WAITER ECC - GENERAL
The Waiter ECC is designed specifically so its wiring, connectors, A/C and furnace interfaces, and control logic are essentially a drop in, plug and play replacement for the Intellitec control system.
HOWEVER, we’re interesting in creating a solution for other systems and would like to hear from you. If there is enough interest, we’d move forward with expanding the Waiter ECC line to include other control systems.
Absolutely. We designed a REMOTE touch screen that can be mounted anywhere that’s within range of the WaiterControl WiFi access point (the main touchscreen). It uses the same hardware and software as the main touchscreen, so it has the same pages and screens as the main unit.
The REMOTE unit can be mounted on a wall using a slide mount that allows it to be easily removed. Or it can rest on a countertop. It must be located within wifi distance of the main unit. It operates on 12 volts or can plug into a 120 wall outlet using the enclosed wall plug power supply. See REMOTE DISPLAY
YES / NO:
NO – To make the Waiter ECC system simple to install and plug and play compatible, we designed our system as a stand alone computer system, with a dedicated operator touchscreen, no applications to download or install, no networks to log onto, no systems to pair, no passwords to remember, no monthly fees for wireless services, etc, etc. You just plug it in, and it works,
YES – By designing the Waiter ECC system around a dedicated WiFi network using MQTT communications protocol, we’ve opened up the design to infinite possibilities to connect external devices that can monitor and control the Waiter ECC system. The dedicated WiFi Access Point and MQTT messaging is well documented in the TECHNICAL MANUAL. Several of our customers have created additional interfaces and are monitoring and controlling the system via home automation software like Node-RED, OpenHAB, HomeAssistant, etc
Absolutely; If you’re familiar with IoT and MQTT, then you have the basic knowledge on how the Waiter ECC communicates. The only restriction is, the controller circuit board is looking for a very specific SSID (WaiterControl) and a very specific IP address for the MQTT broker (192.168.50.10). These are currently hard coded in the controller card firmware. We anticipate changing this in the future so an end user can select their SSID and MQTT broker addresses, but for now, this was the simplest, most reliable way of ensuring wifi connectivity between the controller board and the operator touchscreen.
Download the TECHNICAL MANUAL. It has much detail, including the MQTT topic and payload structure for the communications.
Absolutely NOT. While designing the WaiterECC system, we knew many installations wouldn’t have access to an internet connection, so we created our own dedicated WiFi access point (AP) that doesn’t require an internet connection.
The Waiter ECC touch screen computer serves as a dedicated WiFi network AP for the sole purpose of allowing Waiter ECC control modules to connect to it without any wiring. The WiFi network is named WaiterControl or WaiterControl2.
EXAMPLE:
The main control module connects to the WaiterControl WiFi network. This is how it communicates back and forth with the touchscreen.
Our REMOTE touch screen automatically connects to the WaiterControl WiFi network, making it possible to have two fully functional touchscreens in the motorhome.
Optional control modules are currently in development and will also connect to the dedicated AP WiFi network. These control modules are currently in the works:
Leveler controller – We are currently developing a leveler controller that would control a Power Gear manual leveling system from the touch screen.
Generator controller – Start and stop the generator based on time, quite times, and to re-charge batteries based on voltage readings.
Water heater controller – allows control of the water heater temperature, turn it ON and OFF, Set schedules to change temperatures at different times of day.
Residential Refrigerator controller – Control compressor and defrost cycling, allow defrost cycle to be turned off, this is great for when boon-docking and need to conserve batteries.
Technically, yes, We don’t have a smartphone app for this and haven’t heard of anyone developing one yet.
The firmware in our Waiter ECC circuit board is hard coded to search for and log onto the WaiterControl SSID. It then connects to the MQTT broker at IP address 192.168.50.10. which is part of the Waiter ECC touchscreen computer.
If you wanted to use NodeRed, OpenHAB, HomeAssistant, or develop your own application, its simple, connect your device to wifi network WaiterControl, and point your MQTT application to the broker at 192.168.50.10. OR, add a bridge to connect the WaiterControl network to your regular home network that has your NodeRED, OpenHAB, or HomeAssistant applications.
If you don’t want to use the Waiter ECC touchscreen hardware, You could build a Rpi as a wifi access point with the SSID name of WaiterControl, install a MQTT broker at a static IP address of 192.168.50.10., and set up the DHCP server to provide the control module with an IP address. You could then connect the WaiterControl network to your other networks using a wifi bridge.
YES / NO. You said “Control Module”. The Waiter ECC control circuit board does not come with an enclosure. The circuit board in our kit is designed to replace the existing circuit board in the original Intellitec ECC enclosure. So to be specific, We don’t sell a “module” (our circuit board inside of an enclosure) , but we may sell the circuit board. Contact us by e-mail.
Our control board will not work with the Intellitec thermostat, nor will our touchscreen work with the Intellitec control board. The Waiter ECC kit (touchscreen and control board) is a plug and play replacement for the entire Intellitec system, the original wall thermostat and control board.
Generally, yes, we’ve shipped units outside the United States and haven’t run into any countries that forbid this product. HOWEVER: There will be additional fees associated with shipping, plus possible import duties, fees, and tariffs imposed by your country. Here’s your options:
1) We’ll bill you via a PayPal request for any additional shipping costs above the $35 we normally charge for U.S. shipping. PLUS, You need to provide us with a statement that you’ll be responsible for any import duties, fees, or tariffs that may be imposed. We can tell you in advance what the additional shipping costs will be, but have no way of finding out what, if any, import fees will be. If there are any import fees, your country will request payment from you when you receive the package, OR, they may send you a bill for the fees in your mail.
2) If you have an account with FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc. Create a shipper in your account and e-mail it to us. We’ll drop off the package at FedEx, UPS, or whatever, and you’ll pay for the entire shipping etc. We’ll refund the $35 shipping fee that you initially paid when you purchased the unit. Contact us for package size, weight, originating address, and contact information you’ll need, etc.
Yes you can. WaiterControl is the WiFi network access point that’s built into the main touchscreen. This network doesn’t have an “Internet” connection, it’s used solely for communication between the Waiter ECC control modules and the touchscreen. The control module, Remote display, and future optional modules all connect to this network so they can communicate with each other.
During testing and troubleshooting we often sign onto this network with our smartphones and use an android app called MyMQTT to monitor the MQTT messages that are being sent back an forth between the modules and the touchscreen. This is all described in detail in the TECHNICAL manual.
Over the years we’ve developed numerous software programs that make the Waiter ECC what it is; A plug-and-play solution to replace a failed Intellitec ECC system that requires no setup or intervention by the user; just plug it in and it works.
The software programs include; c++ firmware running in the control module. c# running as a windows DOT NET application on the Rpi under Linux. Python application running on the Rpi as a Bash job.
All of these programs communicate with each other via an communications protocol known as MQTT. We’ve published an interface document that describes the MQTT messages and topics used in these communications and the WiFi Access Point connection scheme with username, passwords, IP address, etc. This TECHNICAL DETAIL document should provide the technical savvy users with all the information they need to connect, monitor, and even control the Waiter ECC system. This was the main reason for using the MQTT protocol.
As for releasing our c++, C#, and Python code to open source, we don’t have any plans to do so at this time.