Matho's controller

[lael]

yeah, any of the 20x4 on ebay should work. the hd44780 is the controller you need (which they all use).

Provided you are willing to wait:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-2004-204-20X4-Character-LCD-Display-Module-Blue-Blacklight-For-Arduino-/271061312409?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item3f1c836399

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-2004-204-20X4-Character-LCD-Module-Display-For-Arduino-/190671615309?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item2c64e9f54d

 

[zwitter]

Hi Lael

I see no electrical reason that 2 SSRs cant be used other than the power sockets you are using are probably only good for 10-12 Amps and elements of 2400w draw 10 Amps each. So you would need to either up the input to a 15amp type socket or better or have 2 inputs and split the heaters on separate circuits, so one 240v ac input goes to one SSR and the second to the other SSR. Then see if you can plug them into different circuits in your brew area.

The connectors are physically very close together so will not be much plastic to hold them in place.. A decent wiggle getting the plugs in or out may crack the case.

You could mount the second SSR in a second housing and just have the signal wire come to a small socket and then across to the second SSR.

I was surprised when I first saw the board that a second SSR or triac had not been used for the pump. I guess the relay is better suited for 12v dc pumps. (Triacs are for AC only)

Regards
James

quote name="lael" post="1171921" timestamp="1399679943"]Thinking about running two ssrs to run two heating elements. Masters told me it is ok according to matho (that the output from the brauduino can run multiple SSRs for the heating), so I'm tempted to do it... mostly just because I can, but also because I'm tempted to have two elements inside the pot IF I can work out how to make it work / fit. Power would come into the box on the left and go to the heat / pump. Secondary heating comes in on the right to ssr and output just left of it.

first question - if the second ssr is not being used (no AC) will it still get hot? (will still be connected to the heat ports, so still being switched.)

second question - is it ok to place them this close together (right next to each other).
I'm thinking about using a heatsink like: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200801372125?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

anyone have experience / knowledge about this?

any other thoughts / comments?[/quote]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[MastersBrewery]

I was thinking the same regarding a second box. I was think down the old brewtroller method of having all low voltage in one and all high voltage in another with signal wires conecting. In this scenario I was going to use a third SSR for the pump thus decoupling it from the controller further.

MB

 

[lael]

Hi Lael

I see no electrical reason that 2 SSRs cant be used other than the power sockets you are using are probably only good for 10-12 Amps and elements of 2400w draw 10 Amps each. So you would need to either up the input to a 15amp type socket or better or have 2 inputs and split the heaters on separate circuits, so one 240v ac input goes to one SSR and the second to the other SSR. Then see if you can plug them into different circuits in your brew area.

Excellent - thats the plan - one on left, one on the right.

The connectors are physically very close together so will not be much plastic to hold them in place.. A decent wiggle getting the plugs in or out may crack the case. - I was wondering about that too..

You could mount the second SSR in a second housing and just have the signal wire come to a small socket and then across to the second SSR. - good idea. I would like one case though. I might stick with the one SSR... not that passionate about having two elements mounted in the pot. I need to check ramp times on my big system though.

I was surprised when I first saw the board that a second SSR or triac had not been used for the pump. I guess the relay is better suited for 12v dc pumps. (Triacs are for AC only) I think some of the Italian guys may have mentioned they were making changes to this on the ArdBir version?... I'm not sure. It does work well though. I'm using a kaixin pump without issues.

Regards
James

 

[neo__04]

In regards to this, and having a second enclosure... I was thinking as an addon to mathos controller, I was playing with the idea of having a flow meter and 12v solenoid to control the strike water. Got an arduino script running which counts current flow of water and accumulative total.

Im thinking of having another arduino uno with screen in a seperate enclosure to serve a few different purposes. Lets call it an add on.
It can do strike water in, maybe some programming for a hop dropper at various stages of boil...

Anyone done anything similar?

 

[MastersBrewery]

In regards to this, and having a second enclosure... I was thinking as an addon to mathos controller, I was playing with the idea of having a flow meter and 12v solenoid to control the strike water. Got an arduino script running which counts current flow of water and accumulative total.

Im thinking of having another arduino uno with screen in a seperate enclosure to serve a few different purposes. Lets call it an add on.
It can do strike water in, maybe some programming for a hop dropper at various stages of boil...

Anyone done anything similar?

I think the hop dropper is quite ambitious, but most of the work is already coded for hop additions, so instead of sounding an alarm you could have it fire one of the spare pins, so no need for a second controller for that. Unfortunately I don't think there would be enough space to run code for a flow meter though.
from memory matho said there were 2 spare pins available, so actuating a device to drop hops should be a piece of cake!

 

[neo__04]

yeah, well thats a fair point, didnt think of working it in with the original code. I know the memory is basically maxed out, thats why i was going to run it on a seperate uno.

 

[MastersBrewery]

I think if you dropped the credits, and it was just a matter of firing a pulse, the code would probably fit. But motor control and the like I think would be out.

 

[MaxN68]

If you compile from linux there should be enough space.
All tests compilation that I did not give me a difference of space between Lubuntu and Windows equal to 852bytes, there is just to understand what it is used (libraries, hardware, etc.)

 

[saviothecnic]

Italy
Fatemi capire bene cosa volete fare.
Un Idea che si puo avere è :
Premetto che gia sto pensando ad UN PCB avanzato
che montera Arduino Mega 2560

Volendo dato che gestiamo 10 Luppoli basta che al programma si dice che ad ogni luppolo alza un uscita divera nel 2560 non abbiamo problemi di uscite
E ad ogni luppolo si collega un dosatore come questo

Oppure volete usare Luppoli liquidi in quel caso il tutto è piu compatto e basta 10 tubi comandati da 10 solenoidi On-Off il pcb hw sarebbe identico

ENG Tradotto google








Let me understand what you want to do.
An idea that you can have is:
I state that I'm already thinking of advanced PCB A that will mount the Arduino Mega 2560

Wanting given that we manage 10 hops just that the program is said to every hop up an exit scouted in 2560 we do not have problems outputs
And at every hop you connect a dispenser like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1IwfZIiVXiA#t=205

You want to use liquid hops in that case the whole is more compact and just 10 tubes 10 solenoids controlled by the On-Off pcb hw would be identical

 

[booargy]

unfinished control box second with 20x4. Mega fits Brauduino but not in box.

 

[arzaman]

Little bit squeezed but everything is in including LCD 20x4

 

[lael]

Little bit squeezed but everything is in including LCD 20x4

Doesn't the SSR get hot without a heatsink?

 

[lael]

Booargy - might be worth trying: https://digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,892,893&Prod=CHIPKIT-UNO32

 

[lehtinel]

Got my controller going properly:

Issue with the LCD backlight was a short on the LCD unit, where the backlight runs over the PCB edge, an image to show the point:

 

[booargy]

Booargy - might be worth trying: https://digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,892,893&Prod=CHIPKIT-UNO32

I have a PCduino but I am thinking the mega is better for the code side of things. I have a nice shiny stainless sloped top enclosure for the final build and 7" touch screen would be nice.
Funny I was setting up for 100L batches in 3V have all the pots but small things grow into big things. but then I need to build a crane.

 

[arzaman]

Doesn't the SSR get hot without a heatsink?

Indeed the SSR is mounted on a DIN rail that in some way works as an heatsink.
In my preliminary test with 2.5kw heating element / 220v AC and PWM duty cycle of 4s the SSR became slightly warm

Davide

 

[arzaman]

Im thinking of having another arduino uno with screen in a seperate enclosure to serve a few different purposes. Lets call it an add on.
It can do strike water in, maybe some programming for a hop dropper at various stages of boil...

Anyone done anything similar?

We have discussed this couple of requirements (water level control and automatic hop dropping) few times also in Italian project but at the end of the day we declare this feature as "nice to have" focusing on the core and basic feature producing a powerful and easy to use no frill sw and as max stated reaching the limit of UNO platform

In principle a part from memory constrain but requirements can be "easly " accommodated

For the flow control the main issue is related to the low precision offered by low cost flow meter based on digital encoder.
Other technique based on pressure sensor or ultrasonic volume measurement are more complicated

On hop dropper the logic is already present and all the hop additions are addressed (now just drive the buzzer) so is not so difficult to drive a servo or a relay or another actuator. I think main complexity is on mechanical part...unless I have seen somewhere on the net such a mechanism.

Let's see how project will evolve the important thing is that you provide us your feedback in order to fix any residual bug on current version and any suggestions for new features

Stay tuned
Davide

 

[elpiratilla]

It's not finished but it is lagging mine.

 

[elpiratilla]

Questions: Do we have the PCB Matho you can replace the LCD 16x2 20x4 LCD by using the code ArdBir?