Matho's controller

[GibboQLD]

Hey guys, this might be a bit off topic. But i'm looking for the sketchup files for oggies case, has anyone received it? I'm looking at doing my own take on a controller (to do more stuff than just making beer with the grainfather) and as i liked his design i wanted to build on it and modify it, and the STL files, while good for printing a copy, is not really that great for modification.

Haven't tried it myself, but there's apparently a plugin for SketchUp to import/export STL files...

 

[andreas_swe]

Hey GibboQLD,

I have imported the STL files into sketchup, but the problem with that is that the when the original model is exported to STL the whole geometry and "wireframe" is divided into many smaller faces and many times triangulated. The process is also an approximation meaning that the model has not clean polygons, and many more control points making editing (and selecting right stuff to edit), very time consuming and error prone.

 

[terragady]

Hi, are there any shared boards on OSH Park which I can order?

 

[mariosab]

Hello,
Thank you very much for all the work you have shared. Now I have my ArdBir working perfectly. I am very grateful.

I would ask if anyone has tried to plot the temperature signal through the USB port using free software Stamp Plot. I've used this program with other Arduino projects and it works perfectly and in a very high quatilty screen, but when I look at the ArdBir sketcht not dare touch it because it seems like a house of cards after a lot of optimizations.

Anyone is encouraged to try? At least to point the place in the sketch to insert the sub routine...
One of the several reference links could be: http://ianlangelectronic.webeden.co.uk/#/stamp-plot/4566546858

Thanks and regards.
Please apologize my poor english

 

[terragady]

I do not think there is much space left for anything else, thats why they never implemented bluetooth etc. There is although a as I remember Taiwanease guy who did very similar software with this and bluetooth. You might check.

BTW here is my designed PCB for Arduino nano which is cheaper and works with one for 2$ from china. You can easily order one from elecrow or dirtypcb for cheap or I can send some as I ordered 10pcs and need only 1

https://github.com/terragady/ArdBir

 

[zwitter]

Hi Mariosab
Terragady is sort of correct but the final controller we supplied an Arduino Mega and it has plenty of spare room in it for additions. The original used an R3 and it does just fit the latest ArdBir but no extra space.

Why do you want to log the temp?
I guess you could and I guess could use bluetooth too.
I actually enjoy sitting and watching.

James


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[terragady]

You can connect arduino to the computer and just extract temperature reading and plot it somehow, this is durable without any additional stuff.

There is also nice project out using Raspberry Pi (any version) CraftBeerPi which I would recommend to check for everyone. PCB can be easily adopted to Raspberry, just connect GPIOs and you do not need LCD because the control is through home website (wireless or wired).

 

[mariosab]

Hello Zwitter and Terragady.

I have an Arduino UNO R3 with the Brauduino Daniel Xan shield working very well. And I want to keep this version of Arduino because one of the goals is to reach this good behavior with such low resourses.

Now I want to plot as mashing temperature varies depending on the time while being controlled by our project. This would be very useful to see the AirBir control performance and for to adjust the PID controller.


I have used in other projects the free software "Stamp Plot" alowing to graph values on the screen of any computer from Arduino through the USB connector without additional hardware.

The problem is our Arduino UNO already has a highly optimized sketch and it is necessary to know very well where to insert the required small subroutine.

This task could be more easy for the people who optimized our sketch.

If it is necessary a a little bit of free additional memory, could be erased languages and display formats that are not used.

 

[zwitter]

Hi Mariosab

Fortunately or unfortunately maybe is the ArdBir is the latest in the software for the Mathos controller and is written by a team in Italy. There are other versions and I guess as the sketch is freely available can be edited and optimised.
We chose to use a bigger capacity Arduino to allow future options and at AUD17 is hardly a big expense. Cheaper if you order direct from China or buy bulk. Certainly a lot less than the time required for someone to optimise the software to add a feature.

Generally with open source it is those who can do and those that can't take what is offered.

Me I am a hardware person and generally not so good at the software side. I can write SW but often do not have the time to learn. I am about to try and learn more in the sketch language for Arduino as I want to play with load cells to combine into some brewing projects. I have 3 kids and a very busy household so time is limited and already have too many things vying for my time but I hope to encourage the kids to learn as well. Last weekend I had my 10 year old daughter using my 350A welder and she could do better welds than me! We built a trellis for growing passionfruit and hops.

I would encourage you to give it a go and edit the sketch then test each time you are successful save it and then repeat. If it does not work go back to the previous working one and try again.
Then share the results. As long as you give credit to the people who came up with the ideas and whose work you are building on then it is all good.

James
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[MaxN68]

I tried to insert a routine for the check printing via PC and the problem is not only the space for the code.
The routine generates a lag that makes necessary the use a rtc to properly manage the mash.

 

[MastersBrewery]

I tried to insert a routine for the check printing via PC and the problem is not only the space for the code.
The routine generates a lag that makes necessary the use a rtc to properly manage the mash.

Guessing this was done with a Uno, some of us are using the mega bet it would work on that.

 

[zwitter]

You can buy an rtc= real time clock on fleabay for only a couple of bucks.

The ArdBir sw does have timing subroutine if you want to mod your addition.

James


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[MaxN68]

ArdBir use system time of Arduino, if you want to use a rtc you need coding for rtc.

Using rtc you need a new pcb board and an Arduino Mega only for a graphical pid?

In the code you can find a graphical PID, temperature and pump BUT this is for helping the pid setting.
You need other code for additional program and library.

For activation you can find the variable on reserved debug section in the code.

 

[terragady]

or more simple, buy arduino nano (clone ~2$), temp probe (1$) connect it to computer and use as an additional thermometer and you can graph and sketch whatever you want
you can add sd card and write data to it and read it later, you can add wifi as well and do it wireless. You can do it even without arduino using ESP8266 but this is a bit more work but you can have WiFi and even controller through website.

 

[GibboQLD]

Side thought -- if you have network connectivity (or the ability to add it), you could just push sensor values to a web API like Grovestreams or Plotly, which timestamps the data server-side and allows you to configure a graph that you could access from any internet-enabled device (tablet/phone/laptop/etc).

You might get a small lag of a few seconds due to server-side processing (depending on how you set it up), but you could theoretically keep an eye on your brew whenever you have to step away for a short time.

Here's what the Grovestreams one looked like when I used it for a DIY fridge controller (the graph is highly configurable) -- click for a bigger version.

 

[terragady]

there will be a lag for arduino and ardbir if you will do it that way. One more solution is to add ESP8266 directly to ardbir build and if its possible to connect same temp sensor to both, arduino and WiFi module, flash simple program to WiFi module and use thingsspeak to graph it or make http server on the module which is easy and possible. Actually this is a nice idea

 

[mariosab]

Thank you very much to Zwitter and to MaxN68, may be "the master" of this software version.
I understand the lag issue because the printing routine.

It is very easy to do it with another Arduino used only for this task.
But I still thinking in the beauty of to use as low resourses as possible with only one Arduino UNO.

The RTC option is cheap by itself, but leads to the change the shield and major changes in the sketch....

Really is not an easy task.

 

[terragady]

check this out, latest post http://vito.tw/ you just need ESP module in addition nothing else
and if you want only graph you can do what I was saying with also ESP and share temp sensor readings with it.

 

[terragady]

oh and something in addition to all,
check out the new ArdBir version by Dutch brewers here https://github.com/mbroek/MBSE-ArdRims
similar to ArdBir with something extra and new code

 

[megabyte]

Can anyone direct me to the pinout for the probe used in the Matho's Brauduino controller?

I used to wire them like this for my projects:


But I'm pretty sure it's wired up differently for the brauduino.

 

[GibboQLD]

Can anyone direct me to the pinout for the probe used in the Matho's Brauduino controller?

Don't have a Brauduino, but had a look at the build manual PDF I saved a while back -- does this help?:

Edit: This was bugging me so I (around 1m34s) -- it looks like the Brauduino has V+ and Data swapped compared to how you wire them up:



You can see the pullup resistor on the yellow data line, the red wire for V+ and of course the black wire on the ground terminal. The terminal numbering on the socket should then be 1 = top, 2 = base/ground and 3 = middle.

 

[MastersBrewery]

Can anyone direct me to the pinout for the probe used in the Matho's Brauduino controller?

I used to wire them like this for my projects:
Sensor Pinout.png

But I'm pretty sure it's wired up differently for the brauduino.

Specifically is this one of Laels kits? If so probably best to post this in the buy or build thread, specifically related to his kit as your question doesn't look to be brauduino generic if you get my drift.

 

[zwitter]

Hi
Regards pinouts.
I am almost certain that
tip is positive
the collar is signal
and the base is ground.

I found that the new pre-wired versions from the kit has a short threaded section so had to rewire my older ones and went and bought a plug wired it up and then found the plug I bought would not fit through the hole so had to chop it off and then redo it once it was fitted to the sandwich base of my pot. This was only a week back so I am almost certain the above is correct but will check tonight and correct if it is wrong.

Note that in the kit the socket has a resistor in line with the positive I think and that was so that when you plug the probe in it would not short the positive to ground and hence blow up the arduino or the probe. I am happy to say that little idea has saved soo many bits being blown up!

Zwitter
James




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[megabyte]

Edit: This was bugging me so I (around 1m34s) -- it looks like the Brauduino has V+ and Data swapped compared to how you wire them up:

Perfect, thanks!

Specifically is this one of Laels kits? If so probably best to post this in the buy or build thread, specifically related to his kit as your question doesn't look to be brauduino generic if you get my drift.

Sorry, my bad yes it is specific to Lael's kit. I didn't think it fit into the "buy" thread and didn't notice the other build thread.

tip is positive
the collar is signal
and the base is ground.

Awesome, that backs up GibboQLD's advice so the world makes sense! Brew day is tomorrow, gotta get soldering!

EDIT: Success, it works! Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

[zwitter]

Pinouts for the temp probe.

Confirmed
Tip is positive with the 470ohm resistor in line between the socket and the brauduino board. Red wire
The collar is the signal can be white or yellow
The base is ground almost always black wire

Confirmed by measuring one.

James
Zwitter


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[nfragol]

Hi guys,

Can someone be so kind as to share the Grainfather version of Open Ardbir?

Or at least share some fine tuned PID, windowsize, sampletime settings?

I've been struggling for a couple of weeks with no real success, I would deeply appreciate it.

Thanks.

 

[zwitter]

Hi nfragol

To my knowledge there is no grainfather version of ArdBir

The PID values are just like any vessel. There are guides on how to set and I think there are some values posted for others who are using the grainfather.

It is easy to adjust "on the fly". Can just use water and set the profile and sit back and enjoy a brew while watching the temps.

James


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[sixfignig]

I'm quite interested in eventually upgrading my rig to a 1V recirculation system with a PID/Matho style brew controller. I'm smart enough to not even consider 240v wiring myself, but don't think I know anyone that could help either.

If any kind soul in SE QLD would consider lending a hand at some point please send me a PM. Thought I'd post it up here instead of starting a new thread.

 

[nfragol]

Hi James,

There is a grainfather version of the Ardbir software but for some reason that's beyond me, they don't seem willing to share it with us.

The thing is that I have tried all the previous published settings but nothing seems to come close to a working solution. I constantly overshoot by 2 degrees Celsius.

One weird thing that's happening is if I change the temp probe calibration by 0.20 Celsius then the overshoot is even higher.
I don't know what to think.

 

[NealK]

I have the original mathos controller and I think I have killed my arduino uno. It will not load any sketches and when plugged in I only get the solid green light and not the flashing light that I used to get. I have ordered another arduino from ebay and I hope that somebody here can confirm for me that I have ordered the correct model for a straight swap (after I have loaded ardbir to the new board).
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/162135730111?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=461106071583&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Cheers
Neal