Smart PID

See you got some solenoid valves there too?
This gunna have a cover over it?
Looks pretty techy man
 
See you got some solenoid valves there too?
This gunna have a cover over it?
Looks pretty techy man
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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Maybe some lessons in cable management should be in order.
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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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.
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.
 
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.
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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