Wiring A Rain Switch And Other Normally Closed Sensing Devices; Connecting A Rain Switch To The Basestation 3200; Pause Behavior For The Different Connections; Watering Behavior For The Different Ports - Base Line BaseStation 3200 User Manual

5. Assign the biCoder as a pause device, and test its operation. Refer to Configuring Pause Devices on page 40.

Wiring a Rain Switch and Other Normally Closed Sensing Devices

All BaseStation 3200 controllers are compatible with industry standard normally closed (NC) sensing devices such
as rain switches. You can directly connect these devices to the appropriate terminals on the 3200, or you can
connect them to the two-wire path using pause biCoders.

Connecting a Rain Switch to the BaseStation 3200

Note: Do not wire normally closed sensing devices in series with either the valve common (on R-series units) or
either side of the two-wire path. Wiring devices in this manner defeats the wire health and solenoid current
detection features built into the controller. It also generates incorrect messages and alerts. Baseline recommends
that you connect all normally closed sensing devices to the appropriate terminal on the controller or to a pause
biCoder connected to the two-wire path.

Pause Behavior for the Different Connections

The pause behavior of the unit and the associated messages and alerts differ depending on whether the NC device
is connected to a pause biCoder or it is directly connected to a sensor terminal on the 3200.
•
You cannot override a NC sensing device, such as a rain switch, that is directly connected to the 3200. All
programs will stop watering until the rain switch dries out, which allows the contacts to close again.
• You can connect pause devices, including rain switches, to pause biCoders, and then associate the pause
biCoders with specific programs. After you have created the associations, you can configure the programs to
respond to or ignore the pause devices. Refer to Configuring Pause Devices on page 40.

Watering Behavior for the Different Ports

Rain Sensor Port – On activation, all watering is stopped, and all active programs are terminated. No new irrigation
will be allowed to start until the rain switch deactivates (dries out) and the next start time is reached for a
program. Baseline recommends that rain switches connected this way are set to the shortest possible delay
setting.
Note: Smart irrigation using soil moisture sensors will automatically account for the amount of rainfall that actually
penetrates into the soil, which is often quite different from the amount of total rainfall measured by a rain switch.
Flow Sensor Port – On activation, all watering is stopped, and all active programs are terminated. No new
irrigation will be allowed to start until the following conditions are met:
•
The flow sensor input is cleared (no longer open)
•
The flow alert is cleared in the controller. The flow alert can be cleared remotely using BaseManager central
control, but requires user intervention to protect against landscape damage caused by broken pipes or valves.
•
The next start time is reached for a program
Pause Port – On each activation (open circuit), all irrigation is temporarily paused for 4 hours. All active programs
and scheduled watering will resume (where it left off) after the pause period has ended. If the pause port is
activated again during the pause period, the 4 hour pause period will be restarted.
BaseStation 3200 Advanced Irrigation Controller Manual
31
Page