The Brauduino (Matho’s Controller) Build/Advice/Question Thread

[eviltabouleh]

:-(
I have killed my controller
It seems that the arduino works perfectly, I have uploaded other sketches to it
But when it is connected to the shield it just lights up the LCD and thats it shows over so long and thanks for the fish

Is there anything that I can test / try
How much would a replacement shield be, are there spares? or have I just nuked the LCD

many cheers
Greg

 

[LiquidCurrency]

Beautiful piece of work! Yes you can select manual, and change the temp to match the setting you want. If you haven't already, run through the config on the unit.

Lael I see that the version in the video is 2.8.3 whereas mine is 2.6.7

How can I download the current version and how do I go about programming in to my controller?

Chris

 

[zwitter]

Hi eviltabolegh. (Yeah never was good at spellin)

Try turning the contrast pot. That is the little adjustable thing near the LCD. Sometimes the display is there but no contrast so it does not show up.

There are probably lots of things to do to test but all depends on your technical and electrical knowledge.

Where in this big brown land are you? I am in the northern bits of Sydney and can look at it for you.

Lael probably has spare bits you could purchase from him.

I have blown up a couple of Arduinos in various projects. What alternate programs have you loaded to it? Blink is a bit basic to do any serious testing.

If you are confident in sketch writing you could set it to blink the outputs sequentially or read inputs and send out through the serial monitor etc.

You have lots of support through the forum.

I would suggest you disconnect all 240v from the project so as to avoid electric shock.

The display and outputs only works when it is powered from 12v as the outputs reference 12v

You could write a sketch to read the 4 input buttons to change the state of buzzer, pump, heater and write something to display as a test.

If you have a digital voltmeter there are things you can do to test some bits.

Let us know your level of ability and tools at hand and we can talk you through some of the basics.

James
Zwitter


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[malt junkie]

Lael I see that the version in the video is 2.8.3 whereas mine is 2.6.7

How can I download the current version and how do I go about programming in to my controller?

Chris

Lael has a video link (somewhere in this thread)that shows how to do this. Only takes a few minutes, I'd link you up but lost all my links to PC death 2015 :angrysadly many files were lost).

I feel remorseful at their loss (the files) so better be off to have a beer in fond remembrance. :icon_cheers:

 

[eviltabouleh]

Me too Twitter!

I'm in Newcastle and don't get over the hawkesbury often.

I have a multimeter and can do most things with it. I work in IT so what I can't do I can google the **** out of
I only ran the blink sketch to do testing but I may have ran up a one wire temp sketch outputting to serial. I have another LCD but I dont recall if I tested it in the same pin outs And it's not the same as the shield lcd..I struggled
I have another Arduino but it isn't the same model..Chinese knockoff

I played with the pot as soon as it was unresponsive ... Read it in the install manual a while back

I'm not highly skilled in writing sketches but I can cut and paste and change the odd pinouts etc to suit

All 240 has been removed and all of my testing has been done with 12v attached

Hit me with some things to try

Hi eviltabolegh. (Yeah never was good at spellin)
Try turning the contrast pot. That is the little adjustable thing near the LCD. Sometimes the display is there but no contrast so it does not show up.
There are probably lots of things to do to test but all depends on your technical and electrical knowledge.
Where in this big brown land are you? I am in the northern bits of Sydney and can look at it for you.
Lael probably has spare bits you could purchase from him.
I have blown up a couple of Arduinos in various projects. What alternate programs have you loaded to it? Blink is a bit basic to do any serious testing.
If you are confident in sketch writing you could set it to blink the outputs sequentially or read inputs and send out through the serial monitor etc.
You have lots of support through the forum.
I would suggest you disconnect all 240v from the project so as to avoid electric shock.
The display and outputs only works when it is powered from 12v as the outputs reference 12v
You could write a sketch to read the 4 input buttons to change the state of buzzer, pump, heater and write something to display as a test.
If you have a digital voltmeter there are things you can do to test some bits.
Let us know your level of ability and tools at hand and we can talk you through some of the basics.
James
Zwitter
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[zwitter]

So can I just use ET?

Ok so 12v is correct?
Find 5v pin and measure?
Should be ok if blink ran?

Other Arduinos should be ok as long as the sketch compiles into the available space.
You will need to choose the version when you compile. Also need to chose language and board and display size etc. it is all in the initial instructions. If you need more details send me a PM and will write some more tomorrow night.

Be very sure it plugs in the right way round.

Or write a basic sketch to turn pump on and off. Use blink and just add lines to set the pins for pump and heater. Maybe alternate?

If this works then try to initialise the lcd and see if can get any character on the display.

Good luck.

You can post it to me if you like as an option and I will take a look.
James

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[terragady]

Lael I see that the version in the video is 2.8.3 whereas mine is 2.6.7

How can I download the current version and how do I go about programming in to my controller?

Chris

You can find it here:
https://github.com/terragady/ArdBir

All you have to do is dowload and flash via Arduino IDE.

Also there is a nice software better than ardbir from netherland guy if you are interested

 

[Mardoo]

Tell us more about this nice software, please.

 

[terragady]

I think I was posting it here already but it is here:

unfortunately forum is in dutch
http://www.hobbybrouwen.nl/forum/index.php?topic=31472

but software itself is english and some desc is in english
https://github.com/mbroek/MBSE-ArdRims

 

[LiquidCurrency]

I think I was posting it here already but it is here:

unfortunately forum is in dutch
http://www.hobbybrouwen.nl/forum/index.php?topic=31472

but software itself is english and some desc is in english
https://github.com/mbroek/MBSE-ArdRims

Thanks Terragady. Hate to be a PITA but are you able to jot down some step by step instructions on how to download and upload the files you've mentioned?
On the link's you've share there multiple files to download. Which do I use?

 

[LiquidCurrency]

^^ I'm new to ArdBir

 

[LiquidCurrency]

Do we have any instructional videos on the Set Automation function? Just trying to get my head around how to program my temp and time steps in.

 

[malt junkie]

LC,
if you follow the PDF instruction manual I posted a few pages back you should be all good.

Mardoo,
I've just finished the Board schematic for the WIFI version, I'll be having boards fabbed over the next month, if your system is operational happy for you to help beta test. It uses a web page interface, so yes you'll be able to brew from your phone. All the other buttons and bits are still operational.

Lael,
check your inbox

 

[Mardoo]

Very interesting MJ!

 

[terragady]

LC,
if you follow the PDF instruction manual I posted a few pages back you should be all good.

Mardoo,
I've just finished the Board schematic for the WIFI version, I'll be having boards fabbed over the next month, if your system is operational happy for you to help beta test. It uses a web page interface, so yes you'll be able to brew from your phone. All the other buttons and bits are still operational.

Lael,
check your inbox

Can you say something more? Are you developing new firmware for this or are you using one existing? ESP board?

 

[malt junkie]

Can you say something more? Are you developing new firmware for this or are you using one existing? ESP board?

Based on wemos mini, firmware is BrewmaniacEx by a member of HBT. The board I've designed will be a direct bolt in replacement(Laels KIt). The controller runs and serves it's own PHP web pages and has the ability to import beerxml (any budding web designers can have a swing at making the web interface a bit more flash). Also saves logs of each brew day. There is an extra actuator for HLT and space in the code for a second temp sensor. I have some of the final tidying up to do (mainly labels etc) this week before it gets sent off for prototyping. Somewhere around 6 units will be made and tested.
At this time it's not clear on costs, Lael will give everyone a heads up once we're happy the unit and firmware are solid, then the "buy list" will begin, as before, the more participants, the bigger the saving for every one.
Fingers crossed the first board has no errors, and we can sail through the testing phase. The current design is a little over engineered in a few areas, this may change due to costs ( an onboard SSR will cost more than the total cost the rest of the parts to go on the board, as we all found with Laels kit the onboard relay worked well and orders of magnitude cheaper).
I'll keep you guys updated when I have some news, just be aware after sending off the design it could be 6 weeks or more before they are produced and then snail mail across the globe. When I have hardware in my hand I'll start a new thread with pictures etc.

 

[terragady]

oh ok I know Vito and Brewmaniac and BrewPiLess and I have boards for both using Wemos D1 and also one from robotdyn. Works pretty nice now. There is this dutch guy who is also working on soft for ESP. Do you use I/O extender in your board?

 

[malt junkie]

oh ok I know Vito and Brewmaniac and BrewPiLess and I have boards for both using Wemos D1 and also one from robotdyn. Works pretty nice now. There is this dutch guy who is also working on soft for ESP. Do you use I/O extender in your board?

Yeah same as stated in Vitto's original schematic, I only just got my boards for BrewPiLess and still waiting for parts from china once thay arrive The soldering station will be getting bussy. Note matho's original board files have been available for years to anyone who wanted to make one and obviously the same with Ardbir. However there were a lot of people a bit intimidated with soldering up a board, and the whole gambit of sourcing parts and making them fit in something that look halfway decent.
Lael put together a kit with everything, that was easily bolted together(CNC'ed case, electrical conectors and heatsink with all holes predrilled and tapped) this made it really easy for anyone to have a quality controller.
The idea with my board design is to provide an easy bolt in upgrade for that kit for the more than 200 people who bought one.

I have one of the first 10 boards ever made by matho, and I have one of Laels kits, though I have yet to fire up Laels kit for a brew( I have wired it and tested); my original does the Job well(70L brauclone), and I am only just getting together my single batch brauclone.

Looking forward to using the new system when it's done, let us know how the BrewmaniacEx firmware has worked for you, as noted above the wait times on fabbing this stuff from here in Australia is a bit of a drag, can't wait to give it a go.

 

[terragady]

Right, so you did it with logic FETs for SDA SCL signals? I think you could skip that and still power the LCD with 5V although 3v3 works also for LCD.

BrewPiLess is working great actually, at the beggining heat and cool is working almost all the time switching on and off to stabilize temperature and then after some time it is better. So I would change this "jumping" only. But maybe it is straight from BrewPi code. I do not know.

Brewing controller is still in testing I guess but it is usable and nice.

 

[malt junkie]

Yeah BrewPi takes a while to dial itself in (much like tuning mode for a PID) then it just does it's thing.