two new STC's flashed and one of them is controlling my beer refer now.
Being a complete n00b when it comes to Arduino, it was easy to get it installed and going. However, I'm also a n00b to github and was having issues trying to "download" the picprog.ino and open with IDE. I was trying to click on the actual picprog.ino file in the list but couldn't find a way to download. Then eventually realized that there was a download link for the whole package in .zip.
One word of the wise to those new to Arduino like myself, install the IDE software and USB drivers first from the Arduino site, then plug it in and make sure your computer detects it and make note of what COM port it's on. Being in IT for years I know this, but I also know many people wouldn't. Once you have the COM port, you'll want to make sure that your IDE software is set to that port (under tools - serial port).
Thanks alphaomega for all of your hard work on this! Hopefully I'll be able to find the time soon to run some tests for you and let you know the results.
Also, thanks to everyone else who gave info on the pin headers and cables.
Please report back you experience. Even if you can't do logging, how does it 'feel'? Is it cycling too often? Does it keep temperature? Overshoots?
My setup is a thermowell inside a carboy, and I do experience some "ping-ponging" between 'heat' and 'cool'. This is not unique to the new code, though, I had this problem with the old STC. A potential solution to this issue would be to have separate hysteresis settings for the heat & cool sides. e.g. set cool to kick in at +1deg and heat to kick on at -2deg would likely resolve it.
Alpha, one minor point--when inputting settings on stock firmware, one presses PWR to fix the setting, and with STC+ setting a setpoint temp in a profile is fixed as soon as you up/dn to the temp, right?
STC-1000+ does have different setting for heat and cool delay.
Edit: Yeah... But you said hysteresis... Well, I see where you are coming from, but that seems weird to me. I do think a good solution would be to make sure you use a low wattage heater. Probably in the order of 10-20 watts. If the heater kicks on for 10-15 minutes, it should really not do much. But given enough time it should be able to raise temperature sufficiently beyond room temp. + it is a fire hazard to have a heater in an enclosed space. So low wattage and high surface area would be my 2 cents.
I may also need to move the temp probe closer to the outside of the fermenter; right now it is dead center. By the time the center of the wort has heated/cooled to the target temp, the wort closer to the carboy walls has heated/cooled well beyond target.
Please report back you experience. Even if you can't do logging, how does it 'feel'? Is it cycling too often? Does it keep temperature? Overshoots?
However, I've found the easiest way to clear the header through holes in the STC is to heat from the bottom of the board. Once the solder melts, quickly remove the iron and blow from the top of the board strongly.
Hm, I was going to put PC case fan and small personal heater (like this) but maybe I should rethink the heat and dial it back a few notches.
On the other hand, I love the idea of thermowell placement as a way to moderate overshoot hysteresis. Taped to the outside is most reactive to ambient while centerwell is least ambient temp reactive. Hmmmm
Don't forget that with an active fermentation, the beer is being stirred constantly by the yeast. You really shouldn't see much difference between a thermowell and a well insulated probe taped to the outside of the fermenter until the yeast slows down (and at that point temps aren't as important).
Don't forget that with an active fermentation, the beer is being stirred constantly by the yeast. You really shouldn't see much difference between a thermowell and a well insulated probe taped to the outside of the fermenter until the yeast slows down (and at that point temps aren't as important).
I've found this to be true with ale fermentations (where there are literally chunks of stuff whipping around inside the fermenter). The pic above is of a lager fermentation at the peak of primary, and the bottom fermentation doesn't create enough action, resulting in a significant difference between the probe temp and the wall of the carboy.
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I've only made one lager (its about ready to drink) and it was in a stainless fermenter. I didn't think about there being such a difference.
a well insulated probe taped to the outside of the fermenter
How do you insulate the probe taped to a fermentor - here is a graph of my fermentor - not fermenting anything - but full of 13 gallons of water. As you can see, the heater cycling is still being read by the sensor.
Hi!
Sorry to interrupt the probe insulation discussion, just wanted to let you know
v1.00 is now released!
Yay!
Doesn't really mean much, in terms of changes, just finished the user manual and bumped the revision, because I now feel the project is good enough to warrant the 1.00 status
Hi!
Sorry to interrupt the probe insulation discussion, just wanted to let you know
v1.00 is now released!
Yay!
Doesn't really mean much, in terms of changes, just finished the user manual and bumped the revision, because I now feel the project is good enough to warrant the 1.00 status
Det är underbart!!!
Thank You for all of your hard work Mats!
I'll have to take a picture later to better illustrate, but I take a plug of 3/4" rigid (pink) foam insulation, then I cut one side to match the curvature of the fermenter. Next, I cut a little slot in the foam that just allows the temperature probe to fit. Finally, I tape it to the fermenter with painters tape and make sure I haven't left any gaps for air to travel through.
I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to on your temp graph. If you mean that the lines are all oscillating and not more straight, you're going to get that with a thermostat type temp controller. PID control would reduce it quite a bit, but you'd still have some.
Härligt med lite svenska Får mig att känna mig som hemma.
Mycket bra! Jag vet inte svenska men jag kan använda Google Translate!
Good news! I'm a complete ******* and just bought an arduino uno r3 and an stc 1000 on ebay to try this, so if it works for me, it's bulletproof!
Do I need anything else? I skimmed the instructions quickly here at work and will read fully later this evening. I saw something about an arduino serial ide monitor. Is that a thing?
Can't wait to do this. The STC was a great deal at 14$ and if I can make it do more than factory settings, that would be killer.
Thanks for your time and effort, Alphaomega et al.
Hi!
Sorry to interrupt the probe insulation discussion, just wanted to let you know
v1.00 is now released!
Yay!
Doesn't really mean much, in terms of changes, just finished the user manual and bumped the revision, because I now feel the project is good enough to warrant the 1.00 status
Yeah, I kind of got that
Not that google translate is not great, but the result is more or less yoda speak
The debate on which scale is superior is moot, they are just scales.
The debate on which scale is superior is moot, they are just scales.
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