TiltBridge - Tilt-to-WiFi Device for Tilt Hydrometer

[Thorrak]

I finally got it
I found that with the last redesign, they put that under Extensions > Apps Script
I still had issues but found an answer in being logged into multiple Google accounts. I had to log onto the proper account in chrome and I was able to get it set up. I also had to install the Bonjour for Print Services to access the tiltbrige.local page. I had to be logged into the proper account to set up a new log as well, even though I can access tiltbridge.local from a different account. Thanks again Thorrak for this great app!

Oof - Sorry that you had to go searching! It seems like every so often Google can't help but hide that option somewhere new.

 

[Henbrew]

Got everything sorted out it seems and connected to Brewersfriend

 

[Thorrak]

Yeah - the @BrewersFriend folk were quite helpful in getting test accounts set up and answering questions about their API when TiltBridge was in development. Glad to see you're putting it to use - it's a great tool!

 

[RocketBrewer]

Help?? After getting TiltBridge to work on a plain ESP32 board with minimal problems, I decided to upgrade to an OLED board so I could have readings displayed all the time. I set up the Heltec board and started the flashing but after about 15 minutes, it still says "Erasing". The first board didn't take anywhere near that much time. I'm afraid to try to do anything for fear of Bricking my new controller. Am I screwed? What can I do?

 

[Thorrak]

Help?? After getting TiltBridge to work on a plain ESP32 board with minimal problems, I decided to upgrade to an OLED board so I could have readings displayed all the time. I set up the Heltec board and started the flashing but after about 15 minutes, it still says "Erasing". The first board didn't take anywhere near that much time. I'm afraid to try to do anything for fear of Bricking my new controller. Am I screwed? What can I do?

Just unplug it. You'll be fine.

 

[RocketBrewer]

Thanks Thorrak! It worked on the second try. I was afraid to try to stop it for fear it might leave it bricked

 

[Thorrak]

Thanks Thorrak! It worked on the second try. I was afraid to try to stop it for fear it might leave it bricked

Nah. There's a few sections of the chip where a bad write might cause issues, but the most likely outcome is that you end up with a chip that isn't capable of booting & needs to be reflashed. Since you're using another device (a computer) to flash it in the first place, that's more of an annoyance than something potentially catastrophic. It's much more of a problem if doing an "over the air" update where the device is updating itself, and may not be able to fix itself if the update fails.

Glad to hear it is up and running! Let me know if you have any issues/questions.

 

[RyanWeary]

I've been having a heck of time getting this to work. I'm stuck at the beginning. I can't even flash the firmware using Brewflasher. I get a variety of errors:

esptool.py v3.2
Serial port COM4
Connecting......................................
Firmware flashing FAILED. esptool.py raised an error.
Try flashing again, or try flashing with a slower speed.

or

Serial port COM4
Connecting......................................
COM4 failed to connect: Failed to connect to ESP32: No serial data received.
For troubleshooting steps visit: GitHub - espressif/esptool: Espressif SoC serial bootloader utility

When I connect the device to my PC, Windows makes that sound like it recognized a USB device being plugged in.

For the record, I bought the LOLIN D32 Pro (16MB with LED because that's all that was in stock) with the LOLIN TFT-2.4 with the connecting cable.

The D32 Pro has a red light next to a button that remains on, pressing the button doesn't seem to do anything. When plugged in the screen will stay lit - but doesn't read anything.

HELP!!!

 

[garzlok]

HELP!!!

Are you sure your USB cable has a data line? Some cables are power only. Some are power and data. (That would be the first place to start)

 

[RyanWeary]

Are you sure your USB cable has a data line? Some cables are power only. Some are power and data. (That would be the first place to start)

Well holy cow - you're right! We don't have many micro USB cables laying around - but the last one I had worked! Thanks! I thought after trying the first two cables it was a problem with the board. Glad I'm wrong. I appreciate the tip!

 

[ksmax]

I have the Lolin d32 Pro and the HiLetgo 2.4" TFT display. Can someone help me identify the cable I need to connect the two? I have tried several searches of the forum and didn't have any luck. Ideally I would like to order it from Amazon. The site linked in the hardware documentation doesn't arrive until late April and the shipping is horrible.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Thorrak]

I have the Lolin d32 Pro and the HiLetgo 2.4" TFT display. Can someone help me identify the cable I need to connect the two? I have tried several searches of the forum and didn't have any luck. Ideally I would like to order it from Amazon. The site linked in the hardware documentation doesn't arrive until late April and the shipping is horrible.

Thanks

Kevin

Do you have a link to the TFT display?

Unfortunately, I don't think other vendor's displays are compatible with the D32 pro.

 

[ksmax]

Do you have a link to the TFT display?

Unfortunately, I don't think other vendor's displays are compatible with the D32 pro.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07WNLNRDN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

 

[Thorrak]

If you're referring to this display, then unfortunately there is no cable you can purchase off the shelf to connect the two. They can be connected, but you would need to figure out the pinout from the D32 Pro's LCD display connector, match it up against the corresponding pins of that display, and then design a PCB/cable yourself to connect the two.

 

[Jeffmyers5266]

Hi everyone,

Looking for some help with my TiltBridge setup. I’ve downloaded BrewFlasher and installed firmware recommended by someone earlier in this thread. It now finds COM4 since installing the firmware, but it just stops after downloading it. No errors or anything. I’ve let it go for hours with no update. Is there something I’m supposed to be doing to get it to actually install? I’ve tried both erasing and not erasing the data.

 

[Exception13]

Is there something I’m supposed to be doing to get it to actually install? I’ve tried both erasing and not erasing the data.

First thing to confirm is your USB cable as mentioned above. Have you confirmed it is a data/power cable and not just power only? That caught me when I built mine last year.

Hope that helps.

Chris

 

[Jeffmyers5266]

First thing to confirm is your USB cable as mentioned above. Have you confirmed it is a data/power cable and not just power only? That caught me when I built mine last year.

Hope that helps.

Chris

I’ve tried a few, most don’t show up with anything under Serial Port, but two of them do. Neither moves past where I got in the screen shot. In the device manager, it shows as the most up to date firmware but also “can’t verify digital signature”. I assume that’s not a problem?

 

[Thorrak]

I’ve tried a few, most don’t show up with anything under Serial Port, but two of them do. Neither moves past where I got in the screen shot. In the device manager, it shows as the most up to date firmware but also “can’t verify digital signature”. I assume that’s not a problem?

"Can't verify digital signature" is weird - that would imply that the firmware you downloaded isn't the firmware that you intended to download. This could be indicative of a man-in-the-middle type attack -- but the more likely scenario is that it just isn't properly downloading. You might want to try BrewFlasher Web Edition and see if that works for you.

 

[Cb9880]

So I am having an issue with my tilt bridge. I cannot get it to log on google sheets. I have use it successfully in the past but this time it will not upload data.

 

[Jeffmyers5266]

"Can't verify digital signature" is weird - that would imply that the firmware you downloaded isn't the firmware that you intended to download. This could be indicative of a man-in-the-middle type attack -- but the more likely scenario is that it just isn't properly downloading. You might want to try BrewFlasher Web Edition and see if that works for you.

Just wanted to update that I did finally get this working. I had been using brewflasher, but on an old windows 7 laptop. When I tried my wife’s Mac, it worked perfectly.

Also when setting up google sheets, it seemed like I needed to go through the full process from the beginning, instead of using the one I had been with the tilt app.

Hopefully this helps someone else in the future. Thanks for your help and I will say this is 1000x more convenient than using that app with an old iPhone!

 

[murphyslaw]

I'm going to make one of these but I'm wondering if I really need to make 2.

I've got a new setup with two minifridges, one stacked on top of the other, and I ferment in kegs. Running my first fermentation with the tilt last week, I put my old tablet on top of the bottom fridge (underneath the top fridge). It worked for a while, then stopped. I had to put my tablet inside the fridge to get a consistent connection. Now I have a second beer in the top fridge and I can't really find a spot where the tablet can connect to both.

Is the tilt bridge likely to have a stronger Bluetooth connection than my old tablet, or should I just make two and put one in each fridge?

Also, I might as well ask before I get into this all, but this is a project that someone without any programming skills can accomplish? I once tried to install Linux on an old computer while building BrewPi and eventually gave up on that project.

 

[garzlok]

I'm going to make one of these but I'm wondering if I really need to make 2.

I have a similar set-up… 2 beverage coolers stacked on top of each other and ferment in SS.

My (1) TiltBridge is just above the coolers, and I too would get shoddy BT reception. My solution was to build tilt repeaters (x2) and place them in each beverage cooler. This amplifies the signal and allows my TB to receive the data.

I built my repeaters, but commercial Tilt Repeaters are available to purchase from Tilt.

FWIW: if there would have been such a thing as TiltPro when I started this journey, that’s the route I would have gone.

I still think I will eventually upgrade to the TiltPro and retire my Tilt 3’s and DIY Repeaters.

 

[Thorrak]

I'm going to make one of these but I'm wondering if I really need to make 2.

I've got a new setup with two minifridges, one stacked on top of the other, and I ferment in kegs. Running my first fermentation with the tilt last week, I put my old tablet on top of the bottom fridge (underneath the top fridge). It worked for a while, then stopped. I had to put my tablet inside the fridge to get a consistent connection. Now I have a second beer in the top fridge and I can't really find a spot where the tablet can connect to both.

Is the tilt bridge likely to have a stronger Bluetooth connection than my old tablet, or should I just make two and put one in each fridge?

Also, I might as well ask before I get into this all, but this is a project that someone without any programming skills can accomplish? I once tried to install Linux on an old computer while building BrewPi and eventually gave up on that project.

You’ll probably need 2, but you can always start with 1 and see how it goes. The antenna on these things is tiny in comparison to most phones/tablets, but it’s impossible to predict what success you might have with one controller in your particular environment.

I‘d say this project is much less technically demanding than BrewPi - especially with BrewFlasher providing the means to flash the device. The only difficulty can come from certain integrations with external services (all of which are optional).

 

[murphyslaw]

Thank you both for the replies.

Its probably cheaper to build two of these rather than buying those Tilt repeaters.

 

[murphyslaw]

I ordered the parts and even found a program at a nearby University that will 3D print @Thorrak 's case.

 

[murphyslaw]

Sorry, I hate to be that guy, but any idea what I might be doing wrong?

I bought an ESP32, the TFT touch screen, LOLIN D32 Pro, & cable. Still trying to find someone to 3d print the case. Local university never responded and I'm waiting to hear from a local library.

I downloaded brew flasher, plugged the ESP32 into my laptop via usb, and tried to flash it. Here's what I get:

I tried different baud rates, assuming that's what it means when it says "try flashing with a slower speed". Tried all the old style usb ports on my laptop.

 

[Exception13]

Looks suspiciously like a cable problem. Try using a cable that you know is a data cable and not just a charge cable.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[Thorrak]

Sorry, I hate to be that guy, but any idea what I might be doing wrong?

I bought an ESP32, the TFT touch screen, LOLIN D32 Pro, & cable. Still trying to find someone to 3d print the case. Local university never responded and I'm waiting to hear from a local library.

I downloaded brew flasher, plugged the ESP32 into my laptop via usb, and tried to flash it. Here's what I get:

View attachment 771762

I tried different baud rates, assuming that's what it means when it says "try flashing with a slower speed". Tried all the old style usb ports on my laptop.

Have to agree that the symptoms match a potential issue with the cable being “charge only”.

Separately though - can you get a good shot of the “writing” on the metal shield of the case of that board? That board isn’t a LoLin D32 Pro so it won’t fit the 3D printable case, obviously, but I’m curious if it is one of the ESP32 variants that have been floating around out there.

 

[murphyslaw]

Oh man, is the Lolin a type of ESP32 not an additional part?

I was plugging in this ESP (first pic) but I also have this LOLIN (2nd and third pic).

I’ll try a different cord.

 

[murphyslaw]

Ok, so it turns out that if you connect the correct controller using the correct cord this is like the easiest thing in the world, lol.

Hope to have a case instead of a zip lock bag soon!

This is awesome. Thanks for making this and helping me to build it!

 

[Exception13]

Chuckle....yup! Glad you got it working. The ziplock is a good substitute for the time being.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[murphyslaw]

I have two minifridges stacked one upon the other. Kegs fermenting in both. My old tablet had to be inside the fridge to get a consistent bluetooth connection. So I built two of these. Turns out one has no problem reading both tilts, so far.

 

[Exception13]

I only have the one Tilt so can't comment on how reliable it'll be with multiples..... especially in steel vessels. Cool that you got them both displaying right from the start.

 

[murphyslaw]

I was having trouble getting cases printed and @gromitdj kindly reached out me and offered to print two for me.

Thanks to @gromitdj and @Thorrak!

This place is awesome!

I’ll get around to flipping the screen so it’s not upside down

 

[Thorrak]

I was having trouble getting cases printed and @gromitdj kindly reached out me and offered to print two for me.

Thanks to @gromitdj and @Thorrak!

This place is awesome!

View attachment 775345

I’ll get around to flipping the screen so it’s not upside down

Uhhhhh..... it's a checkbox.
You're making me cry.
Please click the checkbox, it makes it so pretty


Can confirm, @gromitdj (and his case designs!) are awesome.

 

[Stov54]

TiltBridge looks awesome and I am super keen to get it going so that I can check in on my fermentation while I am away for a month for work but am, unfortunately, not having much luck and was hoping someone here could help.

• I purchased the LOLIN D32 PRO 16 MB LED variant, the screen and cable.
• I plugged the board in and thought I would test it out by uploading the blink sketch to it using the Arduino IDE - that worked just fine so the board can receive data OK
• Using BrewFlasher I flashed it with the TiltBridge - v1.1.1 - TFT firmware and it seemed to go OK, last bit of the output is below

Writing at 0x0000e000... (100 %)
Wrote 8192 bytes (47 compressed) at 0x0000e000 in 0.1 seconds (effective 668.7 kbit/s)...
Hash of data verified.

Leaving...
Hard resetting via RTS pin...

Firmware successfully flashed. Unplug/replug or reset device
to switch back to normal boot mode.

Unplugging and plugging the board back in doesn't seem to do anything (screen is blank and red LED on the board is on) and I cannot see a wifi connection with the SSID TiltBridgeA from my phone or PC. This is what I see

Any ideas for further troubleshooting? I seem to be a bit stuck.

 

[LBussy]

Do you have a way to check the serial connection? Not sure what OS you have there, but the serial debug may give you a clue. It looks like you are either crashing or have the wrong firmware, so re-flashing might be a thing to try.

Use Chrome, use this link, and use the web flasher. It will give you the opportunity to view log which is the serial console.

 

[murphyslaw]

Uhhhhh..... it's a checkbox.
You're making me cry.
Please click the checkbox, it makes it so pretty


Can confirm, @gromitdj (and his case designs!) are awesome.

FTFY

 

[Stov54]

Ah, yes, sorry, I am on Win 10.

Using the web version both the v1.1.1 TFT and Beta D32 PRO v1.1.1 TFT firmware appear to get to 100% when flashing with them then both state that they timed out waiting for packet header (thought still with the celebratory emoji).

Viewing the logs and console initially shows nothing but clicking on Reset Device then continuously prints this until the page stops responding (apologies for the screenshot but the page is non-responsive so I cannot copy/paste):

Using RealTerm I can confirm that this output is just continuously sent over the serial port from the ESP

rst:0x3 (SW_RESET),boot:0x17 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
                            
configsip: 0, SPIWP:0xee
                                                      
clk_drv:0x00,q_drv:0x00,d_drv:0x00,cs0_drv:0x00,hd_drv:0x00,wp_drv:0x00
      
mode:DIO, clock div:2
                                                        
load:0x3fff0030,len:1184
                                                      
load:0x40078000,len:12784
                                                    
load:0x40080400,len:3032
                                                      
entry 0x400805e4
                                                              
ets Jul 29 2019 12:21:46

 

[LBussy]

Are you sure those are Lolin D32 Pros? Some of the off-brands are not capable of entering boot mode.

There are two buttons on those boards, one is reset and one is boot. After you click "go" (or whatever it says) to flash the board, click the boot button and release it. See if that gets it going.