BrewPi Remix – What’s Old is New Again

[bloombrews]

Wasn't a secret - I guess I never told anyone because I always planned for better. Like, if there's no LCD use blink codes to say if things were kosher or not.

I do not know what was causing my Temp Probes to not apply properly with the 2 different temperatures and different 1-wire addresses showing up on a Refresh. So, I rewired a new never used controller, with new temp probes, new 4.7K resister, new wires, kept the Rpi and SDRemix card..... and I got a second good running RPRemix! Now I can control 2 seperate Fermenters in either mult-chamber or single chamber mode. I was affraid to touch my only good 1-Chamber RPR running the past 2 months.....
thanks @LBussy , @day_trippr , and @Thorrak , for your help
I will try Lee's LCD Checker soon.... Had to get this done priority-one
@day_trippr - Now my work bench Pi's really look like they got PUKED uP! LOL...

 

[day_trippr]

I couldn't be happier
Now that you have a working kit, when you get a chance you need to figure out what was broken and let us know. Swap in a sensor, if that doesn't break it, put the original back and swap another sensor, etc...

Cheers!

 

[bloombrews]

I couldn't be happier
Now that you have a working kit, when you get a chance you need to figure out what was broken and let us know. Swap in a sensor, if that doesn't break it, put the original back and swap another sensor, etc...

Cheers!

I am on it @day_trippr . I did ohm out the resister that should read 4.59-4.6K, new, but the one I pulled out was 4.45. This is not too far out of spec.

Can anyone tell me the best way to quickly mount the micro-tipped factory DS18B20 soldered wires ? I shaved a few of them and re-soldered a longer lead tip on them to help make it easier to insert into a terminal block. Is a breadboard a better option? It would take up too much room in a work box, when I finally clean up this mess! WAGO lever nuts are great, but the super short factory tips (DS18B20), are too short to get a quick reliable connection in the lever-nuts. The copper in the wires is soooo fine, that I found it is "best" to burn the plastic/rubber off the end and then use your finger nails to clean off the burnt poison, then resolder the tip. All my hvac line stripper tools are not suitable for this fine gauge wire.

A second problem I am having with the RPR and Fermentrack, is the Pi loosing contact with the running script (2-4 times/daily). My wifi is 4/5 bars, and I do have an extender that I can extend signal of my main router with. I see Raspbian OS often searching for a better connection, jumping onto the Extender, and sometimes picking the main router that is pretty far away with usually a decent 4/5 signal in my brewery. Thanks to the Beer Gods, that the "Arduino" UNO keeps the script and relays running without any problems, ever.
I can do a - sudo systemctl restart brewpi and then a refresh. But sometimes this will not bring the script and GUI back, so I have to do a reboot.
I did assign the one working Pi a static, non-changing IP address from my rounter home. Not totally understanding what part of this program keeps the script, GUI, running on the Pi, I am not sure what to do about this. Having usually 2 (now 3) Pi's running at the same time, could well be the problem. They all have a different IP address, but I suspect that when Raspian desktop keeps occasionally searching for a stronger connection, this could be the problem. Also, not sure how important each running Pi, must have a unique "name", other then the IP address? I try to make sure each time that I burn a new SD card, I give it a different login name.
Next up - 1) Find what may have been the cause of the mis-applied sinsors, 2) Get my controls in a nice neat Job box, 3) Take a stab at getting my SG toys to work from inside the unitanks (older Tilts with bluetooth, and the Rapt Pill with both wifi and bluetooth), 4) Take a stab at @LBussy LCD build for bench testing, and his Brewbubbles, 5) Make enough Lagers, so I do not have to buy $42 cases of beer for camping, fishing, bicycling, season soon!

 

[day_trippr]

I was having trouble understanding what you meant about "the RPi loosing contact with the running script". I would have termed that as the dialogue being conducted between the RPi and the UNO - over your USB cable. But it appears you are referring to the communication between a web browser on some device you're using and an RPi running BrewPi. If that's the case maybe it's time to use CAT cabling?

You can get away with a decent band of pull-up resistor values on OneWire. I generally recommend 4.7K on a 5V bus ala Arduino UNO, and 3.3K on a 3.3V bus ala RPi and ESP32, but you can comfortably go down to 2K for either case without encountering problems and in fact may fix capacitance related flakiness on large wired networks (like say coupling 5 ds18b20 sensors each with 3 meter leads).

As for handling the wires, my sensors come with a heavily jacketed cable with I believe 22 gauge stranded leads.

I solder these to 3-pin latching "Tiny XLR" connectors, like this dusty bunch I'm using on one of my test mules..

This is what the insides looks like

They are a little tricky to solder up but with a fine iron tip and equally fine solder they're not too bad. And the strain relief will go a long way to preserving function if the little guys get handled often...

Cheers!

 

[balrog]

I solder these to 3-pin latching "Tiny XLR" connectors,

Definitely a gold standard.
I've used a telephone extension in the past - any forseen issues with using non-coaxial like that? And good luck trying to find telephone extension cords any more!

 

[bloombrews]

I solder these to 3-pin latching "Tiny XLR" connectors, like this dusty bunch I'm using on one of my test mules..

NICE! I will post a picture this afternoon, what I use for my quick-disconnect, on my custom made (no puke), Controller for my SsRIMS. Quickly, it uses CESS 3.5mm Stereo Balanced Female Jack to AV Screw Video Balun Terminal (LW)
and AUX Cord for Car, AILKIN 2 Pack 3.5mm Auxiliary Audio Cable, Braided Stereo AUX Chords
The 3.5MM Plug is a Stereo Audio, Tip-Ring-Sleeve, with Tip=left=DATA=yellow, Ring=right=POWER VCC=red, Sleeve=GROUND=black
The Jack is a screw-down x female jack
The DS18B20 temp probes are ran through your job box, and secured down inside the box to prevent any unwanted wire movement.
Everything "outside" the boxes, are quick disconnect 3.5mm audio jack and plugs
@day_trippr Here is what my 220vac PID RIMS, 110 switched Pump, 110 PID heating element , with power meter/amps/volts current LCD, looks like -
NOTE! Check your Tip, Ring, and Sleve,with a multi-meter, to be certain that the DATA and POWER are not reversed, so you don't fry the probe, I did not open my job box to verify this picture as to its accuracy!

 

[day_trippr]

any forseen issues with using non-coaxial like that?

None known so far I've been using these all over the house including inside my keezer and three fridges (that's 4 BrewPi instances with 3 probes each) and another 5 for my temperature logging program for the keezer, with all the connectors inside and exposed to cold and humidity and occasionally handling (especially the fridges/ferm chambers). And I have another 20 sensors for my collection of test platforms in my office....

...all of them running. I've never had a failure of a working sensor or connector...

Cheers!

 

[balrog]

None known so far I've been using these all over the house including inside my keezer and three fridges (that's 4 BrewPi instances with 3 probes each) and another 5 for my temperature logging program for the keezer, with all the connectors inside and exposed to cold and humidity and occasionally handling (especially the fridges/ferm chambers). And I have another 20 sensors for my collection of test platforms in my office....

View attachment 814496

...all of them running. I've never had a failure of a working sensor or connector...

Cheers!

Kewel, kewel. Altho I figured you for a mechanical pencil guy, not a pencil sharpening type.

 

[day_trippr]

My dad loved mech pencils and so do I. He was an EE, and for me as an EE major and then in practice well before computers were found outside the datacenter they were pretty much mandatory for any kind of drawing work. I have them stashed all over the house - kitchen, office, shop, brew space - and in my truck and cars. A lot easier than carrying a sharpener everywhere

Cheers!

 

[bloombrews]

None known so far

ORGANIZED Chaos ! You got me beat!
You did say to possibly change the Resister, if you use what you are here - the 8 sensors on the left with 3meter leads

 

[day_trippr]

Barely organized. I know what each pile does though

Cheers!

 

[LBussy]

I use Wago connectors to connect wires without soldering or crimping. Pretty handy for work you might need to take apart again.

 

[bloombrews]

I use Wago connectors to connect wires without soldering or crimping. Pretty handy for work you might need to take apart again.

I mentioned that in my post #753. The factory tips on the DS18B20 sensors are so short that I find the wago nuts clamping down on the rubber outside sheath instead of the copper wires, I stripped a number of them and resoldered longer ends on, but that is really tricky not to strip the very fine copper wires also.

 

[LBussy]

The factory tips on the DS18B20 sensors are so short that I find the wago nuts clamping down on the rubber outside sheath instead of the copper wires, I stripped a number of them and resoldered longer ends on, but that is really tricky not to strip the very fine copper wires also

I use these on my wire ends:

The temp sensor wires are very fragile, so I fold them over and insert that into the ferrules and crimp that. Very durable.

 

[balrog]

I use these on my wire ends:
View attachment 814698

The temp sensor wires are very fragile, so I fold them over and insert that into the ferrules and crimp that. Very durable.

Linkypoo?

 

[LBussy]

This will do ya:

https://www.amazon.com/Ferrule-Crimping-Tool-Kit-0-08-10mm²/dp/B07PJK2VNT/

 

[bloombrews]

This will do ya:

https://www.amazon.com/Ferrule-Crimping-Tool-Kit-0-08-10mm²/dp/B07PJK2VNT/

Thanks @balrog and @LBussy
I thought I had every tool there was..... time to go shopping!

 

[bloombrews]

My ongoing problem....
Just trying to figure out what causes BrewPiRemix and less often Fermentrack, to loose the running script. I have a decent router signal and I unplugged my router extender to eliminate that as a cause
One strange thing also happens when I do a - sudo systemctl restart brewpi and then a refresh
Most of the time the script will start up first restart, but sometimes I have to command a restart a second time to get it moving
But here is the strange part - When I do get back to a running Script, my Beer Profile that I always run, shows up in the top header, BUT the lower part of the tabs where you can change to Constant or whatever, now misteriously changes to "Beer Constant" = 20F ???
Many times when this happens, the Green light is constantly on, on the Pi, and It is almost impossible to open up a Terminal window to kill it.
It is as if, the Pi is in and endless Sub-Routine in the program, and the CPU is maxed out so bad, it can not let another process start
Not sure what command I can issue, to get a constant running print out on the screen, to see what happeded the moment the cpu went into an endless loop? I had no choice a couple times, but to pull the power cord, and this usually awalys leads to a broken SD card, reformat, and start ALL over! Maybe @Thorrak over "There", can chime in, on this? Thanks
Any suggestions appreciated...

 

[bloombrews]

Linkypoo?

What's that? Winny the Poo's toolkit?

 

[bloombrews]

This will do ya:

https://www.amazon.com/Ferrule-Crimping-Tool-Kit-0-08-10mm²/dp/B07PJK2VNT/

Just curious... What do you use the 8AWG- 16AWG for? Those gauge wires are perfect for WAGO lever nuts
And WOW.... I like my Greenlee tools, but $301 for just the crimper tool.... I am sure it is superior quality.....

 

[day_trippr]

So does one crimp those terminals on, then plug the crimped terminal end into a WAGO connector - and it actually makes solid reliable contact?

 

[bloombrews]

So does one crimp those terminals on, then plug the crimped terminal end into a WAGO connector - and it actually makes solid reliable contact?

Uncle Fester would first crimp on the ferrules, then plug the terminal into his mouth

 

[day_trippr]

What you young'uns go through to avoid using a soldering iron

Cheers!

 

[LBussy]

So does one crimp those terminals on, then plug the crimped terminal end into a WAGO connector - and it actually makes solid reliable contact?

Yep.

What you young'uns go through to avoid using a soldering iron

Well, two issues with that.

1. The three hair-thin strands of copper in those leads still are not very large in diameter; the ferrule "bulks" that up a bit making a more reliable connection with the various physical connectors.
2. The above-mentioned three strands of copper will break at the solder point. I know this is a religious debate among people but all I know is I have seen it happen to me and I prefer a mechanical connection for these.

 

[balrog]

I had soldering issues w several of the temp probe “wires”. They were kinda more electron cloud than actual atoms of copper. Sorta Schroedinger’s wires. But my eyes are also old.

 

[day_trippr]

I dunno - buy better sensor assemblies maybe?

Cheers!

 

[bloombrews]

I dunno - buy better sensor assemblies maybe?

View attachment 814734

Cheers!

Looks like you blew up that picture of the wires with the Hubble Space Telescope. My probes look like @balrog , electron cloud's

 

[day_trippr]

Hubble? Lol! It's a 2 year old GS21 Ultra.
This would be Hubble Mode. Just look at all that copper! 12 mighty strands!

Cheers!

 

[gromitdj]

I prefer to just crimp on an RJ11 or some molex pins and use a molex .100 connector. The molex pins do mean you need a good wire stripper though.

Oh, and the RJ11 means you need some of those and a RJ11 crimper. LOL (they are pretty cheap though) I'm also not afraid to solder them.

 

[bloombrews]

I prefer to just crimp on an RJ11 or some molex pins and use a molex .100 connector. The molex pins do mean you need a good wire stripper though.

Oh, and the RJ11 means you need some of those and a RJ11 crimper. LOL (they are pretty cheap though) I'm also not afraid to solder them.

These are all great ways to beef up the tiny tips! Thanks! I never deal with such small gauge wire in my business, so this is all nice to know.