touch screen all electric question

[MrWibble]

So I'm bit by bit buying the odds and ends to build my all electic nano-brewery. I'm probably going to just run a fairly simple pid and manual valve system to start it off. I saw some plans on this site of people running their brewery off a touch screen interface. My question is can I adapt a laptop to run an automated system or does it require being a hardware/software engeneer and more money than a mechanic makes? I have built computers so I have a grasp of what make a puter a puter. Software, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. I tried turbo pascal 20 years ago without much sucess. I think the answer will not be what I want but if some of you smart guys can dumb down the ins and outs of making a comp interface I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks
MrWibble

 

[hypergolic]

I have seen one electric setup in my day, and he used switches to turn his heating elements and pumps off and on. So you will need your laptop to be able to control some relays, not a big deal they make serial and USB devices that can do this. Creating a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for this wouldn't be terribly difficult depending on your experience and the complexity of the interface. What all does the interface need to do? Turn some pumps on and off? Display some temperatures and a timer of some sort?

 

[bbognerks]

The easy way to do this would be a laptop and a BCS-460. The BCS-460 takes all the programming out. It's as simple as telling Internet Explorer to go to a web address.

http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/

It's also relatively cheap and would allow for future expansion. If you want to demo the interface, just follow the instructions here. Demo Instructions

 

[MrWibble]

I want to end up (after a few years of saving and buying parts) with an automated system. servo controlled valves, pumps, and time and temp all controled from a console. I'm definatly going to check out that bcs-460, sound cool! especially if i could control it remotely!

Has anyone built an automated system with this stuff? I'd love to see a wiring diagram on how all this stuff works together or at least a pic would help

 

[hatrickwah]

There is also a second option that has been growing rapidly. They don't have the web interface yet, but they are bringing a number of things together in the next few months. It doesn't require the laptop, but the laptop can be used in conjunction with it and it has the ability to grow as your brewery grows. Check out Brewtroller .

 

[Maxkling]

BCS would be the easiest. Arduino would be the cheapest but take more effort and IMO more fun. I'm using a SLC 5/03 PLC with an HMI, but unless you have a hookup on the items I would stray away, even though automation direct sells some pretty competitive priced PLC's.

This is a screen shot of my first VB HMI program using Advance HMI.

 

[kladue]

My question would be what you want the automation hardware to do?, simple on/off valve control, PWM for electric element control, level measurement, or more advanced things like proportional valves and flow measurement. What do you want the touch screen to do?, manual system control with PID loop control of heating, automatic HLT fill and transfer to mash, mash stepping via RIMS/HERMS, sparge and pre-boil volume control. The first step would be to define what is desired, then determine what is needed to reach the goal with hardware and software.
I have a bit of experience in both the hardware and software aspects of brewing system automation, with an Opto22 plc hardware based control system, and software written for touch screen use that is a combination of recipe generation and control.

 

[MrWibble]

I downloaded the advanced hmi and have been tinkering with it. seems like a fairly simple program.

Kladue, I'm building my all grain rig right now and trying to keep it upgradable. I'm going for an all electric HERMS. I'd like to say I'd like a system that will do anything and everything but i'm realistic. I mainly want to start off with PID heating. later when i can afford those sweet servo valves I want to be able to install them and easily integrate it.

 

[ColonelPanic]

BCS with an iPad or Android tablet would give you an easy to implement touch screen interface.

 

[Maxkling]

I downloaded the advanced hmi and have been tinkering with it. seems like a fairly simple program.

Kladue, I'm building my all grain rig right now and trying to keep it upgradable. I'm going for an all electric HERMS. I'd like to say I'd like a system that will do anything and everything but i'm realistic. I mainly want to start off with PID heating. later when i can afford those sweet servo valves I want to be able to install them and easily integrate it.

Yea it is fairly simple as long as you know basic VB scripting. Advance HMI at the moment is just AB compatable. I think its just RSLogix500, so older AB plcs.

 

[kladue]

It would be better to start with the PLC hardware now if you plan to do proportional valves like the Belimo later, then it is just install analog output module and programming. The BCS and Brewtroller are good in their intended application, but you would end up needing a PLC to get proportional valve control later. At this point the HMI application appears to offer basic PLC control functions, but not having used it I am not sure what else it can do.
I have gone the Opto 22 PLC hardware route as it was cheaper and offered more choices for inputs and outputs, but there were no software applications available. The One Touch brew system was assembled in 2008, and a basic level manual operation application was built to test it, then the advanced control application was started. After spending a considerable amount of time expanding the manual control application and developing the control and integrated recipe application, it is nearly finished as I have run out of ideas to incorporate into the application.