Questions regarding the Aquaero 6 XT

I have a few questions regarding the Aquaero 6 XT that need to get ironed out before I eventually pull the trigger on one and possibly very soon.

My first question is, if my Koolance Flow Meter tachmeter header fit the 3-pin Flow header on the back of the Aquaero 6 XT? Will it work and is there a way to calibrate it or know the calibration settings to make this flow meter work if it were to fit.

(Tachmeter Header)



(3-pin Flow Header on the AQ6)


The reason why I ask this is because Aquacomputer sells a different wire for their own Flow meters and heard it was a bit different in spec and so I'm stuck and not even sure if this can work without purchasing a whole new other flow meter + cable, etc which will increase the unwarranted costs.




My next question is if the RTC (Real Time Clock) for the Aquaero 6 fits on top of the optional heatsink. A last minute search actually answered this question but figured I'd document it for those that are also wondering as well.



Source




Source


Once my main question is answered, than I'll have to figure out my PWM connections to my fans. I have way too many splits and have had a great conversation with a fellow member here who also owns a AQ6. I was advised to lessen the Y-splits as it is possibly weakening my PWM signal and that could be the reason why I don't have full control to my radiator fans atm on my MB in CPU "PWM" Header #2. I might have to buy some new splitters that are exactly needed to lessen the multitude of 2-way split connections.

In short so long as the signal lead is in the right place, yes. Koolance will need to tell you the calibration setting. You can configure the XT via their own presets or by manually inputting pulses /sec for a given flow.

I'm using a third party meter and when it works (meter issue, not an XT issue) it works fine.

Railgun said:

In short so long as the signal lead is in the right place, yes. Koolance will need to tell you the calibration setting. You can configure the XT via their own presets or by manually inputting pulses /sec for a given flow.

I'm using a third party meter and when it works (meter issue, not an XT issue) it works fine.

Click to expand...

Thank you for this. You've instilled some confidence on this matter. I've basically created a duplicate of this thread in the AQ Forum. Went through hell trying to create one but that's a whole other thread. lol

NP. FWIW, I'm running two of these, with a farbwerk, two PA3s, and one of their ressssss (you can't abbreviate that well). I've got the aquabus all tied together with one of the modmytoys distro PCBs. I also used one of those to connect all of them via USB as well, but USB still doesn't seem to like too many devices on it. It's all performed very well.

Also, I'm running the same pumps you mentioned off the unit as well. I re-wired just to clean up some things. Plus, I hate those 4-pin molex connectors with a passion. The fewer, the better.

Ok, so I spoke with Stefan from Aqua on the phone which was a huge help in answering all my questions.


The only thing I have to figure out is what pulses per liter will the Koolance flow sensor (INS-FM18) which is connected to the flow meter and adapter display (DCB-FM01) be calibrated too in the Aqua suite. I use 1/2 x 3/4 tubing. I've been reading this thread here which is old and can't figure it out.


Any help in this area will be greatly appreciated.

Koolance don't make it easy do they? I'm kinda glad I opted not to get anything of theirs now.

That said, I looked at their manual for the flow meter...and I remembered I suck at math. Why it's so hard to simply say this many pulses/liter, I have no idea.

That said, the old thread you referenced pretty much gives you the math to figure it out. But it's about as clear as mud.

Its not too difficult just a tad confusing to perform the conversion.

If you take a look at the manual for the FM17 flow meter etc it shows a graph and provides the formula: LPM = 0.307 x Hz where the Hz value is pulses per second.

Now our Aquaero's require a reading of pulses per litre..!

Initially lets calculate for exactly 1 LPM ie. 1 x LPM = 0.307 x Hz

Now lets rearrange the formula so we know how many Hz (pulse per sec) we have for a 1LPM flow rate (just divide both sides by 0.307). ie. LPM/0.307 = (0.307 x Hz)/0.307

Therefore Hz or Pulses per sec = 1/0.307 = 3.2573

So for a 1LPM flow rate we obtain 3.2573 pulses per second from the Koolance flow meter - So far so good..?


Now that we know that to flow 1 litre of fluid in 1 minute, the Koolance flow meter will output 3.2573 pulses per second - we simply multiply 3.2573 x 60 to give us pulses per minute. This equals 195.44 - OK...?

The trick here is that since we flowed 1 Litre (in one minute) this figure 195.44 (just round up to 196) is exactly what the Aquaero requires as a calibration value....!!!


So to wrap up... the flow meter will produce around 196 pulses for 1 litre of fluid passing through it...... Easy as...

Hope it makes sense.

Railgun said:

Koolance don't make it easy do they? I'm kinda glad I opted not to get anything of theirs now.

That said, I looked at their manual for the flow meter...and I remembered I suck at math. Why it's so hard to simply say this many pulses/liter, I have no idea.

That said, the old thread you referenced pretty much gives you the math to figure it out. But it's about as clear as mud.

Click to expand...

I'm gobsmacked! lol I thought to myself after this post that I should maybe call Koolance's tech support and I did. To my surprise I got nowhere. lol They couldn't tell me what setting their flow meter was. They only sent me to their product page to do the "math". lol The kicker was, they only had the 10mm graph with the info and didn't have my tubing which is the 13mm (1/2 x 3/4) data for it. I walked away stunned.

Flat-6 said:

Its not too difficult just a tad confusing to perform the conversion.

If you take a look at the manual for the FM17 flow meter etc it shows a graph and provides the formula: LPM = 0.307 x Hz where the Hz value is pulses per second.

Now our Aquaero's require a reading of pulses per litre..!

Initially lets calculate for exactly 1 LPM ie. 1 x LPM = 0.307 x Hz

Now lets rearrange the formula so we know how many Hz (pulse per sec) we have for a 1LPM flow rate (just divide both sides by 0.307). ie. LPM/0.307 = (0.307 x Hz)/0.307

Therefore Hz or Pulses per sec = 1/0.307 = 3.2573

So for a 1LPM flow rate we obtain 3.2573 pulses per second from the Koolance flow meter - So far so good..?


Now that we know that to flow 1 litre of fluid in 1 minute, the Koolance flow meter will output 3.2573 pulses per second - we simply multiply 3.2573 x 60 to give us pulses per minute. This equals 195.44 - OK...?

The trick here is that since we flowed 1 Litre (in one minute) this figure 195.44 (just round up to 196) is exactly what the Aquaero requires as a calibration value....!!!


So to wrap up... the flow meter will produce around 196 pulses for 1 litre of fluid passing through it...... Easy as...

Hope it makes sense.

Click to expand...

You sir are a savior. I still don't understand what this all means. I mean I kinda do and than get lost in the abyss. lol

So no matter how fast or slow my settings are setup on my pumps, the standard calibration for this flow meter (FM17) is 196?

The good thing is I'm keeping my front display so I can see if the readings are sync'd.

Yes - It should be around the '196' mark.

Depending on the actual tubing diameter it may vary by one or two points but 196 should be close enough.

The graph in their manual has two response curves - One is for 10mm ID and the other for 6mm. The 10mm one is close enough if your using 12mm ID tubing which is what I based my calculation above on.

Acc to the specsheet of the flow meter the formula to calculate the impulserate is: LPM = 0.307 x Hz
So the raw Data (coming from the flowmeter) is: 1 liter per minute = 3,25 Hz (Hertz is based per second) - which would be 195 Impulse per liter (you have to extend HZ by 60 to get to minutes)

Code:

[FONT=Arial]1 l/min = 3,25 1/s[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]1 l/min = 195 1/min[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]1 l = 195[/FONT]

Your second device multiplies the 195 Impuls by 10 to get to a value which is roughly 1l/min.
Because a fan has 2 pulses per revolution the value is twice your actual flowrate.

1950 impulse per liter (the value you get out of your adapter display) is to big for the AE6 - maximum is 1000

Click to expand...

- From a user on the Aqua Forums

So basically I can't use it because I use the koolance module with the flow meter and it goes beyond the maximum on the AQ6. I'll just leave the display in the bay area and monitor it that way.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to configure the Farbwerk.

I get help on their forum but I think the translation gets lost and is tough understanding on what they mean. I've been told you have to install the Farbwerk via USB first and than use the Aquabus to the AQ6. Than I'm hearing I can connect it without using the USB.

I'm just looking for the simplest solution.

If I have time, I'll give you the best info I can tonight. I've not configured it like
that but I've had it all for a while so I may be able to figure it out relatively quickly.

What do you want to do with the farbwerk? There's limited functionality with it sans USB. However, you can get it to work with the AC without connecting to USB, unless there's a FW update that it needs.

Now I'm basically stuck on these questions. I've asked these exact and didn't really get a clear response.

Once I get the farbwerk, do I need to connect it to the USB header on the MB or can I just connect it with the 3-pin aquabus cable that comes with the AQ6 to its Aquabus High header and than set it up in the Aquasuite 2015?

What are the steps in setting up the Farbwerk in the AQ Software?

Do I need to connect the temp probes (air & water) to the farbwerk or can I use the AQ6 for that to sometimes use the LEDs based on temp changes?


I'm also frustrated that the fact when my AQ6 XT came in, the side brackets were slightly bent in one direction so its troubling to see something like this for such a premium priced product.

GTXJackBauer said:

Once I get the farbwerk, do I need to connect it to the USB header on the MB or can I just connect it with the 3-pin aquabus cable that comes with the AQ6 to its Aquabus High header and than set it up in the Aquasuite 2015?

Click to expand...

IIRC you need to set it up via usb first to tell the lights to be controlled externally.

GTXJackBauer said:

What are the steps in setting up the Farbwerk in the AQ Software?

Do I need to connect the temp probes (air & water) to the farbwerk or can I use the AQ6 for that to sometimes use the LEDs based on temp changes?

Click to expand...

I only have one external temp sensor. The rest are fed by aida. You can use Aida as a SW sensor to feed it. Let me see if it will see the sensors from the A6.

EDIT:

If you wanted to control it from the aquaero, you can. This is the screen that I have configured to have the farbwerk controlled by the A6. As you can see, I told it, for the purposes of this thread, to be controlled by a sensor...


And this list is what I have available. Water Out and Water In are inline sensors into the A6. Titan and CPU, ect are SW sensors from AIDA. Res Temp is the reservoir sensor that's connected via aquabus. So, from that perspective, so long as everything is connected via aquabus, the A6 will see it and it will not matter where you put your temp probe in.


Second EDIT:

This is what's available when you have it connected via USB. This is where you get the option to control it by itself. I think the control is more granular this way, but the flexibility of using the A6 is nice. It all depends on what exactly you want to do.



Hope that helps.

Railgun said:

IIRC you need to set it up via usb first to tell the lights to be controlled externally.

This is what's available when you have it connected via USB. This is where you get the option to control it by itself. I think the control is more granular this way, but the flexibility of using the A6 is nice. It all depends on what exactly you want to do.

View attachment 172005

Click to expand...

So basically this is what I need to do and correct me along the way.

-Install AquaSuite 2015
-Shut down PC
-Connect the Farbwerk via USB header on the MB
-Power back on and head to Aquasuite and pick "External controller Source" (Do the same to each of the 4 channels?)
-Power off, disconnect the USB connection between Farbwerk and the MB
-Connect the AQ6 to the USB header (I'm limited to USB headers including the extender I have since my MB only has ONE! )
-Connect the Farbwerk to the Aquabus high Header on the AQ6 wih the supplied 3 pin header.
-Power on and cross fingers?

Railgun said:

I only have one external temp sensor. The rest are fed by aida. You can use Aida as a SW sensor to feed it. Let me see if it will see the sensors from the A6.

Click to expand...

I will be using two water temp sensors and possibly 2-3 air in different zones of the case. Will these physical readings be merged with the data from the 3rd party software sources like AIDA and the likes and will I be able to control the LEDs based on the water/air temps or any of the AIDA software sensors?

For example, say if I want channel 3 to change color based on the GPU temps in one zone and the other zone has another 2 separate strips that are controlled via water temp probes. Is that all possible and do solid color works as well? I saw your examples but I'm just making sure because I'm not sure which exact sensors you're talking about whether they are software or physical or you can do both.

Which AIDA are you using and is that the best one to use? I'm thinking of purchasing AIDA64 Extreme but would like to hold off if there is a similar free program or am I missing something here.

Railgun said:

If you wanted to control it from the aquaero, you can. This is the screen that I have configured to have the farbwerk controlled by the A6. As you can see, I told it, for the purposes of this thread, to be controlled by a sensor...

View attachment 172003
And this list is what I have available. Water Out and Water In are inline sensors into the A6. Titan and CPU, ect are SW sensors from AIDA. Res Temp is the reservoir sensor that's connected via aquabus. So, from that perspective, so long as everything is connected via aquabus, the A6 will see it and it will not matter where you put your temp probe in.

View attachment 172004

Hope that helps.

Click to expand...

I really appreciate your assistance in this. I'm almost at the finish line. Just waiting on the Farbwerk (Revision2) and LED cables to come in from Germany while everything else is already in.

GTXJackBauer said:

-Connect the AQ6 to the USB header (I'm limited to USB headers including the extender I have since my MB only has ONE! )

Click to expand...

Jack - Grab yourself one of these next time you buy something from PPC's and hide it inside your case..

http://www.performance-pcs.com/nzxt-iu01-usb-2-0-internal-expansion-module.html

The NZXT is a very useful board for expanding your internal USB ports/headers - A lot of us Aquaero users use them when stuck in the same situation as yourself.

GTXJackBauer said:

So basically this is what I need to do and correct me along the way.

-Install AquaSuite 2015
-Shut down PC
-Connect the Farbwerk via USB header on the MB
-Power back on and head to Aquasuite and pick "External controller Source" (Do the same to each of the 4 channels?)
-Power off, disconnect the USB connection between Farbwerk and the MB
-Connect the AQ6 to the USB header (I'm limited to USB headers including the extender I have since my MB only has ONE! )
-Connect the Farbwerk to the Aquabus high Header on the AQ6 wih the supplied 3 pin header.
-Power on and cross fingers?

Click to expand...

Yep. Do the same for all and you're good.

GTXJackBauer said:

I will be using two water temp sensors and possibly 2-3 air in different zones of the case. Will these physical readings be merged with the data from the 3rd party software sources like AIDA and the likes and will I be able to control the LEDs based on the water/air temps or any of the AIDA software sensors?

For example, say if I want channel 3 to change color based on the GPU temps in one zone and the other zone has another 2 separate strips that are controlled via water temp probes. Is that all possible and do solid color works as well? I saw your examples but I'm just making sure because I'm not sure which exact sensors you're talking about whether they are software or physical or you can do both.

Which AIDA are you using and is that the best one to use? I'm thinking of purchasing AIDA64 Extreme but would like to hold off if there is a similar free program or am I missing something here.




I really appreciate your assistance in this. I'm almost at the finish line. Just waiting on the Farbwerk (Revision2) and LED cables to come in from Germany while everything else is already in.

Click to expand...

Yep. All physical sources and SW from Aida will be visible. You can also do what I did and create a virtual sensor. For example I want my fans to ramp up with either cpu or gpu load, whichever is higher. You combine the two and tell it to report on the highest. Or you can average it out. Or a few other things.

As for color, the only way I've been able to do it is a fade. Say, blue for cold and red when it hits a certain temp, but it's a fade. I've not seen a way to range it, say, blue for 30-50 and red 51+.

Flat-6 said:

Jack - Grab yourself one of these next time you buy something from PPC's and hide it inside your case..

http://www.performance-pcs.com/nzxt-iu01-usb-2-0-internal-expansion-module.html

The NZXT is a very useful board for expanding your internal USB ports/headers - A lot of us Aquaero users use them when stuck in the same situation as yourself.

Click to expand...

I've got one of these as well. It's great. But usb still doesn't seem to like too many things on one header. At least in my experience. I've got 2 A6s, two PAs, farbwerk and an aqualis XT 450. All via usb and aquabus. I also picked up the modmytoys fan header expanders. They make connecting aquabus devices much easier.

Flat-6 said:

Jack - Grab yourself one of these next time you buy something from PPC's and hide it inside your case..

http://www.performance-pcs.com/nzxt-iu01-usb-2-0-internal-expansion-module.html

The NZXT is a very useful board for expanding your internal USB ports/headers - A lot of us Aquaero users use them when stuck in the same situation as yourself.

Click to expand...

Thx Flat. Already got one. Been using it for a while now. Now I'm wondering if I have a second one laying around.

It's really unfortunate that EVGA on their top of the line board (X99 Classified) only came with ONE USB MB header. Quite a few people including myself were disappointed.

Railgun said:

I've got one of these as well. It's great. But usb still doesn't seem to like too many things on one header. At least in my experience. I've got 2 A6s, two PAs, farbwerk and an aqualis XT 450. All via usb and aquabus. I also picked up the modmytoys fan header expanders. They make connecting aquabus devices much easier.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was using the NZXT extender in the past along with the Corsair Link, Front Case USB cable and some other stuff, I remember things were getting a bit funky. You would think the USB on the MB was like the Aquabus where you could chain things to it but in some cases it gets "Funky". lol

I think I'm going to do some solid colors to match the theme of the build but will do 4 separate channels.

Here's the bend brackets as I called PCS earlier today and told me to email them of my complaint with a photo at hand. Hopefully this will get resolved without me dipping into the hole in my pants as there's nothing there other than my.......oh nvm.







While taking shots, I than noticed the face detaching from the PCB. This is very troubling. I also notice the AQ box it came with looks a bit worn for a new item. I only took it out twice as its been sitting on the table since getting it in last week. The controller never came with batteries as I have seen them included in the tube unboxing and reviews. Its looking to me like there was outside pressure to the box and it caused the slight bend on the left bracket, facing the plate mind you and the obvious bend on the right bracket while the faceplate took some of that pressure. I'm pretty frustrated at this point since I spent close to $300 on this controller and accessories.







I'm going to have a talk with PCS later on today and hope this gets resolved. Idk if I should request a whole darn RMA with more downtime or request for replacement parts and get it over with.

Man you're up late....or early.

That box has seen better days to be sure, but don't be too concerned about the face. It's removable anyway. I changed mine to the black panel. Being aluminum, it's a bit flexible and easily fixable. Same with the mounting bracket. While I agree that it shouldn't be like that, it's minor enough, IMHO, to just adjust yourself and not worry about the hassle of replacing it.