As an owner of multiple Tilts and an individual that has implemented Fermentrack and TiltBridge, I have occasionally run into issues where TiltBridge does not pick-up the signal of my Tilt causing me to miss out on fermentation trends.
I ferment in Stainless Steel, inside a modified Beverage Cooler. Though my TiltBridge and Tilt are only 1.5 - 2 feet away at any given time, my signal strength can reside in the -85 to -95 dBm range, which is a pretty weak signal strength for Bluetooth Low Energy.
A quick search of the interwebs leads you to this:
https://tilthydrometer.com/products/tilt-repeater
Some further searching on the Tilt Hydrometer Web Site leads you to this:
https://tilthydrometer.com/blogs/ne...stainless-fermentors-with-the-tilt-repeater-1
DIY challenge excepted!
B.O.M.
MDBT42Q Breakout
5V Power Supply
Single Row Male 2.54 Breakable Pin Header PCB JST Connector Strip
Dupont Line 30CM Female to Female Jumper Wire Dupont Cable
5"x7" Aluminum Step Flashing
Trim Lok Edge Trim
Electrical Tape
Cable Tie
Grommet
Container To hold Device (I used a Tube that stored Epoxy Putty.)
Avery 8257 Address Labels
Step 1 (Prepping the MDBT42Q)
To deliver Power and gain quick access to the Tx and Rx pins, I soldered on male headers that run from D11 to GND. (this is optional and you can choose what best suits your needs to connect to the breakout board.)
This is by far the most challenging step of the process and you will need specific flashing tools. If you buy the MDBT42Q that I linked, it will come preloaded with Firmware and ready to use. In fact, in a brief chat with Noah Baron, they use the 2v01 firmware due to its lower power consumption. I am using a dedicated power source, so power consumption was not a major concern for me. If you choose to flash the device to the newest Firmware (2v06) or to the 2v01, you will need to use specific tools.
First, use this Web Site as your primary source for all things Espruino MDBT42Q!
All the MDBT42Q Firmware can be found HERE.
The directions say to upload and install the new firmware, you need to use their Online Web IDE. To use their Online Web IDE you will need to use the Chrome Browser and your computer needs to be Bluetooth capable. The Online Web IDE will also be the way you flash the MDBT42Q with the JavaScript to make your device a Bluetooth Repeater.
When I tried flashing the newest firmware using the Online Web IDE...it hung-up, and I thought I bricked my device. After some searching, I learned that the Online Web IDE can be hit or miss with firmware updates. Instead, I used the nRF Connect App on my iPad, and successfully loaded the new firmware onto my MDBT42Q. This is the nRF Connect for Desktop version.
Step 2 (Installing the repeater JavaScript)
The kind folks at Baronbrew have made the repeater code Open Source and that code can be found on their GitHub Page.
Near the middle of the GitHub page is a Green Button that says 'Code'. Click the button and download the Zip file.
Once downloaded, unzip the package.
Open up your Online Web IDE, in the upper left corner is a Connect Icon. Connect your MDBT42Q to the Online IDE program.
Through the IDE, open the file of the Baronbrew JavaScript you just downloaded and extracted.
Choose the file named: espruino_repeater.js
Underneath the 'Send to Espruino" icon found in the middle of the IDE page, you'll see RAM with a down arrow. Click the down arrow and choose, Flash. Doing his will "save on send" and commit the code to the flash memory.
Step 3 (Building Enclosure to house MDBT42Q)
In all honesty, I built this with scraps laying around from other projects. The commercialized version is in a waterproof container. I did not go this route and I used a Tube that held Epoxy Putty. All that matters is that you have a container that protects and holds the MDBT42Q. Because you may want to turn off the the repeater or switch it to work with a different color tilt, you may need to gain access to the repeater. I decided to stick close to the commercial product and build a sled for easy access.
For the sled, I used some Aluminum flashing cut to size, Trim Lok to protect from sharp edges, and electrical tape to cover the flashing and attach the "MDBT42Q Seat" to the "Sled".
First I cut some aluminum to build a seat that will firmly hold the MDBT42Q. Dimensions were roughly 18mm x 48mm. On the ends, I placed some Trim Lok and bent the ends of the flashing to a 90deg angle. I then wrapped the aluminum flashing in electrical tape.
Next, I built a sled. For me, this piece was 18mm x 80mm, but your dimensions may be different. On the back end of the sled, I placed a piece of Trim Lok and bent the flashing 90 degrees. On the other end of the flashing, I put on a piece of Trim Lok without bending the flashing. Wrapped the sled in electrical tape.
Finally, I attached the Seat to the Sled. I just did this with electrical tape. I also used a piece of electrical tape on the flat end to use as a flexible tab to help pull the sled out of the plastic tube.
On the Tube Cap, I drilled a large enough hole to accept a grommet so I can pass my wires through.
I used Avery 8257 Address Labels to print out the button cycle for the repeater. (I used avery.com for printing templates)
You're welcome to use my icons if you choose:
Step 4 (putting it all together)
I choose not to use a battery operated device. Instead, I'm delivering power with a 5V 2A Wall Power Supply that will be fed into my fermentation chamber.
Attach Female DuPont wires to GND and Vin male headers on the MDBT42Q. Cut opposite end of DuPont wires to expose copper wires and use as a pig tail.
Place the MDBT42Q into the seat on the sled.
Slide the Sled into your container
Run DuPont wires through the grommet on the cap.
Use cable tie near female terminals to hold wires in place.
Close Cap
Affix label with the button cycle icons.
Voila! A Bluetooth repeater that works with your Tilts and will strengthen your BT signal. REMEMBER this is NOT to be placed in liquid! This just needs to be placed outside your fermenter to help with signal strength. For me, this repeater gave me a 30 dBm increase in signal strength. For power, I cut off the micro USB end of my 5v 2A power supply, exposed the wires, and connected to my pig tails accordingly.
If you are using Tilts and TiltBridge, this is a drop-in addition. Your TiltBridge will not have any issues picking up the signals and nothing additional needs to be done.
If you are using iSpindles, I suspect you would need to develop and implement your own JavaScript code for the MDBT42Q.
I ferment in Stainless Steel, inside a modified Beverage Cooler. Though my TiltBridge and Tilt are only 1.5 - 2 feet away at any given time, my signal strength can reside in the -85 to -95 dBm range, which is a pretty weak signal strength for Bluetooth Low Energy.
A quick search of the interwebs leads you to this:
https://tilthydrometer.com/products/tilt-repeater
Some further searching on the Tilt Hydrometer Web Site leads you to this:
https://tilthydrometer.com/blogs/ne...stainless-fermentors-with-the-tilt-repeater-1
DIY challenge excepted!
B.O.M.
MDBT42Q Breakout
5V Power Supply
Single Row Male 2.54 Breakable Pin Header PCB JST Connector Strip
Dupont Line 30CM Female to Female Jumper Wire Dupont Cable
5"x7" Aluminum Step Flashing
Trim Lok Edge Trim
Electrical Tape
Cable Tie
Grommet
Container To hold Device (I used a Tube that stored Epoxy Putty.)
Avery 8257 Address Labels
Step 1 (Prepping the MDBT42Q)
To deliver Power and gain quick access to the Tx and Rx pins, I soldered on male headers that run from D11 to GND. (this is optional and you can choose what best suits your needs to connect to the breakout board.)
This is by far the most challenging step of the process and you will need specific flashing tools. If you buy the MDBT42Q that I linked, it will come preloaded with Firmware and ready to use. In fact, in a brief chat with Noah Baron, they use the 2v01 firmware due to its lower power consumption. I am using a dedicated power source, so power consumption was not a major concern for me. If you choose to flash the device to the newest Firmware (2v06) or to the 2v01, you will need to use specific tools.
First, use this Web Site as your primary source for all things Espruino MDBT42Q!
All the MDBT42Q Firmware can be found HERE.
The directions say to upload and install the new firmware, you need to use their Online Web IDE. To use their Online Web IDE you will need to use the Chrome Browser and your computer needs to be Bluetooth capable. The Online Web IDE will also be the way you flash the MDBT42Q with the JavaScript to make your device a Bluetooth Repeater.
When I tried flashing the newest firmware using the Online Web IDE...it hung-up, and I thought I bricked my device. After some searching, I learned that the Online Web IDE can be hit or miss with firmware updates. Instead, I used the nRF Connect App on my iPad, and successfully loaded the new firmware onto my MDBT42Q. This is the nRF Connect for Desktop version.
Step 2 (Installing the repeater JavaScript)
The kind folks at Baronbrew have made the repeater code Open Source and that code can be found on their GitHub Page.
Near the middle of the GitHub page is a Green Button that says 'Code'. Click the button and download the Zip file.
Once downloaded, unzip the package.
Open up your Online Web IDE, in the upper left corner is a Connect Icon. Connect your MDBT42Q to the Online IDE program.
Through the IDE, open the file of the Baronbrew JavaScript you just downloaded and extracted.
Choose the file named: espruino_repeater.js
Underneath the 'Send to Espruino" icon found in the middle of the IDE page, you'll see RAM with a down arrow. Click the down arrow and choose, Flash. Doing his will "save on send" and commit the code to the flash memory.
Step 3 (Building Enclosure to house MDBT42Q)
In all honesty, I built this with scraps laying around from other projects. The commercialized version is in a waterproof container. I did not go this route and I used a Tube that held Epoxy Putty. All that matters is that you have a container that protects and holds the MDBT42Q. Because you may want to turn off the the repeater or switch it to work with a different color tilt, you may need to gain access to the repeater. I decided to stick close to the commercial product and build a sled for easy access.
For the sled, I used some Aluminum flashing cut to size, Trim Lok to protect from sharp edges, and electrical tape to cover the flashing and attach the "MDBT42Q Seat" to the "Sled".
First I cut some aluminum to build a seat that will firmly hold the MDBT42Q. Dimensions were roughly 18mm x 48mm. On the ends, I placed some Trim Lok and bent the ends of the flashing to a 90deg angle. I then wrapped the aluminum flashing in electrical tape.
Next, I built a sled. For me, this piece was 18mm x 80mm, but your dimensions may be different. On the back end of the sled, I placed a piece of Trim Lok and bent the flashing 90 degrees. On the other end of the flashing, I put on a piece of Trim Lok without bending the flashing. Wrapped the sled in electrical tape.
Finally, I attached the Seat to the Sled. I just did this with electrical tape. I also used a piece of electrical tape on the flat end to use as a flexible tab to help pull the sled out of the plastic tube.
On the Tube Cap, I drilled a large enough hole to accept a grommet so I can pass my wires through.
I used Avery 8257 Address Labels to print out the button cycle for the repeater. (I used avery.com for printing templates)
You're welcome to use my icons if you choose:
Step 4 (putting it all together)
I choose not to use a battery operated device. Instead, I'm delivering power with a 5V 2A Wall Power Supply that will be fed into my fermentation chamber.
Attach Female DuPont wires to GND and Vin male headers on the MDBT42Q. Cut opposite end of DuPont wires to expose copper wires and use as a pig tail.
Place the MDBT42Q into the seat on the sled.
Slide the Sled into your container
Run DuPont wires through the grommet on the cap.
Use cable tie near female terminals to hold wires in place.
Close Cap
Affix label with the button cycle icons.
Voila! A Bluetooth repeater that works with your Tilts and will strengthen your BT signal. REMEMBER this is NOT to be placed in liquid! This just needs to be placed outside your fermenter to help with signal strength. For me, this repeater gave me a 30 dBm increase in signal strength. For power, I cut off the micro USB end of my 5v 2A power supply, exposed the wires, and connected to my pig tails accordingly.
If you are using Tilts and TiltBridge, this is a drop-in addition. Your TiltBridge will not have any issues picking up the signals and nothing additional needs to be done.
If you are using iSpindles, I suspect you would need to develop and implement your own JavaScript code for the MDBT42Q.
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