Author Topic: New Temp/Humidity Controller on Kickstarter  (Read 2133 times)

Offline kdttocs

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  • Location: San Diego, CA
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New Temp/Humidity Controller on Kickstarter
« on: July 15, 2013, 03:56:25 PM »
Let me preface this with me having nothing personally to with this project. I share only to contribute to the community.

Brewbit - brewbit.com

I found these guys building this controller primarily designed at beer fermentation control (Homebrewing is my other passion). They are making the hardware and software completely opensource to allow for maximum customization and application of the unit. I had some dialogue with the guys about using it as a Cheese Cave controller. They said it is totally doable and even added it as one of their potential applications. The unit has a touch screen, 2 controllable power outputs, and 2 universal inputs (temp, humidity, etc). It also has wifi to connect to the internet so you can upgrade software, monitor, log and control the unit from their website.

On day one it will only be designed to independently monitor dual temp sensors and control dual power outputs. With the universal inputs, either they or anyones else can build a humidity sensor (voltage level from sensor=humidity level), and with modification of the software, have one power output control cooling and the other control a vaporizer. It seems reasonable to program the device so that when cooling kicks on, the vaporizer also kicks on in anticipation of a drop in humidity, among other things.

Another cheese related application would be as cheese vat controler on steroids. (pre-program temperature steps, on-screen timer, etc).

Here's their kickstarter campaign:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brewbit/brewbit-model-t-wireless-temperature-controller

And here's a video
BrewBit Model-T Uses
« Last Edit: July 15, 2013, 04:31:51 PM by kdttocs »

Slemps

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Re: New Temp/Humidity Controller on Kickstarter
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2013, 08:09:47 AM »
That looks pretty good kdttocs.

Another option to look at (I also have nothing personally to do with this apart from owning one) is Ninja Blocks.

These are a bit less specialized but can do many different things at one.

For example, I'm using mine to control heat and fans in my smokehouse but at the same time, it could also be controlling an electric hob to keep a vat of milk at the right temperature (or indeed stepping it up/down) and keeping a cheese cave at the right temp/humidity.

Kdttocs, you could use one of these to control both your cheese and your brewing.

It uses RF sensors to monitor stuff, then has a web interface and a rules engine to build rules to control actuators (in my case, RF controlled sockets).

If you're into coding on arduinos and the like, you can go even further as it's all open source and you can get to the arduino and beagle bone inside.

It's not a particularly polished product but the guys are responsive to questions and there is a growing community helping to develop it further.

http://ninjablocks.com/

The screens are of my dashboard (home-screen) and the drag and drop (powerful) rules engine.

Sam.