BruControl: Brewery control & automation software

[exoticatom]

v46B mega issues..

I upgraded (read try) to upgrade Arduino Mega from 45O to 46B_W as I am using WiFi shield.
I followed to the best of my abilities the procedure as in the previous posts.

1) changed wiring map element in XML; CFG,
2) upgraded mega to FW to v46B_W. without issues.
3) upgraded PC SW.
4) deleted and created new elements, but none of the new elements work.
Arduino is making the connection, that seems to be working. Nonanalog inputs and outputs are working.
But I can't make analog inputs OK.


Tested setup is:
NTC1 -> A0 old 100, new 54
NTC2 -> A1 old 100, new 55
old:

new:

new element:

but it's stuck into 655 value.

I had thermistor NTC10k connected to A0 -> 100, and created an Analog Input Element with 54. But the number on the element, where it should be temperature is not changing, it is stuck.

mega setup:

tried several inputs, but all are fixed, and I have NTCs connected to A0 and A1

I just enabled port54:
communication:

If I revert everything, FW; Software all works fine.


Any idea where to go with troubleshooting?

 

[BrunDog]

Hi,

You are doing it all correctly. BUT we have a bug in the v46B for Analog Inputs and Hysteresis. We will post 45D today and that will eliminate those problems.

 

[oakbarn]

I have the same issue with just the reading of my probes. They read 68 F on v450 but -85 F on v46b.

 

[BrunDog]

OK... posted 45D for the MEGA. Should solve the Analog input and Hysteresis bugs. Need to compile and post 45D for ESP8266 and Grand Central...

 

[oakbarn]

Updated to v46D on the Mega. My Temp Probes read correctly.

 

[BrunDog]

45D posted for Grand Central and ESP8266. If anyone needs M0... LMK!

 

[CDCTx]

Posted 45D... actually didn't have time to test it, but found a potential bug. If you are willing to give it a try and report back, that will be cool. Otherwise we'll test and update you.

I just wired my second fermentation controller setup with another Robotdyn and loaded ESP32 FW v46D. All worked right from the get-go, so v46D seems to be stable, at least with 1-wire, analog input readings, relay controls, and BC comms.

 

[rkhanso]

This thread, being185 pages long - I did a search but didn't see an answer.

If I have one BruControl setup on my main PC in the office of my house, but brew in the garage and have the Kegerator is in the basement, will everything be able to be controlled from the one PC that BruControl is running on in the office? It stays on 24/7.

Or maybe it doesn't even need to be on 24/7 if the actual devices controlling the kegerator cooling compressor and tower fan temp control don't need the PC on 24/7?

I have a single Arduino Mega and a bunch of ESP8266 controllers, a spare Raspberry Pi Zero W, and maybe an unused ESP32. WiFi would be nice to use so I don't have to run more ethernet cable in the house.

I currently have a CraftbeerPi3 home-built controller in the garage that works pretty well for brewing, and a new KegCop install in the basement for the Kegerator, which I'm having trouble with it rebooting all the time.

EDIT - nevermind. I read in the manual that it can do this: "This distributed network controller topology provides these major advantages: 1. Multiple separate systems (e.g. automated brewery, fermentation control, serving control, etc.), which can be in the same machine, same facility, or remote location across the country, so long as they are on the same network,"

It looks like it could even run a home lawn irrigation system at the same time.

 

[BrunDog]

Sounds like you figured it out... but yes you can control it from one PC. If your interface which is handling the kegerator doesn't need scripts running, then you can shut down the computer and just let the interface run. Note that in that circumstance, the interface will not continue running during a power failure unless it has a battery backup (and your compressor will not run without a power backup also). Following a power failure, the interface will not resume control unless you store the interface power-on configuration. See control code %5 to do this in the manual.

 

[BrunDog]

Tested the new ESP-32-S3 development board. This thing will become the new standard some day!

 

[CDCTx]

Tested the new ESP-32-S3 development board. This thing will become the new standard some day!

What about this board stands out most to you? I was reading about it the other day. Onboard USB sounds nice for other applications, and the increased I/O could be good for BC if someone has a complicated setup with a lot of devices.

 

[BrunDog]

Pretty much no limitations... lots of I/O (all can be digital, analog-in, PWM), lots of memory, speed, bluetooth, for factor, cost, etc. Only hiccup is 3.3V for some integration headaches.

 

[CDCTx]

Pretty much no limitations... lots of I/O (all can be digital, analog-in, PWM), lots of memory, speed, bluetooth, for factor, cost, etc. Only hiccup is 3.3V for some integration headaches.

Yeah, the feature of all pins being capable of digital or analog will be nice when this chip starts appearing on integrated boards like the LILYGO TTGO or Robotdyn R4; no more hoping they didn't eat up the analog ports.

 

[oakbarn]

Any progress on being able to set globals to not be reported to the dataset? I was going to create a whole set of globals for a "Second Batch" but will hold off if that feature is in the near future.

It would be nice if it was a feature with a default where I could set "Not to be Reported" as the Default as I have many globals, but only about 4 that I would want in a Dataset (Mash Temp and Fermenter Temps). I would also like the frequency of collection to be set. For example, I might want my Mash every minute where the Fermentation might be every 2 hours,

 

[oakbarn]

I plan on having my BruControl Computer off the internet most of the time. The only reason I will connect is to validate the license. A button on the license page that would allow me to validate and get off would be a nice feature. Maybe the existing Activate button could do both Activate and Validate.

I am going to use it where there is no wired internet but I can turn my phone into a Hotspot to get the program validated.

I was moving that way regardless as there is no reason for that computer to be on the net other than BruControl.

 

[oakbarn]

I have left my BruControl computer connected to the internet for a couple of hours and it has not validated. The email field is blank (on the license screen) and will not hold what I put in it once I close the license screen.

It says I have 11 days before it expires. I did some work on the scripts on another computer and copied that brucfg file back to my BruControl computer. The last time this validated was Aug 1, 2022.

 

[BrunDog]

I have left my BruControl computer connected to the internet for a couple of hours and it has not validated. The email field is blank (on the license screen) and will not hold what I put in it once I close the license screen.

It says I have 11 days before it expires. I did some work on the scripts on another computer and copied that brucfg file back to my BruControl computer. The last time this validated was Aug 1, 2022.

Odd... email us a screenshot. Will check the server too.

Edit: Checked server... all looks good. But you are right that your last synch was 8/1. I deleted your activation - go ahead and reactivate.

 

[oakbarn]

Odd... email us a screenshot. Will check the server too.

Edit: Checked server... all looks good. But you are right that your last synch was 8/1. I deleted your activation - go ahead and reactivate.

Away but I left it connected
To the internet . AddeD my email and did not close the license screen

 

[BrunDog]

My guess is it is actually not connected to the network or there is a firewall block. Look at the licensing log files in the log folder and see what it says.

 

[oakbarn]

I came home to send a pix but when I closed it and reopened the License Pane, it said not activated. Enter my email and activated fine. My email is also there and not blank. Fixed,

 

[oakbarn]

Exporting Global data. I have many globals that I store information in. Some of it relates to starting setting (Temps, Times, Volumes etc) for the Brew. Other capture the data (such as time to transfer Strike Water) and others are imputed manually during the brew process (such as Strike Volume). I want to put these in a database so we can do regression analysis. Anyone exporting data like this?

 

[RiverCityBrewer]

If you are running a database for BruControl, the globals are already in that database.

 

[oakbarn]

I am not. Maybe because I have so many globals, it slows down the loading (maybe 10 minutes) and the database gets huge (gigabytes) in a hurry. I want to move them to an MS Access database that I am very proficient in. I could link to an sql database but MS Access can't handle that much data. Regardless, I am not interested in all the hits of the data, just one each. I do not want to know what my transfer time is by the millisecond, just once.

 

[BrunDog]

I am trying to push a release with the option of limiting data store frequency - stay tuned.

 

[oakbarn]

I am trying to push a release with the option of limiting data store frequency - stay tuned.

Hopefully with an option for NEVER or Not Reported.

 

[oakbarn]

I just added my first one wire sensor on my Grand Central UNI. It read right away. I can use it instead of a 10k NTC probe for monitoring such things as Brew Kettle, Chilling Water, and Wort Out that are not temperature controlled by my Mega.

I know there are some issues with one wire indexing. As I have never used them, I would like to know more about this issue before I jump off a cliff.

Several things other than indexing:

Can you control an Element with them?

Proportional Valve?

 

[BrunDog]

All temp control is the same. Indexing is just an issue when adding or removing physical sensors, are your indexes will likely change each time that happens.

 

[oakbarn]

And what happens when the index changes?

Say I have VCG_200_OneW_BrewKettle_B1 as interface 200 for a one wire for my Brew Kettle
I add VCG_201__OneW_LittleMac_B1as interface 201 for a one wire for my 2nd Brew Kettle
I later add VCG_202_One_W_CoolingWater_B1 as interface 202 for a one wire for my cooling Water
I then add VCG_203_OneW_WortOut_B1 as interface 203 for a one wire for my Wort Out of the Kettle

I add another one a month later
VCG_204_OneW_WortIN_B1 as interface 204 for a one wire for my Wort In of the Fermentor.

I do not understand how the index effects the one wire. Does it mean that it could switch probes so that my physical in the Brew Kettle (Port 200) is now my Wort Out (Port 203) probe?

 

[BrunDog]

The element will start reading a different sensor if the index changes. The index will “point” to a physical sensor. The order of sensors is set based on their internal identification number during interface boot up. It will always put them in the same order of index numbers as long as they are the same sensors. As soon as you add or remove a sensor on the bus, they will line up to different index numbers.

Again this only happens when you physically add or remove sensors, so there will never be a surprise in the middle of a brew day.

 

[clearwaterbrewer]

Pretty much no limitations... lots of I/O (all can be digital, analog-in, PWM), lots of memory, speed, bluetooth, for factor, cost, etc. Only hiccup is 3.3V for some integration headaches.

and there goes the numbering scheme again!