CraftBeerPi - Raspberry Pi Software

[Lalo_uy]

I've got CraftBrewPi 3 set up on a RPi3 running Raspbian. I'm using 18DS20 sensors to control the process. Right now the sensors are bare, ie not in a SS sheath and not encapsulated in epoxy.

They seem to work, but the response and update time seems to be slow. The temperatures read correctly but they only update about once every 6 seconds.

Any idea why the update is so slow ? Is there a way to speed it up ?

Thanks

If you use the standar one wire plugin the temps are read every 5 sec, that is more than good for fermentation.
The kernel takes ~1 sec to read each sensor in the bus. If you have many sensors as I do is best to change te time to 15s. In 50L pots the temp dont change that fast. Less on a 60L fermenter.

 

[Gravitysucks]

I have an issue... when I boot my RPi all the relays turn on during the boot process. Is there a way to prevent this ?

This seems to be a common problem related to how the Pi treats the GPIO pins on boot up and the variety of relay boards people are using, their active state, and how they are powering them.

If you go to the CraftBeerPi user group on Facebook and type in "relays turn on at boot up" there is a lot of information and some work arounds that may help you.

 

[user 262129]

I have an issue... when I boot my RPi all the relays turn on during the boot process. Is there a way to prevent this ?

Do you mean the light on the SSR's turns on, or there's constant power to the outlets?

 

[user 262129]

BeerGreek: just to humor me, could you change your actors to something different than the name of the kettle ? Maybe HLT Element, for example ?

And set the hysteresis values to something other than 0. Neither of these should make a difference, but it makes things clearer.

What do you mean your GPIO pins are good to go ? Do the pins go on and off correctly when you put the heat actor into manual mode and turn it on and off manually ?

Forgive me for not going back to look, but is your boil kettle overshooting (not controlling) or your mash vessel ? Or HLT ?

Do things work correctly when you use GPIOSimple instead of GPIOPWM ?

So I changed the names to make it a little clearer. I also changed the hysteresis to 1 for the on and off, but that didn't work either. As for the GPIO pins, when I turn everything on manually, it works fine. I can regulate the temp manually. When the HLT gets up to ~155, I change the heater power to 37% and it stays around 157, which keeps my mash tun around 155. I'm using a Herms system so the heat from my HLT is what keeps the mash at the temp it needs to be at. The way it's set up, the HLT temp is what's being controlled, because that's where my heating element is. I don't have a heating element in my mash tun to avoid scorching the grains.

 

[user 262129]

Could you log into a terminal on your rpi (ssh ?) and run uname -a and tell us what it returns ?

Also, have you run apt-get update and reboot (shutdown -r now)

Have you tested your temp sensors ? Are you sure you've got the right temp sensor tied to the heat actor ?

If your GPIO pins work correctly, does the element itself turn on and off correctly ?

so I ran uname -a and it kicked back the following:
"Linux raspberrypi 4.9.35-v7+ #1014 SMP Fri Jun 30 14:47:43 BST 2017 armv7l GNU/Linux"
I have run apt-get update and rebooted. I've also tested the temp sensors. I used some ice and placed "just the tip" of the thermowell in the ice to make sure the right probe was reading the temp and it all matches. Each one of the temp probes read right around 32 degrees F.

 

[brewman !]

so I ran uname -a and it kicked back the following:
"Linux raspberrypi 4.9.35-v7+ #1014 SMP Fri Jun 30 14:47:43 BST 2017 armv7l GNU/Linux"
I have run apt-get update and rebooted. I've also tested the temp sensors. I used some ice and placed "just the tip" of the thermowell in the ice to make sure the right probe was reading the temp and it all matches. Each one of the temp probes read right around 32 degrees F.

OK. I'm getting the same "Failed to load plugin" message as you are. It started when I changed the control type on one of my actors. Let me experiment with things a bit.

 

[brewman !]

Do you mean the light on the SSR's turns on, or there's constant power to the outlets?

Both, during the boot. As soon as the RPi boots, everything is good.

 

[brewman !]

This seems to be a common problem related to how the Pi treats the GPIO pins on boot up and the variety of relay boards people are using, their active state, and how they are powering them.

If you go to the CraftBeerPi user group on Facebook and type in "relays turn on at boot up" there is a lot of information and some work arounds that may help you.

I think I will implement an eStop button and just be sure to have it enabled when I boot up. I'll put the button on the ground line from the relays and SSR. Open ground = no work.

 

[user 262129]

I think I will implement an eStop button and just be sure to have it enabled when I boot up. I'll put the button on the ground line from the relays and SSR. Open ground = no work.

I would put the estop on the power line instead of the ground. I'd rather know that no power is going to the system instead of no ground. IMO

 

[brewman !]

I would put the estop on the power line instead of the ground. I'd rather know that no power is going to the system instead of no ground. IMO

SSRs don't need 5V to run, so putting the eStop on the 5V feed won't stop it from coming on.

Interrupting the ground path works just as well. Lots of devices are controlled by the ground path. Most logic families work this way, essentially open collector outputs.

 

[brewman !]

FYI, the temp sensors update once every 5 seconds. They are a "Passive" sensor.

Passive Sensor`
Get’s invoked by CraftBeerPi core every 5 seconds`

Source: http://web.craftbeerpi.com/developer/

 

[user 262129]

SSRs don't need 5V to run, so putting the eStop on the 5V feed won't stop it from coming on.

Interrupting the ground path works just as well. Lots of devices are controlled by the ground path. Most logic families work this way, essentially open collector outputs.

True, but they do need at least 3 volts. What I meant, was in the case where power needs to be cut immediately, I would rather cut the voltage coming into the control box, from the main line in, then the ground. That way if you need to touch one of the components, even though there's a ground you know for a fact there's no power to shock you. Just my though process.

 

[brewman !]

True, but they do need at least 3 volts. What I meant, was in the case where power needs to be cut immediately, I would rather cut the voltage coming into the control box, from the main line in, then the ground. That way if you need to touch one of the components, even though there's a ground you know for a fact there's no power to shock you. Just my though process.

Makes no difference if you cut Vss (5V) or Gnd to the relays. Either way the coil circuit for the relay is dead and the circuit will be broken on the contact side. As far as cutting power to the entire box, it needs to be de energized (unplugged) before you do any work on it.

 

[matbtz]

Hello,

Beer Greek, have you try to do the auto-tune pid ?
That work good on my set up.

 

[Lalo_uy]

I also changed the hysteresis to 1 for the on and off, but that didn't work either. As for the GPIO pins, when I turn everything on manually, it works fine. I can regulate the temp manually.

On and off offset need to be diferent.
Leave on in 0 and off in 1.

 

[matbtz]

Hello,

I watched this video about flowmeter and
I would like to use a flowmeter for fill up the mash tune through the coil Herms of the hlt and for sparging.


Did you think the plugin #flowmeter# on Craftbeerpi will work for start and stop the solenoid valve like on the video?
I checked on the Facebook group but didn't found any good information or picture.
The post I found say that the plugin is not so accurate.

And which can of solenoid valve and flow meter to buy, I see some plastic or copper.

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bNDMvcQ5

Thanks for your help

 

[user 262129]

Hello,

Beer Greek, have you try to do the auto-tune pid ?
That work good on my set up.

I tried the PIDAutotune and PIDBoil, but both give me an error saying they failed to load due to a 'description' argument. I've submitted issue tickets in github, but haven't received any responses yet. Do you know of any reason why my CBPi won't load them, others' will?

 

[user 262129]

On and off offset need to be diferent.
Leave on in 0 and off in 1.

I'll change it and give it another go. Thanks

 

[Lalo_uy]

Hello,

I watched this video about flowmeter and
I would like to use a flowmeter for fill up the mash tune through the coil Herms of the hlt and for sparging.


Did you think the plugin #flowmeter# on Craftbeerpi will work for start and stop the solenoid valve like on the video?
I checked on the Facebook group but didn't found any good information or picture.
The post I found say that the plugin is not so accurate.

And which can of solenoid valve and flow meter to buy, I see some plastic or copper.

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bNDMvcQ5

Thanks for your help

That valve is not solenoid but motorized. It is complex to drive. The plug in can be used to fill the mash. Use a mash step with 0 time after reaching the value and use the flowmeter as temp for the step.

 

[rkhanso]

One of my charts/sensors is looking odd. I'm wondering if this is a sign of a bad sensor, wiring or something else?
I'm not wiggling any of the wires - they are stationary. This used to be rock-solid steady in the past. Now sudden short swings of 4 degrees high, a couple degrees low. It's the only sensor currently connected to the Pi -- well, through a Teragady 4.2 board.

 

[rkhanso]

Odd, I connected a second temp probe and both are reading steady now.

 

[BrewMeABrew]

Odd, I connected a second temp probe and both are reading steady now.

It could be an issue with the size of your pull-up resistor versus the length of your probe wires? I have not had this problem but read it can be an issue for longer diy probes.

 

[Lalo_uy]

One of my charts/sensors is looking odd. I'm wondering if this is a sign of a bad sensor, wiring or something else?
I'm not wiggling any of the wires - they are stationary. This used to be rock-solid steady in the past. Now sudden short swings of 4 degrees high, a couple degrees low. It's the only sensor currently connected to the Pi -- well, through a Teragady 4.2 board.

View attachment 608852

Looks like data interference. It happent to me . But junps can be any 2^n values . 1024 , 256 or so. Any source of inerference near the wires? Pwm cables or motor variators are the worst.

 

[user 262129]

Gents I finally figured out what was wrong with my system. When I downloaded and installed CBPi3, I activated version 3.0. I'm not sure why that makes a difference, but I reinstalled, activated the Master Branch instead, and even hysteresis is working now. I went ahead and downloaded simpleboillogic and once it reached the target temp, it automatically switched to the lower % I set. I searched so many forums, asked you guys and many others for help, but I didn't see anything about the version activations. I hope this might help someone that has the same issue as I did. Thanks for trying to help everyone. I appreciate it.

 

[BGHSmt7]

Hey everyone, so I've tried so many things and still can't get the Pi to automate the heating elements. Today I did a fresh install on my Rpi and reinstalled CBPi3. I tried hysteresis, and it over shot the target temp by 4 degrees, before I turned it off. After that, I tried downloading PIDAutoTune and PIDBoil, but when I rebooted my Pi I got the errors below. I submitted a ticket on github, but no reply yet. Any advice?

View attachment 608049

Revert back to the master branch of CBPi. Version 3.0 and 3.1 Alpha are broken and will give you the "_description" error.

As for cutting the + or the -, it's safer to cut the + side. Cutting either will work as you break the signal path, but if you break the - side, there is potential for the + to short through your body to ground and shock/electrocute you. Just like you cut the HOT wire for AC rather than the NEUTRAL or GROUND/EARTH.

 

[brewman !]

Cutting either will work as you break the signal path, but if you break the - side, there is potential for the + to short through your body to ground and shock/electrocute you.

:rollseyes:

 

[JonDebrewman]

When using PIDArduino the heater pulses on every 5 seconds even when the setpoint is set to 0. also it pulses off when the setpoint is above the actual. I have checked the voltage on the GPIO and it is pulsing (not just the green light on the panel). It seems to be related to PIDArduino as when in hysteresis mode it doesn't do it?? I tried to use PIDBoil (even though I think it still used the PIDArduini algorithm) unfortunately that just locks up the front panel after a few minutes, the indication before it looks up is that it is doing the same thing. any ideas??

 

[FatDogBrew]

Hi all. I've been reading a lot and have built a system, installed CBP3 and had the temp probes working. I shut the system down and finished my control box build. Turned everything back on and now my sensors are all reading 32 degrees and there is no address for the probes in the setting options. Has anyone seen this? Do I simply need to start the software process from scratch? Any help is appreciated.

SOLVED: Always triple check your wiring. I accidentally had two wires crossed on the pi. Thanks for the great info in this thread!

 

[JonDebrewman]

Reloaded software and am still having problems with the heater blinking on when no heat is called for (set point 0). I was wondering if you all are using stretch or is Jessie required to run Craftbeerpi3?

 

[Brian Dempsey]

Is there any way to wire in a BCS Temperature Probe into the Raspberry Pi to have it work with the CraftBeer Pi software. I picked on up for free from a buddy and it has a TC connection, with my kettle has, and i am trying to use it (if i can). I have other DS1820s, but trying to save myself some work.

let me know if you have any questions, cheers!

Gimp