Work out the software bugs to test burn, Step 8 of a DIY Record

Over the summer and fall I have written and tested a number of programs to have the building blocks of a working program.  I knew the key this year would be the ability to log data.  Of course to log data and have it mean something you have to have good data.  So I spent several days working the bugs out of OpenLog, which works but I would not recommend.  I also spent some time figuring out a combination of moving averages which resultx in stable data.

Of course the integration process was a train wreck.  The arrays used for moving average data smoothing were declared wrong so that bug had to be found and fixed.  The Serial LCD needed to be replaced, and my soldering iron wouldn’t work.    A few of the functions are timed and there were some issues with those functions.  The code for Open Log was not robust enough, once I worked out all those issues, which took most of the weekend, it is finally ready to test.

I had a plow in the shop for repair and soaked up the spilled hydraulic fluid off the floor with some sawdust, actually pellets that got wet.  So the hydraulic oil soaked sawdust is in the hopper to be burned.  It’s burning now, so tomorrow I should have some excel data which will help me make decisions to improve the software.  At this point I am not sure it will be valid however, it is really taking a long time to come up to temperature with the sawdust.   Another data point.

Boiler hooked up and burning for the first time

Boiler hooked up and burning for the first time


Milestones, why we need to take a minute.

There is so much to do in life,  so much to to make, test, verify, improve, install etc.   that it is good to look back on goals completed and know that progress is being made.  I think that is why I like programming so much, it is near instant feedback to test and observe the results.  In my outside of night work hobby life I am finally going to get a machine out of my shop that has been there nearly a year.    That is going to free up a lot of physical space, but mentally I know it is going to be huge.  A constant reminder of time and money gone.  YEA!

On the project side I received a package I ordered from Yourduino.com to complete a phase of the OpenLog testing.  My plan has been to create a temperature recorder with a real time clock using a Arduino Uno  logging time and temperature data to OpenLog’s microSD card recorder.  Here is the finished code, that compiles and works.

/*
Temperature and Time recorder test

This code records time and temperature to a microSd card, this is a test program to prove the ability and
allow the code to be used in other programs as part of a larger code development

A thermistors is attached to analog pin 0
The Real time clock SDA pin is attached to analog 4, the RTC SCL pin is attached to analog pin 5

The circuit:
Arduino Digitial Pins
0 RX to MicroSD TX
1 TX to MicroSD RX
2 to MicorSD GRN
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Inputs
* Thermister, Analog in 0
* RTC SDA, Analog pin 4
* RTC SCL, Analog pin 5

Created 9/10/12
http://www.frugaltinker.com

*/
#include <math.h> // include the library code for thermsiter functions
#include <Wire.h>
#include “RTClib.h”

RTC_DS1307 RTC;

// define I/O pins

// define constants for clarity

// define variables
int statLED = 13;          //toggles LED
int resetOpenLog = 2;      //reset OpenLog

int hour = 0;              // clock hour
int minute = 0;            // clock minute

// the following variables are long’s because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a bigger number than can be stored in an int.

unsigned long prevmillis = 0;     // prevmillis
long DisplayDwell = 7500; // dwell time of 7.5 secs

//define function to calculate the temperature in fahrenheit for Analog pin 0
double Thermister(int RawADC) {//beginning of function
double Temp;
Temp = log(((10240000/RawADC) – 10000));
Temp = 1 / (0.001129148 + (0.000234125 * Temp) + (0.0000000876741 * Temp * Temp * Temp));
Temp = Temp – 273.15;            // Convert Kelvin to Celcius
Temp = (Temp * 9.0)/ 5.0 + 32.0; // Convert Celcius to Fahrenheit
return Temp;
}//end of function

void OutsideTempSection() {// outside temp section
Serial.print(Thermister(analogRead(0))); //print to the lcd should be the Outside temp if thermistor is hooked up properly
Serial.print(“, “);
}// end outside temp function

void TimeSection() {//start time function
DateTime now = RTC.now();
hour=now.hour(),DEC;       //get the hour from the RTC chip
minute=now.minute(),DEC;   //get the minute from the RTC chip
if (hour>=13)              //PM Section
hour=hour-12;           //printed hour is the hour
Serial.print (hour);          //prints the hour
Serial.print (“:”);           // prints a colon
if (minute<10)             //adds a “0” if the time is single digit
Serial.print (“0″);
Serial.print(minute);          //prints minuts
hour=now.hour(),DEC;       //get the hour from the RTC chip
if (hour>=12)   // prints pm
Serial.println (” PM”);
if (hour<12)                       // prints am
Serial.println (” AM”);
}// end time function

void setup()
{//Begin Setup section
// pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(statLED, OUTPUT);
pinMode(resetOpenLog, OUTPUT);

Wire.begin();
RTC.begin();
RTC.adjust(DateTime(__DATE__, __TIME__));
Serial.begin(9600);             //initiate serial communication and define baud rate
delay (1000);                   //delay 1 sec for the data logger to begin
//Reset OpenLog
digitalWrite(resetOpenLog, LOW);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(resetOpenLog, HIGH);

//Wait for OpenLog to respond with ‘<‘ to indicate it is alive and recording to a file
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘<‘) break;
}

//Send three control z to enter OpenLog command mode
//Works with Arduino v1.0
Serial.write(26);
Serial.write(26);
Serial.write(26);
//Wait for OpenLog to respond with ‘>’ to indicate we are in command mode
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘>’) break;
}
//send the open file
Serial.print(“Templog.txt\r”); //\r in string + regular print works with older v2.5 Openlogs

//Wait for OpenLog to return to waiting for a command
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘>’) break;
}
// send the command to append the file
Serial.print(“append Templog.txt\r”);

//Wait for OpenLog to indicate file is open and ready for writing
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘<‘) break;
}

} //End setup section

void loop()
{//Begin Loop section
if (millis()-prevmillis> DisplayDwell)
{//start if sections
OutsideTempSection();    //checks and displays the outside temp section
TimeSection();           //displays the time
prevmillis=millis();
}// end if section

}//End loop section

 

 


OpenLog partially tested

Well I have to say, I am not particularly impressed with OpenLog’s documentation but I finally got a sketch to work with OpenLog based heavily on the OpenLog command sketch.  I soldered up a Yourduino.com  Real time clock kit and am waiting on some male to male jumper wires to breadboard up a thermistor and clock to fully test the OpenLog data logging in a closer to real world trial.  Of course until it is finally mounted in the boiler control box and mounted on the boiler this will only be the next step in testing.

Hard experience has taught me many things work on the desk that do not work in the field due often to poor electronic practice, missing diodes, filtering capacitors, missing resistors….

Here is the code which I intend to run when I get the project bread boarded, it compiles but is untested.

/*
RTC, Thermisoter, OpenLog test

One thermistor attached to analog pins 0
The Real time clock SDA pin is attached to analog 4, the RTC SCL pin is attached to analog pin 5

The circuit:
Inputs
* Thermister  Analog in 0
* RTC SDA, Analog pin 4
* RTC SCL, Analog pin 5
Outputs
* Arduino digital 0 (rx), OpenLog TX
* Arduino digital 1 (tx), OpenLog Rx
* Arduino digital 2, OpenLog Grn

Created 8/24/12

http://www.frugaltinker.com
*/

#include <math.h> // include the library code for thermsiter functions
#include <Wire.h>
#include “RTClib.h”

//section for time keeping
int hour;                //hour
int minute;              //minute

int Roomtemp;            //room temperature

int statLED = 13;        //flashes LED connected to pin 13 for troubleshooting
int resetOpenLog = 2;    //reset on OpenLog

long DataDwell = 60000;    //seperates the data readings by 1 minute
long prevmillis =0;        // previous millis
RTC_DS1307 RTC;

//define function to calculate the temperature in fahrenheit for Analog pin 0
double ThermisterRoom(int RawADC) {//beginning of function
double Temp;
Temp = log(((10240000/RawADC) – 10000));
Temp = 1 / (0.001129148 + (0.000234125 * Temp) + (0.0000000876741 * Temp * Temp * Temp));
Temp = Temp – 273.15;            // Convert Kelvin to Celcius
Temp = (Temp * 9.0)/ 5.0 + 32.0; // Convert Celcius to Fahrenheit
return Temp;
}//end of function

void TimeSection() {//start time function
DateTime now = RTC.now();
hour=now.hour(),DEC;       //get the hour from the RTC chip
minute=now.minute(),DEC;   //get the minute from the RTC chip
}// end time function

void OpenLogData(){//start OpenLogData function
int RoomTemp = ThermisterRoom(analogRead(0));  //read from the sensor
Serial.print (hour);
Serial.print (“:”);
Serial.print (minute);
Serial.print (“, “);
Serial.println (RoomTemp);
}// end OpenLog Data section

void setup()
{//Begin Setup section
pinMode(statLED, OUTPUT);        //set pin to output
pinMode(resetOpenLog, OUTPUT);   //set pin to output

Serial.begin(9600); // initiate serial communication
//Reset OpenLog
digitalWrite(resetOpenLog, LOW);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(resetOpenLog, HIGH);
//Wait for OpenLog to respond with ‘<‘ to indicate it is alive and recording to a file
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘<‘) break;
}
//Send three control z to enter OpenLog command mode
//Works with Arduino v1.0
Serial.write(26);
Serial.write(26);
Serial.write(26);
//Wait for OpenLog to respond with ‘>’ to indicate we are in command mode
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘>’) break;
}
//send the open file
Serial.print(“Templog.txt\r”); //\r in string + regular print works with older v2.5 Openlogs

//Wait for OpenLog to return to waiting for a command
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘>’) break;
}
// send the command to append the file
Serial.print(“append Templog.txt\r”);

//Wait for OpenLog to indicate file is open and ready for writing
while(1) {
if(Serial.available())
if(Serial.read() == ‘<‘) break;
}

//start process of setting clock time
Wire.begin();
RTC.begin();
RTC.adjust(DateTime(__DATE__, __TIME__));

} //End setup section

void loop()
{//Begin Loop section
if (millis()-prevmillis> DataDwell)
{//start if sections
TimeSection();           //displays the time
OpenLogData();           //saves the time and solar temp to the SD card
prevmillis=millis();
}// end if section

}//End loop section

 

 


OpenLog Firmware updated and tested

OpenLog is a data logger from SparkFun electronics that is touted as being easy to use and a reliable writer to a microSd card.  I haven’t found that to be true, I think it is a pain in the a** but maybe that’s the experience more than the actual product.  I ordered the data logger in January and got busy and didn’t have the time to use it so I set it aside.

Really the only reason I ordered it was because I could not get GoBetwino, a Freeware Arduino Data logging software program to work.   The GoBetwino program uses a USB connection to a computer connected to the Arduino to log to a file on the PC.  A great concept that I tested and worked fine on the desktop machine.  However on the laptop that I was using to make changes to the Arduino controlling the boiler  in the shop it didn’t work.  It seemed easier to come up with a standalone solution rather than troubleshoot the USB connections, the power managment issues with the Laptop etc.  So I bought the data logger.

As I wrote in an earlier post since the time of my purchase of the OpenLog board it was recommended to update the firmware, this required updating the board with a FTDI board that accepts the USB connection from the PC to update the firmware, after 2-3 hours of frustration this task is finally completed.  The main problem being Windows XP didn’t seem to recognize the FTDI board and assign it a com port but finally was able to find the correct driver and download the firmware.

I ran the test sketch, pulled the micro SD card and reviewed the data.  The board  did log the data correctly so the next step is to write a function that writes temperature data to a file with a time stamp.  Since I have an Arduino on my desk with a real time clock chip that measures the outside temperature  as well as the temperature of a solar hot water storage tank this would seem like a perfect application to test.   After testing the function in that application it will be easy to modify the function for the monitoring of the boiler function.  I prefer to write the code in functions and call the functions from the main body of the loop.  This makes the code modular and easy to reuse.  I comment very carefully and probably over comment, but I personally prefer to make the code painfully simple to understand on the assumption I may not look at the code again for a few years.  I am hoping you will comment as well since your comments will no doubt improve the code.

I will post the function when I complete it.  Thanks for reading.


CNC Plasma cutter progress

I  finished the assembly of the two  carriages on the x axes of the CNC machine.  The y axis is mounted and this next week the goal is to assemble the carriage to Acme nut connections and build the linear carriage for the y axis.  So if all goes as planned next weekend or sooner could be the first prototype test of the machine, the z axis will not be workable but I am sure I can find a way to attach a pencil the axis to see movement.    That is a great goal for the week.

My SparkFun package of an FTDI Adapter board and and second board will allow me to reload the firmware on the OpenLog board I ordered in January.  I am dreading this a bit, electronics and computer area things are my weakness so I am a bit nervous but will tackle this job and test in a example sketch this week.  I’ll bet that will take any free time I may have up but will get me that much closer to my goals.  X Axis-CNC Plasma Cutter