new ispindel!

[lupinehorror]

I've been looking at this gadget for a while. I generally like the idea but would prefer to keep my data local. So i'm interested to know if iSpindel can work without ubidots or another external service? In other words, can it be set to send the data via simple http request ?

you may find something useful here. i had little success with influxdb the first time i tried it but haven't tackled it again. yet.

 

[Hanglow]

Nodered might work? Quick google mentions it from a couple of years ago, don't ask me if it does though

 

[lupinehorror]

Nodered might work? Quick google mentions it from a couple of years ago, don't ask me if it does though

got nodered installed on a raspberry pi too but i didn't explore all that much as i needed to get a brew on and didn't have time to fiddle.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Hi, just received one of these today. I bought one that had already been assembled so been going through the set up process. I've set up a STEM Unit account (as opposed to the business account) and have been trying to connect the iSpindel to that so it shows up in the devices list. After going into the iSpindel configuration, inputting my SSID and password and the Ubidots token number and saving the configuration the iSpindel then seems to not be able to connect to my home wifi. I've also tried my mobile phone hot spot and it similarly didn't seem to be able to connect. Anyone else had similar issues? It has a reasonably recent firmware version (6.3.1). Definitely seems to be a wifi connection issue rather than a connection to the Ubidots site as the iSpindel doesn't show in the list of connected devices on my network.

Also the only odd thing I've noticed is that on all the instructions I've seen from the various sources I've looked at, in my configuration screen there is an additional field under the Token field called Path / URL. This field doesn't seem to be there in all the instructions I've seen. It is currently empty but should there be something in there?

Thanks.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Hi, just received one of these today. I bought one that had already been assembled so been going through the set up process. I've set up a STEM Unit account (as opposed to the business account) and have been trying to connect the iSpindel to that so it shows up in the devices list. After going into the iSpindel configuration, inputting my SSID and password and the Ubidots token number and saving the configuration the iSpindel then seems to not be able to connect to my home wifi. I've also tried my mobile phone hot spot and it similarly didn't seem to be able to connect. Anyone else had similar issues? It has a reasonably recent firmware version (6.3.1). Definitely seems to be a wifi connection issue rather than a connection to the Ubidots site as the iSpindel doesn't show in the list of connected devices on my network.

Also the only odd thing I've noticed is that on all the instructions I've seen from the various sources I've looked at, in my configuration screen there is an additional field under the Token field called Path / URL. This field doesn't seem to be there in all the instructions I've seen. It is currently empty but should there be something in there?

Thanks.

Sorry if it's obvious but the Ipsindel will automatically switch off after 5 mins

Does the final screen when you have completed updating your settings say something like "settings saved trying to connect to wifi"

If not you may be running out of time before the Ispindel turns itself off - hence not saving and connecting

I am no expert only got mine last Thursday

 

[hoppyscotty]

Well after I finished inputting the required data into the configuration screen, so SSID, wifi password, iSpindel name, Ubidots token (and making sure the other inputs defaults were correct) I clicked on save then a screen popped basically saying the device will re-boot. After a few seconds the devices switches out of configuration mode and the iSpindel WiFi turns off. I would then expect the device to connect to my home Wifi but it doesn't. Tried pulling the battery out and putting it back in again, pressing the reset button, switching off and on. All that with power on. Then tried it again by going into configuration and putting in the SSID and password for my mobile phone hot spot.

Just wondered if I've missed a step?

 

[hoppyscotty]

BINGO. sorry. Looks like I got a 0 instead of an O in the token number!! Doh.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Well after I finished inputting the required data into the configuration screen, so SSID, wifi password, iSpindel name, Ubidots token (and making sure the other inputs defaults were correct) I clicked on save then a screen popped basically saying the device will re-boot. After a few seconds the devices switches out of configuration mode and the iSpindel WiFi turns off. I would then expect the device to connect to my home Wifi but it doesn't. Tried pulling the battery out and putting it back in again, pressing the reset button, switching off and on. All that with power on. Then tried it again by going into configuration and putting in the SSID and password for my mobile phone hot spot.

Just wondered if I've missed a step?

Yes it seems strange to me

BINGO. sorry. Looks like I got a 0 instead of an O in the token number!! Doh.

Wonderful - well done

Managed to get mine working finally on Monday (2 days ago) - The degree 3 polynomial was giving silly SG readings e.g. beginning OG of 0.908

So I changed it to the degree 2 version

Haven't stopped playing with the gadget since

 

[hoppyscotty]

Thanks. just started the zero offset calibration and moved onto the 25 degree in water check - it's sitting at 30 degrees so need to add some weights somewhere. Only other issue is the gravity value is stuck on zero in both the iSpindel page and the Ubidots dashboard. Just charging it now and see if the issue remains when I pick it up again.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Thanks. just started the zero offset calibration and moved onto the 25 degree in water check - it's sitting at 30 degrees so need to add some weights somewhere. Only other issue is the gravity value is stuck on zero in both the iSpindel page and the Ubidots dashboard. Just charging it now and see if the issue remains when I pick it up again.

I feel a bit like the blind leading the partially sighted

I have connected mine to Brewfather

I used these two videos

In this one he talks about how to set the tilt angle whatever software you are using



The second is specifically about linking to Brewfather



From my limited knowledge I wonder if the gravity problem is linked to a polynomial formula that your software can't read

Mine was similarly stuck until I changed the formula

Hope someone else who knows what they are talking about joins this thread soon

 

[hoppyscotty]

Thanks for that. Have been studying those YouTube vids this evening. Just to check. Does the SG reading read zero until you've done the full calibration? I assumed it would have a base calibration in the firmware and was expecting a gravity reading to be there 'out of the box' and once you've done the calibration in sugared water ot just corrects the base calibration. I'm now thinking that once you've done the full calibration you use the resulting polynomial to update the iSpindel to give you a gravity reading and use it in whatever software you're ultimately going to use, like Brewfather?

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Does the SG reading read zero until you've done the full calibration?

Sorry I do not know

I did the full calibration before trying a reading

Yes my understanding is that until you have done a full calibration and created a polynomial formula for your device you will not get a sensible reading from any software

When I was doing the calibration this was the message I posted

"Getting prepared to callibrate an Ispindel I turned my boiler on WITHOUT ANY WATER IN IT

After 10 mins or so the element became hot enough to melt the floor of the plastic bucket

I now have a bucket that does not hold water

So I then decided to make myself a coffee to relax a bit - so I set the machine working then came back to find the coffee all over the work top - I had forgotten to put a cup there

Then it took me over 5 hours to callibrate the Ispindel

Now enjoying some Old Tom"

Hope you have better luck than I

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

Yes it seems strange to me

Wonderful - well done

Managed to get mine working finally on Monday (2 days ago) - The degree 3 polynomial was giving silly SG readings e.g. beginning OG of 0.908

So I changed it to the degree 2 version

Haven't stopped playing with the gadget since

Same here - the 3rd degree polynomial was too long to save correctly. I’m not too bothered about absolute accuracy just tracking progress. My first fully controlled brew is running in Brewfather & SG is dropping linearly. Very happy with my iSpindel.

 

[kelper]

In the polynomial, just use the first four or five digits eg 1.2345 or 0.3456 - that's is plenty of accuracy.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

In the polynomial, just use the first four or five digits eg 1.2345 or 0.3456 - that's is plenty of accuracy.

Didn't know that

This is the one that the calibration tool created

0.9398635031172293 + 0.003224832210335211 *tilt-0.00004463785576851402 *tilt*tilt + 3.7003713912596443e-7 *tilt*tilt*tilt

Basically - this is "over the top" then

Thanks

 

[Doive]

Out the box the iSpindel should have a 'base map' polynomial that will give you interpretive gravity readings that will likely be slightly off. I tried the sugar in water calibration method, but found it to be such a faff that I abandoned it after two attempts, and simply made a brew instead. Dropped the device into it, and took daily gravity readings manually & recorded the tilt figures. Added that to the calibration page in BrewSpy, it spat out the polynomial and applied it. Never looked back. I use two batteries from the same manufacturer, which seem to have very slightly different masses or centres of gravity, and so the readings vary slightly, but ultimately it's the range of gravity points I focus on, and if in doubt I'll take a manual reading.

 

[kelper]

I have a Google docs spreadsheet that will give you the polynomial if anyone wishes to download it.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jw348a8IOB0m_PQfw2CZoligzrjLFMX_bizSiCYUtbM/edit?usp=sharing
Anyone can edit this so download your own copy.

It takes up to a minute to load.

Copy the formula in the chart and change every 'x' to TILT

 

[hoppyscotty]

Just done the calibration tonight and got the polynomial. Mine has the *TILT notation as per Obadiah's post above. Now I'm trying to connect to Brewfather and the tutorials on YouTube have the polynomials in the form of *TILT^2 and *TILT^3 instead of the *TILT*TILT and *TILT*TILT*TILT. I realise that these are equivalent mathematically but for Brewfather does it need to be in the previous format?

Thanks.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Just done the calibration tonight and got the polynomial. Mine has the *TILT notation as per Obadiah's post above. Now I'm trying to connect to Brewfather and the tutorials on YouTube have the polynomials in the form of *TILT^2 and *TILT^3 instead of the *TILT*TILT and *TILT*TILT*TILT. I realise that these are equivalent mathematically but for Brewfather does it need to be in the previous format?

Thanks.

I believe that for Brewfather they need to be *TILT rather than ^ for Brewfather

 

[hoppyscotty]

Brill thanks. Just configured so just waiting for Brewfather to register the device.

One more question. Is it permanently connected to the wifi when on or does it only connect every 15 mins (or whatever you set in the iSpindel configuration) to upload a data point then disconnect? I cannot see the device connected to my wifi network under the connected devices list but it has transmitted data earlier this evening when connected to Ubidots before I switched to Brewfather.

Thanks.