Author Topic: Working on the new eParrot 2018 (Read 39814 times)

Edwin Croissant · « **Reply #20 on:** August 24, 2018, 01:08:32 AM »

When you want to use a SMT172 you need this sketch: https://github.com/EdwinCroissant/eParrotRgbLcdSMT172 and a eeprom. There is a program ABVtoEeprom.ino that you have to load in the nano to fill the eeprom. That's a one time operation. Settings are stored in the data logger module.

Sorry for the absence, I got involved into something that needed immediate attention.

From now on I'm going to spent my time on my hobby

Edwin

ketel3 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 24, 2018, 01:11:44 AM »

Welcome back Edwin.
As you can see we were busy,and Shifu started building again.

Time for some testing

ShiFu · « **Reply #22 on:** August 24, 2018, 07:52:14 AM »

Welcome back Edwin, we missed ya!

And thanks for clearing that up, as you can see I almost had some of it figured out

Working on the new eParrot 2018

pinHeaderConnector.JPG (71.57 kB. 350x195 - viewed 1331 times.)

Just ordered this kit to better organize the jumper pins. Especially the 2x3 for ICSP and 1x3 for the sensors.

I'd like to explore the possibility of using the SMT172 with you again.
I can get them here in China now but they cost a big premium since they are imported.
You once mentioned designing a tiny PCB to hold the capacitor and to attach the sensor wires. Please do!
And I'm still unclear how to mount an SMT172-TO18 into a housing for the column.
(The cheapest and easiest way seems to be to sacrifice at DS18B20 sensor by heating the metal tube until it comes off, then recycling the parts into a 172 sensor. That's IF the 172-TO18 will go into the metal tube, I don't believe it will. So maybe the TO-92 instead?)

ketel3 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 24, 2018, 10:48:06 AM »

Exactly ,I got my sensor from Edwin and he canabalized a ds sensor ,the to type Edwin can say.
It works perfectly,and quick transfere of heat.
Even a small blow at it gives a emidiate measurament.

But use a piece of silicon to fit it into the colum , vents and others and avoid mis reading.

ShiFu · « **Reply #24 on:** August 24, 2018, 03:29:15 PM »

The Dupont pin header connector kit arrived today and Oh Wow, what a pleasure it is working with them

Working on the new eParrot 2018

madeThese.png (220.26 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1197 times.)
This kit will make both male and female connectors.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

ugly side.png (194.64 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1252 times.)
Reworked the ISP BootLoader from the breadboard to a more permanent board. Used lots of hot glue so it should hold up OK.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

newBootloaderBoard.png (196.82 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1077 times.)
Here's the finished programmer with instructions (so I can easily remember how to use it next year

)

Working on the new eParrot 2018

whileBurningBootloader.png (323.02 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1050 times.)
This is the position for burning the new bootloader.

*Built almost entirely from recycled parts.

ketel3 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 24, 2018, 06:03:26 PM »

Whaaw , just plug in and ready to go no chance for mistakes with wires.

ShiFu · « **Reply #26 on:** August 25, 2018, 05:27:16 AM »

The extra step to clean it up will help later.
6 months or a year from now and I won't be thinking, "What is this thing for??"

Here's a quick fritzing of the layout:

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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ShiFu · « **Reply #27 on:** September 03, 2018, 09:28:16 AM »

Working on the Boiler Pressure Sensor alarm today.
Using the inexpensive (and quite small) MPXV7002DP breakout board (about $10 USD?).
Seems easy enough, just hook up the three wires... 5v, GND and Input.
Also, the pressure disabling jumper needs to be removed from the PCB.

First off, I removed the jumper but did not connect the sensor and then powered up the parrot.
I got an alarm and flashing screen "Boiler".

Working on the new eParrot 2018

1 fault.png (190.94 kB. 350x262 - viewed 956 times.)

I pressed the "Select" button and that disabled/reset the alarm and stored "0" to the memory (instead of whatever was displayed on the screen - I think it was 55 dPa but that number would change every second or so. The range seemed to be from about 29 to 57 dPa.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

2 zero out.png (189.75 kB. 350x262 - viewed 940 times.)

I then power cycled the parrot and received no alarm. The Boiler screen, when selected, continued to display from about 29 to 57 dPa but gave no alarm.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

3 no sensor_and_floating.png (194.25 kB. 350x262 - viewed 961 times.)

I then hooked up the sensor and after another power cycle (reset) the boiler displayed 281 dPa and gave the alarm sound.
Pressed "Select" for a long second and the display value was set to "0", saved to memory, alarm stopped, and "Healthy 0 dPa" was displayed.

I found a bit of wire insulation to temporarily act as the pressure tube for the sensor and the boiler alarm was quickly activated when I blew into the tube.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Working on the new eParrot 2018

5 the sensor with small tube.png (192.64 kB. 350x262 - viewed 902 times.)

So actually attaching the pressure sensor to the eParrot is very simple.

Next will be supplying a tube from the boiler to the eParrot's new sensor.
And that will be for some other day

ketel3 · « **Reply #28 on:** September 03, 2018, 09:09:44 PM »

Great you found the zero set that quick,I needed Edwin's advise as I had the same reading @ the beginning.
After pressing the right button all was stabile.

Meanwhile Edwin did a test with the in between alarms all are working great in version V 0.12
I tested again and my version V 0.09 has a minor problem,but you know what I'am the only one around as right after the first working version Edwin putted the right one on github

so my version never became plubic

Keep going ,and if possible add the boiler temp sensor right into the liquid ! that made my displayed heatup time more accurate.

Hope you can do without drilling for the pressure and temp sensor.

ShiFu · « **Reply #29 on:** September 04, 2018, 06:43:13 AM »

Quote from: ketel3 on September 03, 2018, 09:09:44 PM

...... if possible add the boiler temp sensor right into the liquid ! that made my displayed heatup time more accurate.....

Really? The boiler temperature sensor goes into the liquid?

I've been doing it wrong the whole time

ketel3 · « **Reply #30 on:** September 04, 2018, 10:21:04 PM »

Yep ,and as I had a few spare 1/4" bsp sockets with inner treath welded on the boiler in the past it was very easy to install the pressure sensor and the temp sensor.
I drilled out a pipe end coupling and was able to put the 8mm stainless steel pipe right true the coupling the ds sensor goes down the pipe and and at both ends sealed with silicone just the head of the sensor comes out the pipe,and right into the liquid ,Edwin wrote this somewhere in the beginning the boiler sensor should into the liquid and not into the vapor.

As I used it into the vapor path in the beginning I was able to see the differance,and I was able to compare with the analog temp sensor that is on the boiler also

If you have no connection just drill a hole and insert a silicone plug with the sensor easy peasy.

ShiFu · « **Reply #31 on:** September 05, 2018, 06:59:56 AM »

I've been working on a new face for my eParrot.
Jeff's design is great but I'm wanting to add more and more to the enclosure.
Thinking to use a low cost, off-the-shelf enclosure and modify that.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

4 maybeNewCase.png (82.18 kB. 350x275 - viewed 926 times.)

The first step is to measure and layout all the holes and cutouts. Then a test print to see if its all correct.
That was mostly successful so I'm moving forward slowly.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Working on the new eParrot 2018

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ketel3 · « **Reply #32 on:** September 05, 2018, 09:32:05 PM »

Great work,the buttons will work more stabile now too.
But I have to admit after I cutted the button pad into 2 pieces it works also better.
With this frontplate you are free to choose any enclosure and fit it in.
I like it.

ShiFu · « **Reply #33 on:** September 08, 2018, 08:52:26 AM »

The work continues...

As you can see by the pile of prints, there has been many small changes to get this far.
Lacking Jeff's design skills means a lot of trial and error. And sometimes having to start completely over

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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But a little progress every day.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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ShiFu · « **Reply #34 on:** September 08, 2018, 09:36:20 AM »

By saving the following layout image as a PDF (or 3D .dwg file extension) I'll get a perfectly sized pattern to make the cut in any box/enclosure.

The cutout shape is a bit complicated so I've ordered a cheap jeweler's saw to cut along the squiggle line. Then drill the 4 corner holes.
The completed parrot should mount right into place - well, that's the ~~plan~~ hope.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

cutoutSquiggleLine1.PNG (25.84 kB. 350x267 - viewed 852 times.)

** If everything looks upside down, backwards or mirror imaged then welcome to the world of 3D modelling!
I stay about 60% confused about 70% of the time. Adjusting left instead of right, up instead of down, etc...

ShiFu · « **Reply #35 on:** September 10, 2018, 07:36:13 AM »

Spent the day yesterday at the World's Largest Electronics Market here in Shenzhen.
Really, really, really needed at least another week to explore there!

Bought a small assortment of plastic project boxes, an assortment of shrink tubing, a crimper tool for the Dupont connectors and a few various other bits before running out of time.
Still waiting on the jeweler's saw to arrive and then everything should be ready to document the complete eParrot build using the printed circuit board.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

electronics market sept 2018.png (82.51 kB. 350x262 - viewed 937 times.)

ketel3 · « **Reply #36 on:** September 10, 2018, 09:58:25 PM »

It must have cost a fortune

great pick.

I ordered some pieces true ebay and it has cost me a fortune also.
$1.47 and $ 4,45 to be more specific so I contributed the China's economy again

Now I have to wait a couple of weeks, hope I can suprise you with the items I purchased,I have to wait so you have to wait too to find out

By the way another bug I had detected before and only I had this till now ......was detected by Edwin too so before you post the build wait for Edwin's solution,Edwin can better explane what it is than I.

Hope your saw arrives soon.

ShiFu · « **Reply #37 on:** September 12, 2018, 06:06:51 AM »

After only 3 long days the jeweler's saw arrived!

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Unfortunately they forgot to include the saw blades so another 3 days of waiting

Which gives lots of time to work on the faceplate design so it was scaled up a little to fit the indentation of this box.

And that gives even more time to work on my chemistry lessons.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

chemistry.jpg (115.31 kB. 350x402 - viewed 894 times.)

Lots of choices. For a project where only the eParrot is needed then the small box should be perfect.
For projects where relays, water monitoring, PID control, etc... is wanted then a larger enclosure is needed.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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ShiFu · « **Reply #38 on:** September 12, 2018, 05:30:14 PM »

Temporarily shifted my focus to the push buttons. Sure would like for the buttons to be something more durable and flexible like rubber or silicone.
Don't have the equipment to vulcanize rubber but silicone seems easy enough.

So off to the market today to buy a tube of clear silicone since mine has long since become a solid.

Squeezed some into a plastic bag and added a generous amount of corn starch and kneaded that together for a minute or so.
The YouTube directions suggest to work quickly as it tends to set up rapidly.
Added a couple of drops of vegetable oil to help keep the mass pliable and massaged some more. Totally about 2 minutes.
Added some corn starch to the table top then scraped the glob from the plastic bag.
Kneaded the glob a bit more with the additional corn starch and shaped it into a ball. Then flattened it a little.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

button mold 1.png (146.1 kB. 350x466 - viewed 836 times.)

Took the buttons and pressed it into the silicone putty and let cure for half an hour.
Then it was easy to extract the button pattern from the putty mold but it still seemed quite soft - probably best to let it cure overnight.
But the impression that was made in the putty was clean and sharp. Very nice and quite satisfying for the first attempt at this.

Meanwhile, I was so inspired by all of this that I quickly designed and printed a small 'mold making set' for the buttons.
The cup, the button pattern and the hole pattern for the buttons (all seen in the picture above).

I filled the cup with pure silicone (not the corn starch putty) and placed the button pattern on top.
Then put a heavy, flat plate on top of that and left it to cure overnight. Will see tomorrow if it works.
I also used "mold release". I figure the buttons will glue to the pure silicone jell so I spritzed the button surface with vegetable oil and water.
I'm told the slightest amount of oil on the surface will keep silicone from sticking to itself.

So IF the silicone mold does actually work then it can be filled with more silicone and then use the 'hole pattern' to create the real silicone buttons.

~~~~~

Oh yes, and I also worked on the external SD card holder today.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Working on the new eParrot 2018

sdCardKeeper1.png (53.84 kB. 350x262 - viewed 798 times.)

Now it can easily be mounted anywhere and without the need to crack open the SD holder casing.
Though I may re-think this.
Removing the bulky SD casing may make for a smaller, cleaner installation but it may not work well with a box like this with a tall(ish) lid.
I'll need to think on that a bit more...

I do believe I am now talking myself into designing it. (Half the size, half the print time, half the costs...) Cleaner look.
Maybe tomorrow.

ShiFu · « **Reply #39 on:** September 12, 2018, 06:54:32 PM »

No thank you, I do not need another Apple smart phone.

Mine is a few years old and still works perfectly, even after the Apple updates. It already does so much more than I need it to do.
My phone sends and receives phone calls, which is 99.99+% of what I need my phone to do. It is never used for much more than that, thank you very much.
Yes, I know it can also be my "24 hour personal assistant", GPS navigator, money collector/bill payer, artificial intelligence know every damned thing...

And yes I know my phone is a few years old. And you want me to upgrade. And you will keep calling me at all hours day and night. And nothing I can say will keep you from trying to upgrade me to a phone that I do not want or need. And you will keep calling even when I'm rude.

The following is from your customers that want a new phone. Contact them instead of me. They seem to be informed consumers and are ready to deal... and also seem to be negotiable on price and terms.

Working on the new eParrot 2018

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Working on the new eParrot 2018

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