Next version of StokerX - feature discussion


 
J

Joe Keenan

TVWBB Fan
On the to-do list for the next version:

1. Make it run when used without a blower or control probe (food probe only).

2. Alarms in StokerX (independent of Stoker alarms).

3. User definable plot colors.

4. Email status updates (fixed intervals and specific events/alarms).

5. Live preference updating (no restart).

Things I would like to do, if I can figure out how they should work:

1. Open lid detection and blower hold.

2. Blower activity metrics (duty cycle).

3. Data export

Most of the first list is pretty self explanatory, but if anyone has input on alarm conditions they'd like to see implemented, please let me know.

On the second list, I'm looking for input on a couple of things. First, on the open-lid detection, my understanding is that I should be looking for a significant temperature drop in a short period (50 degrees in 10-15 seconds?), at which point I should stop the blower. Re-enable it when? Fixed time period, or temperature recovery? I could probably figure this out by examining the plot when it happens, but I think the long-time Stoker users already have a pretty good idea on this. Also, the only way I can think of to actually stop the blower is to force the target temp way low, then restore it. When I do this, I would NOT change the plotted temp target, because I wouldn't want to mess up the target line on the plot.

For the metrics, I'm thinking that the blower duty cycle should be calculated as blower on time over a sliding time window. Last 5 minutes? Last 15 minutes? What boundary conditions?

What about the data export? CSV? Just time and temp, or sample number, time, temp? First record the sensor names?

What else have I missed?

Input from application users is always appreciated.

joe
 
This is pretty exciting for us Mac users- I really like the idea of alarms independent of the Stoker, the great thing about having an application to monitor the stoker is you don't have to look at it- mine is in a water resistant box so I don't really hear the alarms anyway and would love to see it show up in the application. I haven't had the Stoker that long and have only used it for a few cooks- I think the simplest lid detection might be to have a user definable time (in minutes) that the fan is off when it detects a deep decrease in temp (ideally user definable as well). Due to folks using different types of smokers these parameters would probably vary. Anyway, those who have been using it longer will have better input. Thanks again for you work on this.
 
what I would realy like is a Stoker with Bluetooth and phone / pc app's for it. Imagine what could be possible !!
 
Originally posted by Fr@nk:
what I would realy like is a Stoker with Bluetooth and phone / pc app's for it. Imagine what could be possible !!
Click to expand...

This thread is about StokerX (the Mac app), not the Stoker itself.

That said, I'll be a bit contrary. I don't see what the advantage is to adding Bluetooth to the Stoker. Using BT requires that the Stoker be a paired peripheral to a computer (desktop or handheld). What does that give you that having a network connection to the Stoker doesn't?

OTOH, I really do wish the Stoker had a built-in Wifi adapter. That would be useful to a lot of people.

joe
 
It would be nice to have built in wifi, while it would increase the cost- my impression is that most using a Stoker want or do use the remote access using a computer of other device. It seems a lot of us spend another $50-$100 bucks on a wifi adapter. Given the nature of using a smoker, most won't have wired access to the pit. I would have happily paid another $50 to have it built in.
 
I agree with adding the WIFI to the stoker, but they you would the upgrade and updating of firmware to worry about. Seems like more trouble that it's worth.

On the to-do list......
1). I don't use it that way, so I have no opinion

2). I like the idea of alarming from StokerX. It should make e-mailing (#4) easier.

3). Great

4). I would like a mix of both fixed interval updates and alarms

4a). Fixed interval e-mail - a few simple pieces of data here. Target temp, actual temp, blower average duty cycle, actual blower duty cycle from the last 5-10 minutes. this might actually be covered on my net point, but looking for some indication the fire is running out of fuel.

4b). A user configurable alarm condition - Over temp / undertemp / high blower duty cycle / etc

5). Like this

like to do:
1). Open lid / blower hold - a simple user configurable interface should do it. Let us set two things on the blower hold. (a). temperature drop threshold - this will set when to invoke the hold and (b). How long to hold the blower. You might start by mocking up a click-button on the interface that simply holds the blower for a 3-5 minute interval and let's see what happens. I would let the logging of temp continue and will tell us how much the pit temp drops when the lid is opened.

2). Really like this. I'm envisioning the equation to be something like.....blower run time divided by elapsed (interval) time. If the interval time could be user set, that might meet everyones needs. Some might want to see the duty cycle for the entire cook while others might only be interested in the last 3-4 minutes.

3). Not that important to me, but would be nice. CSV would easily import into Excel.

I've made several cooks recently and am still convinced the enhanced data collection protocol (non JSON) works better. Much less processor load.
 
OOPS....sorry for the spelling....

on Like to do #2:

After thinking about it a bit, having both the blower cycle time for the entire cook and the blower cycle time for the last 5 minutes might be nice to have.
 
Is there a way to add a bellow feature where the blower could be switched on and off at set times. This would be used to protect from flame outs when the fire dies downs when droping temps. I ask because I have had this issue and I remember on another thread where this was discussed.
 
Originally posted by BMerrill:
Is there a way to add a bellow feature where the blower could be switched on and off at set times. This would be used to protect from flame outs when the fire dies downs when droping temps. I ask because I have had this issue and I remember on another thread where this was discussed.
Click to expand...

Do you think you can find that thread so I have some idea of what I need to be looking for?

joe
 
Item #1 is fixed.

I'm working on #3, but the color API is fighting me. The UI color wells return an NSColor, but the pot framework takes something else (CGColorRef). I need to figure out how to convert back and forth.

joe
 
User selectable colors for the plot lines (#3) is working. Still needs some detailed testing, but I think it's fairly solid.

I also have a first pass at a blower activity ratio. But since I was testing without a blower attached today, I have no idea if it's really going to work.
icon_wink.gif


Next up is open lid detection, and some alerts. I'm going to hold off on #5 (live preference updating) until I get the rest of the preference fields in for the other options.


joe
 
I'm testing my current version on an overnight cook tonight. Here's a screen shot:
StokerXScreenSnapz001.pdf


The left blower activity number is most recent period (currently 5 min, but will be a preference). Right side is since start of data collection. The little color swatches at the end of the sensor lines bring up a color panel to pick the color.

joe
 
I started working on open lid detection, and I had a bit of brain freeze.
icon_wink.gif
I could use some help nailing down the algorithm.

Basically, the idea is to shut down the blower (by forcing the target temp very low) when a sudden drop in temp is detected. Which leads to the following questions:

1. How big a drop? 50 degrees? 100 degrees? From what starting point?

2. How fast does it have to drop? 10 seconds? 30 seconds? In HTTP mode, I'm only getting one update every 10 seconds. In telnet mode, the readings come about once a second, so it depends on how many sensors. With just a control sensor (no food probes), it's about an update per second.

Maybe I'm making it too complicated. I update the UI about every ten seconds (not on each sensor report), so if it drops the threshold amount between updates, is that good enough?

3. How long should I hold the fan? Putting the lid back on should cause a bounce. Is waiting for the temp to be on the rise enough? I don't want to start it too early, because that'll cause overshoot on the way back up.

I'm trying to figure out what's likely to happen if the temp is already oscillating some, and I want to avoid triggering the lid detection if the temp is already moving.

Any suggestions?

joe
 
Hi Joe,

See this thread's been dormant for a while, but thought I'd bring it back to life with a question. I just ordered and received a stoker, and I'm a Mac user, so I was happy to see that you created something for us to use to monitor temperatures, etc...

I was wondering if you had any luck in (or had even started working on alarms that were independent of the Stoker's alarm (I'm picturing an ability to set a high/low within StokerX that would result in an alarm going off through the computer's speakers when the pit temperature gets outside of a pre-defined range).

Just curious. I do almost exclusively overnight smokes, and I have a temperature monitor that I can use to alert me if something crazy's going on with the temperatures, but it would be cool to be able to do this all through StokerX.

Thanks again for what seems like a very cool program; can't wait to use it!

Dennis
 
Sign me up as a beta tester. As soon as I get the Stoker I will run it wirelessly on my Mac network. I use a Time Capsule and will connect the Stoker thru an Airport Express. I use DynDNS to make the Internet access work.

Malte
 
Originally posted by Dennis Lubertozzi:
I was wondering if you had any luck in (or had even started working on alarms that were independent of the Stoker's alarm (I'm picturing an ability to set a high/low within StokerX that would result in an alarm going off through the computer's speakers when the pit temperature gets outside of a pre-defined range).
Click to expand...

I have not started work on that part of the app yet, but it's on my to-do list. I just got back from 7 weeks in Europe, so haven't worked on the app in a while.

Question for other users (and StokerLog users) - does it make sense to do both Stoker and StokerX (application) alarms? Seems to me trying to do both would be confusing, and designing the UI to handle it would be more complicated?

joe
 
Joe,

On the topic of alarms.....I find the stoker alarming routines clunky. A very simple alarm function within StokerX would be helpful.

Just bought an Ipad. I found an app called Splashtop (it's a computer mirroring app) that I find very useful when using StokerX. Simply boot StokerX on the host machine and mirror on the Ipad. The StokerX window is the perfect size to perfectly fill the iPad screen.

I'm still loving your program.
 
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