BrewmaniacEx Next gen Brauduino with WiFi and Web front end

[malt junkie]

So I've been teasing a little with dribs and drabs of info on this. At last the boards arrived!!! I'll start soldering up a few over the next week or so I still have some parts on their way, though these are local so should take no more than a week or two to get in.

The project was derived from Ardbir which derived it's origins from the original Matho's controller. The board I've created is a bolt in for Lael's kit purely to make initial testing easier, I'm still to sort standoff sizings, but screw holes seem to line up ok.

This first board has some screen printing missing (hey it's my first try, something had to go wrong), lets just hope the workings are all there. I'll be soldering up three of these, then make some updates; get the screen print right, and get some more printed.

This is the thread on the project on HBT and the Github page.
Pic to come.

ED: To round the features list:

• PID auto tune
• PID mash control with pump control
• PID HLT control
• WIFI with web interface
• Import of BeerXML
• Logging with export feature
• Current foot print to fit Laels KIt
• 4x20 LCD and 4 button input as per Matho's/Ardbir/Laels controller

I'm sure I've forgotten something I'll update if I have.

 

[malt junkie]

Some of the changes I'll make are simple tidying of traces, though I also want to change the screw terminals to 5mm and use a different 7805. I also want to move the pump header to tidy the wiring. At this point even I will have to break out a diagram to see where what goes! Next revision should be all good!

Cheers
Mike

 

[blotto]

Sweet, great work! I've really been looking forward to this.

 

[megabyte]

Subscribed.

 

[bevan]

Me too

 

[matho]

The esp8266 is an impressive bit of kit, I was made aware of it only a few weeks ago when I started looking into wifi. I was thinking it could be used exactly the way brewmaniacEX have. It's so cheap too. Awesome job.

 

[claypot]

Great stuff M.J,
I'd be keen to get one if it goes ahead. The auto tune on the PID will be awesome too.
Cheers mate!

 

[malt junkie]

So haven't here recently.

As with all Development there are wins and losses, progress and hold ups. Well lets say there's been a bit of everything. The laptop with all my files for this crashed (yes I am qualified in IT and should know better but windowsupdate sux!) Also I found the onboard SSR doesn't fit the foot print in eagle.

Upside is I'll recover what if any files I require tomorrow, and anything else I can just down load.

The SSR issue means I'll only produce 1 board from what I have and only to test all circuits are as they should be, Guys this is no great loss I never intended to release this board there are a few changes I want to make to help with power stability and wiring of the unit particularly the placement of the pump switch. So maybe I'm a week or two back on where I planned to be. It's annoying but Development will continue until there is a board done and tested for release.

Note my meager budget at times will slow me down but this is some thing I really want done.

cheers

Mike

 

[matho]

Keep up the good fight Mike, Eagle footprints are a PITA, the ribbon connector I used on the original board was back-to-front, I picked it up just before I ordered my boards. You should be on Linux BTW .

 

[malt junkie]

On ya Matho!!! spent the day mucking around with 6 different drives, trying to get one setup for the other laptop to load Debian, windows has always had issues with hard drive errors. And still Microsoft persist with a file system invented in the mid 90's.

If it weren't for direct X and a few other API's the world would be running of Lynux.

Right now.... I hate Bill!!!

 

[malt junkie]

Despite effort I can't seem to upload a pic I'll come back and try again this evening. At this stage I just need to load some software and hook up the HV

 

[malt junkie]

ok so it was a Lynux thing not our wonderful new website that was stopping me upload pics

Yeah by the time I finished soldering this the other night, many beers has been consumed so a few of the pins resemble my state at the time but it should all work. I'll be loading software and doing the HV this weekend, I am waiting on standoffs, though that shouldn't hamper me too much. I'll retrieve files from the Apocalypse back up and start working on the required revisions. I'll try and get some screen shots and such as I go. Stay tuned and wish me luck.

 

[malt junkie]

Ok so playing with the sketch, my circuits have the LED as a side circuit rather than in line with actuators, in other words if the LED failed a circuit(heater or pump as the case may be) could be live without the LED lighting up, Should I have the LED wired at fail safe? The controller itself would still show a live circuit. @matho @zwitter @lael @Camo6

 

[Camo6]

We can tag people in posts now? Cool.
This thread is way above my pay grade MJ. Something that I'd love to get into at some stage. Can you upload the circuit diagram?
Without knowing your wiring, I probably wouldn't be wiring any leds in series with a load. You'll likely pick up on the fact a pump or heater isn't working even if the led remains lit. As all risk of touch potential should remain inside the controller, proper steps can be taken to isolate before inspecting. If your LV (HV is anything over 1000V ac or 1500V dc, ELV is 50V ac or 120V dc and lower ) is protected by a CB/RCD you'll likely find these forms of protection will trip in the event of component failure.
Not sure if this was the advice you were after as it looks like you electronic whizzes have this stuff covered but happy to subscribe to this thread anyway so I can learn something.

 

[MitchD]

I work on controls and I would have the LEDs driven off the control circuit for each element just like the original mathos controller/ardbir wiring schematic.
Reason being that if you want a visual indication it's better to see what the controller is trying to do rather than what the effective output is, relays stick up and fail but that is easily tested for if you know what the control circuit is doing.

You are also designing a controller, unless you are planning on going into production of an entire brewery system it is much smarter for yourself to design the controller to work for control only, leaving the end product up to the end user and their power requirements.

 

[malt junkie]

I work on controls and I would have the LEDs driven off the control circuit for each element just like the original mathos controller/ardbir wiring schematic.
You are also designing a controller, unless you are planning on going into production of an entire brewery system it is much smarter for yourself to design the controller to work for control only, leaving the end product up to the end user and their power requirements.

This is a bolt in replacement PCB/LCD for Matho's controller/ardbir specifically Laels kit, neither Matho's board nor Daniel Zan nor Ardbir, Nor Laels version placed any Limit on power requirements, the controllers drive relays, this is no different. (Actually The controllers I mentioned are all 12v, this board will run 5v due to the micro controller, however there is a power regulator on board to go from 12v down to 5v)

Currently the LED are driven by the control circuit (parallel) but not in series, so with a missing or failed LED the circuit can still function, I believe your saying to make it inline (inseries) so it will fail safe. And this was what I was also thinking.

 

[MitchD]

Brush up on your terminology and cut out the attitude if you want help.

Like I said you want the led on the CONTROL CIRCUIT, which part it is in is really irrelevant (imo) but no I wouldn't have it in series. I'd have it just as I said before, exactly how it is in the original schematic, parallel. You do not want a failed led being the component that stops an output from working and if a ssr/relay/whatever fails you want to see if the controller is working (led on, relay dead) or if the controller is dead (no led, relay also not working)

As for power requirements I meant what voltages are being controlled au, UK, us, as that's what you are making, a controller. I'm well aware of how these things work as I have one built from scratch (mathos) and another based on a particle photon. I just don't **** on about it all over the internet.

 

[malt junkie]

Brush up on your terminology and cut out the attitude if you want help.

Like I said you want the led on the CONTROL CIRCUIT, which part it is in is really irrelevant (imo) but no I wouldn't have it in series. I'd have it just as I said before, exactly how it is in the original schematic, parallel. You do not want a failed led being the component that stops an output from working and if a ssr/relay/whatever fails you want to see if the controller is working (led on, relay dead) or if the controller is dead (no led, relay also not working)

As for power requirements I meant what voltages are being controlled au, UK, us, as that's what you are making, a controller. I'm well aware of how these things work as I have one built from scratch and another based on a particle photon. I just don't **** on about it all over the internet.

If you pull the LED from Laels Board, that circuit will not function. Hence why I asked the question. And I'm not spending hours ******* around or having a **** for personal gain. You built one for yourself. cool! Notice you didn't share that with everyone. Which is what this thread and community is about, sharing. The board I currently have works just fine for me, despite an issue with the SSR foot print, I could quite happily leave it as it is. However there are another few hundred people out there with this controller (Laels/ Matho's) that may like to have the opportunity to upgrade their systems too. Some of these people lack even my meager skills with a soldering iron, much less board Fabrication and circuitry.

I know I'm still learning this. Not stating I know everything as you are.
My post count is for this log in name, my original started the Matho's controller thread, and the reason you were able to make one.
I've come across you now in two threads, both both times we seemed to have bumped heads shall will call it quits or do I put you in the IGGY BOX?

 

[MitchD]

Not sure which version of the schematic lael used but I've had LEDs die on mine and it works fine, maybe have a look at the various boards developed and find the one with the led in parallel.

I didn't post my build because ahb doesn't need multiple build threads all about the same thing, it functions just as designed and well documented in the original mathos thread, thanks for starting.

The 2 times we've butted heads are the malt pipe thread where you lead with misleading information. Most builds I've seen/helped build are top down, qldkev did a great write up and I based my system and a mates off it with great results. No need for another build thread from me on that. The other time is this thread where you asked a question and I gave an answer which from an electrician/controls pov made sense, if you wanted to know more you can just ask.

My post count is low because there is so much info already here with the search function, but when I see a question I can answer or incorrect info I will step in, am I a know it all? My wife thinks so.

 

[malt junkie]

My back ground is trains, which quite obviously have some of the biggest control systems, these are all set in series, these are all made to fail safe, in 2001 (if you live in sydney) the Cronulla branch failed for nine and a half hour because of a globe in the panel (cirrca 1936) at Sutherland. Reason being, lessons learned: in the UK in the 70's more than 100 people died because the latching speed of a signal (.02 sec) was able to fit in an approach locking gap of .05 seconds these were manually actuated levers(switches). So i guess the electricians/controls POV depends on industry.

I'm happy with the LED indicating circuit function, as you say it will make trouble shooting easier.