HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

[LBussy]

That's great!

Wheezy (and that kernel) is pretty old. You might think about running an apt update/upgrade just to make sure you're not missing security patches. Also be aware that php5 is no longer available normally for Debian which is why the tools and scripts have been re-written.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Avoiding static IP's is much preferred on a home network, unless there's some other need for it.

hah! I would say just the opposite: use static IPs unless there's some reason you can't. Everything fixed - wired or wireless - is static here, including "permanent" mobile members. Indeed the only things that aren't static across all segments of my LAN are visitors gear (on their own special subnet) - even our phones and tablets use quasi-static via DHCP reservation.

Lemme tell ya, with currently 42 IP nodes in the house it's a lot easier to track sh!t down when everything is always where you left it

Cheers!

 

[garzlok]

Lemme tell ya, with currently 42 IP nodes in the house it's a lot easier to track sh!t down when everything is always where you left it

Agreed! With 3 kids (4 if you include me) and 1 responsible Adult in this household every device has its place. If you’re a guest...you go on the guest network. Been running this way for 5+ years.

 

[LBussy]

MAC addresses and mDNS work just fine for diags. MACs (almost) never change. IPs are for routing, not identification. Been an IT professional since before Al Gore invented the Internet and I find that people need to use static IP addresses because they “need” other things that make their life miserable. Right tools for the job I say. Phones, home computers and especially IoT is a PIA enough without being forced into an arbitrary address scheme.

That said I do have subnets, multiple routers and guest networks, but that’s just good security.

 

[garzlok]

I find that people need to use static IP addresses because they “need” other things that make their life miserable.

That said I do have subnets, multiple routers and guest networks, but that’s just good security.

Meh...there’s some causality truth to that, so I’ll own it [emoji23]

 

[Thorrak]

Real network security begins with a VLAN for every device!

 

[LBussy]

Real network security begins with a VLAN for every device!

You think that's a joke ... but man I have stories.

 

[LBussy]

A teaser ... and a HUGE thanks to @Thorrak for pulling me out of the ditch. I was pulling my hair out!

 

[shtank]

I installed the brewpi legacy this morning and after configuration the heat and cooling has been running together non stop for hours and the beer temp is dropping. My cooling device is a hacked mini fridge, I have it set on beer constant... Is this normal?

Thank you

 

[LBussy]

I installed the brewpi legacy this morning and after configuration the heat and cooling has been running together non stop for hours and the beer temp is dropping. My cooling device is a hacked mini fridge, I have it set on beer constant... Is this normal?

It is not.

When you say you installed Legacy, how did you do that? I ask because it's relatively difficult to install BrewPi Legacy these days.

What does the LCD display say? What does your wiring look like - any opportunity to take a pic and post it?

 

[shtank]

It is not.

When you say you installed Legacy, how did you do that? I ask because it's relatively difficult to install BrewPi Legacy these days.

What does the LCD display say? What does your wiring look like - any opportunity to take a pic and post it?

I installed your brewpi remix.. [emoji6]

 

[LBussy]

Couple of things:

1. I only see a beer and room temp. I assume chamber is installed as well?
   
2. I only see it calling for heat, which is what it should be doing.

If both the fridge and heater are on, I suspect something with the wiring is not right. Do you have a shield? How is the fridge hacked?

Some pics would help.

 

[Bigdaddyale]

I installed the brewpi legacy this morning and after configuration the heat and cooling has been running together non stop for hours and the beer temp is dropping. My cooling device is a hacked mini fridge, I have it set on beer constant... Is this normal?

Thank you

 

[LBussy]

That's a great pic ... gonna steal it.

 

[shtank]

I hacked the fridge following Elco's guide and took control of the compressor using a SSR. It appears to be cooling only now maybe I need to switch something. My wiring is identical to fuzze's without the relay board. Which I had on my last build but it burned up, so I switched to SSR for this one. Here are some pics of my wiring and device configurations.

Thanks so much for the help

 

[shtank]

I switched device 3 & 4's function and now it appears to be heating and not cooling like it should. Is it just that simple or should I have switched them on the adruino board instead?

 

[day_trippr]

What you had as shown in the Device manager images would have been just fine - as long as you actually used D5 to control your fridge and D6 to control your heater. If you switch the functions in Device manager you need to have the wiring match...

Cheers!

 

[LBussy]

So ... does it work properly now?

 

[shtank]

What you had as shown in the Device manager images would have been just fine - as long as you actually used D5 to control your fridge and D6 to control your heater. If you switch the functions in Device manager you need to have the wiring match...

Cheers!

Pin 5 is definitely wired to the fridge and pin 6 is wired to the heat. Something is not right... When I switch them back to the original configuration in device manager the system starts heating when the dashboard say cooling. Not sure what to do... Please help?

 

[shtank]

So ... does it work properly now?

No it's not, so I switched them back to the way it was originally in the device manager. Back heating when supposed to be cooling and vice versa.

 

[day_trippr]

Check that the inverted controls are correct.

You have both actors inverted in the Device manager settings. That would be proper for a typical, relay-board configuration, but it isn't clear what the actors in this case actually are...

Cheers!

 

[LBussy]

Assuming you have color-coding on the pins @ the Arduino and all of the terminals to the high-voltage power, some of those pics (taken so we can see the connections) may help us help you figure it out.

Other than that, you just have to go step by step in the chain, testing and checking. The firmware is pretty well-baked, but if you wanted to test things starting there, get a red and blue LED (for heat and cool of course!), and a 150-200 Ohm resistor and wire it up like so:

Then you can force heat or cool on by using fridge constant, one sensor, and moving the set-point way above or below the ambient. Once you prove to yourself that works, move out from there.

Also, since you are using SSR, you want to be sure your wiring is correct for that. You'll want 5V to the SSR, then the other pole to D5 or D6 AFAIK.

If you can't get good pics, a drawn diagram of your wiring would help.

ETA: And of course @day_trippr beat me to the punch on the SSR question.

 

[shtank]

I will take some better pictures of my wiring tonight when I get home. Thanks guys

 

[shtank]

OK so I'm missing the 5v wire from fuzze's diagram going to my SSR's. I have the negative side of the SSR's connected to the ground pin and I have pins 5&6 connected to the positive side of the SSR's.

The more I think about it the 5v pin should be connected to the positive side of SSR and pin 5 or 6 should be connected to the negative side.

Is that correct?

 

[CadiBrewer]

I think that is incorrect. When pin 5&6 call for heating and cooling, it will provide 5v to the SSR. Hook up ground and 5 or 6 to each SSR.

Fuzzee's diagram includes the 5v because the relay board needs power.

I believe the problem is that you have them as inverted when they should be non-inverted. Change that setting and give it a try.

 

[shtank]

This is the same as my wiring but pin 5 goes to the SSR that controls the fridge.

 

[shtank]

I think that is incorrect. When pin 5&6 call for heating and cooling, it will provide 5v to the SSR. Hook up ground and 5 or 6 to each SSR.

Fuzzee's diagram includes the 5v because the relay board needs power.

I believe the problem is that you have them as inverted when they should be non-inverted. Change that setting and give it a try.

Thank you I will try that.

 

[LBussy]

With a relay, when the pin is set to "inverted", pins 5 & 6 can be thought of as "switched grounds" (although I am sure @day_trippr would take exception to my armchair electronics.) True, the relay boards need 5v to operate, however you should still be able to use the pins inverted by supplying the SSR's with 5v+ and the negative side to 5 or 6. I think. But, one way or the other that wiring is wrong. You have a ground and a ground basically when the pin is inverted. What's odd is how your fridge was coming on at all.

ETA: Found the reference:

They (the digital pins) can provide a substantial amount of current to other >circuits. Atmega pins can source (provide positive current) or sink (provide >negative current) up to 40 mA (milliamps) of current to other devices/circuits.

Where do the other leads go coming off the low side of the SSRs? Not sure I've seen that diagram.

And, only mildly related - does anyone have a source for the DS18B20 probe and/or an SSR for Fritzing?

 

[CadiBrewer]

Check out this info from Elco.

https://community.brewpi.com/t/ssr-always-on-off-depending-on-inverted-not-inverted-setting/2254

 

[LBussy]

Check out this info from Elco.

https://community.brewpi.com/t/ssr-always-on-off-depending-on-inverted-not-inverted-setting/2254

That makes sense, but it seems like one could do either - use D5/D6 as a sink (inverted) or +5V for the SSR's as shown in that diagram. Or am I missing something basic?