Yes, correct!
Are you using Port 10 (7P) for the "Device Element for my boil kettle electric heating element (a PID element)"? If so, It may be the issue as Port 10 is OK for Serial but not Ethernet.Having a bit of a weird (and disconcerting) issue I hope some of you can help with.
Earlier today, I reconfigured my Unishield to connect to Brucontrol via ethernet rather than serial. Installed 450-MEGA-E firmware and edited all the network specs to get things connected.
What's happening now is that when I disable the Device Element for my boil kettle electric heating element (a PID element), the circuit for the heating element is actually closing and sending power to the element! Note that it works perfectly normally when the element is disabled (i.e., power to the element shuts off when the target temp is set below the actual temp, and it turns on when the target temp is set above the actual temp. Note that when I just unplug the ethernet cable, plug the serial connection back in, enable the serial interface/disable the ethernet interface, and "reconnect" via the serial element for the same mega/unishield (and turn slider switch 4 on the Unishield to the appropriate place) I don't have this issue. I've double-checked that the Device Element settings are the same for the "Copied"/replicated elements and I can't see any differences. Also tried the45K-MEGA-E firmware as a last resort of sorts with no luck. Any thoughts?
---------
EDIT: I just checked again and now it's defaulting to closed/on even when the interface(s) are disabled and/or physically disconnected. Physically unplugging the ethernet shield stopped it, hence why it didn't do it when I tested earlier with the serial connection again (it was unplugged). Something fishy with the ethernet shield or Unishield hardware settings, I guess.
It was port/pin 4, but good suggestion. Turned out my Arduino ethernet shield had continuity b/w pin 4 & pin 10 (and a few others) thanks to some shoddy construction or something. Bending pin 4 on the ethernet shield out of the way before reinstalling solved the issue.Are you using Port 10 (7P) for the "Device Element for my boil kettle electric heating element (a PID element)"? If so, It may be the issue as Port 10 is OK for Serial but not Ethernet.
I wonder if PIN 4 with Ethernet could be an issue. Since it is one of the few counter pins, I do not use it but have reserved for future Counter Use if I ever get counters. Is any one using Pin 4 with Ethernet?It was port/pin 4, but good suggestion. Turned out my Arduino ethernet shield had continuity b/w pin 4 & pin 10 (and a few others) thanks to some shoddy construction or something. Bending pin 4 on the ethernet shield out of the way before reinstalling solved the issue.
Yup, back up and running with no issues.Ok so you’re good to go now?
You can, but you don't have to. If you are getting EMI on your analog inputs, in some instances tying VDC - to chassis/earth/AC ground can suppress or eliminate the EMI.Should the all Power Supplies vdc (-) also be connected to the common GND?
Thanks, I know when I had my BCS they had it wired that way. I am going to have a single 12 vdc circuit that is independent of the common ground to power my CR05 valves as they reverse polarity.You can, but you don't have to. If you are getting EMI on your analog inputs, in some instances tying VDC - to chassis/earth/AC ground can suppress or eliminate the EMI.
I don't understand this... when you reverse polarity on the valve, you don't reverse polarity on the power supply. What does this mean?Thanks, I know when I had my BCS they had it wired that way. I am going to have a single 12 vdc circuit that is independent of the common ground to power my CR05 valves as they reverse polarity.
All other VDC - to chassis/earth/AC ground.
CR 05 Reverse Polarity Valve OperationI don't understand this... when you reverse polarity on the valve, you don't reverse polarity on the power supply. What does this mean?
Dunno!?! DCC shouldn't be too much of a worry for noise/EMI.Is this a good clean power source? I plan to convert from a 24 vdc 10 amp transformer to 5 v.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CHMJM9J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Going to use it to power the unishield.Dunno!?! DCC shouldn't be too much of a worry for noise/EMI.
Don’t need it for that. The UniShield has the DCC converter right on it. Give it 24V directly.Going to use it to power the unishield.
The beauty of BruControl is control. One of the great thing about BruControl is the We are in control of what We want. There are thousands of way to skin a cat, and BruControl allows you any one of those thousand ways. And if We need a thousand steps to get there, We can do it with BruControl.Oh, I see. Did they supply those LED's?
I honestly don't see the value of those, and I think they add extra complexity. If you want the indication, why not just wire those signals to your interface and let BruControl see/report the open and closed state? Again, your brewery so do it the way you want it. But the point of software controls is you don't need to add & manage dedicated hardware.
Crydom SSR are better but more $.Hi All,
I am planning with the aid of Brucontrol t...
Correct.Using the Mega Unishield, I am only using the P pins on the VC Bank, so there needs to be no power connected to the VC Pin?
Interesting, so at flameout you start running the wort through the chiller and back to the whirlpool. Hadn't thought about that.I would think that you want a fairly fast Whirlpooling speed and let it settle. We run uncooled tap water thru the chiller while Whirlpooling for 15 minutes. We let settle for 15 minutes and the Whirlpooling slows down by itself. We do not throttle down the output for Whirlpooling.
We also use a two stage Chiller. By pre cooling during the Whirlpool, we use a second plate chiller that cools the tap water with glycol when transferring to fermenter.
Thanks for all the replies, which is very much appreciated, and the 3-wire valves certainly helps to get things started.
In terms of interface, I have both Ethernet and Wifi in the Brew Shed, and I have been messing about with both Mega and Feather just for connection purposes and both appear to work ok. Also for info my 1 BBL Unitanks are Jacket / Walled Cooled, and I am unlikely to have any success adding a Tilt due to the thickness of steel in the walls.
The heater pads are similar to the picture, with Mat Dimensions - 250x150mm, Power - 200w, Voltage - 230v, so my calculations indicate <0.9 Amps per Unitank?
The Glycol Cooler similar to the picture is a Vision 21 and the specification indicates that the flow Pump is 80 Watts, and again my calculations indicate <0.4 Amps.
Again any help would be appreciated, and once I have my parts list, I'll draw up a sketch diagram to share with you for comments, before I place the actual orders.
Thanks again for you guidance.
View attachment 772799View attachment 772800
We plumbed so that any vessel can go to any vessel thru any port. We have a loop manifold and planned it so we can do that. You can create a small copper recycle tube with a little soldering that is at the top of the vessels (preferred for Whirlpooling) and not use any of the ports on a vessel. In fact, if I was buying vessels again, I would not get any tangential inlets as we made a widget to go over the top and it worked just as good and a lot less $$. You can "tangential" any vessel you have.Interesting, so at flameout you ....
So your steps are whirlpool/chill and then chill/transport-to-fermenter. My plan was Whirlpool and then chill/transport (hose water) and then chill in fermenter (fridge water). Do you think I would be better served by either of:
I would have to change some of my plumbing to connect the chiller-out back to the whirlpool-in. Both 1 and 2 would require same plumbing adjustments.
- Whirlpool/chill (hose water), transport, and then chill in fermenter.
- Whirlpool/chill (hose water), chill/transport (hose water again) and then chill in fermenter
I actually spent a little time thinking about it while this post was in draft...... I could accomplish #2 above without having to get any additional auto-valves, but
Wondering what your thoughts are on that change. Worth it to get the immediate chill during the whirlpool and gain unlimited passes through the chiller rather than one and done before 2nd stage cooling via coil in fermenter?
- I would lose proportional mash re-circ. I have MT false bottom with wide cross-hatch and I am doing BIAB (3 vessel system, just for ease of cleanup) so thinking that full-bore mash-recirc might be OK. Probably a decent amount of drag from all the HERMS piping to slow it down a little.
- I would also have to take the sparge output from MT through the chiller (without the cooling on) to the whirlpool-inlet. That is 10' of hose plus the chiller coil rather than 2' of hose. Guessing that would drop temp and mean extra time to get to boil.
So, do you have three way valves at each connection point in the loop? Just opening the output and the input with a pump in-between would allow a loop to also flow back to the original output. Seems you would have to not only open an exit from the loop, but also block the continuing loop at that point. Also, I assume you do not fly sparge. Two simultaneous flows would require two loops and then you complicate the network with each access point needing to connect to both loops, but not let the loops flow into each other.....aye aye aye.We plumbed so that any vessel can go to any vessel thru any port. We have a loop manifold and planned it so we can do that.
You may get a stuck mash if the recirc flow is too high. My last batch I upped my flow from 1 gpm to 2gpm. The flow steadily reduced from 2 to 1.5 over 30mins as the bed compacted. This will depend on a lot of things like your grind, mash composition, vessel and screen, but not having control could lead to issues.So, do you have three way valves at each connection point in the loop? Just opening the output and the input with a pump in-between would allow a loop to also flow back to the original output. Seems you would have to not only open an exit from the loop, but also block the continuing loop at that point. Also, I assume you do not fly sparge. Two simultaneous flows would require two loops and then you complicate the network with each access point needing to connect to both loops, but not let the loops flow into each other.....aye aye aye.
Another problem I am thinking about is that because every port is at a static point in the loop and because pumps can't reverse flow direction, how would you get liquid from an access point closer to the pump outflow to travel to a point further from the pump outflow.....I am starting to think that I am incorrectly visualizing this loop. Do you have a post summarizing the loop architecture?
I don't think there is any way I am jumping ship to this model, but it is a really interesting thought exercise. Kind of blowing my mind.
For my config, realized I am going to need another moto-valve in order to get the whirlpool continuous hose chill. Will need a second additional moto-valve if I want to continue to proportionally flow the mash re-circ. Anyone have any thoughts on the importance of controlling mash re-circ speed? Is march pump full-bore for mash re-circ OK if I am BIAB with a very wide slotted screen at the bottom?
Enter your email address to join: