Must-haves for EASY DIY controller?

I'm so happy .... Finally got my Modern Devices BUB, and my Hydra is alive, and the slave is working as a web server!

TeraHZ Rocks !!!!!

Made some updates and changes, and have master/slave I2C communications working in both directions.

Been making my own simple implementation of IR communications using remote control, sensor, and resistors purchased from eBay for a whopping $7.50.

Adding in the code I "borrowed" and modified from the Tyhon project for LED lighting control.

Next up -- relay control.

So much to do ... So little time ... So much fun !!!

Thanks again to all who got this project going, and continue to provide information about it.
 
For some reason I can't upload to the hydra via my USB FTDI cable unless I reset the board each time. I thought this might be from the atmegas having the wrong bootloader on them, but they work just fine when I insert them in my arduino.
 
Few things I've been working on.


Here is my first attempt at boxing the Hydra. I spent some time look at the available enclosures at mouser and I picked one to try. It's a 4.75X4.75X3.59 diecast aluminum. It is a very solid box. actually way too solid because the aluminum is thick and takes forever to file (yes I use a file to make my square holes). But anyway, so far I have the LCD, PH, Ethernet and programming cut/drilled. I am planning to have a 1wire 3.5mm stereo plug, power input, power switch, I2C bus output (4 pins, have to figure out what connector to use here, thinking of doing 2 mono 3.5mm, one for power one for data) and 2 big data connectors for analog+digital pins, one for each AVR.

This is what it looks so far:
box_001.jpg

box_002.jpg

box_003.jpg

box_004.jpg



For temperature probes, since it looks like the 1wire solution is pretty good and I want to have a bunch of temp probes I put together a small board that just has 3.5mm stereo connectors routed in a bus topology:
hub_001.jpg


One connection will go to the hydra, and the other 9 are for probes. This will stay outside the box.

Also, I had a pretty good amount of SSRs that I figured I should put into use. They are only 3A so perfect for small pumps/dosing/heater/reactor applications. Again, thanks to the cheap PCB cost of iTead I made this board:

relay_001.jpg


Same as above, nothing really special. Just a MCP28xx IC, 3 jupers for selecting the address and some terminals for easy wiring. This will be the perfect digital timer for dosers and continuous water change which is in the works.

Anyway I'm going back to drilling and filing the box for the rest of the I/O ports. I'll post photos of the progress later.
 
I got the Chauvet SR-8 Relay Pack to use with the relay board mentioned here. It has zero info on pinout for the DB9 plug. Would it be safe to assume that a straight-thru cable from X1 on the board to the plug on the Relay Pack would work? I understand that a serial DB9 cable crosses a couple of wires.
 
Ok, I've put the 1Wire 3.5mm jack in and decided to use an RJ11 for I2C. However I don't have any female panel mount RJ11s so that will have to wait for next week.

I also put in the power plug and a power switch next to it.
box_005.jpg

box_006.jpg


Then I'll have 2 connectors left and I should be done with the box. I'll paint it after all holes are drilled and will mount and wire everything. Hopefully next weekend I'll finish it.

For those of you who followed my temp probe attempts, you know that one of the probes that was in the tank had shorted through the silicone. I just opened it today and one of the pins (5V) had completely disconnected from the chip. Second attempt is aqua putty covered by heatshring tubing. I also changed the plugs from molex to 3.5mm and added some strain relief jacket to the cable:

(one short and one long probe)
hub_002.jpg
 
Actually, I have the pwm to ramp up/down the leds, but I want to shut the power supply off also when leds are off. Or wonder what do you guys do in this case? Thx.
 
Any reason why the external i2c bus connector of the Hydra and the Typhon are not the same? The SDA and SCL pins are inverted. I already built a Typhon and will be building a Hydra next and I would like to use the same cable layout to control external i2c devices.
 
Shikhyung- You can get a relay breakout board from sparkfun and wire it to control a 120V power source (basically put it inline with the power chord). Take a look at the relay board and Chauvet relay setup or the Opto relay board from Futurlec that Terhaz and a few others have used if you want to control more than 1 or 2 outlets.
 
I’m new to this entire electronic thing. I have read through the thread and just don’t understand something. If building a Hydra and a couple of the Cat4101 drivers, why can’t we use the Hydra to control the drivers?

I understand requiring a power supply, but couldn’t the Hydra be used to power the drivers? I’m interpreting that we need to get a separate arduino unit to control the LED's.
 
SUMMERS,
You can use the Hydra to control the CAT4101s just fine. That's what I do. However, you cannot power your LEDs with it. Nor with any arduino available. For that you need a dedicated power supply.
 
mm.reefs said:
Any reason why the external i2c bus connector of the Hydra and the Typhon are not the same? The SDA and SCL pins are inverted. I already built a Typhon and will be building a Hydra next and I would like to use the same cable layout to control external i2c devices.
Click to expand...

I guess DWZM didn't consider that when he was laying out the boards. I never really looked a the Typhon PCB, but it shouldn't be too hard to make a little "compatibility" cable to flip SDA and SCL on either board.

If you enclose them in cases (like I'm doing above) it shouldn't make a difference. I'll be using a 4 conductor 3.5mm plug (like an iPhone headphone+mic standard connector) so it's a matter of internal wiring to the panel.
 
terahz said:
SUMMERS,
You can use the Hydra to control the CAT4101s just fine. That's what I do. However, you cannot power your LEDs with it. Nor with any arduino available. For that you need a dedicated power supply.
Click to expand...

TheFishMan65 said:
The Hydra can supply 5 volts and the PWM to the CATs. The CATs boards will still need a 24 volts supply.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Makes since now.

Terahz, do you have a pic of your setup in terms of connectivity? My boards should be here in the next week or so and im trying to get my layout (connections) together now. I see a lot of the images in the thread only show members LCD or the completed board. Would like to see images of everything connected.

Also 3,5,6,9,10, and 11 are the spots I would use to dim/control the LED drivers, correct?
 
I don't because everything is kind of point to point in my wiring cabinet. Just a lot of wires, not much sense. That's why I'm making a box for it. Which reminds me, I need to do something with the PWM pins...

Yes, the PWM pins are 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11. And you want to use the ones in the middle of the board (from the main AVR) not the ones in the corner (slave AVR). At least if you use any of the firmwares posted here.

I've been working on a wiring diagram, I'll try to finish it soon.
 
terahz said:
I guess DWZM didn't consider that when he was laying out the boards. I never really looked a the Typhon PCB, but it shouldn't be too hard to make a little "compatibility" cable to flip SDA and SCL on either board.

If you enclose them in cases (like I'm doing above) it shouldn't make a difference. I'll be using a 4 conductor 3.5mm plug (like an iPhone headphone+mic standard connector) so it's a matter of internal wiring to the panel.
Click to expand...

Fair enough!

Thanks for your quick reply!
 
terahz said:
I don't because everything is kind of point to point in my wiring cabinet. Just a lot of wires, not much sense. That's why I'm making a box for it. Which reminds me, I need to do something with the PWM pins...

Yes, the PWM pins are 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11. And you want to use the ones in the middle of the board (from the main AVR) not the ones in the corner (slave AVR). At least if you use any of the firmwares posted here.

I've been working on a wiring diagram, I'll try to finish it soon.
Click to expand...


Sounds good. Will be patiently (yet enthusiastically) waiting on the wiring diagram.

Thanks as usual for the assistance.
 
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