Is a Arduino the future?

[bobsbeer]

There were three different types I requested samples from. Hope this link works

http://www.maximintegrated.com/datasheet/index.mvp/id/2812/t/or

 

[Cyclops]

just requested a few samples, will see if I get them :)

 

[Fil]

I managed to find the Maxim site and register. Hopefully some samples winging their way over. :thumb: Nice one Fil.

The two links I selected said 'no longer available?

iirc u need to register as a potential customer for which u need a non-public domain email addy so no hotmail google yahoo, or isp email addys, your own private or any commercial enterprise email domain is fine as long as its real and u can respond to emails, then go shopping for the components and you will have access to the free samples,

i linked to bookmarked datasheets to give u a foothold into the maxim site



How greedy were u Bob ?

 

[Fil]

There were three different types I requested samples from. Hope this link works

http://www.maximintegrated.com/datasheet/index.mvp/id/2812/t/or

Just had a look and bear in mind im barely one step ahead of u guys h/w wise, i think the DS18B20+ looks like it should be OK :) it covers the correct temp range.

download the lib package from the arduino playground.
there are a few very simple graphic wiring diagrams there too with step by step wire by wire guides for setting up a test. with a breadboard its easy .. plug in the 3 prong maxim component, to make a sensor bridge 2 component legs with a resistor, and then connect to the board and run the sample sketch with either the serial monitor or a lcd dispalying your results..

testing my made up sensors all 4 read within 0.5C of eachother :)

 

[bobsbeer]

How greedy were u Bob ?

I only requested 2 of each type, although looking at them, not all I think will be suitable for our purposes due to their format. The DS18B20U+ is an 8 pin unit. Also it may be better to order the premade ones off ebay as they are already prepared and waterproofed in a steel probe. Rather like the pt100's. I did see them at 5 for £9. But I may be able to fabricate a similar probe from copper pipe. Or use my existing thermowells.

 

[bobsbeer]

I got my Uno R3 from Amazon, but it was made/marketed by Sintron. I checked out their website and found that you can download a few books tutorials in PDF format. They come in a zip file (186mb) I asked for the link and got it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1loywas0k6a9o ... w%20v3.zip

Password: 1234567890security

My initial look last night was that they were easy to read and clearly written. Although I haven't looked at them all yet. Now I need to transfer them to my Kindle.

 

[Cyclops]

Thanks for the link bob, I bought my Ethernet shield from Sintron and it came next day, so A* for their service :)

Cant wait for mine to come, I also bought a breadboard from ebay but didn't realise how small it was and its only about the size of a packet of ****, maybe even smaller so may need to nip maplins to take a look later on.

 

[bobsbeer]

I got one in my starter set that is about 6" long and 2" wide with two halves con + - bus down each side. It seems adequate for now.

 

[bobsbeer]

Okay after doing much research on my old wifi router (Belkin Surf 150) it turns out I can't use this as a bridge/extender. Which is a bit of a bugger as I figured I could use the cheaper ethernet shield and plug it into the old router to wirelessly send the data to my pc via WIFI. On the plus side the router power supply would be a good one for the Uno, so not a total waste. But that still leaves me with a problem on how to get the data to my pc from my brewing shed. One possible answer is one of these from Fleabay for £8.34 from china. The only problem is the power supply is via a mini USB, although I note in the description that the power requirement is 5v 500Ma so it might be possible to power it from the Uno?

 

[Fil]

What do u want to do with the data on the pc from the brewshed?

how far is the brewshed from your sofa?

are u after a real time monitoring and control interface?
or just interested in saving brew data?

If your after real time control, what are you looking at for developing the pc interface? Wiring?? or are you just looking at using the serial monitor window?
what O/S d u run on your pc's

There a LOTS of ways to 'skin either cat'
List your objectives/expectations...

 

[thirdlight]

the power requirement is 5v 500Ma so it might be possible to power it from the Uno?

Resist powering other things from your Arduino! One of the benefits of a microcontroller is its stability. If you are controlling your brew process with it, you want it to keep working no matter what. If your wifi thing misbehaves, or just uses a bit too much power (eg something blocks the wireless signal, so it tries a bit harder), you could have the power circuitry on the Uno overheat & shut down. Grab a usb charger off the bay - less than a fiver - and keep control & comms separate.

Enjoy!

 

[anthonyUK]

I use a couple of homeplugs to extend network access to the shed.

You can often find BT vision boxes at carboots for a few quid and they usually have the connectivity kit unopened in the box which are a couple of comtrend home plugs :mrgreen:

I have bought a few of these for as little as £1.

 

[bobsbeer]

What do u want to do with the data on the pc from the brewshed?

how far is the brewshed from your sofa?

are u after a real time monitoring and control interface?
or just interested in saving brew data?

If your after real time control, what are you looking at for developing the pc interface? Wiring?? or are you just looking at using the serial monitor window?
what O/S d u run on your pc's

There a LOTS of ways to 'skin either cat'
List your objectives/expectations...

All this is early days yet, and as always I am trying to run before I can walk. :lol: The more I play with this thing the more possibilities I can see. The wifi element was to send data such as temperature, from the shed to my pc. More as a way of monitoring than control. (Currently Windows 8) But I can also see the possibility of having a degree of control via the pc. The shed is not far away, 10-15 foot, but with a couple of walls. Bluetooth may even work, but I don't know much about that. My laptop doesn't have Bluetooth, but I could get a dongle. I could run an ethernet cable, but SWMBO hates wires with a passion, so that's out.

 

[anthonyUK]

If you buy a Chinese ethernet shield then OK but at UK prices a Raspi makes more sense for connectivity.

Arduino as the sensor control piping output to Raspi. Raspi can also run web front end for control, graphs etc.

I think this is the method that the BrewPi uses

http://brewpi.com/

 

[Fil]

+1 or the power plug networking that makes sofa coms a doddle.. and if u have an old spare pc capable of running winxp pro, or win2k server then the basic coms is basically plug and play
Just plug the arduino usb cable to an old pc headless in the shed and take remote control of the shed desktop. Done !

The more sophisticated or elegant a system you want the more work you will need to put in. And while interesting it could be best to focus on getting the basic system and h/w up and running before opting for anything sophisticated and any sort of remote control.

Perhaps a development plan like
stage 1 basic system plus coms to display progress on serial monitor
stage 2 basic system plus coms/control via serial monitor
stage 3 basic system plus coms And flashy gui,

With stage 1 in place it will be working for you making beer.

if your after a nice GUI then id look at a Pi for handeling all the coms and serving the gui as web pages horses for courses..

 

[bobsbeer]

If you buy a Chinese ethernet shield then OK but at UK prices a Raspi makes more sense for connectivity.

Arduino as the sensor control piping output to Raspi. Raspi can also run web front end for control, graphs etc.

I think this is the method that the BrewPi uses

http://brewpi.com/

Not really seen Brewpi. Looks good. A combination of arduino and rasp pi seems like a brill way to go. It makes automation relatively straightforward, and is using the best of both machines.

 

[winelight]

I have done a few projects (nothing to do with brewing!) using just an Atmel ATMega8 microcontroller (which I think is what the Arduino, or some of them, use) but I made my own PCBs. I do use a PC and I interface it via a firmware-only USB implementation (which is non-compliant but does work).

To do anything more complicated - like WiFi - it seems to me you may as well go to the Raspberry Pi, but then have you given yourself a full time job just keeping everything updated and maintained?

This is the firmware-only USB:

http://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/index.html

The idea of process control appeals. You can also do particulate monitoring to see when the beer has cleared. I remember writing some particulate monitoring microcontroller code years ago - something to do with coolant in a clean room, I think.

 

[Cyclops]

has anyone else had an email to sign an export paper from maxim for the free samples?

 

[Fil]

has anyone else had an email to sign an export paper from maxim for the free samples?

yes and then they arrive by ups package delivery iirc

 

[Cyclops]

Sent my reply off this morning :)