DIY controller?

[dandelion]

Just wondering if there're any fellow reefers on here that are engineers or programmers or computer geeks...? I've been thinking why I haven't heard much about DIY controllers with say a raspberry pi or an old smartphone. I just came across a $10 android that I'm pretty sure has enough processing power as long as someone knows how to make the circuitry that connects to its microusb port.

 

Generic USB probes may be more difficult to get I suppose.... While temperature and pH probes should be easy, alkalinity probes and such may be much more difficult to find.

[BRN]

Im actually making a diy controller right now, just to see if i can do it. Currently its shutting of my pumps wirelessly to feed and turning on my fuge after my radion goes out for the night. Next im gonna make the heater shut off when it gets above 80 and turn on the fan. probes might be tricky but im sure ill figure it out. Instead of a raspberry pi or old smartphone im going to use a smartwatch. just started this controller today ill have pics and plans up tomorrow if you want to check it out to get an idea.

[dandelion]

That sounds awesome! I'll definitely want to follow your thread.

 

So your smart watch has a port on it? I was thinking a raspberry pi or android because they may provide a bit more flexibility with running codes and drivers for probes.... I really don't know enough programming to do something like this. Just wondering if anyone out there has done it and be willing to share how.

 

 

Im actually making a diy controller right now, just to see if i can do it. Currently its shutting of my pumps wirelessly to feed and turning on my fuge after my radion goes out for the night. Next im gonna make the heater shut off when it gets above 80 and turn on the fan. probes might be tricky but im sure ill figure it out. Instead of a raspberry pi or old smartphone im going to use a smartwatch. just started this controller today ill have pics and plans up tomorrow if you want to check it out to get an idea.

[allesluge]

Atlas scientific sell probes and circuits that can be conected to a microcontroller for measuring ph, temp, and disolved oxigen. Also on this site some one modified a diy controller, the original controller i think is called jarduino, based on arduino.

[R1sky_Biz]

Atlas scientific sell probes and circuits that can be conected to a microcontroller for measuring ph, temp, and disolved oxigen. Also on this site some one modified a diy controller, the original controller i think is called jarduino, based on arduino.

 

Allesluge is correct. I've seen a few people doing DIY controllers using a variety of methods. If you have the ability to use the Raspberry Pi coupled with the Arduino, I feel confident you could build a very capable controller. I wanted to do something similar a while back but I just don't have the spare time to learn something from scratch and piecing it all together.

 

My thought was to make an automated monitoring/dosing/lighting system that I could access and program remotely through my iPhone or iPad. Bought all the cool gadgets from adafruit: The Pi, Arduino Nano, wifi chip, touchscreen display etc. Also bought four of the "dreamchip" 5-channel LED's that I was going to build in a pendant style (similar to the Kessil A360) But I never got around to any of it. So basically I have a few hundred dollars worth of components laying around ready to be assembled and programmed at my earliest convenience haha. My ambition outweighed my expertise on this one haha! I would be very interested to see how your turns out if you decide to take it on.

[TFish77]

I have used an arduino to reprogram i/cs for led controllers. I'm sure in theory it could be reworked for any type of controller out there. I've seen a lot of DIY led controllers but not any for much else.

[BRN]

That sounds awesome! I'll definitely want to follow your thread.

 

So your smart watch has a port on it? I was thinking a raspberry pi or android because they may provide a bit more flexibility with running codes and drivers for probes.... I really don't know enough programming to do something like this. Just wondering if anyone out there has done it and be willing to share how.

 

 

 

ill do a custom circuit board for probe ports and use a wireless card to connect the smartwatch to the board and the board to the apps the smartwatch is using to monitor the tank. So essentially what im doing is using the smartwatch as the display interface and the board as the brains, wirelessly sending signals to my watch for active updates, and readings. or using the smart watch to make changes like shutting pumps off, or auto feeding while im away. etc...I'm still wrapping my head around it, but i think it could be done,

[Benny314]

Google arduino aquarium controller. The list is extencive. I'm running a jarduino setup part modified. As soon as I can get the money together I'm going to try and get hold of some Robo-tank boards as the Robo-tank stuff is slightly closer to what I want to acheve with my controller and I haven't had the time to work on recoding a controller based on the jarduino.

[BRN]

Nice