Custom Grow Room Automation

[johndough99]

Got my first batch of parts in today. No Electrical Engineering experience per say. Need more headers. Have successfully sent a very basic program to it (didnt verify much except USB communication was working. Have some additional headers, breadboard, and my sensor suite to order tomorrow. As a basic test I'm trying to get the LCD screen working (figure best to start with something basic). Unfortunately I am having a little trouble deciphering the electrical schematic. It appears I need a 200 ohm resistor between the 5v on the arduino and the LED+ on the LCD module. Also I am not quite sure what they are referring to when they say '4050 buffer', or if the triangle symbols mean anything. Trial and error I suppose unless anyone here smarter than me can shed some light on the meanings?

Link ->http://www.vetco.net/datasheets/VUPN6482/tft lcd module connection to arduino.pdf

 

[johndough99]

Thats cool man thanks for the tips. I am going with the 'Mega' unit which has 256k. I have found thankfully the libraries seem very easy to add if they arent available via the programming sdk search. I hear you on the funcionality of these things... kind of just blown away by the scope of what is possible with a little bit of programming and wires. Coming off the relays I was thinking about using these to power my climate control appliances https://www.adafruit.com/products/268.

Regarding the coding if power goes off and On:
I will use a database on a UPS protected computer. The data will not be held on the Arduino at all. The usb cable will also be connected to this UPS protected machine. I am planning on having the arduino check relay status via a HTTP request to the webserver running on the machine. Do you think that sounds logically sound or have some advice to make it better? Thanks again!

 

[The Meadows]

I store the sensor data into a database on a Linux Apache Mysql PHP (lamp) box. So not only can I tell what the current temperature of my root zone, reservoir, ceiling, fresh air intake, exhaust, etc., but I can recall the info for any point in time that the system was running. I can make graphs that show the data swings during a day/week/month for any sensor.

That relay should work but don't take my word for it. I use the cheap $1 relays that say they're rated at 10a. But they are only good for about 4a (inductive vs resistive loads and 80% safety factor). The cheap relays then switch large contactors that fire the ballasts. The contactors are about 30-40a and $10-$20. Here's an 8 relay board for $6. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/161317483666?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

Be very, very careful when dealing with 120/220v a/c.

The arduino has a couple different types of timers that make scheduling easy. If you come up with an efficient and elegant way to recover from power outs, I'm all ears. I think comparing the current time vs the schedule some how would work.

The mega is the one to use due to the ram and number of i/o ports. But wiring and coding for 50 sensors is 100x more complicated than 5 sensors. That's my reasoning thinking multiple, maybe unos, would be easier.

 

[hvac guy]

Working on setup for 120 lights using these embedded PLCs. http://velocio.net/

I am installing one PLC in each piece of equipment, ACs, DH, pumps, CO2, lighting, etc and have each device communicate with all the others. When finished I will post pics of the build and the installation.

 

[exploziv]

I'm into this as well. I managed to write to SDcard but not to read and use values from text files on the sd card. Since you say you got this working can you post the code that reads the data from the SDcard, The Meadows?

A good ideea before starting the coding is to make sketches on paper and figure out what functions you want from it, and what every sensor/device should be used for or what it should do and when. Then you can start coding, making sure you make lots of // comments. Trust me, you will forget what everything does after a while so those will be helpful.

 

[The Meadows]

I'm into this as well. I managed to write to SDcard but not to read and use values from text files on the sd card. Since you say you got this working can you post the code that reads the data from the SDcard, The Meadows?

A good ideea before starting the coding is to make sketches on paper and figure out what functions you want from it, and what every sensor/device should be used for or what it should do and when. Then you can start coding, making sure you make lots of // comments. Trust me, you will forget what everything does after a while so those will be helpful.

I don't write to the sd card. I have an ethernet shield which reads and writes the data to a linux box. I don't think the sd card and ethernet shield can be used at the same time. With the data on the linux box (web server), I can see the data, real time, from any internet connected spot in our universe. I haven't tested it outside our universe, yet.

 

[minds_I]

^^^ like this

kinda hard to see using the format

some earlier 1-wire work with and arduino and a C# windows app for GUI...yea it looks like Growtronix but it is my work, I call it Cannatronix...I liked the Growtronix style GUI

 

[piranhaz]

Very cool..

 

[hvac guy]

Check this site out for Arduino gear;

http://www.dx.com/c/electrical-tools-499/arduino-scm-supplies-436

 

[Sting25]

I will be running my grow tent from this

I will be running my grow tent from this

It was designed to control mushroom growing habitats with a raspberry Pi. Seems to do everything we need for a grow controller the new version handles co2 sensors as well.

http://kylegabriel.com/projects/2015/04/mushroom-cultivation-revisited.html

My parts and pieces arrived yesterday..


Chris

 

[The Meadows]

Careful with those little blue relays. They're rated at 10 amps but they're only good for 4 amps with the type of load an hid light demands. To switch a high load light, use the little blue relay to trigger a much larger contactor. The blue relays are about $1 each. A 40 amp contactor will be anout $20.

 

[Huckster79]

I have never done any programming ever, I am not computer illiterate by any means just no real experience on the backside of the things... Is this possible to pull off with no programming experience?

 

[exploziv]

If you're a fast learner you can just learn the basics and then just use parts from code examples/others projects and just do small mods to the code so they suit your project. It takes some time, tho. But then, you can do almost everything you need, because there are lots of examples/projects/tutorials online.

 

[farmbox]

Bump

Anywhere else fresh worth looking around in messageboards? I feel like ive seen them all but may be missing a nice forum somewhere..

Currently using/Started with an RPI+Adruino a few months ago, followed some tutorials.

bought an SmartBee system, but meh. Im looking for the functionality of an Agrotek system, but without the price.

Oh and I have one of those too (GcProXL), so knowing 'choice' relays , wire sizing, and cleanliness, is already layed right out.

Checking out bh420s github now but it all seems mostly languages im not awesome at. Which is loosely Java, VB, and .net, with java and c comprehension, just no freecode.

any other known autogrows besides the few well known?

 

[AvidLerner]

there is a 30 amp relay for your need. you can find it at sparkfun.com called the big beef -> https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13815I believe. I have a few of the 30A without inrush current issues. peace
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