Growroom Computer - temp/fan/humidity control

The Pi hs ARRIVEDWell - Mr UPS brought me spome toys to pay with. The main computer for this project - the Rasberry Pi is here - hooking it up now to get the system up and running.Plan is to mount this in a small project box big enough for a power strip, 2 speed controllers and all the associated electronics.Downloading the OS and building a filesystem on the SD card now - really good step by step guides out there in the interwebs make this part real easy.Goal for today - get the system up and running as a wireless device on my network, get the web server and web services running and install all the software packages I will need.I am going to make a trip later today to Radio Shack and see what they sell in the way of temperature/humidity sensors and hopefully have two working temperature inputs up and running todayWill keep you all posted



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updateWell - got all the basic computer setup done - nice complete Linux box for those familiar - in layman terms VERY complete operating system. Oh yeah - all computers must have a name so this one has a network name of 'jackberry" The screen shot is my desktop - you can see the Rasberry Desktop in one window and some various other shells open - all work is being done remotely from my Imac - you dont even need a keyboard and display on the Rasberry - just power and a wireless or ethernet connection. Spent the morning loading sample code from the interwebs and built my development environment for the language I am going to use (PERL). More components will be here this week - the servo controller, a nice case for the project, my temperature sensors and optical sensors. Basically the programming will consist of the following: 1) A small PERL program that runs every minute, reads all the sensors and writes a record to a database which consists of the time, and sensor data. 2) A small PERL program to read the most recent record in the database and update the fan speed percentage accordingly. I can see a scale where the furthurt out of norm the temp is the greater the fan speed increase/decrease. The program can also read previous temp records from the DB and know if the temp is trending up or down. This program would run every 2 minutes 3) A web interface running on the Pi which can query the database for current or historical sensor data and display graphs 4) A small PERL program to query the most recent DB entry and generate an SMS alert if a given sensor is at a pre-determined alarm level. This program could run every 30 minutes or so



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just wanted to post an update on this project.


The unit is complete and in a nice industrial looking case. The case has a 4 line LCD display that shows date/time, system status and a line for each tent showing current temp and fan percentage.


I also built a small web interface on the Pi - it displays current status as well as historical graphs for last 24 hours, last day, last week, last month, last year. I use an open source tool called RRD to handle the database and graphing chores - my program just feeds it data when it reads the sensors. The graphs are cool - an area graph showing the current temp and a blue line over the red area graph to indicate fan speed.


The fans plug into the back of the case. There is also a 100 Volt socket for a yankee cord in the back of the case. There is also a wire coming out that goes to the temperature sensor unit. This allows me to position the controller near my ballasts and other equipment and position the sensor controller in-between the tent entrances. I use standard cat6 wiring for this.


The guts are complete - all version 1 programming is basically done and I am testing the unit.


It will adjust the fan speed in 5% increments up or down to maintain the temp within a given window for a given light cycle. The temps, time window and other tent information is kept in a configuration file and can be easily set.


So far this is looking like I will be moving this down to the grow room next week and hook it up to the fans for real.


Will post some project pictures soon

 

Here is the basic graphing engine web output...Maybe a half dozen lines of shell scripting and some html code - really nothing fancy.



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Very cool:not-worthy:

 

looking for some RF Interference help


Ok - update time


Moved the grow computer down to the grow room, set it all up and fired it up.


Much to my suprise, the temperature sensors were giving bad data!!


Brought it back upstairs to my office and it worked fine...


Back downstairs - same problem.


After a few trips up and down stairs - I finally figured it out - RF interference from my 1K ballasts, the HPS bulb, the MH bulb or lighting wiring or ALL of the above.


Turned off the grow lights and all was fine.


Well - looks like I am going to need some help in shielding the sensor probes and wiring from this RF interference.


The technical detail is as follows:


Wiring - from the I/O port on the computer - I have 12 feet of Cat6 non-shielded cable with the pairs tied together to form 3 circuits for the temp probe (Vcc, GND, Signal). At the I/O port there is a 10K resistor betwen Vcc and Signal as per the sensor manufacturers data sheet.


Probe: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HODWBU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I read an article about using an RF Choke on the sensor but still cannot find info on how to connect the choke or value choke needed


ANY smart folks out there that arent too stoned (duc) that have any suggestions??

 

User Interface is coming alongI have been working on the user interface for my grow computer and have some photos of the prototype LCD output and web page.The LCD shows time of day and for each tent (grow or veg) shows current temperature, Light Status (on/off) and current fan speed percentage.The web interface show temperature and fan speed plotted on the same x/y graph. It shows hourly, daily weekly and monthly graphs and is accessible from any computer - inside or outside my network - including from my IphoneI will be mounting the LCD in the case this weekend.The only outstanding issue is RF interference from the 1Kw lights and ballasts - it does effect the temperature sensors and wireing. I will be replacing the non shielded cat5 wiring with some shielded microphone cable - that should solve that issue.Once that is done, I am comfortable enough to turn over manual fan control to the computer!!!!!!!





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Dude...how did I miss this? Must been out on one of my sabbaticals. So....how did/is it going? How would this compare to something like a Link4 master controller?


http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/link4-iponic-600-environmental-controller-p-3833.html

 

We'll mine only cost $100


Basically I am just using it as a remote monitor and alert system. I get temp humidity and day nite text alerts - it also keeps historical data on these metrics


I never got around to giving it fan control - the little temp based plug in units at $50 came be beat