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Update my old TC4 with latest software version
allenb
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 12/17/2017 7:40 PM
I'm using my original TC4 shield with Arduino Uno with circa 2010 software and notice that the rate of rise numbers drift up and down outside of the area it should be reading. Comparing the rate of rise response of my newer TC4C, the newer version tracks very smoothly.

I want to reload the old TC4 and Arduino with the latest software offerings to see if this will help its rate of rise readout stability. I'm only using it for rate of rise readout.

In order to reload the old TC4, is this thread the place I need to go to pull this off?

https://forum.hom...ad_id=3564

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
JackH
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 6:02 AM
The RoastLogger site has links to the latest TC4/Arduino sketches. Use these links instead of what is listed in my instructions.

http://roastlogge...nload.html

My Roastlogger instructions are out of date (Links to old versions of software and drivers)but are still usable and referenced on the RoastLogger site.

You will also need to download and install the latest Arduino IDE software:

http://roastlogge...ading.html

Let me know if I can help.
Edited by JackH on 12/18/2017 6:14 AM
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
renatoa
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 6:16 AM
Is anyone still supporting RoastLogger ? From the site seems not... :(
 
JackH
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 6:38 AM
Greenbean posted (8/17) that he will not be able to provide online or email support for the rest of this year for personal reasons. The Roastlogger site is still active and should provide enough information to resolve most issues.
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
greencardigan
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 4:43 PM
I'm not sure that changing to a newer sketch will make the ROR more accurate. I don't recall any changes to the ROR calcs. Maybe your newer TC4 has a higher filtering level set for the ROR calculations? You can adjust the filtering levels in the user.h file before you load the sketch onto the Arduino.
 
allenb
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 6:55 PM

Quote

greencardigan wrote:

I'm not sure that changing to a newer sketch will make the ROR more accurate. I don't recall any changes to the ROR calcs. Maybe your newer TC4 has a higher filtering level set for the ROR calculations? You can adjust the filtering levels in the user.h file before you load the sketch onto the Arduino.


That makes sense to me. I remember reading quite a while back where Jim was trying to change the time base for how often the TC4 would update or something to that effect to try and smooth out random fluctuations. Do you know what actual variables I would need to update in order to utilize the higher filtering level?

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
greencardigan
Top  #7 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 7:48 PM
That could be right then. Changing the time interval between reads could affect the ROR calcs. Do you know what sketch is loaded onto your newer TC4C?

Below is a snippet from the Roastlogger Sketch user.h file showing the values you could try adjusting. The aArtisanQ_PID sketch uses the same variables.

Code Download source  

// use RISE_FILTER to adjust the sensitivity of the RoR calculation

// higher values will give a smoother RoR trace, but will also create more

// lag in the RoR value.  A good starting point is 80%, but for air poppers

// or other roasters where BT might be jumpy, then a higher value of RISE_FILTER

// will be needed.  Theoretical max. is 99%, but watch out for the lag when

// you get above 95%.

#define RISE_FILTER 85 // heavy filtering on non-displayed BT for RoR calculations

#define ROR_FILTER 80 // post-filtering for the computed RoR values
 
allenb
Top  #8 Print Post
Posted on 12/18/2017 9:18 PM

Quote

Do you know what sketch is loaded onto your newer TC4C?


It was preloaded by Jim back in mid 2013 and I added Roastlogger at that time for my gas fired drum roaster.

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
allenb
Top  #9 Print Post
Posted on 12/20/2017 9:25 PM
Unfortunately, I don't currently have any of the downloads I used for loading my old TC4, on my computer anymore.

The TC4 is running aBourbon. Can someone give me some tips on what I will need to load on to my laptop in order to be able to view the user.H files to be able to change rate of rise filtering settings?

It's been so long since I've set up any of my TC4s, it's like starting over again. limb

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
Will2
Top  #10 Print Post
Posted on 12/23/2017 4:16 AM

Quote

allenb wrote:

... Can someone give me some tips on what I will need to load on to my laptop in order to be able to view the user.H files ...

Allen


I do not know about the simple possibility,
read this:

https://arduino.s...duino</a>
Viliam
 
JackH
Top  #11 Print Post
Posted on 12/23/2017 4:43 PM
You can use the windows notepad program to view and edit the user.h file. Right click the user.h file and select "open with" and then select notepad from the list of programs.
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
Will2
Top  #12 Print Post
Posted on 12/23/2017 5:07 PM
I probably misunderstood the question.
Viliam
 
BenKeith
Top  #13 Print Post
Posted on 01/17/2018 10:56 AM
NotePad++ is a free download that makes a great editor for all Arduino files.

You can load one the Arduino IDE versions but beware, You are probably running all the older libraries so I would stay below 1.67. Now, if you want to do a total update, sketches, libraries and all, I would go ahead and download the latest version IDE.
If you do this, I would strongly recommend you do everything on a USB flash drive and not change anything with what you are using now. That way you can get everything setup and make sure it compiles before you try down loading it into the TC4. Start messing with your existing (old) stuff, and you regret it for a while.
I keep and extra TC4 setup and a (Arduino) flash drive I make my changes and updates on to test them before I download them into my main roaster controllers or make any changes on the main programs on my computer.

There are a couple of changes to RoastLogger that if you are using a fluidbed/air roaster that totally make it worth updating. The first is I Talked Tom into changing that 60 second delay before the PID activated, now you can select no delay or the 60 second delay. The second is the fan automatically goes to 100% and the heater goes to "0" when you eject the beans. Now, the bar scale in RoastLogger will still show a percent heat, but if you have a display on your TC4, you will see it drops to zero.
Apparently people were having problems with using A/C fans (which I've always used with no problem) but he has included a user.h for the A/C fan users.
Edited by BenKeith on 01/17/2018 11:15 AM
 
Chert
Top  #14 Print Post
Posted on 03/12/2018 11:07 PM

Quote

BenKeith wrote:


If you do this, I would strongly recommend you do everything on a USB flash drive and not change anything with what you are using now. That way you can get everything setup and make sure it compiles before you try down loading it into the TC4. Start messing with your existing (old) stuff, and you regret it for a while.
I keep and extra TC4 setup and a (Arduino) flash drive I make my changes and updates on to test them before I download them into my main roaster controllers or make any changes on the main programs on my computer.

.


That sir is very sound advice. I have Arduino IDE 1.05 on a Mac and the original aArtisan sketch and libraries I loaded a few years ago. Recently I wanted to load Brad's aArtisanQ_PID and tried to do so with the new Arduino IDE on a Linux Mint system and it was a fiasco. I don't mess with the Mac setup I can rely on. So I was able to load my TC4 and start testing my new setup.

But I would like to succeed in loading Brad's newer sketch for onboard PID capability.

When you say you keep an extra setup on a flash drive, do you mean the libraries and sketch in a folder therein and test/ compile with the same Arduino IDE you normally load the stable sketch with? Do you find Arduino 1.05 reliable for loading the newer aArtisanQ_PID? If so, I will try that in the LInux system that failed with IDE 1.85.
 
BenKeith
Top  #15 Print Post
Posted on 03/13/2018 11:08 AM
I don't think 1.05 is going to compile the never version of any of the software. Somewhere around 1.6.13 they made a fundamental change to Arduino. The guys that write all this free software for use had to come out with updates to them so they would compile.

I probably have a half dozen Arduino Uno's and three complete TC4 controllers. My lap top that I use to controlling my roaster has nothing but the RoastLogger on it that I use. My desktop has a copy of the same Roastlogger as on my laptop a couple versions on Arduino and probably a dozen other sketches I use for other things. It also has Artisan on it where I've played with that a few times. The only thing loaded on either computer is the working version of what I use.

I have a 64G Flash drive with most of the Arduino IDE's on it, All my sketch zip downloads and copies of all the extracted files on it. Any time I'm doing anything with changing and recompiling any of the sketches, it's all done from the flash drive. If you saw the mess the files look like on that flash drive, you would easily understand why I wouldn't want that stuff on my computers. I connect one of the extra Uno's or TC4's to the computer and use those for any changes I might want to make. I can then test them before moving that file to my working directory.
 
Chert
Top  #16 Print Post
Posted on 03/13/2018 2:06 PM
That is how myself and one other person I know personally uses Arduino. We have very little to no programming experience, but try to implement what others have done. I wrote a script to keep a greenhouse warm. And I've implemented aArtisan. My friend uses them to monitor his biodiesel production and to control a former satellite dish, configured to use solar - and track the sun's rays - with the effect of point heating the water for his pool.

When I have finished my implementation of aArtisan for controlling the gas valve - success or failure - I may try to download the various IDE versions and sketches for TC4 and set down in writing what works. Which IDE, which sketch, where to store which .h and .cpp files to successfully test and compile and load. I haven't seen a note on google code or github to mention which release compiled using which Arduino IDE, but that could be useful - at least for those of us who like to implement code we don't well understand.
 
BenKeith
Top  #17 Print Post
Posted on 03/13/2018 6:52 PM
I use 1.8.5 which I downloaded in the not so distant past to update from 1.8.3, on all the sketches being released by the coffee roaster guru's, aArtisanQ_PID, RoastLogger etc. I usually keep the latest IDE version.
The problem comes in with all the other sketches for other things I use. When it comes to the programming, I'm dumber than dirt so I have to use what works and not try updating the programs. Some of those are older and they will not compile on anything beyond about 1.6 something so I usually use 1.6.8 on those. Then I have a couple really old one that I have to use 1.06 on. and then it seems like it's 1.01 is the only thing I can use with my bootloader. I buy the blank Atmega chips and program them, whole lot cheaper.
 
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