jdbower Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Just a slight tangent, looks like it may soon be trivial to interface an Arduino-based device with an Android device: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/0 ... od-tm.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Just a slight tangent, looks like it may soon be trivial to interface an Arduino-based device with an Android device: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/0 ... od-tm.html Even easier smoker setpoint changes and monitoring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) The interface is initially USB, then Bluetooth. But I can't see why it wouldn't be able to be extended to WiFi or even 3G/4G. Seems like there should be a method of pushing data to the phone/tablet and writing data to the controller. Of course, the real purpose is to have an open standard so you can build neat things like controlling your phone's music player via your car. Open standards are nice that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Thanks to CapnBry, his controller is awesome! Here are some pics of a bread board mockup, with the fan output currently going to the big green LED and the probe input being fooled with a thermistor/resistor combo until I actually get them in. Hope soon to get in the probes and give this controller the real smoke test. Couple of neat features that CapnBry already incorporated is the lid open detection (and manual ability to do so) and pause on ramp up to temp setpoint (which can cause over shoot otherwise). Also, instead of the on-off 6sec control that most BBQ controllers use now, his uses a PWM output to actually vary the fan speed! Going to have to do some code changes to get my Sparkfun WiFly shield working in place of the AsyncLab Wifi shield that CapnBry used (they went out of business and that card is no longer available). I already had the shield serving up a web page from my TC4 thermocouple shield....so hopefully, something soon. -=J Considering the number of years it has been since I breadboarded something like this....it is not quite as big a rat's nest and ugly as I thought it would be. Next step....enclosure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnBry Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Lookin' good, man! Wow, look at the size of that LCD. I bet you can put all sorts of information on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Yeah, that was my spare LCD which already had a header soldered on. But now, I like the larger LCD and may continue using it so I can show all 3 probes, ambient and fan on one screen. The 4x20 was around $3 more than the 2x16....so I splurged...hahaha. -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Man, I just read through this thread again last night, and realized it was way over my head. That is, until you started taunting Mike with visions of you in your underwear. I almost expected to see Gerard de-lurk on that post. Now, back to that controller...put it all in a small, tidy, waterproof case, and send me one to field test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Now, back to that controller...put it all in a small, tidy, waterproof case That part is a show stopper. Slightly water resistant is about as good as it gets unless you want to spend mega bucks on water tight connectors. And even then, you need the LCD and buttons to be on the inside or go the expensive alternate. More than likely, the $3 Stoker water resistant case will get revisited for this project. Now, maybe when I get to the final build, might go all out. As for being over your head, I doubt that. CapnBry has done a most excellent job of breaking it down on his HeaterMeter thread @TVWBB and included a simple schematic with parts lists (& links). The program he wrote was as simple as loading it to the Arduino...plug and play with only one change to disable the Wifi side. -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) HeaterMeter tests against an Ametek temp calibrator: Actual___Pit___Food1 32_____34_____32 100_____99_____98 150____149____149 200____199____199 250____250____249 Actually pretty impressed with the accuracy of the thermistor probes. They seem to be a bit less sensitive to change than the TC probes, but for BBQ that is no issue. Going to give it the smoke test next time I am off to check out the PID control. Would be nice if I could get a chart running to trend it. -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Here are the pics of the first trial run. Just over 1.5 hrs with nothing on it for a test (food 1 probe is at probe tree top and pit probe is at the bottom). And thanks to CapnBry, who was nice enough to provide a serial port graph he made for the HeaterMeter, we can see how nice the results really are. Especially for a sub $100, home built controller. I am pleasantly surprised with the HeaterMeter! Gonna try it with spare ribs tomorrow. Still need to find a case and get the Wifi card working. -=J DSCN2066.JPG[/attachment:10j6j80m] DSCN2064.JPG[/attachment:10j6j80m] Capture.PNG[/attachment:10j6j80m] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saison Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Man that's cool. When are you going into production? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Man that's cool. When are you going into production? Thanks. Everything here is DIY. Besides, my current build controller is all CapnBry's work....his design and programming. It is a very easy one to build and has great instructions/parts lists over at Virtual Weber board. Give it a go building it yourself and you will be very happy with it. -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted May 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Not my finest wiring job, as it was a major headache getting all those parts on the breadboard to fit into that little case, but it works! The Wifi board is also there, though it is not programmed in yet. Link to case: http://www.adafruit.com/products/271 -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted June 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi) Been a little while since I have had time to work on this project. Controller is still going strong though and finally got the Wifi working. Very simple web page serving, just displaying temps and you have to manually refresh. Getting there....... -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 Ok so i have just finished building my own heater meter for controlling the KK. So far it is good but i think the next step is one that is using a solenoid to control the airflow coming in and out of the port. (Using a roto damper) As a result i need to get an adapter made up. Anyone know anywhere that is good for doing a single item build from rough plans. Would like it to be like the Guru adapter but with more of an open channel to allow more air to flow un-aided by the fan when the damper is open. (Currently it is only about 18 mm on the guru port vs the 30 mm of the port on the kk.) The adapter would basically be a piece of 30 mm tube through a flat plate of about 50 mm square with 4 holes one in each corner to bolt the roto damper to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
