Smart PID

See you got some solenoid valves there too?
This gunna have a cover over it?
Looks pretty techy man
 
Trialben said:
See you got some solenoid valves there too?
This gunna have a cover over it?
Looks pretty techy man
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ya, the soleniod valves direct the glycol to either the chiller coil in the fermentor or back to the reservoir. I needed something that could switch pretty fast. the PID is setup to alter direction every 50mS to 2.5S(PWM for the PID output), a timer turns off the pump once 2 minutes of inactivity expires.

nah, just dont poke the SSR with the high voltage with your finger, lol.
 
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Bubba Wade said:
Maybe some lessons in cable management should be in order.
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Yep. I'd be happy to try it remotely. Just need a bunch of zip ties or similar. Even twist ties from bread will do.
 
I have a few on there. :p When I have to change things its too much of a PITA to cut them off
 
"Proper" wire routing needs to look like a NYC subway map, all nice and parallel, little service loops at each end, and fully supported along its length.

That being said, if it works, it's good
 
so I am pretty impressed with this thing so far. took about a day of fiddling with it and playing with the PID parameters. but it now comes up or down to temp, it overshoots once about 1/2 degree and then corrects itself and stays rock solid on temp.

might be time to test this thing with some real beer next!:eek: (just testing with water so far)
 
just a small update. I have been trying to find a temp probe that will work optimally for this thing. I tried a type K thermocouple, but it had too much variance on temp. dont know if it was the thrmocouple adapter that SmartPID has for it or if it was cheap Type K devices, but didnt work.

next I tried a DS18B20 digital temp probe. cool idea and I am sure if you wanted to control temp within 1/2 a degree, it would work fine, but it jumped around +/- 0.3° F and confused the hell out of the PID.

last and not least went with a 3-wire PT100. analog is definately the way to go and this probe is rock solid. seems to be the winner.
 
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Minbari said:
just a small update. I have been trying to find a temp probe that will work optimally for this thing. I tried a type K thermocouple, but it had too much tolerance on temp. dont know if it was the thrmocouple adapter that SmartPID has for it or if it was cheap Type K devices, but didnt work.

next I tried a DS18B20 digital temp probe. cool idea and I am sure if you wanted to control temp within 1/2 a degree, it would work fine, but it jumped around +/- 0.3° F and confused the hell out of the PID.

last and not least went with a 3-wire PT100. analog is definately the way to go and this probe is rock solid. seems to be the winner.
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Oh you could of had mine my pid ain't like it:oops:
 
Note that thermocouples are typically used for wide range high temperature applications while the RTD’s are used for lower temperature and more precise measurement.
 
Bubba Wade said:
Note that thermocouples are typically used for wide range high temperature applications while the RTD’s are used for lower temperature and more precise measurement.
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That would agree with my experience. At 60°F it was all over the place. The RTD was just solid.

My understanding of thermocouples also is they have a cold side measurement up by the pid. If that temp is varying due to air currents or heat source nearby, it will effect the hot side measure as well.
 
*fingers crossed* first beer on the smart PID is in the fermentor. 68°F and holding!
 
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