iSpindle - DIY Electronic Hydrometer

[beernoobs]

Hi @DuncB, thanks for your response and suggestions. Some of the reasons are valid such as there requires a rework on the software. Size wise it is 48.2*25.5*13.7mm, out of which important part is width is just 25.5 which seems good enough to keep inside Petling. The screen, we don't need to use it. It has an in built battery, if it is not enough one can keep an extra battery. So, realistically the module itself has everything required to make a digital Hydrometer. If an extra battery required there's a plug in battery case. So, all it required is a software support. I have seen people using it as a TiltBridge device on this forum, So I would like to know if anyone used it as a hydrometer as well or encountered any issues.

M5StickC 18650C

 

[LBussy]

M5 is an ESP32, iSpindel is an ESP8266 project. It is not compatible.

 

[DuncB]

Hi @DuncB, thanks for your response and suggestions. Some of the reasons are valid such as there requires a rework on the software. Size wise it is 48.2*25.5*13.7mm, out of which important part is width is just 25.5 which seems good enough to keep inside Petling. The screen, we don't need to use it. It has an in built battery, if it is not enough one can keep an extra battery. So, realistically the module itself has everything required to make a digital Hydrometer. If an extra battery required there's a plug in battery case. So, all it required is a software support. I have seen people using it as a TiltBridge device on this forum, So I would like to know if anyone used it as a hydrometer as well or encountered any issues.

M5StickC 18650C

Still think it's an effort to reinvent the wheel.

As said before not an electronic background and not sure if this device is compatible
Floaty : Wireless Electronic Hydrometer & Thermometer Floaty hydrometer
It uses a MPU6050 amongst other bits. It works off the cloud and still fits in a Petling.
You might be able to work on that.
Good luck.

 

[beernoobs]

M5 is an ESP32, iSpindel is an ESP8266 project. It is not compatible.

I understand software wise there's a lot of work to be done, but other than software, M5 has all the ingredients hardware wise.

 

[DaveS]

@LBussy Have you managed to make any progress on your DIY repeater / local display project for the ispindel yet ?
I would like to have a DIY display near my fermentation chamber for easy reference and my TFT screens are due to arrive any day now
Cheers

 

[DuncB]

@LBussy Have you managed to make any progress on your DIY repeater / local display project for the ispindel yet ?
I would like to have a DIY display near my fermentation chamber for easy reference and my TFT screens are due to arrive any day now
Cheers

I was wondering about this as well, what is the biggest TFT I could order that would work with the esp8266?

The repeater using martin gers software has worked well on an esp8266 to relay to my wifi access point but a setup similar to nautilus would be better.
I couldn't quite work out the size of the nautilus screen / its' specs otherwise looked like a simple build and load in their software.
The repetidor I mentioned above seems to work fine with the little screen now but is tied in to the home network in does display the info needed well though, the brewpiless on it is going to be useful as a temp controller once the other bits arrive for this.

 

[DuncB]

I understand software wise there's a lot of work to be done, but other than software, M5 has all the ingredients hardware wise.

Just make sure the physics works out, an 80mA battery wont last long so you'll need a 18650 or some way to charge it, will that fit in the petling as well?
Also get a petling and the weight of the M5 and battery etc and check that it floats. If it's a sinker all your programming will be for nought.

 

[LBussy]

@LBussy Have you managed to make any progress on your DIY repeater / local display project for the ispindel yet ?

Depends what you call "progress."

I have been working on a different project which includes functionality that I intend to use for this. I'm close on that, so "yes." Also, @ZeSlammy was doing some work on this so he may have a different update.

 

[scubatech]

Built my first iSpindel and everything seems to be working fine except that the battery life shows a reading of .01v on the configuration page despite being fully charged (blue light). Assuming everything is in the right place since it booted up fine but I'm not electrically inclined. Anyone else come across this?

 

[BreeBrew]

Built my first iSpindel and everything seems to be working fine except that the battery life shows a reading of .01v on the configuration page despite being fully charged (blue light). Assuming everything is in the right place since it booted up fine but I'm not electrically inclined. Anyone else come across this?

Maybe this will help:

https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/issues/458

 

[DuncB]

Maybe this will help:

https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/issues/458

Isn't the question about the battery voltage not a temp reading of 0.00?

 

[DuncB]

Built my first iSpindel and everything seems to be working fine except that the battery life shows a reading of .01v on the configuration page despite being fully charged (blue light). Assuming everything is in the right place since it booted up fine but I'm not electrically inclined. Anyone else come across this?

Do you have a multimeter that can check the battery voltage? Should be about 4.2v
There is a battery offset feature and this is normally around 191 you haven't changed that by any chance?

Other than this spurious voltage reading is it working okay?

 

[BreeBrew]

Isn't the question about the battery voltage not a temp reading of 0.00?

oops.

 

[scubatech]

Do you have a multimeter that can check the battery voltage? Should be about 4.2v
There is a battery offset feature and this is normally around 191 you haven't changed that by any chance?

Other than this spurious voltage reading is it working okay?

Yeah, battery life is just off. Didn't change the conversion factor, it's still 190.80. I'll have to scrounge up a multimeter, but other than that, it's working perfectly.

 

[DuncB]

That is odd, it's not a battery with protection built in by any chance?
I think ( await correction ) that the Ispindel shuts down when the voltage gets lower than a certain point less than 3 V I think, so your Ispindel is "happy " but confusing you.
You say" battery life is just off" , do you mean the reading or that it is shutting down after a while?

 

[scubatech]

That is odd, it's not a battery with protection built in by any chance?
I think ( await correction ) that the Ispindel shuts down when the voltage gets lower than a certain point less than 3 V I think, so your Ispindel is "happy " but confusing you.
You say" battery life is just off" , do you mean the reading or that it is shutting down after a while?

Just the reading. Always shows .01v no matter what the actual charge. No built-in protection that I can tell.

 

[DuncB]

Just the reading. Always shows .01v no matter what the actual charge. No built-in protection that I can tell.

Assume you are using a recent firmware like 7.1.2 ?

Not sure if that would make any difference though.

 

[scubatech]

Assume you are using a recent firmware like 7.1.2 ?

Not sure if that would make any difference though.

Right, just flashed it yesterday, so 7.1.2 I think.

 

[DuncB]

I would just calibrate it and try it out, see what the longevity is like.

Mine last for several weeks but I would always recharge before a brew, but probably could get away with every other.

If you do get a multimeter you can adjust the battery factor if needed. I haven't done it yet ( as only just got a meter that can do this) but the instructions are in post # 1679 by @rsquared.

 

[ZeSlammy]

Depends what you call "progress."

I have been working on a different project which includes functionality that I intend to use for this. I'm close on that, so "yes." Also, @ZeSlammy was doing some work on this so he may have a different update.

I'm back in front of a PC so I can both update and work some more.

- I got an iSpindHub network up and running while being connected to my Wifi Network (thanks to @LBussy's help)
- it parses data from iSpindles, stores it and displays it in rotation
- Settngs pages for LittleBock/BrewFather/Brewer's Friend/Free URL are ready and working
- I'm working on the "cron job that sends data" making sure I'm only sending fresh data.

Hope for a pre release over the week end.

 

[DuncB]

@ZeSlammy
any joy with the pre release?

 

[Newsman]

Looks awesome, but the size is a bummer. Current configuration doesn't seem to fit down the neck of a carboy.

That's why you need to switch from those no-neck carbons to something bigger like a BMB (or a bucket)

 

[DuncB]

That's why you need to switch from those no-neck carbons to something bigger like a BMB (or a bucket)

Smashing idea!

 

[ZeSlammy]

@ZeSlammy
any joy with the pre release?

Had a boat load of personal setbacks but should be back on track end of this week. Sorry.

 

[DuncB]

Had a boat load of personal setbacks but should be back on track end of this week. Sorry.

Sorry to hear that, Life comes first I'm in no hurry. Keep well.

 

[mdime]

Anyone have any extra of the newer iSpindel PCBs they'd be willing to part with? Something like one of these? I built up an iSpindel a few years back with the original printed tray design and while it worked well, one of the connections is bad and I'd like to rebuild it with the newer PCB design.

 

[DuncB]

Anyone have any extra of the newer iSpindel PCBs they'd be willing to part with? Something like one of these? I built up an iSpindel a few years back with the original printed tray design and while it worked well, one of the connections is bad and I'd like to rebuild it with the newer PCB design.

I've just built a load of these using that PCB it's a much easier build and calibrate and it works better as the antenna is higher in the bottle. Hope you find someone local who can send one, if I sent from here it would be cheaper to buy a whole batch of new ones from the supplier and you'd get them quicker the post is terrible from here.

 

[BreeBrew]

Anyone have any extra of the newer iSpindel PCBs they'd be willing to part with? Something like one of these? I built up an iSpindel a few years back with the original printed tray design and while it worked well, one of the connections is bad and I'd like to rebuild it with the newer PCB design.

Where are you located, I have a bunch of these laying around till winter comes and it's to cold or wet to go to the golfcourse So I am willing to send one at a price to be agreed upon plus shipping.

 

[DuncB]

@beardedb

Looks awesome, but the size is a bummer. Current configuration doesn't seem to fit down the neck of a carboy.

Can you tell me the diameter of the opening of a carboy please or the narrowest bit of the neck, I might have a plan.

 

[BreeBrew]

@beardedb

Can you tell me the diameter of the opening of a carboy please or the narrowest bit of the neck, I might have a plan.

https://packagingoptionsdirect.com/3-gallon-clear-glass-italian-carboy-30mm-cork-neck-finish
30mm or 1.181102 inch. But there are quite a few of different versions around.