NEW StrangeBrew Elsinore Thread

[user 101620]

There was an issue with the old settings that caused the graphing to be inconsistent, this has been fixed and required the setting to be re-enabled, let me know if there are any issues going forward.

 

[Mikeliverpooluk]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1426248111.888646.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1426248132.271970.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1426248148.924472.jpg
Hi doug
Im just putting the finishing touches to my control panel will post some pics when im done. I thoughht with all the recent updates i would do a clean install last night as recommended in one of your recent posts. Im having a problem. When i first clone the code and start up elsinore it looks as it should all sensors etc detected. As soon as i try to add the first pid it crashes and gets stuck at the screen i have posted. Ive tried all the usual browsers and it doesnt seem to make any difference. Ive also taken a pic of what is showing on the terminal when i try and add a pid. Thanks for all your continued development im not far away from my first strangebrew brew !
Cheeers
Mike


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[FriendOfBrewers]

Here's an idea for the software: Add support for an external switch/button to be used as a trigger.

My use case is this: My Raspberry Pi is headless and stays within a couple of feet of my pump, rims tube, etc. The desktop running the web interface is about 20 feet away. During the brew there are times I need to turn off the pump (and if the pump is off, I need to make sure the rims tube heater is off). My current setup requires me to walk to the computer and click the onscreen button, or unplug the pump and heater.

It'd be nice to be able to push a momentary contact button to tell Elsinore to turn off the pump and rims tube heater. Then when I'm ready to turn the pump back on, I can choose between pushing the physical button, or the onscreen buttons.

These switches could be used in a number of ways:

- Soft Emergency Stop (i.e. turns off all pumps, heaters, etc) (For safety you'll probably want a hardware e-stop)
- Start/pause a timer
- Start/stop PID, pumps, etc.

 

[TechyDork]

Here's an idea for the software: Add support for an external switch/button to be used as a trigger.



My use case is this: My Raspberry Pi is headless and stays within a couple of feet of my pump, rims tube, etc. The desktop running the web interface is about 20 feet away. During the brew there are times I need to turn off the pump (and if the pump is off, I need to make sure the rims tube heater is off). My current setup requires me to walk to the computer and click the onscreen button, or unplug the pump and heater.



It'd be nice to be able to push a momentary contact button to tell Elsinore to turn off the pump and rims tube heater. Then when I'm ready to turn the pump back on, I can choose between pushing the physical button, or the onscreen buttons.



These switches could be used in a number of ways:



- Soft Emergency Stop (i.e. turns off all pumps, heaters, etc) (For safety you'll probably want a hardware e-stop)

- Start/pause a timer

- Start/stop PID, pumps, etc.

In my panel I have the pumps setup on a three way switch. AUTO ON MANUAL. Manual allows me to turn the pump on and off with the switch, auto allows me to switch the pumps using the Pi and a Sainsmart relay board.

I guess you could do the same with a two way switch wired between the relay and the pump outlet. Then you could have the pump on via the Pi interface and use the switch to turn it off. You could even wire and e stop in place of the switch.

 

[ArmOnFire]

I have a 3 way switch for both pumps on my control panel with Auto / Off / Manual On that outputs to the SSR that controls the pumps. For the manual on, I had to provide a 5vdc power supply to drive the SSR on.

If your Pi is on the wifi network you could access it through a tablet or phone.

 

[Mikeliverpooluk]

For some reason the pics i attached on the ipad app didnt appear ill try again!
Re crashing after a fresh install

 

[user 101620]

For some reason the pics i attached on the ipad app didnt appear ill try again!
Re crashing after a fresh install

These are warnings, they aren't "crashing" Elsinore.

When it's in this state browse to the "/getstatus" page (instead of "/controller") and please provide the output.

Also, please check the console and see if any errors pop up.

I suspect this is a safari specific issue. But I'm not about to buy an iPad/Mac/new box to test it...

 

[user 101620]

OK, fixed this issue, basically you weren't naming your probes so the system hid them automatically. I've changed it to only hide probes that are specifically hidden.

 

[user 160740]

How is everyone connecting their probes to the kettles? My original design (based off TheElectricBrewery) had stainless RTD probes in-line with the flow of liquid.

Given the less sanitary nature, lower temp rating (both probe + heat-shrink tubing) and no easy in-line method of DS18B20, is everyone just using stainless thermowells? It'll add a slight increase in temperature reaction time, but with the cost of these probes and the tweaking of PID values it should be a moot point.

Cheers!

 

[FriendOfBrewers]

For my RIMS tube, I coated the 18B20 in thermal grease and put it in a thermowell like this:

https://www.brewhardware.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Thermowell

I also use a couple of these thrown into the hot liquor tank and the boil kettle:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUNKR3M/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[user 101620]

I use DS18B20 Tank sensors from ebay. http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from...&_nkw=ds18b20+tank+sensor&ghostText=&_sacat=0

 

[Mikeliverpooluk]

hi doug thanks for your reply


Ive been playing with it all weekend and have failed to get it working
previously i had elsinore running beautifully on windows pc with three different browsers (chrome was smoothest) and on my iphone and ipad
only when i flashed a new sd card with raspian and a fresh install of elsinore have i run into problems. could it be raspian has been updated recently ?? and is causing issue ??

anyway with a fresh elsinore install all looks as it should do when i first fire it up ie temperatures visible everything looks as it should etc. when i go to name my first pid and hit "update" the screen turns into the one i have posted with the "12 and 4" in the temp boxes all 5 of them. the pid's dont work although i can name all 5 of my probes no problems. the switches still work fine as do the timers. the lock button disappears. no matter what i do i cant get all the functionality back. it seems locked in this "12 4 state" the get status page shows the temps are still being read by elsinore with no problems as far as i can tell. have tried every combo of computer browser they are all the same

i have posted to try and assist 1) picture of what i see on the browser screen (all the other probes are there and named when i scroll down) 2) the get status page when elsinore is in this "12 4" state 3) the code that is occurring on the terminal when i try to namethe first pid after a fresh install and hit update ie that is the moment the problem occurs (its split into 2 screen shots)

hope this helps and makes sense

no doubt being a novice ill be doing something daft but cant figure it

cheers

mike

 

[FriendOfBrewers]

I have a suspicion that these messages aren't the cause of your problem. My system also got errors about lshw, but it seemed to work fine in spite of these errors.

If you're using a Raspberry Pi, you should be able to eliminate the lshw messages by running: sudo apt-get install lshw

 

[user 101620]

I suspect that the slashes are causing an issue. I'll check sometime this week

 

[petewa]

when i first load my browser i also get that 12 4 on the temp probes... but once the page fully loads my temps fill in properly... do your temps stay with 12 4?

 

[RonR]

I've been playing around with my Hosehead2 running Strangebrew Elsinore and I have a couple of questions:
1) On the HLT, I set the Temp to desired. But what should be my duty cycle?
2) On the Boil Kettle, How should I run it? I'm guessing manual but what should I use for duty cycle and time? I believe the cycle will be lowered as I reach boil?

Also, I'm using Blichmann BoilCoils and they specify 0.0068*watts/Gallons for the expected rise in temperature of the water/wort. Is 60 seconds / by the answer to the formula what I should use for P?
Thanks.

 

[Mikeliverpooluk]

Thanks folks ill add the lshw and see if it helps but as you say and from what ive read about that bit of code it doesnt seem likely culprit. Pete - i know what you mean the 12/4 screen did used to flash up (blink and youd miss it) when elsinore was loading and then the normal screen would appear. It just seems to be getting stuck at the 12/4 point. Cheers doug for you patience i admire your skill at writing something so impressive !
Got 25 kg of malt arriving tomorrow and a load of hops in the freezer ! First elsinore brew sitting on the sofa is not far away !

Mike


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[user 101620]

The only way to get real debug info is if you can pull up the javascript console in your browser, normally ctrl+shift+i, then expand any errors (except the messages_* ones)

 

[user 160740]

Thanks for the replies regarding the temp probes. ~257F being the max on DS18B20 shouldn't be an issue with max wort temp being ~212F.

Thermowell + thermal grease sounds like a good option, just need a way to secure it in there. Some thermal grease is adhesive and will hold, but then that thermowell is toast if the $3 sensor ever died. I can't find any threaded DS18B20 style sensors, maybe thermowell with some type of cable retention could do the trick.

Cheers!

 

[Theodore18]

I can't find any threaded DS18B20 style sensors, maybe thermowell with some type of cable retention could do the trick.



Cheers!

I used the 6" thermowells from Duda Diesel with 1/2" male NPT threads and a cable retention. I screwed these into a camlock (type E, I think) which makes it really easy to remove the thermowell for cleaning my kettle.

I don't have any pics, but I could take some if you're interested.

 

[FriendOfBrewers]

... that thermowell is toast if the $3 sensor ever died.

I understand your apprehension. It's too bad that thermowells are so expensive. However, I have about a dozen DS18B20s monitoring the temperatures in my home that I have been polling every 3 seconds for the last seven years and have yet to see one fail.

On a related note, the BrewPi folks sell a nice-looking 1/2" NPT threaded DS18B20. At about $20 the price isn't too bad, but the shipping starts at around $22. Is there any interest in a group buy? If we get an order of at least 10, I'd be willing to take the initial shipment and redistribute to U.S. addresses. The cost would drop to about $21 each, and US Priority Mail shipping would be just $5.

 

[user 101620]

I understand your apprehension. It's too bad that thermowells are so expensive. However, I have about a dozen DS18B20s monitoring the temperatures in my home that I have been polling every 3 seconds for the last seven years and have yet to see one fail.

Look on Ebay for tank sensors, like these: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/3m-Digital-T...361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e6fb24f1

I use the 90 degree ones.

 

[user 78027]

Is anyone using a debian kernel newer then 3.14 with this project. I am using a beaglebone black with debian lxqt image that uses a 3.14 kernal. In this image the dto's use universal io and the /sys/devices/bone_capemgr.*/slots do not exist.

I am currently unable to load the overlay.

 

[user 101620]

Is anyone using a debian kernel newer then 3.14 with this project. I am using a beaglebone black with debian lxqt image that uses a 3.14 kernal. In this image the dto's use universal io and the /sys/devices/bone_capemgr.*/slots do not exist.

I am currently unable to load the overlay.

http://dougedey.github.io/2014/03/22/BeagleBoneBlack-Setup/

Please read the documentation, do not use anything above 3.8 because of this issue, I have not been able to look into it further.

 

[user 78027]

Please read the documentation, do not use anything above 3.8 because of this issue, I have not been able to look into it further.

I have other reasons for needing the newer kernel. I thought it was an open source project and I was asking if anyone had gone to the effort to make it work on a newer kernel. If no one has, I will do it myself.

 

[user 101620]

I have other reasons for needing the newer kernel. I thought it was an open source project and I was asking if anyone had gone to the effort to make it work on a newer kernel. If no one has, I will do it myself.

The issue I found was the one wire was not supported on newer kernels, and it appeared that I was the only one looking for it.

 

[user 78027]

Maybe I will try to write my own with the pruss? It is an easy enough protocol. I've looked at the code for the arduino. Maybe if I fall onto some extra time

 

[user 78027]

I just found this

http://libbulldog.org/bulldog/

and will give it a shot in the next couple of days to see if I can write a driver for the DS18B20 probes. If anyone can see a reason it won't work, I am not an expert with the beaglebone, the earlier I know the better.

The interface can do I2C, so surely it can do the ds18B20.

 

[user 160740]

I used the 6" thermowells from Duda Diesel with 1/2" male NPT threads and a cable retention. I screwed these into a camlock (type E, I think) which makes it really easy to remove the thermowell for cleaning my kettle.

I don't have any pics, but I could take some if you're interested.

I would absolutely be interested, especially to see your cable retention setup. Thank you for the great info!

 

[user 160740]

I understand your apprehension. It's too bad that thermowells are so expensive. However, I have about a dozen DS18B20s monitoring the temperatures in my home that I have been polling every 3 seconds for the last seven years and have yet to see one fail.

On a related note, the BrewPi folks sell a nice-looking 1/2" NPT threaded DS18B20. At about $20 the price isn't too bad, but the shipping starts at around $22. Is there any interest in a group buy? If we get an order of at least 10, I'd be willing to take the initial shipment and redistribute to U.S. addresses. The cost would drop to about $21 each, and US Priority Mail shipping would be just $5.

Wow, those are perfect. I agree a bit steep, but they are purpose built to be in-line with wort flow and look great, are these new, I haven't seen them up there before?

Look on Ebay for tank sensors, like these: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/3m-Digital-T...361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e6fb24f1

I use the 90 degree ones.

Doug, how are you connecting these in-line? The NPT threads appear to be on the opposite side (usually it's on the side with the thermowell). Are these directly in your kettles, or in the line of flow (using a T etc)?


Thanks again for the responses and great info!