Yeah I mean, the majority of the hardware stuff has been taken care of. We've got support for both regular and thermocouple probes, we've got WiFi, and we've got servo+fan output capabilities. What else could you add, hardware-wise? Maybe a color/LCD screen at best, and most folks won't care for it. I think if there were ever a future hardware need, it would be for something like support for 2+ cookers at once, etc.
The software is where all the magic happens. I'd expect to see 2 things happen over the coming years:
1. Adaptation to other rPi devices and other microcomputers
2. Improvements to software performance and features.
What else could you need?
...As newer RasPi's and other devices come out, it's becoming more challenging to keep the current LinkMeter code base, based on OpenWrt 12.09 from 2013 updated.
Yup this is exactly right. v4.2 and v4.3 are functionally identical and v5 is probably at least a year out.From what I can tell the current v4.2.4 and "coming soon" v4.3 will be exactly the same, function for function, other than the fact that v4.3 will support the newer Raspberry Pis, but not the on-board wifi (see below).
Yup this is exactly right. v4.2 and v4.3 are functionally identical and v5 is probably at least a year out.
oops thanks. Yes Pi Zeros work with both. Attaching the wifi adapter needs one of those super tiny connectors or one of the 5 inch ones where the wifi will dangle outside of the case.Neither of them mention the Pi Zero. Will it work with either one?
Welcome to the Forum. The HeaterMeter is a great project. Any aspiring engineer will love putting it together and fiddling with it when it's done. It's also great that you are encouraging your daughter into science and technology - we need more women in these field (and not just for looking at!).
As far as a fan/blower/damper setup, I'm a bit biased because I am the creator of one. There are a few available here that are open source the MicroDamper, the Adapt-A-Damper, and the Tom Kole's Barrel Servo V2. The MicroDamper is designed to utilize a 40mm inline fan, while the latter two utilize a centrifugal 90* blower. The Adapt-A-Damper has the longest and most printed parts if you are interested in showing your daughter more 3D printiing. Then I think Tom Koles design has the second longest, followed by the MicroDamper.
The HeaterMeter case isn't water resistant at all. I'd be interested if someone would be willing to seal up their case with silicone and put it out in the rain to see how it holds up though...
Yeah, this has been covered a bunch of times. Most people including myself just put it into a ziplock bag. Haven't had a problem with it. Of course it'd be slick if you could just silicone the seams, might work.
JVisser, this isn't the best thread to answer your questions. I'm new to the HM world, but so far, it has worked great for me on my Primo XL using the MicroDamper. Here are my current settings, but I'm still playing with them. P = 4, I = 0.003, D = 4. I have Fan "on above" 25% (so I only use the damper for small adjustments), "fan max" 60%
For the Primo, I find that it is very important to set the top vent based on the cook you are doing. Basically, keep the top vent like you would for a normal manual control. A did a 6 hour 225° beef ribs recently and had the top vent open less than ¼" - probably closer to ⅛" - just a sliver. For for 275°, I keep it ½" to 1". My fire has never gone out although I still see 5-10°*overshoots when I first start up (hence I'm still playing with the PID numbers). Fire going out could be the result of a soot clogged firebox or too many small pieces that prevent good airflow.
In the HeaterMeter configuration page, the "System" tab lets you set your timezone. It should pick up realtime properly from the internet assuming your HM has Internet connectivity.
To save graphs, I just take a screen shot on my Mac or iPad at the point you want. Or you can export your graph data as spreadsheet file from the "Archive" area.