How To: BrewPi LCD Add-On

[CadiBrewer]

This was a good post, wbarber.

When I thought up the nano backpack the idea was for it to be small and sleek. I think the board cadi put out is pretty close to what I envisioned. 2 temp probe ports would be nice. but it's not a deal breaker.

For my builds, I'd rather have more cables inside of or on my ferm chamber or keezer and only one cable going to the enclosure for the brewpi. That being said, I could see the flexibility of adding another probe port that I would use for a room temp sensor. It would also allow flexibility for people to build things the way it suits them. But I'm not going to add the second temp probe port due to the small size of the board.

the boards look quite small and therefore affordable. personally I would have made the backpack roughly the same size as the lcd pcb so I could space out the components and make porting out the features a little easier. but small is the key thing here.

Before laying everything out, I considered going the same size as the LCD board. That would be very easy to design and you'd have room for multiple connections on the board, as well as having them stick out either side of a 3d printed enclosure. But as you said, the price was quite a bit higher for the larger board. I can't remember exactly, but it brought the board cost over $25 each, which is more than the cost of the entire build for many of us. But maybe I'll throw a version together sometime in the future for fun as an option for people to use. Perhaps someone would reciprocate and design an enclosure...

I would have put the barrel jack on the other side though. since its in the middle of the lcd like this. And not very accessible if you were to 3d print an enclosure for this setup.

This was a complete oversight on my part due to my newbness of all of this stuff. I couldn't figure out how you'd connect power to your shield inside of your enclosure if you had the barrel jack on the outside with the temp probe port. Therefore, I purposely put it on the middle of the lcd so I could hook up to it inside of the enclosure. Now I realize that I could have just added a simple 2 pin header that ties into the barrel jack port on the board for hooking up power with dupont connectors instead of the barrel jack.

the first time I envisioned a small footprint brewpi like this, I was thinking of building an all-in-one ferment jacket. something you could stick in just about any cold space and then use only a heat wrap for temp control. with a single relay board. but that was just an idea I had years ago. but I learned how versatile the tiny nano could be and I almost switched over completely to nanos over unos. who knows maybe one day I'll take to a pcb design app and try my hand at coming up with a design. in the mean time, good job on the version 2 boards. can't wait till they are finalized.

I've been completely slammed at work and on the home front and haven't had a chance to hook up temp probes or a relay to the new board for testing. I have to modify the layout for a mistake I made on the bluetooth header. I'll look at the barrel jack and see how difficult it would be to move it adjacent to the temp probe port. If I can do it quickly, I'll modify it before I throw the boards back up for people to use. If not, it will have to be a future mod. Hopefully I can get stuff tested this week and available for folks.

 

[wbarber69]

It might be more fruitful to just add say a couple pins for a header instead of trying to move the barrel jack. that way if you built a small enclosure you could use a panel mount power jack and just bring the wires to the header. just make sure the through holes are played on both sides and then you can put the header on either side of the board of you want to try to slim down the build. another port on the rj11 is t necessary, a splitter taken apart could be an easy extender and an enclosure could be built around that as well. once you get something finalized I'll take a stab at making a couple enclosures for it. one for the minimalist and one that would be all inclusive.

I haven't had a chance to look at the boards, is there any reason the electrolytic capacitor couldn't be soldered on from the bottom? or would that interfere with anything else?

 

[CadiBrewer]

Nope, no reason you couldn't solder that cap on the bottom. It doesn't stick out any further than the nano or the RJ11 jack, though, so throwing it on the back doesn't buy you much compactness...

 

[CadiBrewer]

Okay it's taken a while, but here is the 3D printed case for the Arduino with Shield:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2106553

HUGE thanks to @gromitdj for his CAD work!

I've never had anything 3D printed. What material do I want to use? PLA? Anything else I need to know about when ordering?

 

[LBussy]

I've never had anything 3D printed. What material do I want to use? PLA? Anything else I need to know about when ordering?

PLA is the more common material and that's what I use for mine.

If you plan on putting this in a place that is subject to > 100 degree heat it might warp. So, if you live in the south and this will sit in an unconditioned garage or the like, you might want it printed in ABS. ABS has more stringent print requirements, so make sure the printer/person you chose is experienced with it.

If you are using something like 3DHub I would not expect the color printing (the logo) to be a part of the quote. Have a conversation with your chosen printer if you want that.

The clearances are reasonable but in some areas they are more precise. It's not unreasonable to ask if they've calibrated their printer and it can prevent some heartache.

This print will also require supports and a more experienced person will do a better job at that.

That's about it. I had my first enclosure printed by another person while I waited for my printer to be delivered. It was generally a positive experience.

 

[CadiBrewer]

Thanks Lee. That's exactly the advice I was looking for.

 

[colenz]

So far, so good. Still need to test the bluetooth and the relay.

View attachment 392174

View attachment 392175

View attachment 392176

View attachment 392177

Could you make the micro header closer to the edge of the board to allow both the rj11 and micro usb port to be flush togeather to allow both ports to be used from the outside of the case? Same with the round port header unless it can be run off thr micro usb port alone for power for it?

 

[colenz]

Also is this correct RJ11 port for the build? https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/32736174175.html

 

[wbarber69]

PLA is the more common material and that's what I use for mine.



If you plan on putting this in a place that is subject to > 100 degree heat it might warp. So, if you live in the south and this will sit in an unconditioned garage or the like, you might want it printed in ABS. ABS has more stringent print requirements, so make sure the printer/person you chose is experienced with it.



If you are using something like 3DHub I would not expect the color printing (the logo) to be a part of the quote. Have a conversation with your chosen printer if you want that.



The clearances are reasonable but in some areas they are more precise. It's not unreasonable to ask if they've calibrated their printer and it can prevent some heartache.



This print will also require supports and a more experienced person will do a better job at that.



That's about it. I had my first enclosure printed by another person while I waited for my printer to be delivered. It was generally a positive experience.

Use pla… abs is obsolete. try Makergeeks pla, doesn't melt till the 200s in C. And it's far superior to most pla's and abs

 

[LBussy]

Use pla… abs is obsolete. try Makergeeks pla, doesn't melt till the 200s in C. And it's far superior to most pla's and abs

I agree MakerGeeks Raptor PLA is very good (and they are close to me so Ground shipping is one day). If annealed it rivals ABS in strength and heat resistance. However, I discovered that if you for instance leave a PLA part in the car in the summertime, or put it in the dishwasher, expect it to warp (especially if it is thin like this case.) PLA and Raptor specifically is not a perfect replacement but it's getting close. Being able to choose what brand of filament to use is unlikely on 3DHubs though.

ABS is far from obsolete, but the conditions which warrant it's use are narrowing. It is being improved just as the PLA filaments are. Printing with ABS now is different than it was even a year ago. The reason it is losing it's popularity is because most printers these days are not enclosed making printing in it somewhat tricky.

A good example of where ABS is called for is a print head assembly for a printer (germane since mine is a RepRap). You'd not want to print parts which are near the extruder out of PLA.

 

[wbarber69]

Actually I built a 3d printer that uses an mk8 extruder and the mount for it is built to nearly rest up against the heat block and it sees no warping at all. it's all about designing your parts with those factors in mind. But I've found as long as the sun isn't involved then pla can withstand a lot more than you think. it just tends to shrink and break down under intense uv radiation.

 

[CadiBrewer]

Could you make the micro header closer to the edge of the board to allow both the rj11 and micro usb port to be flush togeather to allow both ports to be used from the outside of the case? Same with the round port header unless it can be run off thr micro usb port alone for power for it?

I cannot make the micro header closer to the edge of the board without a large redo. I have traces going between the headers and the edge of the board that would take time to relocate. But it shouldn't matter because you can have a hole in the enclosure and still get to the micro USB. It just won't be flush with the outside of your enclosure.

Instead of moving the barrel jack, I'm going to add two pins for 9v and GND next to the barrel jack. You can put a panel mount barrel jack on the outside of your enclosure and put wires on the inside to the two pins.

Also is this correct RJ11 port for the build? https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/32736174175.html

That one only has 4 pins. The one on the build has 6 pins. Yours may still work because the two outside pins aren't used in the build, but I can't guarantee that. Look for something that is labeled rj11 6p6c.

 

[ame]

Why add two pins for the 9V supply? Surely the builder could solder leads to the pads where the barrel jack would have been?

And RJ11 6p4c ought to be fine. If the outer two pins are not connected on the PCB then it doesn't matter if they are not present in the socket.

The reverse is not true however, and the PCB should accommodate a 6p6c connector even if the outer pins have no function.

 

[CadiBrewer]

Why add two pins for the 9V supply? Surely the builder could solder leads to the pads where the barrel jack would have been?

That may work, but it would be a tough solder. The barrel jack holes are ginormous. I should be able to add the two header pins without a problem.

 

[CadiBrewer]

Ok guys, the new v2.0 board with the nano backpack is fully tested. The rotary encoder does not work and the bluetooth header needs the pins swapped. I'll make a couple of changes and give it another go. May be a week until I can get the revised board files up. Sorry for the delay...

 

[LBussy]

I thought I'd post this temp probe holder that I printed up - Donnie drafted this as well:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2203264

 

[gromitdj]

I thought I'd post this temp probe holder that I printed up - Donnie drafted this as well:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2203264

I'm surprised at how well they work, considering I only took one stab at modeling it. Thanks again!

 

[CadiBrewer]

I thought I'd post this temp probe holder that I printed up - Donnie drafted this as well:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2203264

Are you attaching your probe to the underside of the lid on your cooler?

 

[gromitdj]

I don't know about @LBussy, but I am attaching mine to the side of my refrigerator. I run a fan constantly, and just wanted something that would hold the end of the probe off the side so that I could get a more accurate reading of the chamber temp. Previously, I dangled the probe from the top, but it was either always in the way or constantly falling down.

It was a selfish favor that I asked of him, and Lee figured somebody else might be able to use it.

 

[wbarber69]

The thing about a simple 3d design these days, is that it'll be available for all mankind to use and re-design to their hearts content. I have many designs that have been remixed a dozen times or more. and I see things I made over a year ago get fresh legs every couple of months and become popular again around the community. even designs I thought could use some more work will end up with thousands of likes and downloads…

 

[LBussy]

Are you attaching your probe to the underside of the lid on your cooler?

It's on the side of the fridge (those are shelf slots). I put it where the fan will blow up on it, making sure that it is not in stale air.

 

[Borisfa]

@cadibrewer and @day_trippr, is this board version ready to receive Rotary encoder?

Thanks,

Fabiano da Mata

I've finally put together an "instructable" on how to solder up the board, including the parts list. I've put it on the DIYBrewPi Wikia for posterity's sake and because this thread is very long. Feel free to edit the wiki page if you find errors or have suggestions.

Here's the link: http://diybrewpi.wikia.com/wiki/BrewPi_Shield

As always, thanks to @day_trippr for the help and for the project to begin with.

 

[day_trippr]

All 1.x PCB versions will operate correctly with the encoder.

Otoh, the 2.x version prototype has a bug with the encoder.
I just received a blank 2.0 pcb from Mark and will be checking it out soon...

Cheers!

 

[colenz]

All 1.x PCB versions will operate correctly with the encoder.

Otoh, the 2.x version prototype has a bug with the encoder.
I just received a blank 2.0 pcb from Mark and will be checking it out soon...

Cheers!

be good to see how it goes pic of it would be great all assembled

 

[PapaFoxtrot]

Unbelievable... Fully five months after ordering them(and two months after getting a refund), my boards show up today from DirtyPCBs. I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with them now. I had decided to move on to Fermentrack, but now I've got these boards along with a 4x20 display and an Arduino in my desk drawer...

Well, one month after the reorder to replace my boards that were lost by HK Post was entered - there's no sign that the order was processed. So, three months after I first ordered the boards, I figure this one is snakebit and I requested a refund. We'll see how that goes. I'll sit back a bit and watch the revisions and decide if I want to try again or just beg a spare board off another member...

 

[CadiBrewer]

How funny is that?

Save the boards because I'm sure someone will want to take one off of your hands in the future.

As for the Arduino, I think Tthorak is adding support to Fermentrack for the legacy Arduino boards, so you should be able to use it in a future build.

 

[day_trippr]

be good to see how it goes pic of it would be great all assembled

Ok, you're on!

Here are the big chunks


V2.0 shield top side


and bottom side, with a home-brew right-angle 1x4 receptacle for the BT (or ESP Wifi) module:


Edge view showing that header with an HC-05 installed


Everything but the LCD plugged together


LCD added


End view with LCD mated


Other end


"It's Alive!"


This is a one-off as CadiBrewer has changes for the 2.next version.
But aside from a mysterious fab problem that required a short jumper wire to fix, the proof of concept looks solid...

Cheers!

 

[PapaFoxtrot]

@Bigdaddyale - tried to reply to your PM, but it wouldn't go through.

 

[Thorrak]

How funny is that?

Save the boards because I'm sure someone will want to take one off of your hands in the future.

As for the Arduino, I think Tthorak is adding support to Fermentrack for the legacy Arduino boards, so you should be able to use it in a future build.

Support for Arduino is in - I just haven't received my order of the Cadibrewer-design board to test it yet.

There's a few things that aren't complete yet - I'd like the ability to set up udev rules from within the app itself, for example, but otherwise everything should work - for devices that have already been flashed.

 

[Borisfa]

The rotary encoder is a push button rotary knob that you can mount on your enclosure and control the brewpi without having to open up the web software. You hook it up to 5v gnd and pins 7 and 8.

It works now as the board is currently designed. Some folks have asked for a header for simpler hooking up.

@CadiBrewer, my rotary encoder is KY-040. There are 5 pins: CLK, DT, SW, + and GND. Where should I connect each one to be able to use rotary encoder as a input device?

Or this encoder is not compatible?

Thanks,

Fabiano da Mata

 

[CadiBrewer]

I'm sorry if I led you astray. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that post. The encoder does not go to 5v, it goes to GND, and pins 7, 8, and 9. The push button goes to 7 and the A & B inputs from the knob go to 8 and 9.

The one you bought won't work because it is on a board that has pull-up resistors already on the board. The shield has the pull-up resistors and associated capacitors connected to pins 7, 8 and 9. You're looking for something with 5 pins, like this http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/15/EC11-951851.pdf. The two pins on one side are the GND and push button pins and the three pins on the other side are another GND and the A & B from the rotary knob. You can connect the GND pins together or just hook them to two separate GND pins on the shield.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Sorry for the misleading info. I must have had a few beers when I wrote that post...

@CadiBrewer, my rotary encoder is KY-040. There are 5 pins: CLK, DT, SW, + and GND. Where should I connect each one to be able to use rotary encoder as a input device?

Or this encoder is not compatible?

Thanks,

Fabiano da Mata

 

[day_trippr]

A KY-040 could be used if the pull-up resistors on the shield for the "CLK" connection to IO8 and the "DT" connection to IO9 are removed, and the KY-040 "+" is connected to 5V at the shield.

The KY-040 does not have an integrated pull-up on its "SW" connection to IO7 (the pushbutton circuit), hence that one needs to remain on the shield.

Alternatively, remove the two resistors from the KY-040, leave all three pull-ups on the shield installed, and don't bother connecting the KY-040 "+" pin to anything...

Cheers!

 

[Borisfa]

I'm sorry if I led you astray. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that post. The encoder does not go to 5v, it goes to GND, and pins 7, 8, and 9. The push button goes to 7 and the A & B inputs from the knob go to 8 and 9.

The one you bought won't work because it is on a board that has pull-up resistors already on the board. The shield has the pull-up resistors and associated capacitors connected to pins 7, 8 and 9. You're looking for something with 5 pins, like this http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/15/EC11-951851.pdf. The two pins on one side are the GND and push button pins and the three pins on the other side are another GND and the A & B from the rotary knob. You can connect the GND pins together or just hook them to two separate GND pins on the shield.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Sorry for the misleading info. I must have had a few beers when I wrote that post...

@CadiBrewer, dont worry about it. So, what is the recommended model rotary encoder to work properly with the board?

Thanks

Fabiano da Mata

 

[Borisfa]

A KY-040 could be used if the pull-up resistors on the shield for the "CLK" connection to IO8 and the "DT" connection to IO9 are removed, and the KY-040 "+" is connected to 5V at the shield.

The KY-040 does not have an integrated pull-up on its "SW" connection to IO7 (the pushbutton circuit), hence that one needs to remain on the shield.

Alternatively, remove the two resistors from the KY-040, leave all three pull-ups on the shield installed, and don't bother connecting the KY-040 "+" pin to anything...

Cheers!

@day_trippr, I think the easiest way will be buy a correct rotary encoder. What would be?

Thanks,

Fabiano da Mata

 

[wbarber69]

You could still use the board with the resistors if you go directly to pins 7,8,9 dd on the arduino. I have a couple ky 040 boards that was using previously without a shield I added a resistor to pin 7 on the encoder board but I don't think it was necessary…

 

[Borisfa]

You could still use the board with the resistors if you go directly to pins 7,8,9 dd on the arduino. I have a couple ky 040 boards that was using previously without a shield I added a resistor to pin 7 on the encoder board but I don't think it was necessary…

@WBARBER69, which pins of KY-040 should be linked to port 7, 8 and 9? Ground and + should be linked too?

Thanks,

Fabiano da Mata

 

[day_trippr]

@day_trippr, I think the easiest way will be buy a correct rotary encoder. What would be?

This, for one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHTLWU6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
That's a 3-pack (I needed a few for my minion collective ) but just try finding a single for less than $3.88 delivered!

Bottom line, any 5 pin with push button should work...

Cheers!

 

[colenz]

Ok, you're on!

Here are the big chunks
View attachment 396470

V2.0 shield top side
View attachment 396471

and bottom side, with a home-brew right-angle 1x4 receptacle for the BT (or ESP Wifi) module:
View attachment 396472

Edge view showing that header with an HC-05 installed
View attachment 396473

Everything but the LCD plugged together
View attachment 396474

LCD added
View attachment 396475

End view with LCD mated
View attachment 396476

Other end
View attachment 396477

"It's Alive!"
View attachment 396478

This is a one-off as CadiBrewer has changes for the 2.next version.
But aside from a mysterious fab problem that required a short jumper wire to fix, the proof of concept looks solid...

Cheers!

what's the program that's being used to adjust the pcb design with? and link a link to the file of the design that can be altered by the program? just want to give it to a friend to alter it a little on the port placement. Did you solder the encoder to this prototype board?

 

[Bigdaddyale]

what's the program that's being used to adjust the pcb design with? and link a link to the file of the design that can be altered by the program? just want to give it to a friend to alter it a little on the port placement. Did you solder the encoder to this prototype board?

The files are located here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BwakCoACNDsmSWNQeS0xNVBBRFk and the program is Eagle
http://www.autodesk.com/products/eagle/overview
Note: the board in version 2.0 is not correct and has issues.

 

[CadiBrewer]

The revised 2.0 files will be up in a day or two. day_trippr helped me troubleshoot the first version. I'm almost good to go.