iSpindel Digital Hydrometer

[Scarabrew]

Hi guys, just build my ispindel and ran it through 2 calibration tests. It seems to be working fine but after each calibration, i test it again in plain water and keep getting a sg reading of 1.003 both times.
Cant seem to get it to 1.000. I did make a variable in ubidots though that subtracts the extra .003 but dont know if i should be doing that.

Does anybody know how to make a variable in ubidots that can show ABV value as fermentation progresses ?
Or anyway of grabbing only the initial reading of OG ?

Thanks

1 - Check your results from your calibration. Maybe the error at 1.000 could be something around 0.003.
2 - For me, I don't think that 0.003 would be a big problem. The main reason I am using iSpindel is to check when the primary fermentation has finished (attenuation is over), so if the final density is 1.009 or 1.012 it's not a big deal (for me).

3 - Yes, you can create a widget to add the ABV . Check this: http://help.ubidots.com/faqs-and-troubleshooting/derived-variables-functions

 

[DaFooze]

Need some help here please. Got an Ispindel via 3-D Mechatronic in Germany, all good.
Soldered her up as per the instructions but when I try to access the IP page it is no good. I hit the reset button on the Wemos and nothing different seems to happen.
I initially have a flashing blue LED, about a flash every 3 sec, hit the reset and still flashes every 3 sec. It's my understanding that it should flash about once a second?
There is a Wifi access point that comes up, but not Ispindel, it is a ESP number. I can connect to that, but then it all stops there.
Any ideas out there in AHB world? Anything I can go and check? I ran a ping to it and the 44byte packets were going thru, but the 56byte ones not, not sure if that means anything.

 

[Scarabrew]

Need some help here please. Got an Ispindel via 3-D Mechatronic in Germany, all good.
Soldered her up as per the instructions but when I try to access the IP page it is no good. I hit the reset button on the Wemos and nothing different seems to happen.
I initially have a flashing blue LED, about a flash every 3 sec, hit the reset and still flashes every 3 sec. It's my understanding that it should flash about once a second?
There is a Wifi access point that comes up, but not Ispindel, it is a ESP number. I can connect to that, but then it all stops there.
Any ideas out there in AHB world? Anything I can go and check? I ran a ping to it and the 44byte packets were going thru, but the 56byte ones not, not sure if that means anything.

If you see an ESP-Something wifi access point instead of "ispindel" then the BIN file wasn't flashed properly.

Try again to upload the BIN file. Are you using NodeMcu flasher?

 

[nfragol]

You need to install the firmware first before you can access the device.

get the firmware here : https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/releases

then follow this page : https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/blob/master/docs/Firmware_en.md

 

[nfragol]

1 - Check your results from your calibration. Maybe the error at 1.000 could be something around 0.003.
2 - For me, I don't think that 0.003 would be a big problem. The main reason I am using iSpindel is to check when the primary fermentation has finished (attenuation is over), so if the final density is 1.009 or 1.012 it's not a big deal (for me).

3 - Yes, you can create a widget to add the ABV . Check this: http://help.ubidots.com/faqs-and-troubleshooting/derived-variables-functions

Well the error in the excel sheet does say -0.78 P at 27.33 tilt and a plato reading of 0.0, but i cant understand how to use this error number to correct this.

I know that I can create a widget for ABV, but I am new to this. I don't know how to keep the initial reading of the ispindle for the ABV to be calculated as the fermentation progresses.

Can someone please explain what the error field in the excel sheet actually means ?

 

[Scarabrew]

Well the error in the excel sheet does say -0.78 P at 27.33 tilt and a plato reading of 0.0, but i cant understand how to use this error number to correct this.

I know that I can create a widget for ABV, but I am new to this. I don't know how to keep the initial reading of the ispindle for the ABV to be calculated as the fermentation progresses.

Can someone please explain what the error field in the excel sheet actually means ?

Try this page: http://dumpa.com.br/ispindel/calibration/

It gives you the error in gravity.

The error means the difference between the real gravity and the cslculated gravity (calculated by the 2nd or 3rd degree equation)

 

[nfragol]

this brings up 2 formulas, which one should i use ?

 

[Scarabrew]

this brings up 2 formulas, which one should i use ?

Sometimes a 2nd order equation fits better than a 3rd one. You will pick the one that has smaller errors.

 

[DaFooze]

You need to install the firmware first before you can access the device.

get the firmware here : https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/releases

then follow this page : https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/blob/master/docs/Firmware_en.md

Thanks for the reply, just a question tho, how do I determine the COM port that the Wemos is plugged into? I have it plugged into a USB.

 

[DaFooze]

Morning all,
Well I'm about to throw this thing in the bin. It just is not connecting to the computer thru any COM port. The computer doesn't make that normal "ping" sound when you connect a USB device, I just have a steady blue flashing LED. I can't see another way to load the flash bin file.
I have ordered a BAT43 diode to see if that helps as the resistor that I got sent with my pack is a 390ohm instead of a 470ohm. Not sure if that would make a difference.
Is there anyone out there that could shed some light into reasons I may not be able to connect to a computer? I have tried multiple USB's as well.
Cheers

 

[Uyllii]

Morning all,
Well I'm about to throw this thing in the bin. It just is not connecting to the computer thru any COM port. The computer doesn't make that normal "ping" sound when you connect a USB device, I just have a steady blue flashing LED. I can't see another way to load the flash bin file.
I have ordered a BAT43 diode to see if that helps as the resistor that I got sent with my pack is a 390ohm instead of a 470ohm. Not sure if that would make a difference.
Is there anyone out there that could shed some light into reasons I may not be able to connect to a computer? I have tried multiple USB's as well.
Cheers

Make sure you are using a charge and data USB cable. Some cables only charge devices and cannot transfer data. (If your phone/tablet/... can connect to PC with it it should be fine)

 

[scotthbutler]

Morning all,
Well I'm about to throw this thing in the bin. It just is not connecting to the computer thru any COM port. The computer doesn't make that normal "ping" sound when you connect a USB device, I just have a steady blue flashing LED. I can't see another way to load the flash bin file.
I have ordered a BAT43 diode to see if that helps as the resistor that I got sent with my pack is a 390ohm instead of a 470ohm. Not sure if that would make a difference.
Is there anyone out there that could shed some light into reasons I may not be able to connect to a computer? I have tried multiple USB's as well.
Cheers

Your not using a Mac are you? I had to change to a PC for it to be recognised through the USB.

 

[Korev]

Hi Guys,
I have built a brewpiless v2.6 which is working and now I have completed my iSpindel v5.8.5. However, I am stuck trying to configure the iSpindel with the brewpiless - which I suspect is my lack of knowledge about networks. If someone has a worked example on what they set up for the iSpindel Configuration and likewise the brewpiless it would really help

Thanks
Peter

 

[Scarabrew]

Hi Guys,
I have built a brewpiless v2.6 which is working and now I have completed my iSpindel v5.8.5. However, I am stuck trying to configure the iSpindel with the brewpiless - which I suspect is my lack of knowledge about networks. If someone has a worked example on what they set up for the iSpindel Configuration and likewise the brewpiless it would really help

Thanks
Peter

Hi Peter,

The BrewPiLess settings are very simple. All you have to do is click/tap at the "gravity sensor" menu and tick the "gravity sensor option,like this:

After that you must set your iSpindel like this:

You can change the "Update interval" to something shorter but I think 1 hour for gravity measurement is more than enough since we don't take a gravity reading every hour.

Any doubt, let us know!

 

[Korev]

Hi Peter,

The BrewPiLess settings are very simple. All you have to do is click/tap at the "gravity sensor" menu and tick the "gravity sensor option,like this:

After that you must set your iSpindel like this:

You can change the "Update interval" to something shorter but I think 1 hour for gravity measurement is more than enough since we don't take a gravity reading every hour.

Any doubt, let us know!

Thanks I had a few things set wrong. My next challenge is to find out the brewpiless IP - I do not have the login to the router. Perhaps I should set brewpiless as a static IP/Gateway? at least I would know what it was!
P

 

[Scarabrew]

Thanks I had a few things set wrong. My next challenge is to find out the brewpiless IP - I do not have the login to the router. Perhaps I should set brewpiless as a static IP/Gateway? at least I would know what it was!
P

You can discover your BrewPiLess IP by using an app at your smartphone called IP Tools (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appworld.iptools),

Download it and tap on "Lan Scanner". It will find all devices hooked into your network. The BrewPiLess is the one with "Expressif Inc.".

Or you can reset your BPL, log into it's SSID, tap on "Configure Wi-Fi" . At the end of the page you can find the Static IP options (only available at the 2.5 and newer versions)

 

[Korev]

You can discover your BrewPiLess IP by using an app at your smartphone called IP Tools (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appworld.iptools),

Download it and tap on "Lan Scanner". It will find all devices hooked into your network. The BrewPiLess is the one with "Expressif Inc.".

Or you can reset your BPL, log into it's SSID, tap on "Configure Wi-Fi" . At the end of the page you can find the Static IP options (only available at the 2.5 and newer versions)

Some progress today, I think - I had to use a different program for my Windows laptop which provided the IP of the brewpiless . Using your suggested settings didn't work. So I used Putty to see what the iSpindel was doing (not that I know what a good message looks like!) then reconfigured and connected to Ubidots and confirmed that the iSpindle was working with 20s updates.

Then I set a static IP address in both brewpiless and Spindel also configured an update interval of zero and it brought up the iSpindel details on the brewpiless interface - progress

But when I reconfigured the iSpindel to a 360s interval it stopped working again - I have left the putty connected to log overnight

P

 

[Scarabrew]

Well, there is no reason to fix the ispindel IP to static. And even when you change the interval to 0 s the isoindek is able to update around 20 to 30s, that's it as minimum.

 

[Korev]

Well, there is no reason to fix the ispindel IP to static. And even when you change the interval to 0 s the isoindek is able to update around 20 to 30s, that's it as minimum.

I think that there must be something wrong at the brewpiless end as the ispindel worked fine to ubidots

Perhaps I should re flash the brewpiless?

P

 

[Scarabrew]

Sometimes this is the best way to solve an unknown problem. Let's try it.