Must-haves for EASY DIY controller?
- Thread starter der_wille_zur_macht
- Start date
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
All component locations are marked with names in the "tnames" layer on the brd file in Eagle. Most CAM jobs put tnames in the top silk layer, so component names will be printed on the PCB next to the component locations. That's how the prototype boards were made, which are the boards you see in the photos (so far) in this thread.
Out of curiosity, where did you get your board from? The only boards I know of at this point are the initial prototype run I made. I'm happy if people want to make this design but it's still very much at a prototype stage and not necessarily production ready! If you somehow ended up with a board without component locations marked, it should be easy to print a paper copy of the "tnames" layer to line up with your board.
Out of curiosity, where did you get your board from? The only boards I know of at this point are the initial prototype run I made. I'm happy if people want to make this design but it's still very much at a prototype stage and not necessarily production ready! If you somehow ended up with a board without component locations marked, it should be easy to print a paper copy of the "tnames" layer to line up with your board.
imagex
New member
you mailed me the board... i was the one that got the sheild to convert 5v to 10v from ya and ya took awhile so you threw in a hydra board and another 5v to 10v board... but was looking at it and trying to figure it out... but i get some of it on the pics but confused on where the other parts come from..
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
AH ok, that makes sense. :lol: Here I am wondering where you got the board and I'm the one who gave it to you. :lol: If you have Eagle you can look the parts up in the Eagle project files on the google code site. If you don't have it, shoot me a PM with your email and I'll email you a PDF of the layout with and without part values on it so you can see where things go. Also, of course, if you don't have the BOM yet, grab that on the google code site. The part numbers on it will match up with the numbers on the board for the most part.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
www.arduino.cc is the website for the Arduino environment we're using in this project. It will get you started - there are lots of good basic examples and info there.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Ethernet interface tested, unsuccessfully. I think I've found the first REAL hardware fault in the prototype design. Two of the pins from the ENC28J60 chip are not connected to the appropriate pins on the main AVR. I was inconsistent with my naming standards when I added the Ethernet interface so links that I thought were made via nets having common names were not there.
No big deal, can be fixed via soldering two bits of wire on the board. Will do that and test again as soon as I get a chance.
No big deal, can be fixed via soldering two bits of wire on the board. Will do that and test again as soon as I get a chance.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Revised the Eagle design to reflect the following changes:
1) Fix the two problems with the Ethernet interface
2) Switch the two 47uF caps in the power section out to a larger package
3) Switch the two small SMT parts (the cap and inductor for the Ethernet interface) to typical through-hole parts. I found what I think are suitable through-hole replacements for these parts, which were only SMT in the first place because I couldn't find suitable through hole parts.
4) Rearranged the components near the lower-left corner such that there are no parts overlapping the solder pads for the battery holder
5) Moved the jack for the pH probe inboard such that it is correctly supported
6) eliminated two unnecessary caps on the board
Hope to have Ethernet working within the week, at which point I think we are ready for rev 2 of the board! If any of you prototypers out there have other changes, lemme know ASAP.
1) Fix the two problems with the Ethernet interface
2) Switch the two 47uF caps in the power section out to a larger package
3) Switch the two small SMT parts (the cap and inductor for the Ethernet interface) to typical through-hole parts. I found what I think are suitable through-hole replacements for these parts, which were only SMT in the first place because I couldn't find suitable through hole parts.
4) Rearranged the components near the lower-left corner such that there are no parts overlapping the solder pads for the battery holder
5) Moved the jack for the pH probe inboard such that it is correctly supported
6) eliminated two unnecessary caps on the board
Hope to have Ethernet working within the week, at which point I think we are ready for rev 2 of the board! If any of you prototypers out there have other changes, lemme know ASAP.
Obi-dad
Active member
Please give details of where the wires go (I have my hydra built, but have not fully connected it up after the initial test).
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
The CS and RESET pins from the ENC28J60 chip need to be connected to digital 2 and reset on the main AVR, respectively. Right now, on the current version of the hardware, those two lines are connected to pullup resistors, but not the corresponding AVR pins. Please note that I've only identified this fix in the design, I haven't implemented or tested it yet.
Yep. There are a bunch of libraries for the ENC28J60 on the Arduino platform. I don't expect that any of us will have to write the code, just borrow it. Not sure what the support is like for using this chip with a PIC, but I bet it's pretty good.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
terahz
1x10^12 Hz
All I can think of at this point is to move all "legs" in the corners or at least the one that is next to the main AVR on the other side of FTDI1 and FTDI2. That way the board will be much more stable. Also, if possible, leave enough space around the main vreg for a small heatsink. Just because running the relays, few pwms + reference for LEDs, 2 avrs, ethernet etc. adds up and heats up the reg a bit.
On a side note, has anyone used an optical sensor like the Sharp GP2Y0D810Z0F (http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=bgJ5QXnU1LQUhMyYtOJQMQ==) for a top-off sensor? I'm thinking of giving it a try but can't find how well it will detect the distance to moving water surface. Other than that it is a simple 5V IC that should work pretty well. If I can find it in black, I might stick one in my display tank just in case
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
I thought about capacitive level sensors (no direct contact and it wouldn't even matter if it got dirty) but they're like $50 a pop, so it would be an expensive experiment.
Obi-dad
Active member
IME - 'salt creep' - very small droplets of saltwater eventually build up on nearby surfaces, which evaporate leaving salt deposits. Some tank setups don't have much, some do, and some only show over a long period of time.
One alternative for sensing water level is a submerged airtight tube that is connected to an air pressure sensor (outside the tank). The higher the water in the vessel, the higher the pressure of the air trapped in the tube, and the higher the pressure reading. You could map that to known volumes in the sump.
http://www.brewtroller.com/wiki/dok...dge_base:setup_a_bubbler_level_sensing_system
(Just ignore the bit about air bubblers; they are trying to compensate for temperature variations in a boiling liquid application - beer brewing.)
http://www.brewtroller.com/wiki/dok...dge_base:setup_a_bubbler_level_sensing_system
(Just ignore the bit about air bubblers; they are trying to compensate for temperature variations in a boiling liquid application - beer brewing.)
