[Version 2 Release] RaspberryPints - Digital Taplist Solution

php and MariaDB will work in Windows 10. Thinking of porting my version of Raspberry Pints to Windows. Would others find running Raspberry Pints on Windows (instead of the Linux nonsense) useful?

 

I have Swiss Flow and the Adafruit-type here in my test bench. I can tell you that the Swiss Flow is quite a bit more accurate. They are definitely more pricey, but my Grandfather always told me to buy the best tool I can afford if I care about my work. That advice has rarely been wrong.

They are still very definitely selling them:

http://www.swissflow.com/sf800.html

They have used eBay in the past to make it easier/more palatable for US buyers, but there’s a bit of a lull in that so I assume they let the listing lapse.

 

Fermentrack and this project have been my first foray into the world of RaspberryPi.

I think the question to how useful moving to Windows would be, will be answered by future Raspberry Pints users. I think you will find trying to teach people how to set up a web server on Windows will be just as challenging as teaching them Linux commands and IMO you’re giving up one challenge, just to take on another equally tough challenge.

I’ve been running a modified RPints V.2 on a Windows XP machine for years without issues. (Pictured below)



...and here I am, putting together a new RPints build. Why? Because I want flow meters and a temperature sensor and an RPiZeroW fits behind my kegerator a heck of a lot easier than my old desktop.

Yeah, Some of the learning curve sucks, but there are a lot of individuals like yourself that answer stupid (ok, not stupid but maybe painfully obvious) questions from individuals like me.

So, I don’t think you’re going to find it difficult to move to Windows, but I know people will still struggle with set-up.

 

I like it!

Can you please share his advice on what to do when Grandmother finds out you just spent $200 on “tools” because they’re neat?

 

If you can flash the Arduino manually then its ok this command fails. its just a safety check to make sure the Arduino is ready.

Also, the config.py is setup when you run my Script, it prompts what method you want to use to connect to the Arduino.

 

it seems that I'm missing SRM above 36 I will have to look for the original images and see if I missed it.

Not sure about EBC.

I just added a remove button, if you rerun my script and hit yes to update it will get the latest

 

When a pour is registered it will be removed from the volume in the keg.

My branch had the outline for load cells but no code to interact with them. I am working on finishing the code up to talk to hx711 sensors

 

My version doesn't have the <span class in the index. If you want to use images then just upload them via the taps admin page and delete the text in them

 

It's great to have options, but I think you will find that a refrigerator is a hostile environment for a load sensor, and the readings will creep over time.

 

I wanted to share a bit more about this. The other sensor commonly used is sold by Adafruit (and others). From Adafruit's website:

The emphasis is mine. 10% precision means you can run out of beer when you think you have 10 servings left. And that's also not saying they guarantee 10% precision, it's saying that if you want better than that, every time you change kegs, change serving pressure, move anything in the kegerator, even change the little lever on the side of your Perlick faucet - you will need to recalibrate your sensor.

No matter what you think now, you will find the flow sensor a whole lot more informative if you believe it. Otherwise, you might just as well install an honor button for each pint pulled. And it's not completely about information is it? I mean there's a coolness factor to both having it done "automatically" and then having it be right. If you use a cheap sensor, you're selling a system like this far short of its capability or your goals.

 

EBay still has the Swiss flow meters available. They are free shipped for $75 each with the right jg fittings. Just search Swissflow SF800.

 

fwiw, the JG fittings that ship with the SF800 expect a 3/8" OD tube. If one aspires to use EVAbarrier tubing (which is 8mm or 5/16" OD) you'll want a 3/8" BSP female to 8mm (or 5/16") OD fitting.

For John Guest, that's part number PM450813E. When I was kitting up nobody carried this part.
For DMfit, that's part number AFAB0506C, which I found at freshwatersystems.com
I have been unable to find a Duotight fitting for this...

Cheers!

 

Cheers for that. I updated and can see the remove button.

 

I'm having trouble seeing my flow meters and did this test you recommended to someone else. The serial monitor did echo the string and then StatusCheck;. No pours are detected. With verbose on the rpints.log file end is this:
2020-01-08 16:01:36 RPINTS: alamode was restarted, restart flowmonitor
2020-01-08 16:01:36 RPINTS: closing serial connection to alamode...
2020-01-08 16:01:37 RPINTS: flowmonitor aborted, restarting...
2020-01-08 16:01:37 RPINTS: resetting alamode
2020-01-08 16:01:38 RPINTS: waiting for alamode to come alive
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: alamode alive...
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: getting config data for alamode
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: alamode config, about to send: C:8:0:0:0:0:0:4:0:0:0:300:200:30:250:0:0|
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: Waiting for Config Response
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: alamode says: C:8:0:0:0:0:0:4:0:0:0:300:200:30:250:0:0|
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: 1Wire Temperature Thread 1 is Running
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: listening to alamode
2020-01-08 16:01:40 RPINTS: Sending Status;NOTOK;-1;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;|
2020-01-08 16:01:46 RPINTS: unknown message: StatsCheck;
2020-01-08 16:01:58 RPINTS: alive
2020-01-08 16:01:58 RPINTS: alamode was restarted, restart flowmonitor
2020-01-08 16:01:58 RPINTS: closing serial connection to alamode...
2020-01-08 16:01:59 RPINTS: flowmonitor aborted, restarting...
2020-01-08 16:01:59 RPINTS: resetting alamode
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: waiting for alamode to come alive
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: alamode alive...
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: getting config data for alamode
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: alamode config, about to send: C:8:0:0:0:0:0:4:0:0:0:300:200:30:250:0:0|
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: Waiting for Config Response
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: alamode says: C:8:0:0:0:0:0:4:0:0:0:300:200:30:250:0:0|
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: 1Wire Temperature Thread 1 is Running
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: listening to alamode
2020-01-08 16:02:00 RPINTS: Sending Status;NOTOK;-1;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;|
2020-01-08 16:02:03 RPINTS: unknown message: SatusCheck;

Do you need the full log file? Any ideas? Could I have a bad Uno?

 

Can't disagree with anything you say and with the SwissFlo coming in with a frequency of 100Hz and an IR signal measurement, it is the Ferrari of Flow Meters for a home brewer. A flow meter that has the ability to theoretically produce over 22K pulses per gallon is obscene and is going to give you great accuracy.

I think you were being kind to the Adafruit Flow Meter, the SF800 is probably closer to 15x more accurate.

I haven't seen it explained in the threads, but I think the pulse count numbers are not understood well and a bit confounding. (all theoretical numbers)

Swissflow SF800
100Hz +/- 1%
100 pulses/second at 1L/Min Flow (x 60 seconds)
6000 pulses/L (x 3.78541 conversion factor to gallons)
22,712.5 pulses/Gal (/ 128)
177.4 pulses/oz

Adafruit Flow Meter
7.5Hz +/- 10%
7.5 pulses/second at 1L/Min Flow
450 pulses/L
1703.4 pulses/Gal
13.3 pulses/oz

Digiten Flow Meter (as recommended by RandR+)
23Hz +/- 2%
23 pulses/second at 1L/min Flow
1380 pulses/L
5,223.9 pulses/Gal
40.8 pulses/oz

As you can see, the SF800 crushes it. At 177 pulses/oz .An extra pulse (or 10) here or there won't mess with your accuracy.

With the Adafruit, an extra (or missed) pulse will definitely mess with your volumes.

-Do not take these pulse/gal numbers as gospel. Each meter is going to have it's own K value that you will have to figure out with each individual meter. If you have SwissFlow's...you don't have much work to do.-

 

Dave, I need a book for the stuff I save that you've shared so I can find it again. Thanks for this!

 

One tweak that I haven't got worked out is the baudrate for UNO needs to be increased to at least 57600. but I haven't tried to figure out how to make the Sketch configurable.

Until I do
try
stop the service from the terminal
sudo /etc/init.d/flowmon stop

then changing a few lines of code
In python/FlowMonitor.py change line
self.arduino = serial.Serial(self.port,9600,timeout=.5)
to
self.arduino = serial.Serial(self.port,57600,timeout=.5)

then save

and in the Arduino IDE open arduino/raspberrypints/raspberrypints.ino
change line
Serial.begin(9600);
to
Serial.begin(57600);

Then save and upload the sketch
Delete arduino/raspberrypints/raspberrypints.cpp.hex (otherwise the python will upload an old version on startup)

Then start the service from the terminal
sudo /etc/init.d/flowmon start

 

Not exactly setting up a web server in Windows. Simple matter of going into the Add/Remove Programs Wizard (appwiz.cpl), clicking "Turn Windows features on or off" and activating the already available iisexpress (in Internet Information Services).

Thinking of something to do with the old, unused PCs (maybe running Windows XP, Windows 7, etc). Run Window Pints.

Linux, et al, IMO are PITAs.

 

This speaks to your capabilities, not the capabilities of the systems upon which nearly all of these products run. If you want to further fraction the base, go right ahead. I will watch and eat popcorn as the end-users (who already don't know where to start) deal with that new road.

 

I'm not sure coding anything for XP or Win7 makes sense considering one hasn't been supported with security patches for years and the other is about to go the same way...

Cheers!

 

No, this speaks to the capabilities and lack of linux capabilities. Linux is a tremendous PITA. Work with linux for close to 25 years and then tell me how you feel about linux. Need a repository? It's gone. Archived. Good luck finding. The average Joe walking down the street isn't going to fool around with linux. I remember a few Christmases ago when Walmart was selling PCs with "Lindows" OS. Most either didn't realize or thought the "L" was a typo for a "W". Lots of unhappy campers on Christmas day when they excitedly opened the box, plugged in the PC only to discover it was running linux.

It's free and one gets what they pay for.

I'm not the only one I know with these feeling about linux. I know others whom work in linux daily and absolutely hate it.

 

FWIT... I would love to use RP under Windows and would be most appreciative if any of you experts here would share thier wisdom. There is the argument that depending on what Win OS you are using (XP, Win 7, Win 8, etc) there is the update and security issue, but later Win OS's have become even more stable. True.. Linux is a more secure, robust OS in the right hands, but there is the other side of the user coin, where many of us just aren't as fluent in Linux..no gui and more cmd line centric but being able to run it in Windows would allow many of us Windows folks to share in the enjoyment. ... just my 2cents

 

And I know several that love it, so what does that prove ? Nothing really. Find what works for you and let others do the same. BUT i do think that adding another os to an already confusing mix of versions might not be the best thing to do....

peram

 

Im just reading though this thread getting everything ready for when my flow meters and Arduino arrives. During setup I chose to connect via Usb. Does this mean this step is done already?

Also what pulse count setting do I use?

 

hey guys, how do I reset this keg count? I'm on keg 29 just by playing around?

 

You're right, I only have 26 years of experience with Linux. Seeing how the first commercial distro was only released just over 26 years ago and all. Since I kept going I'll assume I thought it was ok. Also pretty good at AIX and BSD but that's been a minute. The contracts which my teams support bring in just shy of 8 digits. A month. And that's on a backend of Linux. You probably have me beat though.

You're not talking about Linux there, you are talking about a piece of work someone else did and contributed (for free mind you) to the community. It's up to them to keep it up or not. If you choose to incorporate that work you get a lot more than you paid for it. For that price, you take certain chances, and hopefully certain precautions.

By the way, I'm not a Windows hater either. I use that equally and recognize it's easier to use Windows for a lot of folks but the systems running these applications are not for daily use. They are there to serve a web page.

You are absolutely right! I mean I'd better tell all those Android users they should just pack it in! Google is just a flash in the pan, probably about to close its doors. It would be silly to develop Apps for Android, nobody will ever be successful and make money doing that!

If you choose to develop, you are responsible for the experience your users have. If they can't figure out how to use your software, you failed.

Most homebrewers do not have old laptops sitting around. If they did and you recommended they put Windows XP online (or Windows 7 after the end of the month) then you are suggesting they make an egregious mistake. People like the Pi, they like to complain about it sure, but they like it because they can buy a computer for their project for about $35. If it ran Windows they would probably be happier, but for $35 I think they are pretty happy. If it was not popular, you'd not be coming in at the tail end of a successful run of someone else's software running on Raspberry Pi.

But yeah, go ahead. Like I said I'll watch and eat popcorn.

 

Yes the setup should be done on and ready to go.

The pulse count is flow meter and setup specific. I use 7000. start there and pour a fixed amount (I recommend 12oz) and see what registers. If too little then decrease if too much then increase

 

the keg number is just a key and increments for each keg you add. The idea is that you only add the number of kegs you physically have.

 

Oh ok, but it added on the sample kegs that were in there which I deleted anyway. So you cant reset it at all?

 

Troy, what you are not asking is not an application question so much as a database question. Any table should have a unique primary key and to guarantee it is unique, it is often auto-incrementing. You would have to do some Googling on how to reset the increment on a MariaDB table - and then honestly hope you don't break anything else.

At an application/database design level: One should never create a process/business/application decision based on a database key. If you need something to display something to the user or be important to them, it should be assigned by the application. The database indexes should never be visible to the end user. I realize the folks working on this now inherited it - just pointing it out in case you have an opportunity in the future to not make this mistake.

 

I can make a change so that only the label of the keg is shown instead of the key then label. That way you can set it to be whatever you want it to be. The problem is that I don't restrict labels so you could label 2 or more kegs the same then get confused on which is which

 

Thanks RandR+ it's working great now! I read the last 40 pages trying not to bother you, but somehow missed deleting the hex file.

 

You *could* add another column for "Keg ID", make it unique, and just use constraints or a lookup to assign them. I say this without having looked at the database or code, but so long as there are no "select *" statements, adding a column should be backward-compatible.

 

Must be quite filled on popcorn by now considering I'm still waiting on the promised install script for when I lists the steps in detail (I did for a reason to show/explain the steps involved). Oh, fingers are greasy from the popcorn?

 

Another sane individual.

 

Well, now we know how attentive you are.

I delivered that, it worked flawlessly. I posted it here in this post. The GitHub is here. Since you said you didn't know how to use GitHub when I offered to do this, I'll save you the suspense (and Googling.) The last commit was June 16. That means that's when I finished it.

Also, since you're letting your sound issue from whence the smell comes, since then not only did @RandR+ step up and make a script, but he added YOUR fork as an option in HIS script. Yeah, you can thank him now for being so nice. I'll point out that it's the INSTALL METHOD which dictates whether a person can be effective installing on a given platform, not the brand name of the platform. So not only was @RandR+ more effective than you, but he was more effective than you with the work you did.

Please, do go make a Windows version.

 

Hi guys, for some reason I cant upload a particular XML file to Rpints? Others work just not this one. I thought it was because I had too much text in the notes so I deleted them but still no luck. Any ideas?

Also Ive noticed that Rpints uses the "NOTES" from Beersmith XML files which is usually where you put your notes such as gravity readings, techniques etc etc. Is there a way to make Rpints grab the TASTING NOTES from Beersmith instead?

 

Unsure how one concludes "said you didn't know how to use GitHub" when I've posted more than once the GitHub link to my fork. I'll save the greasy keyboard typing, confused searching as the link is http://github.com/Tobor-8thMan/RaspberryPints

Perhaps popcorn flatulence has clouded one's vision.

 

(emphasis mine)

Yeah sorry about that. I let the definition of "fork" versus you uploading your zip file confuse me.

Also, could you tell me how you were able to change the date on your commits to make it look like you weren't using GitHub all along? Because, silly me, it looks like you just uploaded your zip file contents on September 12th. That's a pretty cool trick. I'm confused why you wanted to do that though when you seem to want us to believe that you were using GitHub all along? That would have saved me a lot of time had I know you were using GitHub when I wrote the install script to install your "fork" from the post on this thread.

You also missed the part of the license that requires you to use "prominent notices" that you modified the original product (GNU GPL 5.(a)). Had you actually forked the original work, GitHub would have provided that provenance for you. Since you basically hacked at this on your computer and then uploaded a zip file to this thread, that provenance was lost - requiring you to more explicitly state that which protects the original author's intellectual property rights.

Something's cloudy all right.

 

Could everyone take a deep breath, por favor?

Cheers!