DIY Robotic Tester - BoraTronic

[Borat]

 

[OfficeReefer]

Jashemash!

This is Borat again - showing off superior Kazakh skills. Support this post with your likes - I will appreciate the attention.

On a path to more complex devices, I have already built these:

DIY light bar
https://www.ultimatereef.net/thread...ng-temperature-control-active-cooling.890640/
DIY Calcium Reactor
https://www.ultimatereef.net/thread...-diy-peristaltic-pump-diy-alk-monitor.892067/
DIY Alkalinity Monitor
https://www.ultimatereef.net/thread...kalinity-monitor-diy-magnetic-stirrer.896310/
DIY Peristaltic Pump
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...ings-of-glorious-nation-of-kazakistan.856269/
DIY Kalk Reactor
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-pressurised-kalk-reactor-stirrer.863158/
Now is the time to build a robotic tester similar to MasterTronic...

Follow this thread - it will be very interesting!

We should talk. I built one of these and use it on my nano tank. I use existing components and API from 3rd party products.

 

[OfficeReefer]

ESP32 Dev chip (for wi-fi connectivity)

Good choice. Lots of folks use them but do be aware that the Expressif chipsets may only be 2.4ghz wireless N and will impact some wireless routers/ap combos that do not switch bands well.

Looking at you Red Sea.

 

[OfficeReefer]

This reminds of an older project from a few years ago that a guy in California did. It uses a cylinder with refillable syringes for the reagents. It's not the one made from Lego EV and Mindstorm kits though, but similar to this one.

 

[Borat]

Printing PCBs in China (from UK) is cheap - however postage is quite expensive.. so in the last few days I worked on a 4 PCBs:
- I sightly adjusted BoratTronic board so that I can use the same PCB for my Alkalinity monitor
- new PCB to upgrade electronics in my DIY aquarium controller
- new PCB to upgrade electronics in my DIY peristaltic pump
- new PCB for my next project - miniature 3 head trace elements doser

All boards feature a combination of Mega 2560 Mini chip that's connected to ESP32 Dev board via Adafruit logic level converter (you need the logic level converter to enable communication between boards just because Arduino boards are 5v logic and Espressive boards are 3.3v logic).

Once I upgrade all my devices above - I will work to standardise wifi connectivity between all of them so that my aquarium controller can talk to alk monitor and pump etc, adjust effluent flow rate if necessary and inform me if something does not add-up (I already receive notifications - but from standalone device perspective only).

The other big advantage of having wifi connectivity (even for smaller devices) - is that you can periodically sync the internal clock therefore ensuring that all devices always have the same correct time. Currently my controller existing board syncs time and so does the alk monitor - but not peristaltic pump.. Peristaltic pump clock does drift a bit - and it's a nuisance to have to manually adjust time every few months..

I ordered all 4 sets of boards above (I will get 5 each) today - hopefully they will be with me in the next 5-7 days..

 

[Borat]

Peristaltic pump PCB: this one is the tiniest one (less than 3 x 3 inch size) where I managed to cram all components somehow.. It had to be a 2-sided board though, meaning that all chips will be soldered on one side and all connectors (for motor/LCD/fan/rotary encoder) will be soldered on the other side.

 

[OfficeReefer]

This is cool. Are you running this off 5v or 12v?

Each of these for testing separately?

 

[Borat]

This is cool. Are you running this off 5v or 12v?

Each of these for testing separately?

The board is powered by a 12v 5AMP PSU (meanwell). Some components required 12v (peristaltic pumps, fans), some other 5v (micocontroller, LCD, etc)... The board has a 3 pin place where a 12v->5v voltage regulator will be soldered. Therefore throughout the board layout there are wires with 12v and 5v sharing common ground..

 

[Borat]

This is the aquarium controller board, the thread is embedded into my DIY Calcium Reactor thread on ultimatereef:

https://ultimatereef.net/threads/pr...p-diy-alk-monitor.892067/page-22#post-8784827

 

[Borat]

..and finally this is the board for the forthcoming project - trace elements mini-doser

 

[OfficeReefer]

The board is powered by a 12v 5AMP PSU (meanwell). Some components required 12v (peristaltic pumps, fans), some other 5v (micocontroller, LCD, etc)... The board has a 3 pin place where a 12v->5v voltage regulator will be soldered. Therefore throughout the board layout there are wires with 12v and 5v sharing common ground..

Makes sense. I had that issue too with PWM and what not.

Here's what I was talking about, might give you some inspiration. This guy took this from the same person I was referring to at Robogardens, where I also got some ideas. https://robogardens.com

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/home-made-automatic-water-tester.767328/

 

[Borat]

Those Chinese folkes never stop to impress me! Engineer working hours are 8am to 10pm!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Those Chinese folkes never stop to impress me! Engineer working hours are 8am to 10pm!

Thats kinda sad...

 

[Myoweb900]

Hello Borat. how is the project going? are you going to share all the complete project? I built AutoTester of robogardens.com but unfortunately the project has some problems, I managed to fix some problems, AutoTester works via camera for raspberry, and for colometric test control with OpenCv. your project is very interesting and i would like to build it.

 

[Borat]

Hello Borat. how is the project going? are you going to share all the complete project? I built AutoTester of robogardens.com but unfortunately the project has some problems, I managed to fix some problems, AutoTester works via camera for raspberry, and for colometric test control with OpenCv. your project is very interesting and i would like to build it.

I have been a bit busy recently - specifically I was building a garden office which will be my workshop as well..







I have finished building the workbench about an hour ago (funny you ask one the same day!) - I will resume the project in the next week or so (still need to organise everything and move rubbish out)..

Cheers,

Borat.

 

[Myoweb900]

It is a sign of destiny. I keep following the post, let's hear when you're organised. Thanks

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

It is a sign of destiny. I keep following the post, let's hear when you're organised. Thanks

Me2 :) I had to settle for an alkatronic because the wait time for the boratronic was to long!! But I could always still use one ;) ;)

 

[Fish Styx]

This is really cool. Following.

 

[bread1973]

I would also like to join this project. nice project. ^^

 

[OfficeReefer]

I have been a bit busy recently - specifically I was building a garden office which will be my workshop as well..







I have finished building the workbench about an hour ago (funny you ask one the same day!) - I will resume the project in the next week or so (still need to organise everything and move rubbish out)..

Cheers,

Borat.

Nice @Borat I love the workshop area!