How To: BrewPi LCD Add-On

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alexlark said:
Yea I was going to PM you and ask if you were still using SSRs
Click to expand...


On the brewpi I use with the LCD I do yes, but I find as my fermentation chamber is in the cellar I use my phone to get the temp more often than not. So I use the cheaper relay and don't have an LCD attached.
 
alexlark said:
Just a quick question, I'm using Thorrak's amazing ESP8266 build and recently had LCD scrambling. I read from circa. page 70 of this thread, where there is mention of LCD scrambling, and then not a big mention of it after that. Is this an issue for anyone still? Cheers
Click to expand...

It's endemic to the DM2004, unfortunately. There's something on that display board - or inside the HD44780 controller - that is susceptible to voltage noise. And the versions that sport the I2C backpack have the same problem, so it doesn't have anything to do with the interface.

iirc, @ame came up with a hack to the BrewPi hex code version 0.2.4 that executes the LCD initialization routine every so often and thus clear out any gibberish. I don't think he did the same with the latest/0.2.10 version...

Cheers!
 
Use Xloader to install the hex file.
I was never able to get the Nano clone loaded using the BrewPi gui.
Then use the BrewPi gui to reset/clear the eeprom and you should be good to go...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
Use Xloader to install the hex file.
I was never able to get the Nano clone loaded using the BrewPi gui.
Then use the BrewPi gui to reset/clear the eeprom and you should be good to go...

Cheers!
Click to expand...
[Then use the BrewPi gui to reset/clear the eeprom/QUOTE] I Tried that a couple of times. what setting in Xloader?
Click to expand...
 
I actually used the Uno/Mega328 selection right below.
The chip is a Mega328 either way, I figured the hex file was generated for an Uno, so...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
I actually used the Uno/Mega328 selection right below.
The chip is a Mega328 either way, I figured the hex file was generated for an Uno, so...

Cheers!
Click to expand...
I tried using the Uno selection the first time but it was taking forever and I got impatient and pulled the plug. I did get a steady short red blast from theTXD LED so it must have been doing it's thing.I'll try again and let it go till it stops
 
Back in business. Swapped out the nano with one from a different supplier and everything works. I'm going to try and reload the bootloader on the other nanos just to see if I can get them to work. Now to fire up Bluetooth.
 
alexlark said:
@Mikmonken any chance of a photo of your build with SSRs?
Click to expand...

are you after the wiring?

My SSR Brewpi actually acts as a Sousvide, so doesn't have anything attached on the cold side.

but in terms of wiring this gives you a good example of how it should be wired.

956afc2b8a27daa18ab18b84a75d801682efdbc5.jpg


then going from the SSR to the Arduino ground goes to ground, and then the + goes to heat or cool pin, you don't need to connect to vcc pin from the SSR.
 
I've purchased one of the 8A SSR boards. I'll report back once received. At 8A this should be OK for the startup amps on a fridge. Hopefully the form factor will allow an easy swap for Sainsmart users IF it reduces/stops LCD screen scramble.
 
What's the max peak amp of your fridge, cause compressor and fan motors spike up quite a bit higher than their running amperage when they initially kick on…
 
I'm not too sure, not at home for another week. I've been running 2 small under counter fridges, 1 tall larder freezer and a florescent light off a 13A supply for a long time. The fridge also has no fan, just a compressor.

I'll try and find the specs online. I read about higher amps for the first 5-10 seconds. I know the 2A boards incorporate a 2A fuse but no mention of a fuse with the 8A boards. I'm running the 2 fridges off separate 10A fused spurs, although the fuses are not quick blow.
 
I've found the rating of my fridge, 80W. I previously thought it was higher. Anyway at 230V and 10x the amps this is still only 3.47A. Even if the compressor spiked 20x at startup this would be 6.94A. I 'should' be OK with those 8A SSRs. Just depends on their quality. I've read positive reviews of the relays themselves but no reviews on the actual board.
 
BrewPi is running with the new Version 2.01 Nano shield but I still have a few problems
1: I can't get the LCD to work. Backlight lights up but no data. I went with R 13 option non-dimming backlight. I tried it first W/O the encoder then with the encoder- no change. 5V power source plugged into the shield and pi plugged into phone charger port.USB cable from pi to nano
2: Sensors show up in devices but do not display temperature.
I'm still working on installing the HC-05.
 
day_trippr will probably chime in with a smarter answer, but I'm guessing part of the problem is your power supply. You'll want between 7 and 12 volts, with 9 being optimal.
 
5V at the barrel connector is never gonna work.

I've done tons of experimenting with input power while hunting for the elusive LCD Scramble, and anything below 9V at the input is asking for reliability problems...

Cheers!
 
Built the 3D case from Lee Bussy and it's BEAUTIFUL! Thanks to everyone that worked on this project.

One question about powering the Arduino/shield: I have the power supply board specified in the project connected to the 5v pin on the shield and all works well. The question is, can I also plug in the RaspberryPi into the USB port of the Arduino? Or do I need to disconnect the 5V from the power supply first? I just don't want to damage the Arduino/shield or the Rpi...
 
is there any schematic in order to print a board on coper-board instead of breadboard or protoshield?
pcb print here in Greece is too expensive.....
 
hinkensj said:
Built the 3D case from Lee Bussy and it's BEAUTIFUL! Thanks to everyone that worked on this project.

One question about powering the Arduino/shield: I have the power supply board specified in the project connected to the 5v pin on the shield and all works well. The question is, can I also plug in the RaspberryPi into the USB port of the Arduino? Or do I need to disconnect the 5V from the power supply first? I just don't want to damage the Arduino/shield or the Rpi...
Click to expand...
This is what I received from @day_trippr . Any mistakes are mine from transcription:

There's a FET that when enabled connects the USB 5v to the 5v rail. That FET needs to be removed - shown in the photo below.

day_trippr also recommended powering more than one of the 5v pins (5v and IOREF) to split split wire resistance and inductance in half, and to allow more than 1A in if needed.

All this being said - I have not done this yet so do pay attention to see if day_trippr corrects me. :)

Uno_R3_FET.jpg
 
I just got my BrewPi up and running and wanted to add an LCD to be able to check temps at a glance. It was quite the chore to get the BrewPi software up and running correctly since Im using a new Pi Zero W and there was a compatibility issue with the OS.

I found the thread describing what seems to be a pretty simple way to install an LCD display.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthre...510036&page=31

Im just curious if anyone has done this recently. The post is from 2015 and some of the links that are referenced in the thread are a bit out dated or no longer exist.

If I use one of those .hex files referenced in post, is that going to mess up the BrewPi software?

Oh and I did get a rotary encoder since it seemed relatively easy to wire up according to the post by jcscott

Thanks day_trippr for the help so far and suggesting that I post this question on this thread
 
Druish_00 said:
I just got my BrewPi up and running and wanted to add an LCD to be able to check temps at a glance. It was quite the chore to get the BrewPi software up and running correctly since Im using a new Pi Zero W and there was a compatibility issue with the OS.

I found the thread describing what seems to be a pretty simple way to install an LCD display.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthre...510036&page=31

Im just curious if anyone has done this recently. The post is from 2015 and some of the links that are referenced in the thread are a bit out dated or no longer exist.

If I use one of those .hex files referenced in post, is that going to mess up the BrewPi software?

Oh and I did get a rotary encoder since it seemed relatively easy to wire up according to the post by jcscott

Thanks day_trippr for the help so far and suggesting that I post this question on this thread
Click to expand...

I did it two years ago. I even built an image of v0.2.10.

It is not difficult at all. If you can setup original BrewPi, you can setup the I2C version. (well, I CAN'T build the original BrewPi, but I CAN build the I2C version.)

Follow the instruction:
https://lukasholenweg.com/2015/03/03/brewpi-i2c-version/
 

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