getting started with standalone nodejs pool controller and pentair equipment

[crackers8199]

i've got a pentair variable speed pump as well as an IC40, and i'm looking to finally make the jump into building an automation controller using njspc - but i'd obviously like to control everything from one spot. i've read the documentation more times than i can count, but i'm still a little unclear on how the pi communicates with the IC40...do i need to wire two separate RS485 cables (one for the pump, one for the IC)?

right now i've got a sonoff basic R2 controlling the IC40...do i want to remove that completely and just have the pi control it somehow (which relates to the question above)? or am i using the pi to turn the sonoff on/off when needed?

 

[Katodude]

So I have not done it, but I believe you can daisy chain RS-485. So you only need one RS485 connection. I do believe a lot of folks do this.

But you can always fall back to turning the IC40 on and off as necessary.

 

[crackers8199]

So I have not done it, but I believe you can daisy chain RS-485. So you only need one RS485 connection. I do believe a lot of folks do this.

But you can always fall back to turning the IC40 on and off as necessary.

but i would still need a RS485 cable of some sort running to the IC40 power center, right? even if it's run from the pi to the IC40, then from the IC40 to the pump, i still need both things connected in order to get the full benefit...right?

the other question is then: does the RS485 to the IC40 turn it on and off via some sort of communication that way, or do i still need to have an on/off switch like the sonoff in place and the RS485 is used for something else (like the salt level / setting the chlorination level / etc)?