iSpindel - low cost data logging/display gadget

[RoomWithABrew]

@Harry Bloomfield

Forgot to mention how to add the OG.

Make sure you are on graph page.

Then you see on the left gravity data
On that list Original gravity
To the right of this are two dashes --
Click on the dashes and it brings up the option to insert the OG.

Don't forget to press ok

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks, I will try that.
,
Pre-repeatidor, I was finding after an extended period of use, the iSpindle might fail to report (with blue LED still flashing on time, as if reporting) and would need to be taken out of the brew and restarted. I never had any issues at all with getting the iSpindel started with its reports.

With the repeatidor I am finding it very tricky to get it to even begin to report through the repeatidor - which seems to be an entirely different issue, plus (as the iSpindel alone) the reports will often stop after an extended period of use.

I will try the iSpindel update and see if it helps.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have spent off and on, quite a bit of time messing with the iSpindel plus repeatidor today....

Whilst experimenting with it, I have the iSpindel set to report every 60 seconds.

Both updated to the latest firmware versions and I seem to be getting some better connection reliability out of it now as well as learning a few things. The thing seems to be, to be patient and not expect it to connect instantly.

The flashing of the display, seems to be down to the repeatidor getting it's IP sorted - it shows IP 0.0.0.0 until the flashing/rebooting ends, when it then shows it's proper allocated by the router IP.

Updating the iSpindel via wifi, it lost all of my configuration, including the calibration formulae. Rather than typing it back into the iSpindel, I fed it into the repeatidor - luckily I managed to find my original formulae.

Entering the OG into Brewpiless, the repeatidor stores the OG and from that can display a calculated ABV - No need to re-enter it into Brewpiless, unless you wish to change it.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@Harry Bloomfield
Thanks for the update, I did notice it said about needing to reset up after the firmware upgrade to the ispindel. I haven't calibrated all the new ones yet so hopefully shouldn't have that problem.

I loaded the 4.1 brewpiless software into the repetidor but it doesn't work with the screen. Seems I have to adjust a line of code I think.

I'll follow the instructions of the hoppy brewer and see if this gets it working.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

If I understand it - The repeatidor uses a modified version of Brewpiless, with two different versions available for the two display sizes. Both versions are V1.2

It's here - Repetidor iSpindel con Display Oled
About 1/3 down the page....

Actualización 08/05/2021:
-Reconexión wifi para problemas de conexión con la Wifi.
DisplayiSpindel_096_V1.2 [link!] (beta)
DisplayiSpindel_13_V1.2 [link!] (beta)


[UPDATE] The iSpindel + Repeatidor firmware updates seem to have cured my issues, the earlier connection issues now seems to be rock solid. I have turned the repeatidor off and back on numerous times and it reconnects instantly, at the next update from the iSpindel. I am still testing on a 60 second update interval. I will give it a few days at that, then test it at my usual reporting interval of of every ten minutes.

I have also been tweaking the calibration of the iSpindel - it was reporting 1.0030 in tap water at 20C. I have added the tiniest bit of lead stuck to the bottom end of the PCB, to get it to show 1.0000

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Another update.....

The sharp peaks before 20:00 on the left, are me messing about with the calibration of the iSpindel (adding a tiny amount of lead, to correct the slight gravity error). There is a strange gap in the data between 06:38 and 06:58, for which I have no explanation [1]. I was out this morning and came back home at around 11:21 to find the repeatidor showing zero signal (no stars) from the iSpindle, none the less 4x stars soon came back and there were no gaps in the data.

I'm still wondering how I can view the repeatidors logs, on a Windows 10 laptop - anyone know?

[1] As said, I have the iSpindel reporting at 60 second intervals and from 20:00 to where the gap appears, it was reporting at 39 seconds past the minute every time. After the gap in data, the iSpindel changed to reporting perfectly regularly at 55 seconds past the minute - which has me wondering if it might be the iSpindel which stopped reporting for those 20 minutes of the gap?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@Harry Bloomfield
I managed to use the info on hoppy valley and compile the 4.1 update for brewpiless so that it could use the scree I had bought ( 1.3 oled ) .
Quite an experience getting into the code, but also strangely easy.
So Got the esp8266 working with the display on the 4.1 code but it only relays temperature on the screen. No info for spindel.

I need to get the code for the repetidor so that I can add the parts into the code and then recompile it as a binary. Unfortunately the repetidor code is only a binary and I can't decompile it or whatever it's called to look at it and edit. I'm investigating.
Have also had a look at Zeslammy work which appears to be trying to mimic the nautilus wifi relay for the ispindel but also displays the info we want.
So if they can get it working it is what we're looking for.
Still think though that it should be possible to get the ispindel info on the 4.1 brewpiless software showing on the small screen.
I'll keep trying. It's something that screams I' m confused whenever I look at it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I need to get the code for the repetidor so that I can add the parts into the code and then recompile it as a binary. Unfortunately the repetidor code is only a binary and I can't decompile it or whatever it's called to look at it and edit. I'm investigating.
Have also had a look at Zeslammy work which appears to be trying to mimic the nautilus wifi relay for the ispindel but also displays the info we want.

Could you maybe contact the repeatidor's author for help with the code? There seems to be no obvious way to contact him - I only managed to find the repeatidor from a post he made on Facebook months ago in an iSpindel group, this one - Facebook Groups

I have not seen him post anything much since then. A further issue is that he speaks Spanish and his English seems to be not that good.

Why are you trying to recompile it, when V1.2 of the repeatidor firmware seems to be much more reliable?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I have sent a message via his diyhomebrew site requesting it.

Given that it seemed pretty easy to set up the 4.1 brewpiless to display output using the screen that the repetidor has I thought the latest version may be even more reliable.
Website says these features added.

• 4.1
  • "Real" generic HTTP logging.
  • DHT1x/DHT2x support, for humidity control
  • Pressure report for Brewfather.app
  • [ESP32] HTTPS remote logging.
  • [ESP32] TILT support
  • Classic frontend is no longer maintained.

And it's possibly a learning opportunity

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

And it's possibly a learning opportunity

Nothing much wrong with that

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

[UPDATE] iSpindel via Repeatidor still working absolutely fine, in a jug of tap water, with the iSpindel set to send report every 60 seconds. 6 days = 8640 reports and the battery still showing 4.08v and a consistent 1.000. I think I have worked out the idea of the red/orange/green coloured dot next to Final Gravity State - The SG has moved during the 6 days, yet the dot has changed red, orange and now green - Its just an inication based on time the brew has been fermenting, rather than any change in SG, though I did set the OG at 1.086 at the beginning.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The SG has moved during the 6 days, yet the dot has changed red, orange and now green -

That should have read 'not moved'. It continued to work absolutely fine until yesterday, despite the repeatidor sometimes indicating no wifi signal from the iSpindel. The batteries charge was still fine after 16 days of reporting every minute, so I recharged it, left it reporting every 60 seconds and popped it in a new batch of wine I started yesterday afternoon. All good so far.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Fermentation almost complete and both iSpindel and Repeatidor have behaved impeccably. The three blips in the SG (blue line), are where I gave the FV and good shake up. The iSpindle is still showing 4.03 volts, despite a reporting interval of 60 seconds, over 11 days.