Must-haves for EASY DIY controller?
- Thread starter der_wille_zur_macht
- Start date
Hi people
PLEASE bare with me - i don't have ANY arduino experience but started reading bits and pieces from different sites. I decided I wanted to manage my tank, as per this thread. I got to page 6 and was LOST! I thought let me FIRST ask you gurus if i am on the right track before i get to page 7x and realise I am on the wriong track totally.
My mission? Control MH lights, eventually build LED units with PWM control. Check PH, Temp and Salinity (if possible). Have a feeding mode that kills wavemakers and pumps. Temp controlo i.e. turn on and off fans, turn on extra backup heaters etc. ATO function, connectivity via inet for RT monitoring and check in etc.
I already have a COUPLE of items:
3.2" touch screen and the shieldNow i haven't yet bought the main Arduino unit yet, as i haven't decided which one yet, BUT based on the shield i assume i need a MEGA version so wanted to go get this today:
Arduino Mega Atmel Atmega2560 MCU Board and Proto Shield Board and Wireless Shield Board.
The proto is for obvious reasons - messing with ideas BUT with regards to the other stuff - will it work with this thread in mind? Also thinking of getting this Sensor Shield
Now, please, i don't expect you to do all my homework BUT I would hate to but tons of stuff only to have it lay in my tool kit and never be used OR perhaps i am on the wrong track??
MANY thanks in advance.
PLEASE bare with me - i don't have ANY arduino experience but started reading bits and pieces from different sites. I decided I wanted to manage my tank, as per this thread. I got to page 6 and was LOST! I thought let me FIRST ask you gurus if i am on the right track before i get to page 7x and realise I am on the wriong track totally.
My mission? Control MH lights, eventually build LED units with PWM control. Check PH, Temp and Salinity (if possible). Have a feeding mode that kills wavemakers and pumps. Temp controlo i.e. turn on and off fans, turn on extra backup heaters etc. ATO function, connectivity via inet for RT monitoring and check in etc.
I already have a COUPLE of items:
3.2" touch screen and the shieldNow i haven't yet bought the main Arduino unit yet, as i haven't decided which one yet, BUT based on the shield i assume i need a MEGA version so wanted to go get this today:
Arduino Mega Atmel Atmega2560 MCU Board and Proto Shield Board and Wireless Shield Board.
The proto is for obvious reasons - messing with ideas BUT with regards to the other stuff - will it work with this thread in mind? Also thinking of getting this Sensor Shield
Now, please, i don't expect you to do all my homework BUT I would hate to but tons of stuff only to have it lay in my tool kit and never be used OR perhaps i am on the wrong track??
MANY thanks in advance.
ZenMastr1968
New member
Not specifically related, but anyone thinking about looking at the LTC1840 for aquarium use???
ZenMastr1968
New member
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)
What did you use for the strain relief cabling??
Would something like this work if it's not submerged??
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_693679_-1
discussmith
New member
Zen; What kind of cable is that? Specifically the jacket? From the picture it appears the outer jacket is something braided. Do you know the material behind it. It has been my experience with doing this type of thing that the difficulty is in getting whatever you use to adhere to the wire jacket good enough to stop water seeping between the jacket and the water proofing material. Silicone has never worked for me. Epoxy has worked longer but still failed in time. A heat shrink with a hot glue coating inside is used for underground splicing and that will be my choice.
ZenMastr1968
New member
I don't know what that is...TeraHz posted that pic and I was trying to get that info...
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2
terahz
1x10^12 Hz
It is 1/4" Techflex over 24awg wire braid that I did for that particular sensor
terahz
1x10^12 Hz
So i have read the first40 pages and the last 5. Am i safe to assume that the original scope was met, ie PH, temp, etc
If so any known problems?
Is it a simple matter of get the BOM and build the boards and download software, debug and set and forget?
Does anyone have too many boards that they want to sell, I am in Australia!
Cheers
If so any known problems?
Is it a simple matter of get the BOM and build the boards and download software, debug and set and forget?
Does anyone have too many boards that they want to sell, I am in Australia!
Cheers
Question on programming
Question on programming
Can I just cut apart a USB cable and attach it to the ftdi header to program or do I have to purchase and ftdi programmer? If so which wires would attach to the RX/TX on the board? I do have a USBASP. Is this something that I can use? From what I have searched I am going with a no on the USBASP.
Thanks
Question on programming
Can I just cut apart a USB cable and attach it to the ftdi header to program or do I have to purchase and ftdi programmer? If so which wires would attach to the RX/TX on the board? I do have a USBASP. Is this something that I can use? From what I have searched I am going with a no on the USBASP.
Thanks
sanddune600
Premium Member
I just listed one of these on the buy sell section check it out and let me know if your interested it was working great for me till I moved and had to take my tank down
