I'm still waiting for my Android powered toaster, but in the meantime I'll have to make do with the Vertex Cereba -- an aquarium controller that runs Froyo on its 3.5-inch touchscreen. I'm sure some (OK, maybe all) of you are asking "what in the heck is an aquarium controller?" It's a computer that takes readings (usually through probes inserted into the filter area) for things like dissolved oxygen or pH, then sends signals to equipment that can change those values until they are within parameters. It's totally aqua-geeky, and I've always wanted a good one.
The Cereba is basically a miniature Android tablet, with an 800 MHz Freescale CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and an aluminum body. It also has full openGL ES 2.0 hardware acceleration, 'cause you know fish like to play Need For Speed. Even if it didn't help keep a fish tank healthy and looking clean, it's probably a really cool toy to have around the office. The full press release from Vertex Aquaristik is after the break. [Reef Builders]
Vertex Aquaristik™ announces the launch of beta test phase of Cerebra
Cologne, Germany—February 17th, 2011—Vertex™ revolutionary Cerebra will be released to beta testers before the end of March. Twenty testers have been carefully chosen to assist with field trials after extensive in-house evaluations and debugging of the firmware.
“This process has been set in place to further collect input from users working with the production model Cerebra. We have had many aquarists involved with this project in the past 2 years however it was important to us to go through this last step prior to release.” Said Andreas Schneider, CSO of Vertex™ Technologies of Austria.
Vertex Aquaristik™ has decided to once again shift perspective from the industry-norms and boldly pursue their vision of an “Aquarium Controller”. In which simple commands of switch on/switch off and timer cycles are entirely replaced with a new concept and mentality of “Collect, process and act”. A complete simulated cyber environment interlinked with your system, operated by task specific dedicated apps, possibly created by the very user.
Welcome to V-CYBER SPACE.
Aquarist will no longer be bound by a few simple bench marks such as photoperiod and or acceptable PH range. Introduction of complete autochthonous ecological simulation will enable the creator to duplicate the conditions of specimen’s true habitat in real life.
Another distinct aspect of Cerebra is to create a virtual network of aquarist that allows free flow of information, techniques and or methods. For years the best source of information on aquatic knowledge has been a handful of Internet forums. As valuable as they have been the evolution is here.
Imagine designing a species specific breeding station for fish, inverts or any other specimen to be as easy as downloading an app to mimic the environment at which the said animal breeds and thrives. Would it be periodic thermal deviations, photoperiod, flow, concentration of food and nourishments…
Imagine trouble shooting your favorite brand of skimmer by watching a video on how to accomplish this task only a few centimeters away from the said device.
Imagine…, or simply experience all that though Cerebra.
We invite all users to further enrich the Vertex™ virtual community with new insights by sharing thoughts, know-hows and knowledge, or in short; by writing apps. One can say; the aquarium hobby has finally claimed its place in the cyber space.
Hardware
ARM Cortex-A8 CPU by Freescale
32bit processor
800MHz
512Mb RAM
24bit color display capable of 16,777,216 colors.
32KB instruction and data cache
Unified 256KB L2 cache
Neon SIMD media accelerator
Vector Floating point co-processor
Battery buffered RTC
Power management modes
Other Material, design and construction:
Anodized Aluminum outer body combined with ABS/PC end caps
USB and other connectors hidden in our half-hexagon conduit compartment
3.5” Wide Screen Touch display
8 layer board construction more than 850 components
Back wall connection plate to mount on the wall or in cabinet.
Swiveling bracket
V-Grid network module
Multimedia:
OpenGL ES 2.0 and open VG 1.1hardware accelerator
24-BIT display supports up to WXGA resolution
High quality hardware Video de-interlacing
Image and video resize, inversion and rotation hardware
Alpha blending and color space conversion
Security
All network connections firewalled
Operation software:
Android 2.2
Fast and responsive
Enables user to illustrate apps.
Vertex™ App-Store:
Buy Apps
Sell Vertex™ approved apps
Share knowledge, Ideas, create, expand and grow
Wireless Communication
W-LAN
Bluetooth
Zig-Bee (802.15.4 PHY)
GSM
Features
First app based aquarium controller
Modules connected over USB 2.0
SD card
Supports external tablets
Graphical menus
Embedded web server to monitor, configure and or control over Internet or Intranet.
Auto detection of new hardware
Ethernet connection onboard
NTP time control
Automatic firmware update capable
Multiple fail safe and error detection features
Galvanic isolation of modules via optocouplers and DC-DC convertors/ 2KV isolation
Supports “Smart Digital” sensors, capable of error detection, 2 way communication
Supports industry standard sensors
Battery powered wireless remote sensors
Monitor and report power consumption of each connected device
Programmable logic
Email Alerts
SMS alerts
Data logging, history, graphing
Remote monitoring and control via Internet and GSM
I-Phone App
Capable of being linked to Zig-Bee universal remote controllers
Printer compatible to print reports, logs and or graphs
Browse Internet
Watch high resolution videos
V-light composer for simulating sunrise, sunset, weather simulations…
LED diming and control
Variable speed pump control
Modify, create and or write apps to fully customize control of your system
Parameters
Monitor and control PH
Monitor and control Redox
Monitor and control conductivity (Both salt and fresh water)
Monitor and control dissolved oxygen
Monitor and control temperature
Monitor and control ambient humidity
Monitor and control dissolved Co2
Monitor and control ambient Co2 Levels
Monitor and control many other parameters via V-Chrome such as Calcium, magnesium…
Additional modules
PWM
Variable AC outlets
1-10V
Dali
Air-flow meter and regulators
Fluid-flow meter and regulators
V-Cam wireless Camera for remote real time viewing
Par/Lux
Remote low power wireless sensors
Leak detector
Fluid level sensor mechanical and or optical
UPS Module; enables the life support system in case of power interruption
Variable speed power-heads such as Tunze
Construction of Modules
Each module consists of 2 parts, primary and secondary.
Primary module is universal for most devices and will connect to cerebra via USB.
The secondary modules are function specific which will connect to a primary module
Devices are interchangeable through different USB connections and different modules
Modules casing; anodized Aluminum with ABS/PC end caps
Supporting devices via USB and or many other applicable connectors
Power blocks:
Anodized Aluminum construction
Quality relays with In-rush surge protection
Will be available in 6 and 8 socket blocks
Quality components
Additional USB ports on power blocks, one uplink and 3 downlinks
Hall sensors on board to measure current draw/ consumption of each connected device
Native support of:
Libra dosing systems
V-Chrome colorimeter
V-Cam wireless camera module
Illumina luminaires
Illumilux luminaires
Cerebra introduces an entirely new user interface based on an elegant wide screen touch display and revolutionary software that allows users to monitor, configure and or control every aspect of their system’s operations with just a tap of their finger. It allows the aquarist to share thoughts, ideas, acquire methods, information and or illustrate an app to set his or her own foot-print on aquatic cyber space through Vertex™ Cerebra.
See you out there in V-SPACE.
Vertex Aquaristik™ GmbH
*Most if not all mentioned features and or devices above are targeted to be released by or before Interzoo 2012.(This time line does not include any specific apps.)
**Initial product Launch date is set for June 2011.
© 2011 Vertex Aquaristik™
