Bigdaddyale
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https://github.com/thorrak/brewpi-esp8266/blob/master/docs/PCB Information.md
1206 SMD capacitor 100uf 16V 107K
Native ESP8266 BrewPi Firmware - WiFi BrewPi, no Arduino needed!
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1206 SMD capacitor 100uf 16V 107K
The capacitor is on the 5v line which is only piped to the relay, the LCD, and the D1 Mini board — the ESP8266 is powered by 3.3v. There’s capacitors and whatnot on the D1 Mini board that clean the 3v3 up.
The reason I added that cap to the 5v line was to attempt to keep the LCD from scrambling. It didn’t work.
That one was the cheapest, biggest ceramic capacitor I could find readily available. I don’t think you will find a capacitor less than 5V (higher is fine).
You get scrambling on the I2C as well? Weird.
Tried differnt psu no luck... removed RJ45 and wired sensor to contacts and
I thought I was golden until I noticed a loose wire on the SSR output so I shut it down tightened it up then lost all contact with the ESP8266 controller.
@Thorrak or anybody is there a way to restart brewpi-script through Fermentrack or do I just reboot the PI? At first debugging connection said that DNS couldn't be resolved now I can't get anything. I don't know if I toasted the mini or just need to reflash.
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Apparently, no. There should be though. I'll get one added.
If debugging is saying that DNS couldn't be resolved, that means that either there's an issue with the network or the D1 isn't working. What is on its LCD screen?
I don't have a physical LCD screen so it as shown in the screen capture last post "Cannot receive text from Controller/script"
Of course I left my micro USB cable at home so I'm waiting for that so I can re-flash at the brewery.
Is there a way to physically cause the mini to act as a AP again so I can make sure it is talking to WiFi or is that only after re-flashing? I set static address for both the Pi and the mini but for some reason my modem shows that MAC address as inactive and listed as Ethernet which is weird as it has never been on Ethernet
So I tried to reflash my mini and I get this:
TypeError at /firmware/flash/6/
__init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'max_errors'
Request Method: POST
Request URL: http://brewpi/firmware/flash/6/
Django Version: 1.11.20
Exception Type: TypeError
Does this mean my mini is toast?
Nope - are you on dev or master branch?
One of the libraries Fermentrack uses to manage flashing updated to a new version which prompted that error. It should be fixed on dev branch - it will be pushed to master in the not too distant future.
Turns out that in the process of plugging the mini back into the serial of the pi and trying to re-flash I spotted that the wireless modem had registered the mini. Sure enough when I put the mini back on the pcb everything was working again! I'm back in business.I'm going to have to train the PID setting to the Feed & Bleed setup on my conical jacket but it works.
So I guess its a good thing I got the error and didn't re-flash as all my parameters were untouched. As for @Thorrak 's question "are you on dev or master branch? " I don't know how to tell.
So I guess its a good thing I got the error and didn't re-flash as all my parameters were untouched. As for @Thorrak 's question "are you on dev or master branch? " I don't know how to tell.
Apologies if I missed this in the prior pages but is there a way to configure it to be directly controlling the beer rather than focused on cabinet temperature control? I have everything installed and working, but I would like to implement it with a fermentor heater and pump with a cooling coil.
I could connect the beer temperature probe up and call it the fridge temperature and put it in Constant Fridge Temp control.
Am I incorrect that the standard in the Beer temp control is to control the cabinet to indirectly influence the beer temperature?
I could connect the beer temperature probe up and call it the fridge temperature and put it in Constant Fridge Temp control.
Am I incorrect that the standard in the Beer temp control is to control the cabinet to indirectly influence the beer temperature?
Actually looking back at page 59, posts in the 2350's there was some discussion of this, did it get any where? I am basically running a glycol system, but with ice water (at least for this phase, then eventually make a glycol chiller).
I was hoping to measure the coolant temperature on one probe, and the beer temp on the other. Problem is the coolant is never heated to do the heating half of the control.
I was hoping to measure the coolant temperature on one probe, and the beer temp on the other. Problem is the coolant is never heated to do the heating half of the control.
Finally got 95% of the parts I need. been waiting a month for my D1 minis to arrive. Pretty pumped.
I also went with the RJ-45 one-wire breakout board, and I can't determine what the best way to connect that sensors to that are. thought about just using some female headers on the board, and inserting the wires into those, but i feel like that won't hold over time. Anyone have any experience with these boards and best way to set them up? Hopefully I'll have my first one set up before the weekend, and i'll try to document from there to helps others setting this up.
I also went with the RJ-45 one-wire breakout board, and I can't determine what the best way to connect that sensors to that are. thought about just using some female headers on the board, and inserting the wires into those, but i feel like that won't hold over time. Anyone have any experience with these boards and best way to set them up? Hopefully I'll have my first one set up before the weekend, and i'll try to document from there to helps others setting this up.
JnR_NaT
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I just tinned the three wires from each sensor and soldered them in a through hole fashion. Have the board mounted on a thin piece of double sided foam and inside a small plastic case.
I put some Female DuPont connectors on the ends of my probe wires, soldered male pins to the break-out board, and connected the two.
If I received a bad probe, or if one went bad, I wanted a quick and easy way to replace them without having to pull out the soldering iron. It’s a little more work up front, but for me, it’s already paid off connecting this way.
Awesome. Thanks. The dupont crimp is probably the way to go. This part of the setup hadn't crossed my mind until now, so i'll put some female dupont connectors on order for that. Definitely seems like a stable way to go about it. Should be able to at least get them connected up tonight for a test of the sensors and such though.
Fermentrack guided flash of the ESP was a breeze, so software side is all set to go now. Just gotta get the rest of the hardware in line tonight.
Fermentrack guided flash of the ESP was a breeze, so software side is all set to go now. Just gotta get the rest of the hardware in line tonight.
I think the last parts im really waiting on are my screw terminals. If i'm using the SMD boards(therefore no level shifter) can i not test the LCD with just USB power? I feel like i've understood that after digging thru these pages, but my actual electronic knowledge is limited. Just making sure i shouldn't currently be questioning my resistor soldering work if i can't actually test the LCD yet.
Not sure if I follow, but if the question is "can I run an otherwise fully built controller on USB power rather than a 5v power supply" then the answer is unequivocally yes. That's how I run all of my test builds. I don't recommend hooking anything up to the relays just yet, just to be safe, but you should otherwise be good to go.
yes. essentially that was the question. Wasn't sure if for some reason USB didn't provide power the same way the 5v powersupply would to the other components when on the PCB you designed.
Hmm. i think my soldering may be suspect then. Can't seem to get sensors or the LCD working yet. The D1 itself appears fine on fermentrack every time i supply power. LCD now seems to be.... getting incorrect power(power led and screen flashes on and off). and the sensor i was trying to test doesn't show up on the sensor configuration page.
I'll keep fumbling around with my soldering work for a bit.
Thanks @LBussy
In all sincerity, I’m standing on ya’lls shoulders. Just trying to leverage what’s been learned to the best of my abilities.
Hmm. The LCDs tend to be the single biggest power draw in the build - do the sensors happen to work with the LCD disconnected?
Can you post a photo of your build?
Car Ramrod
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Did you ever finish your start to finish walkthrough?
@Thorrak : Great work
Just finished a basic BrewPi-ESP8266 wifi setup, which I run from a Raspbian Stretch virtual mashine on my Synology NAS. Everything installed like a breeze, including my iSpindels. I will retirere the old BrewPi legacy and set the RPi and Arduino to good use elsewhere.
Thank you
Just finished a basic BrewPi-ESP8266 wifi setup, which I run from a Raspbian Stretch virtual mashine on my Synology NAS. Everything installed like a breeze, including my iSpindels. I will retirere the old BrewPi legacy and set the RPi and Arduino to good use elsewhere.
Thank you
Did somewhere in the esp updates did something change where the lcds will fade out and come back on solid when control is being used? All the controls seem to be working properly, just the esp display itself is doing this.
fwiw, that LCD backlight behavior is the way the original BrewPi works...
Cheers!
Cheers!
Older versions didn't do it for me. As long as its normal operation now, I'm not concerned
stbernts
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It`s a refresh that were added to fix "garbage" screen from interference, if I recall right. Some of us (me included) had a lot of issues with LCD getting rubbish on the screen after some usage time.
There's both a refresh to address potential scrambles, and a timeout. Both are intended.
Finished up my build with some PCB breakout boards I milled and a custom acrylic case.
I'm still having issues with the software side as that's really my weakness on any of these projects. The precompiled binaries work fine, but I need to change the control settings for glycol. Everytime I compile my own, the LCD ends up displaying only some of the characters, but seemingly correct other than that. Any ideas?
In the photos below I have the precompiled brewpiless firmware (thorrak pin out) installed as that version has the ability to adjust the parameters via json commands. Really want to switch to the thorrak's version so I can have multiples all talking to fermentrak.
I'm still having issues with the software side as that's really my weakness on any of these projects. The precompiled binaries work fine, but I need to change the control settings for glycol. Everytime I compile my own, the LCD ends up displaying only some of the characters, but seemingly correct other than that. Any ideas?
In the photos below I have the precompiled brewpiless firmware (thorrak pin out) installed as that version has the ability to adjust the parameters via json commands. Really want to switch to the thorrak's version so I can have multiples all talking to fermentrak.
Lalo_uy
Well-Known Member
You do not need a custom build for Glycol, just set the cooling delays very short as the Wiki says.
As I asked in the glycol issues page as well, how do you do this? Using BrewPiLess I have no issue with glycol, I can issue json using the host/testcmd.htm. Is there similar functionality for BrewPi-ESP8266 that I'm missing?
The MIN_COOL_ON_TIME is not configurable in Fermentrack. My plan was to just change in TempControl.h and recompile, but like I said, the LCD ends up patchy when doing so.
Lalo_uy
Well-Known Member
100amps
100 Amp (Home) Brewing
Hi @Thorrak,
I was wondering how much effort it would be (how different is it?) to leverage (fork I suppose) this project into one that uses an esp32 board (Sparkfun esp32 Thing in my case) and some linux running on a laptop.
I.e. Changing the esp-8266 to esp32 and the rpi to a laptop.
I greatly prefer having an old laptop sitting on my fermenter mini fridge.
Obviously the board’s power and gpio assignments would be a change. But how similar is the rpi linux distro and configuration to a laptop-suitable distro?
- 100amps
I was wondering how much effort it would be (how different is it?) to leverage (fork I suppose) this project into one that uses an esp32 board (Sparkfun esp32 Thing in my case) and some linux running on a laptop.
I.e. Changing the esp-8266 to esp32 and the rpi to a laptop.
I greatly prefer having an old laptop sitting on my fermenter mini fridge.
Obviously the board’s power and gpio assignments would be a change. But how similar is the rpi linux distro and configuration to a laptop-suitable distro?
- 100amps
I'm having a tough time with the ESP32 these says. I'm sure Thorrak will chime in and share some of his experience, but so far my impression is the libraries are still quite flaky.
On the laptop thing, any Debian distro should be compatible as that's the basis for Raspbian. There might be some weird incompatibilities and Thorrak can't test everything of course, but that's where I'd start. You can also use an official Raspberry Pi Desktop in your laptop/PC which is available as a live CD, virtual image, or installed version.
On the laptop thing, any Debian distro should be compatible as that's the basis for Raspbian. There might be some weird incompatibilities and Thorrak can't test everything of course, but that's where I'd start. You can also use an official Raspberry Pi Desktop in your laptop/PC which is available as a live CD, virtual image, or installed version.
100amps
100 Amp (Home) Brewing
Thanks for the update. What kind of esp32 issues have you seen? I assume you mean libraries for the Arduino IDE?
I wasn’t aware of rpi desktop either. I’ll check it out. I’ve been really outa the loop in the last 3-4 yrs.
I do like Thorrak’s user interface though.
On someone else's project, it's been very bad about maintaining the web interface. It stays on the network but the web server seems to die.
stbernts
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1. Firmware running on the esp8266 boards.
2. Brewpi script, running on the pi (communicates with the above)
3. Webserver -
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