Cheap Visual Basic Controller

I know other solutions exist and many folks have done this, but im a DIY kinda guy

Simple VB form that sends serial commands to arduino board. The arduino board will then control relays and SSRs.

$30 for Arduino
2x SSRs: for Rims and BK
2x relays: HLT and pump

I plan to run the rims and BK on PWM driven by some custom fuzzy logic. To save money the HLT and pump will just be on relays since they wont need to be PWM.

I was feeling lazy and needed to get a project going to keep my mind sharp. I havent decided whether to just send temp setpoints to the arduino and let it do the control, or do all the control in VB and just send on/off commands to arduino

That's really cool. I wish I knew how to build something like that. How did you learn about such electrical wizardry?

The VB gui work is my weak point. lol. Im an electrical engineer finishing up my masters in embedded systems. Using FPGA to break encryption

I would skip the Arduino and use a USB-I2C interface and I2C interface boards, be careful this kind of project is subject to scope creep. Having built a more complex system and created an application that uses C# and SQL tables, the limits on features are only your imagination.

I do embedded micros for lots of stuff and I thought about doing this same thing, but at the end of the day, I decided I wanted to spend more time brewing and less time coding. I opted for a BCS system.

I agree with kladue though, you have no limits on the features. All it takes is your investment in time.

kladue said:

I would skip the Arduino and use a USB-I2C interface and I2C interface boards, be careful this kind of project is subject to scope creep. Having built a more complex system and created an application that uses C# and SQL tables, the limits on features are only your imagination.

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WARNING!!
Don't be bashing VB...

Not sure what you mean by "Bashing VB", just another programming language to me, with different syntax and limitations. The programming sounds easy until you actually start and find that hard coding everything is not practical, and have to create ways to access information during run time. With a couple thousand hours writing and testing brewing control applications for a much more complex system, I would think that I understand what is needed to make them work safely.

kladue said:

this kind of project is subject to scope creep.

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OHH yeah!! I have already caught myself googling SMS APIs and crap.... I have a bad personality for scope creep too Im gonna just knock out a basic working model before I get imaginative.

but at the end of the day, I decided I wanted to spend more time brewing and less time coding.

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Like I said, Im mostly doing it just to keep up my skills in a language I rarely use.

I would skip the Arduino and use a USB-I2C interface and I2C interface boards

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I like the Arduino community and ability to add wireless "sheilds" etc in the future if I want that capability and am too lazy to build it from scratch. I also want the capability for some brains on the board too, not just a USB I/O board.

kladue: just yanking you're chain... I was a developer for 15 years

I am currently exploring the possibilities of using a ARM 9 based platform with 7" touch screen that drives I2C boards. It looks like off the shelf boards are available with analog in, analog out, digital IO, and a PWM board for use in motor speed and electric heating applications. With a tentative hardware cost under $500 and creation of a secondary board for 0-10V outputs I will have another toy to play with and automate the old portable system.