Meepduino: 2.0 RELEASED!

[Horerczy]

 

I called the ghostbusters, but only got a dial tone.

they're afraid of Italian ghosts

[disaster999]

what seems to be wrong?

 

I hooked up the time keeper and everything works, i can set the hours, mins, month date year also. im not sure if it suppose to be normal but when i disconnect the controller from the main power source and plug it back in after a period of time, the time will reset and i have to set it up again. other than that it seem to be working for me

[zemuss]

Nice work here everyone.

[Reefed419]

hey meep, could this controller control a wp25 with the pwm signals? how hard is that to make? or i guess write

[MeepNand]

hey meep, could this controller control a wp25 with the pwm signals? how hard is that to make? or i guess write

Yeah, sure. Wouldn't be too tricky, as all the actual "control" is only 4 or 5 lines. It's the setting of the duration that's hard.

The WP-25 works off a 5v analog signal if I'm not mistaken. So what you need is a 10k resistor going to the WP-25, and a 10uf capacitor on that same line after the resistor going to ground to convert the PWM signal to analog.

[MeepNand]

This has been dead for a while, but my dad just got home from a trip.

With his help, we have found the problem (I think). It has to do with using analog pins as digital inputs for the DS1302. For some reason, that screws it up.

Tomorrow (actually, it's 12:03, so I guess today) I'm going to rewire the clock. Apologies to those that don't like soldering or adding right angle headers.

 

On the plus side, that means 3 more pins for outputs. And as I will be reworking the inputs, I can go for 8 channel control.

[disaster999]

awesome...weird how my time keeper worked for me...

 

i asked before but you didnt reply, how is the time keeper suppose to "work" is what i described suppose to be the norm? or just fluke?

[MeepNand]

awesome...weird how my time keeper worked for me...

 

i asked before but you didnt reply, how is the time keeper suppose to "work" is what i described suppose to be the norm? or just fluke?

I think mine is just a fluke. I did rewire it today to use digital pins, and am testing out the code now.

[JBR]

I finally got almost all of the parts in. Is it possible to run the arduino with your code without the timer? I just want to use the light fixture that I made :-)

[MeepNand]

I finally got almost all of the parts in. Is it possible to run the arduino with your code without the timer? I just want to use the light fixture that I made :-)

You need the timer. The DS1302 is only about $4 on ebay.

[JBR]

I ordered the timer but it won't be in for a while though. It won't work at all? That stinks!!

[MeepNand]

I ordered the timer but it won't be in for a while though. It won't work at all? That stinks!!

Sorry; the time chip makes sure it keeps actual time.

I think v1.0 had no clock chip. You could try that out.

 

EDIT: Tried different wiring on digital pins. The problem is still there.

[MeepNand]

Okay, I'll work on this even though I can't really use it myself anymore. I'm thinking about redoing the button code so it's like a click and drag graph.

[JBR]

Okay, I'll work on this even though I can't really use it myself anymore. I'm thinking about redoing the button code so it's like a click and drag graph.

Why aren't you using it anymore?

 

-John

[MeepNand]

Why aren't you using it anymore?

 

-John

Clock is broken. I've tried using a new clock and stuff, but nothing works.

[disaster999]

maybe try another arduino?

[MeepNand]

maybe try another arduino?

Perhaps. But I'm a little preoccupied right now.

No matter. As long as I don't do lighting code, it should work fine. For all intents and purposes, it works, but I just can't use it myself.

[kaskiles]

It uses pings to measure distance. I found a bit of info on Arduino Basics that says it's been used for mesasuring water levels so I would imagine it's posible to make it work in this application.

 

The SRF-06 version would be better though as it has a temperature compensator.

 

In the end though the simplicity of a float switch will probably be best as the ultrasonic sensors would have to be calibrated on a tank by tank basis.

 

I'm using two float switches from autotopoff, they wire directly into ground and a digital pin with the internal pull-up resistor. Very simple circuit, and programming is just like the simple push button switch example. I have two because I'm using the lower one for a water change drain; then I use the upper float for both top-off and water change fill. I use the DS1307 clock to schedule the top-offs four times a day, and the 1 quart water change 1 time per day. I have a top off run scheudled just prior to the water change kicking off. Using one of those sainsmart 4 mechanical relay boards from Amazon with wall outlets to turn on/off wc drain, wc fill, topoff fill and salt water reservoir mixer powerhead.

 

I think those ultrasound things had some issues with tank level control, but I don't remember where I read about it. Reef Angel has a neat thing I started reading about for level monitoring, it's a pressure sensor. They seem to be very easy to use with Arduino, I'll look for some of the links when I'm back at home. It's made by Freescale, digikey, mouser, etc. seem to carry them; one model I was reading about was MPX5010DP. Basically plug in airline tubing to it, then connect a small diameter pipe and put the pipe down in the water (everything is sealed except the end of the pipe pointing down in the water). It reads the air pressure changing in the sealed pipe as the water level rises and falls; as voltage in the Arduino.

[MeepNand]

I read about those pressure things. Too expensive. I need this to be really cheap, so high-tech stuff like that is not good.

Basically, an on/off float switch is the best option.

[kaskiles]

But it's $13 for one:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/MPX5010DP/MPX5010DP-ND/464054

,then need some tubing and pipe.

 

I think paid over $25 for two nano float switches and a hanging bracket.

 

Maybe I'm missing something on how they work, I haven't bought one yet to test out.

[MeepNand]

But it's $13 for one:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/MPX5010DP/MPX5010DP-ND/464054

,then need some tubing and pipe.

 

I think paid over $25 for two nano float switches and a hanging bracket.

 

Maybe I'm missing something on how they work, I haven't bought one yet to test out.

I see how they work, but this is supposed to be very cheap. With on/off, it's compatible with any float switch for any skill level in wiring. Adding a pressure sensor would mean that people can only buy ONE kind of sensor; using a regular float switch means that you can buy them in 5 years and know they still exist.

[kaskiles]

That is true about cheap and simple, debugging is a lot easier too, you just need your finger and a ohm meter

The main thing for me is these AIO nano's do not have much room, and the float switches take up a lot of space.

 

I have the JBJ 28, with two nano floats on the double bracket, it's difficult getting it in around my return pump line. Actually, I have to remove my return pumps every few weeks to backflush them, and I have to twist and wrangle that one near the float switches. I was thinking a nice smooth, simple (no hooks or edges to get caught on) pipe would be a lot easier to work around in the nano.

 

I'm getting ready to start incorporating some DIY LEDs into my Arduino Mega, so I really appreciate your code postings. I'm not trying to use one of the touch screens yet, but that part looks really good too.

[dre7606]

MeepNand I have a question I am planning on using an Arduino Due "Digix" http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digistump/digix-the-ultimate-arduino-compatible-board-with-w with a 7in tft ebay version as well as the following http://www.adafruit.com/products/815 module I2C interface - PCA9685 16 channel PWN shield. I will not get my Due until sometime in Sept so I can't test at this time. I know the code will not work with the PCA9685, but do you think I will be able to use your code with the Due and the 7in tft? I would love to have a working DUE and tft and then tinker with the PCA9685 later.

Thanks!

[MeepNand]

It should work, but I don't know for sure. The 7in tft will have only a 320 x 240 pixel portion of it lit up; the rest will be blank.

However, as the PWM on the Due is 16-bit, the code might not work. I'll have to try it and see much later.

If the stuff is coming in in September, wait till then and see if this has many more updates.

 

EDIT: The Due page says the default PWM resolution is 8 bit, so you should be fine.

[MeepNand]

Okay, I've started working on this again. I'm rewriting a large portion of the code, and the next update should run considerably faster and it should be easier to change the settings.