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Rp5brew..would you mind letting me know your PID settings for the Spyder? I'm also curious what all you're controlling with a 4024?


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Rp5brew..would you mind letting me know your PID settings for the Spyder? I'm also curious what all you're controlling with a 4024?


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I use the Niagara PID on the JACE for the heater, Do you want the P and I for that? The spyder is just dummy points

Spyder Layout
UI-1 MLT LWT
UI-2 HLT Temp
UI-3 RIMS LWT
UI-4 RIMS Heater Amperage (0-5 vdc current transducer)

DO-1 HLT Burner
DO-2 RIMS Pump

AO-1 SCR 0-10VDC signal
 
Controls Engineer (Electrical Engineer by degree). I have been in the automation field for almost 5 years.

I currently work at a chemical manufacturer. We have a lot of batch processes where we process liquids into other materials by chemical and physical means. We have thousands of valves and a few hundred pumps and VFDs.

I have been working with RSLogix and ControlLogix software, designing Ladder and Function block programming. We also use ICONICS SCADA software on a central server that is distributed to the terminals via a thin-client. I spend the rest of my time working on instrumentation (Emerson, Foxboro, Rosemount, Flowserve, MicroMotion, etc.)

The out of the box PLC's can be useful in brewing but the software lacks the flexibility to do much more than simple process control. Beyond that and you are into roll your own software application to bring all the rest of the functionality into play....

Not sure what you mean by out of the box? Click and similar? If so I agree, but they are more than enough to run a home build or even a simple pro brewery. If that's not what you meant... then you should know that PLCs (or DCS or PACs) run the entire manufacturing world. The "software" is a machine level programming language that is essentially unlimited in capability. If you are referencing the HMI/SCADA (user interface) side of things, there are numerous free/cheap options that are shockingly easier to use than you would imagine. PM me if you need more details :)

Been working in building automation for about 16 yrs now. lots of good stuff out there, have worked with Alerton, Andover, Automated Logic, Johnson, Honeywell, Trane and now lots's of Tridium.

EasyI/O is a really neat controller. Cheap, web based and lot's of points. Need Workbench to program but that's the problem with most building automation is you need licensed software.

Keep thinking of building something with all the parts i have laying around but i still like the simplicity of a propane burner. Looking at electric right now as i ran out of propane on my last boil :)

I am about to inherit a Allen-Bradley ML1200. There is some nice free HMI software out there. www.advancedhmi.com Check them out and see if they have a driver for your hardware.
 
Controls Engineer (Electrical Engineer by degree). I have been in the automation field for almost 5 years.

Mr. muhteeus you just screwed up, we expect perfection from now on.:D

As a homebrewer I don't have to live by standards.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
Anybody at light and building here in Frankfurt Germany this week?


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Controls Engineer (Electrical Engineer by degree). I have been in the automation field for almost 5 years.

Not sure what you mean by out of the box? Click and similar? If so I agree, but they are more than enough to run a home build or even a simple pro brewery. If that's not what you meant... then you should know that PLCs (or DCS or PACs) run the entire manufacturing world. The "software" is a machine level programming language that is essentially unlimited in capability. If you are referencing the HMI/SCADA (user interface) side of things, there are numerous free/cheap options that are shockingly easier to use than you would imagine. PM me if you need more details :)
Ladder logic and free HMI/SCADA packages is not what I was talking about. What I have done is build an entire SCADA software package to accomplish the tasks that I needed done with the IO hardware I chose to use.
And yes I am familiar with PLC/RIO hardware and SCADA software used on the multiple systems, campuses, and facilities that we have been building over the last 2 decades. Cant say that I have seen all of the hardware made, but a goodly share of sensors and controllers manufactured by companies around the world related to power, chemical, petroleum, paper, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, silicon, and high tech.
When you get to analog proportional control of fluids and gas in your home brewing system let me know.
 
I bought the liquid flow meters, pressure transmitters, Mass Flow controllers, Swagelok 3 way, Belimo proportional ball valves, and various RTD's and thermocouples for around $20 - $35 each on Ebay. Most expensive item was a STEC 4550 30 SLPM mass flow controller for $75. The purchase time was spread over about 9 months in 2004, but I had design and operating parameters worked out, just a process of finding parts at the right price.
Software was a couple year evolution from Java to .Net for final application that integrates recipe generation with process control and run time access to all tuning parameters.
Finished system has 32 analog points and 32 digital points for brewing and fermentation control.
 
I bought the liquid flow meters, pressure transmitters, Mass Flow controllers, Swagelok 3 way, Belimo proportional ball valves, and various RTD's and thermocouples for around $20 - $35 each on Ebay. Most expensive item was a STEC 4550 30 SLPM mass flow controller for $75. The purchase time was spread over about 9 months in 2004, but I had design and operating parameters worked out, just a process of finding parts at the right price.
Software was a couple year evolution from Java to .Net for final application that integrates recipe generation with process control and run time access to all tuning parameters.
Finished system has 32 analog points and 32 digital points for brewing and fermentation control.

I guess I haven't been looking hard enough :cross:. I need to give ebay a run through. :)
 
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