To better characterize a RS-485 network, it's actually a multi-drop serial network. The usual problem with adding multiple devices to the RS-485 network is that most people run all the wiring from the devices back to the connector(s) and terminate then there. This causes communication problems. That's why they recommend using the expansion board. The proper way to run the wiring is to run a single twisted pair by all the devices and then 'drop' a pair of wires off the trunk to each device.
 
Thanks all. I'm going to try two lines per terminal to start and make sure I get good connections to both wires. $70 for the multi-plex board (jandy 6584) is definitely a factor here. Looking at what the sell the terminal bars for, I guess it shouldn't be a surpise.
 
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