Is a Arduino the future?

[bobsbeer]

My Arduino has arrived. http://forum.craftbrewing.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=26

 

[Lucy]

Oooh, that's very interesting. I've been thinking about getting a raspberry pi for christmas,.. I think it would take me a while to get to the fermenter controller stage (I'm currently learning java but haven't got much further yet)

I did used to work as a scientist and work with mammalian cell fermenters, it was very interesting the number of ports that were on bioreactors and the amound of 'in-line' sample testing that was done (dissolved oxygen, glucose levels, pH etc etc)

I think it would be pretty interesting from a process control perspective to have that level of data from a brew fermentation (even just pH and temperature) for the entire run.
Interestingly there were also temperature shifts employed in the processes to encourage the cells to remain in exponential phase as well as a myriad of feeding techniques and regimes.

I've only really just started with home brewing and I'm still at 'cooker top and pan' level of kit but it's interesting reading about how you more experienced guys are running things.

keep the updates with how your Arduino work progresses!

and good luck! :

 

[stevela]

Glad to see it has arrived, getting that LED to blink is just the first step :thumb:

I've found that this site has some very useful tutorials (If you can get over the choice of font)

http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/

Other than that Google is very much your friend, there's always someone out there who has done a similar bit of code :)

By the way if you don't have one in your kit a 16x2 or 20x4 LCD is worth picking up off eBay, it's nice to be able to print things out to the screen when your code is running to see if it's doing what you want.

 

[bobsbeer]

A led display shield is next on the list. It does have a led array but not a proper display. I just need to do a bit of reading first. :grin:

 

[anthonyUK]

I think they are great when used in conjunction with a Raspi to give it some connectivity.

 

[Fil]

Have fun Bob, and congrats on flashing that led, its a grand moment :) if you havent found it yet the arduino playground is a useful one stop shop for supported hardware complete driver libs and samples to copy and edit into your own code. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 5398,d.ZGU

Imho if jumping into this green forget the PI, the arduino is much easier to interface with real world h/w, mainly cos if u can think of it someone has already done something oh so similar, documented it and shared the code and h/w specs on th web. the Pi is a much more sophisticated puter with many more features but when it comes to h/w compatibility and driver code, many Pi solutions use an arduino daughter board to handle the actual h/w interface because of its relative simplicity and existing support. for a long while if u wanted a one wire dallas instruments temp probe with a pi system u needed an arduino inbetween the 2 for the interface. thats now sorted but due to the much wider scope of the PI its still going to take sometime for the community to provide the sort of support already available for the arduino platform,
for example there is a complete pid, pid-autotune, and pid gui ( in wirring a similar code ide to the arduino ide for PC graphics) interface libs for the arduino ready to go..


If however your after a system with a web interface and remote control and monitoring, local data storage and a hdmi graphics aspect to the gui go PI :)
You do have much more scope with the Pi, just ask yourself if your likely to use it all?

one tip from an old code monkey, spend as much time commenting on each line of your code as u do on the logic to construct it, and dont wory if u have more text on the page than anything else U cant document your code too much, just keep the comments upto date otherwise they are useless....

 

[Belter]

Fil's just made me think I want a PI instead :)

Fil can you link me to some appropriate temp probes to monitor fermentation temp please?

Nice one Bob. I'm joining the club once mine arrives in a couple weeks.

I'm trying to find a learning C book as I don't get on with reading web pages for lengths of time. I prefer to read from paper. Nothing at all in my local library.

Cheers

 

[Cyclops]

Good idea about the local library better. I will pop down on Monday and take a look.

My ardruino will be here next few weeks by snail mail from China :)

 

[Fil]

dallas instruments DS1820


http://playground.arduino.cc/Learning/OneWire

u can have upto a very large number of different sensors working over 1 gpio wire :) they can also be daisy chained too

u can get em made up but as its 1 47k resistor? iirc plus 1 component to make a sensor.. u can make your own and embed them in your own thermowell very cheaply..

and all the code has been written for you with an example for u to edit and get working so your up n running in a very short time....


Oh yes you can also get the components free YES free

get to the suppliers web page, and order some free samples :) i imagine these are items sold in the 10,000's

i did it and asked for n got 3, all u need is a non free email addy, i didnt want to take the P^ss i know some people have asked for 10 n got em???? hehe

 

[Antony]

After Doing a dissertation using an arduino to control and Inverted pendulum, I have some experience and am willing to help with coding. If you are struggling, there are loads of friendly people at the arduino official forum that like helping

For controlling a brewfridge or whatever, I would recommend an arduino over a PI, as an arduino is a microcontroller, whereas a PI is more of a computer. However Pi's are a seriously cool bit of kit too.

 

[Fil]

google maxim intergrated for component manufacturer, my screen is too small to confirm which product page for the freebee..

http://www.maximintegrated.com/datashee ... /3021/t/rp

http://www.maximintegrated.com/datashee ... /3021/t/al

 

[bobsbeer]

get to the suppliers web page, and order some free samples

Which supplier is it? There are hundreds listed.

I've been playing around with my LM35 temp sensor which came with my kit. I got it working with the help of a You Tube tutorial. Although his code used a if else statement and when I tried to input this it didn't like it. I also tried to control a led to come on, but i must have messed up the circuit as I can't get it to work. I tried to copy the code as he was talking but missed some of the comments.

This is the code I'm using:

//declare variables
float tempC;
int tempPin = 0; // Temp sensor plugged into pin 0
int ledPin = 13; //

// write temp function

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); // Opens serial port to communicate with pc
}

//write loop that will control arduino

void loop ()
{
tempC = analogRead(tempPin); // Taking the temp pin reading
tempC = (5.0*tempC*100.0)/1024.0; //Will convert the analog input
Serial.println((byte)tempC); //will output the converted temp
pinMode (ledPin, OUTPUT);
if (tempC >25);
{
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH );
// I had an else statement here but it didn't like it so deleted it and it seemed to verify it but the led didn't light.
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}

delay(3000);
}

Does this code look okay and how do I make the circuit for the led? I was thinking the led should be connected to pin 13 and ground. Do I need a resistor in there? 220?

 

[honeymonster]

if (tempC >25);
{
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH );
// I had an else statement here but it didn't like it so deleted it and it seemed to verify it but the led didn't light.
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}

delay(3000);
}

Does this code look okay and how do I make the circuit for the led? I was thinking the led should be connected to pin 13 and ground. Do I need a resistor in there? 220?

I think you still need the else statement in there, what that says is if the temp is greater that 25 turn the LED on turn and off. You are asking it to do both when the temp is greater than 25.

What you want is if it's greater than 25 light the LED, if it's anything else, switch it off.

Does that make sense? It's been a while since I've played with my Arduino!

 

[stevela]

The else would go outside of the IF statement:

if (tempC >25)
 {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH );
 }

else
 { 
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
 }

delay(3000);
}

 

[Fil]

if ( condition ) {
expr_set1;
}
else {
expr_set2;
}

start adding lots n lots of comments to your code, treat your future self like your ***** cousin with a hangover

AS SOON AS U START BEING CLEVER WITH CODE U WILL NEED TO HAVE ESTABLISHED THE HABIT :)

 

[bobsbeer]

I'm not sure what I did with the code previously but I got it working by putting the else statement back in. It was a tad difficult trying to write the code from the video as it was hard to see the screen and copy the code as he was typing.

 

[bobsbeer]

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

 

[Cyclops]

Feeling slightly jealous that I ordered from china and now I have got to wait

Want to get playing with stuff, lol

 

[bobsbeer]

I got mine via Amazon. Probably not that much more expensive and it was with free shipping at £26.95. My kitchen is at 22C according to my rather complex looking thermometer. :lol: And if it reaches 25c a bright LED comes on. :grin:

 

[Belter]

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?