ColbySheridan
New member
First use this weekend...worked great. Thanks for such a great project, Bryan, and for a killer case, Tom.
HeaterMeter v4.0 for RaspberyPi / Standalone
- Thread starter Bryan Mayland
- Start date
Anthony McClure
New member
I have used mine for several cooks all with amazing results! Thank you soooo much to Bryan, Tom, et all. BTW, watch out for the rain 
ruined mine. Time to start new.
ruined mine. Time to start new.New user on the forum-joined between building a mini WSM and seeing this thread. Been wanting a good reason to purchase a Pi that I would use and with my new to me GOSM, weber kettle, and soon to be mini WSM this should come in quite handy. Ordered all the parts-now to spend some time practicing with my soldering station.
Thanks for all the hard work on this project!
Thanks for all the hard work on this project!
Thanks guys for all the hardwork. Got mine up and going, and everything seems to be working fine except my temps seem to be reading 45-50* hot. My 22" WSM gauge reads 250, but the hmpi is reading 295-300. I have a igrill and it always read hot too. But it's only 25-30* hot. I have tested both units in boiling water and got within a degree or so of 212*. When I first started smoking with the Igrill It took 14-16 hrs for a 9lb butt. I almost always had to finish in the oven. I assumed my wsm gauge reading 200* was correct. And that's why I couldn't finish it. So I gave up on monitoring pit temps with the Igrill. I have just installed the grommet from the new wsm to hold my probes. thinking that would insulate them and the probes would get an accurate reading. But that didnt help either. Sorry for the novel but I figured all the details would help troubleshoot. Thanks guys!
I would suggest you try one or both of the following.
1. Calibrate the portable probes with boiling water to see if they tell the truth or if they are off, by how much.
2. Get an inexpensive mercury oven thermometer to check against the probes.
Either or both approaches should narrow down which probe(s) are incorrect and by how much.
-- Mache
1. Calibrate the portable probes with boiling water to see if they tell the truth or if they are off, by how much.
2. Get an inexpensive mercury oven thermometer to check against the probes.
Either or both approaches should narrow down which probe(s) are incorrect and by how much.
-- Mache
Good afternoon! Awesome little project you guys have going on here. I have been using a HM/rPi combo for a few months now without any problems. About halfway through my cook yesterday, I began running into some issues with it. The unit's functionality would not return without running in standalone configuration, but then the meter continuously flashed "-No Probe-" and I thought I may have burned out a probe. After fuddling with it and switching out probes to different jacks, I realized that the probes were fully functional. I also could not run the HM in manual mode to finish my cook and resorted to using the manual dampers while using the HM the temps the rest of the way.
I've been troubleshooting the HM and rPi separately today and have seen some odd behavior now.
The rPi itself boots fine and functions normally as a standalone unit.
HM Standalone will now read the pit and food probes if the blower is not connected. Once you connect the blower, the unit flashes -No Probe- and you cannot manually control the blower. The LED flashes between red and green, while the LED flashes between pit temp/blower value and -No Probe-.
The HM/rPi unit itself acts very differently depending on what power source is used.
Using the HM power supply, the unit does not have any values on the LCD and both red/yellow LED are lit as well as the red power LED for the rPi. No functionality with or without the blower connected.
Using the rPi microusb the unit functions normally minus the blower. Although the unit is reading a fan speed, the blower is not receiving any power.
Any help tracking down the issue would be greatly appreciated! I have another cook coming up soon and after going automated it is painful going back to manual checking and adjusting the smoker.
I've been troubleshooting the HM and rPi separately today and have seen some odd behavior now.
The rPi itself boots fine and functions normally as a standalone unit.
HM Standalone will now read the pit and food probes if the blower is not connected. Once you connect the blower, the unit flashes -No Probe- and you cannot manually control the blower. The LED flashes between red and green, while the LED flashes between pit temp/blower value and -No Probe-.
The HM/rPi unit itself acts very differently depending on what power source is used.
Using the HM power supply, the unit does not have any values on the LCD and both red/yellow LED are lit as well as the red power LED for the rPi. No functionality with or without the blower connected.
Using the rPi microusb the unit functions normally minus the blower. Although the unit is reading a fan speed, the blower is not receiving any power.
Any help tracking down the issue would be greatly appreciated! I have another cook coming up soon and after going automated it is painful going back to manual checking and adjusting the smoker.
Bryan Mayland
TVWBB Hall of Fame
Sounds like there's a short in the blower wiring. As soon as you get a pit temperature or enter manual mode, the power to the blower turns on and pulls too much current so the power supply shuts down. The short is removed so everything powers back up. Check the wire going to the blower for resistance between the tip and shield of the connector (without being plugged in). Either that or the RCA jack is shorting against something when the blower is plugged in.
Maybe this belongs in another, or even a new, thread but my searches seem to indicate this is the best place to inquire about a specific variation on the HM/rPi...
First off, I love the look of this controller and the brilliant functions that have been worked into it. I have read up on dozens of homemade smoker controllers and this is the one that speaks to me the most. The challenge is that I am overseas and it is going to be tricky/expensive for me to get a HM board over here. that being said, I have easy access to Arduino boards and I think it would be really cool to get this running on an Arduino Yun. The HM/rPi setup and the Arduino Yun seem to have enough similarities that getting this project to run on a Yun should be doable. Maybe I am mistaken about this, or oversimplifying things, but both the HM/rPi and Yun seem to have an Arduino side in communication with an OpenWRT side. It seems plausible that, with some work, Bryan's Heatermeter code could be adapted to the Yun. So, this leads to my first question:
1) When comparing the HM/rPi to the Yun hardware, is there any inherent roadblock will make it impossible to run HM on a Yun?
Assuming the answer is no, I figure a good look into the Linux-side software and the Arduino-side software would help illuminate the way to making a HM Yun a reality. I have the HM img file on a flash drive, but I would love to see what becomes of the image once it is loaded onto an SD card and used to boot up the HM/rPi. I presume the end result is that a set of scripts and such are loaded on the linux side and a sketch is loaded onto the arduino chip. Hence, questions 2 and 3:
2) Is my understanding of the SD-to-rPi-to-HM process correct? Does the booting the HM SD result in a file structure on the Linux side and a sketch on the arduino side?
3) If so, how can I go about seeing the end results of the first load of the SC card on the HM/rPi? In other words, without actually using an HM/rPi, is there any way for me to see what the arduino and linux files look like on a running HM/rPi?
First off, I love the look of this controller and the brilliant functions that have been worked into it. I have read up on dozens of homemade smoker controllers and this is the one that speaks to me the most. The challenge is that I am overseas and it is going to be tricky/expensive for me to get a HM board over here. that being said, I have easy access to Arduino boards and I think it would be really cool to get this running on an Arduino Yun. The HM/rPi setup and the Arduino Yun seem to have enough similarities that getting this project to run on a Yun should be doable. Maybe I am mistaken about this, or oversimplifying things, but both the HM/rPi and Yun seem to have an Arduino side in communication with an OpenWRT side. It seems plausible that, with some work, Bryan's Heatermeter code could be adapted to the Yun. So, this leads to my first question:
1) When comparing the HM/rPi to the Yun hardware, is there any inherent roadblock will make it impossible to run HM on a Yun?
Assuming the answer is no, I figure a good look into the Linux-side software and the Arduino-side software would help illuminate the way to making a HM Yun a reality. I have the HM img file on a flash drive, but I would love to see what becomes of the image once it is loaded onto an SD card and used to boot up the HM/rPi. I presume the end result is that a set of scripts and such are loaded on the linux side and a sketch is loaded onto the arduino chip. Hence, questions 2 and 3:
2) Is my understanding of the SD-to-rPi-to-HM process correct? Does the booting the HM SD result in a file structure on the Linux side and a sketch on the arduino side?
3) If so, how can I go about seeing the end results of the first load of the SC card on the HM/rPi? In other words, without actually using an HM/rPi, is there any way for me to see what the arduino and linux files look like on a running HM/rPi?
Riku Naskali
TVWBB Member
Is it possible to downgrade the OpenWrt on Heatermeter?
I'm trying to get a 3G/4G dongle working with my Heatermeter and I think I'll need kmod-usb-serial and other stuff. Problem is, I can't install it, probably because the kmod-packages and the firmware must be from the same build or something (?)
I'm not a Linux genius, so I'm not sure about this. But this is what it says when I'll try to opkg kmod-usb-serial:
Installing kmod-usb-serial (3.3.8-1) to root...
Downloading http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitu...packages/kmod-usb-serial_3.3.8-1_brcm2708.ipk.
Collected errors:
* satisfy_dependencies_for: Cannot satisfy the following dependencies for kmod-usb-serial:
* kernel (= 3.3.8-1-eec613807fe13b8b6e091b5fe004126b) *
* opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package kmod-usb-serial.
The idea is to get my 3G dongle directly working with Heatermeter so I'll have internet access wherever I go
I'm trying to get a 3G/4G dongle working with my Heatermeter and I think I'll need kmod-usb-serial and other stuff. Problem is, I can't install it, probably because the kmod-packages and the firmware must be from the same build or something (?)
I'm not a Linux genius, so I'm not sure about this. But this is what it says when I'll try to opkg kmod-usb-serial:
Installing kmod-usb-serial (3.3.8-1) to root...
Downloading http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitu...packages/kmod-usb-serial_3.3.8-1_brcm2708.ipk.
Collected errors:
* satisfy_dependencies_for: Cannot satisfy the following dependencies for kmod-usb-serial:
* kernel (= 3.3.8-1-eec613807fe13b8b6e091b5fe004126b) *
* opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package kmod-usb-serial.
The idea is to get my 3G dongle directly working with Heatermeter so I'll have internet access wherever I go
RalphTrimble
TVWBB Diamond Member
The idea is to get my 3G dongle directly working with Heatermeter so I'll have internet access wherever I go
That would be really nice! When I cook away from the house I usually don't bother with connecting to the internet, cause it's usually at a party or camping and I'd rather be doing something other than trying to connect to a wifi network. Though it would be nice to have alerts working and be able to monitor the pit via smart phone, specially when I'm at a party or campground where I may not pay as much attention to the pit as I should...
The 22" WSM dial thermometer is crap. Don't ever trust it. First of all it is measuring dome temps which are different than the cooking grate temps. I have found my dome temps to be 20 - 30 degrees off of the top cooking grate. I have found the top and bottom cooking grates to be 10 - 15 degrees apart from each other. My WSM's dial thermometer usually reads 200 degrees when the top cooking grate is at 225. However, due to the buildup of carbon and other realities, I have come out to my smoker and found that it was reading MUCH, MUCH higher temps than what was going on inside. Tap on the dial a few times and it magically adjusts in front of your eyes. I still don't know why they put those things in there.
Assuming you have your coefficients set correctly, the heatermeter is very reliable. I have no experience with iGrill but I have checked my HM against Maverick ET-732's, ET-73's, oven dials and Thermoworks Thermapens. I have always used the Maverick probes (a very costly endeavor) and have found that the ET-73 high-heat probes have been reasonably accurate, if not subject to frequent failure and bad quality control.
There is recent movement in this thread this thread that suggests that Thermoworks probes might be closer to reality, which would be great because I would trust them a LOT more.
Dont trust the dial.
Bryan Mayland
TVWBB Hall of Fame
You're exactly right about this. OpenWrt requires that kernel module packages must exactly match the same build that created the kernel to make sure they're compatible. The LinkMeter kernel has more up-to-date support for the CPU on the RaspberryPi so that hash (the eec613807fe13b8b6e091b5fe004126b part) won't ever match.
However, our kernel is built from essentially the same configuration and version number of the kernel, so modules built by the OpenWrt buildbot should be loadable by our kernel. You just need to force the opkg installer to install it. If the only dependency that is missing is that kernel one, you can safely force dependencies:
Code:
opkg --force-depends install http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitude_adjustment/12.09/brcm2708/generic/packages/kmod-usb-serial_3.3.8-1_brcm2708.ipkRiku Naskali
TVWBB Member
Thanks, I'll try it in a couple of days. I guess there are more packages that need to be installed, have to check the system log from my other Openwrt box. I have a working LTE dongle on it, and it provides Heatermeter with internet connection.
Going to cook my first "off-site" cook tomorrow. The place is not very far away, since something always goes wrong with technology
Anyone running the fan in cold climates? It's not freezing yet here, but soon it'll be...
Going to cook my first "off-site" cook tomorrow. The place is not very far away, since something always goes wrong with technology
Anyone running the fan in cold climates? It's not freezing yet here, but soon it'll be...
Hey Adam,
Don't be too worried about screwing it up. I have never soldered a project like this before. And, I managed to pull it off. It will be fun and very rewarding to you if you manage to pull it off, too. And, honestly, the parts that you could screw up are the cheapest parts of the HM. As I recall, the most expensive parts are the Pi, fan, case and LCD. Of all of those, you only need to solder the LCD. So, I suggest you watch a youtube video or two and give it your best shot. The component parts are so cheap, I'd just double my order.
Don't be too worried about screwing it up. I have never soldered a project like this before. And, I managed to pull it off. It will be fun and very rewarding to you if you manage to pull it off, too. And, honestly, the parts that you could screw up are the cheapest parts of the HM. As I recall, the most expensive parts are the Pi, fan, case and LCD. Of all of those, you only need to solder the LCD. So, I suggest you watch a youtube video or two and give it your best shot. The component parts are so cheap, I'd just double my order.
William S.
New member
As long as you don't use a 100watt solder gun and plumbing solder. It really is a well thought out kit for anyone to build. Just follow the wiki.
But if you still feel the need for practice before you build. Try looking for a "learn to solder kit" at RadioShack. Or find some old 80's technology to take apart.
If you can't find anything These kits should work: (They contain everything to get you started)
( http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/st...oreId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=2124218 )
( http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=C6898 )
I am assembling my heatermeter now and I was wondering if it was a BIG deal if the DIP-28 socket (IC2) had to have an exact orientation? I think I put it in the wrong way. Mine looks a little bit different from the pictures. Mine has a notch but I think I put it to the right. I am not sure how big of a deal this would be but before I try to remove it and flip it I wanted to find out.
Thanks!
Neil
Thanks!
Neil
John Bostwick
TVWBB Wizard
As long as you put the atmega328 chip in the correct orientation, no problem with the socket.
Thanks that is great news! I soldered the display a little crooked and now I am trying to unsolder a bunch of joints all together to straighten it out! My soldering skills are rusty!
Neil