Arduino Board DIY project !!!HELP!!!

[sunny_2k_99]

Dear DIY Experts,

After doing a lot of reading on Arduino Board DIY projects I have decided to do my own DIY project with ARDUINO UNO board Or ROBODUINO ATMEGA328 (Based on arduino diecimila).

Currently I am using two timer switches for switching on/off (Lights, Co2, fans ) Via Frontier Digital timer switch.

I now wish to try my hands to control the following systems via ARDUINO BOARD:


1) Lights on/off on timer

2) Dosing pump on timer

3) CO2 on timer

4) PH

5) Water temperature

I am an absolute newbie with Arduino so please help me out for proper selection of different parts.. Also lend me some knowledge about the latest developments in Arduino.

I am sure that the experts here shall be kind enough to help me in my journey for making my DIY Arduino Board....

Regards

Sunny

 

[mcgyvr]

A 4 or 8 channel relay board takes care of #1, #2, and #3
A ph shield could take care of #4
A waterproof LM35 will take care of temp..

There have been a bunch of posts here lately with complete code for the arduino
and there are TONS of tutorials already all over the internet on controlling relays,etc.. with the arduino..

 

[sunny_2k_99]

Thanks for the reply..

Could you lend some help to find a genuine source for the purchasing of the parts for setting up the Board. Following are the links of few Indian sites . Out of these which shield would be a better option to go for..

http://www.embeddedmarket.com/Products/Arduino-Board/
http://www.embeddedmarket.com/Products/Arduino-Shield/

http://robokits.co.in/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_72

http://www.simplelabs.co.in/catalog/arduino-boards/

Also is using a bare board a necessity?

 

[kbennett]

I get all my parts from fasttech and dx.com.

Make sure that you don't use the delay function in your code.

You shouldn't need any shields. Personally, I don't like them because they sometimes limit your i/o - no pass through.

Also, look into the arduino watchdog functionality. Mine freezes up every once in a while.

 

[sleepydoc]

I'm working on a similar project and got a water proof temp probe from Sparkfun.

I attached a simple arduino sketch with the code to read the temp from the temp probe.

As far as controlling switches, you can either use a solid state relay (SSR) like this one, or a relay board like this one. I like SSRs, partially because I think they're cool, but if you don't have much experience with electronics, the relay board is probably an easier option.

You might also want to add an LCD panel so you can see what's happening.

Arduino doesn't have a built in clock per se, just the millis() function that returns the amount of milliseconds since the device was reset, so you either set the clock and then use the millis() function to increment it, or use an external clock module like this one.

You don't say how much programming experience you have, but I would start by writing some simple sketches to learn how things work with arduino and expanding on them. After you have the basics down, write a sketch that shows the time, then turns an LED on and off at a given time. If you can do that, it's a short hop to control an outlet.

edit: I got many of my parts from Sparkfun. They're not the cheapest, but have a lot of tutorial information on the site. There are a ton of other places that have stuff, too.

 

[sunny_2k_99]

hey kbennett

Thanks for the helpful information about the delay function and the site names..

As I am from India purchasing from these sites is bit difficult because of shipping..so I am searching a geniuine Indian site (the links mentioned in previous post) to get my stuff.


hey sleepydoc

Thanks a ton for the helpful information ..also the links ..

Please don't mind me asking but the file that you have attached is of a new format to me .. Do I need a specific software to open it?? (sorry as i am a newbie)

Also kindly help to set a criteria for choosing the right Arduino board (mega/uno) .
I have read that Arduino UNO board has less PWM while Arduino Mega has more PWM.

So kindly if possible do provide some info.

 

[sleepydoc]

Sunny-
The file is an arduino file with the .ino extension (that has been zipped so I could upload it.) You should be able to open it with the arduino program.

I believe Sparkfun ships internationally, so they may ship to India. I believe other places sell them as well. Otherwise, the DS18B20 sensor is a very common sensor that you should be able to find, it's a matter of figuring out a waterproof enclosure.

re: the arduino board, the Mega has more PWM outputs, more Analog pins and more Digital pins, and it's physically bigger. It really depends on what you want to do. It's a bit hard to know before you start, but make a list of what you want to do, look at the sensors you plan on buying and count up the pins they need. The temp probe needs 1 pin (+ Vcc & Gnd). Each outlet will need one digital pin. I don't know about the pH probe. An LCD will need between 2 & 6 digital pins, depending on the interface you choose. The analog pins can be used as digital outputs as well, so for your needs, an Uno is probably sufficient. If you decide you want to control more outputs, you may need to get a Mega, just for the additional pins.

See what the price differential is, you may want to go ahead and get a Mega just to have the expandability.

 

[sunny_2k_99]

Hey Sleepydoc

First of all aplologies for delay in reply coz of ongoing Diwali festival in India.

Thanks for the lovely info..and especially giving an idea about the hardware..
It is now easy for me to decide and choose the right hardware for my arduino board project.

I want to control the following of my tank:
2 Lights
2 Fans
1 Solenoid valve of CO2 cylinder
3 Dosing Pumps.

I shall get back to you very soon after gathering all the hardware ...

 

[sleepydoc]

Sunny-
From what you've listed, you need:

• 7 Controlled outlets = 7 pins
• Solenoid control = ? 1 pin
• Ph & Temp measurement 1 pin for temp, ??? for pH
• a clock to keep things in sync - 2 pins

An LCD display would also be nice, that will take 2-6 pins, depending on the interface. You might be able to use an arduino Uno, but it would be tight. I'd get the mega to make sure you have enough pins.

I don't know if they ship to India, but Sainsmart makes a relay board that would probably work for your purposes, or you could use solid state relays.