The best auto pit controller, feature by feature

[Stew Ellis]

After over 25 years with various water smokers I finally couldn't do the waterpan thing anymore. So I bought a CharGriller Pro, but after a couple of years of frustration with its inability to keep temp for a long time on a single load I discovered that people are using WSM's without water, with or without giant plant saucer. I bought a 18.5 WSM and have been having reasonable success getting used to it, but even though I have a Maverick et-73 to monitor temps, and have gotten up to 17 hours on one load, I want an automated controller. None of the homebrew ones nor the 2 commercial ones seem to have the exact right blend of features.

Here is my list of desirable features:

1. Web access, able to control from my phone or Linux computer without a Win PC connection to the unit. Ability to log and control with any web device.

2. Industry standard temperature sensors. K thermocouples. Ability to handle numerous probes.

3. Ability to control up to 4 fans.

4. Readily available fans that can run at a distance from the controller.

5. No requirement to program control logic. I can program string operations (text editors and database operations) in C, but not any real math. Perl is also likely.

Guru blew it with the CBQII with no real internet access at all. Stoker has more or less proprietary fans and probes. Arduinois intriguing, if only someone would create a multiple channel PID shield for it, I could probably handle the C.

Right now the Stoker looks the closest, although I hate the idea of having to have a wireless adapter hooked to it, plus a wireless router if I am away from home.

I also do not like that you have to take the adapter and fan both off the WSM after each use.

 

[LarryR]

Quite the tall order you have there. If Stoker isn't going to do it for you I don't know of another unit that will.

If a wireless adapter worries you hard wire it. The adapter take less than a minute take off or put on. Inconvenient yes, but I never found it an issue, but again that's me.

 

[Amir]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">1. Web access, able to control from my phone or Linux computer without a Win PC connection to the unit. Ability to log and control with any web device. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The first you can do with stoker. Any capable browser can attach to it and monitor/control it. Logging right now requires a Windows PC to use my software or Parallels on Mac. Longer term I plan to rewrite stokerlog in Silverlight so that it runs on both Mac OS and Windows.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">2. Industry standard temperature sensors. K thermocouples. Ability to handle numerous probes. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The technology used in stoker is pretty well known. If you search past threads, you get most of the information you need on the 1-wire interface.

Stoker handles large number of probes. Don't remember the limit but seem to recall testing it with 7 probes myself.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">3. Ability to control up to 4 fans. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Stoker does this although in my stokerlog program, I have only set it up to monitor two of them. Probably doesn't take much work to extent to arbitrary number but testing it is a pain since I don't have that much hardware. For now, the web interface can be used to manage all 4 and stokerlog for the first two pits.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">4. Readily available fans that can run at a distance from the controller. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You can extend the stoker fans pretty easily. If simple cable extension doesn't do it, you can always use a relay to control the longer cables. Search for many threads on this topic here. I thought John also sold custom length blowers.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">5. No requirement to program control logic. I can program string operations (text editors and database operations) in C, but not any real math. Perl is also likely. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No programming is necessary to use stoker or stokerlog.

 

[Stew Ellis]

Thank you for your reply Amir. I like to reply point by point as you did, but without the ability to preview my reply I was afraid I would scramble the quoted sections.

1. I really want to be able to log and control from Linux. If you port your program to Silverlight, then maybe you can let one of us Linux heads try to compile it under Moonlight/Mono. Til then, I am sure I can figure out how to collect the data either with http calls, or through ftp or telnet. I did find all those docs. Won't be as slick as your program.

2. At least 15. That would give ambient, 2 pit and 2 food on three pits, etc. I am not enough of a hardware type to figure out how to create probes for the 1-wire interface on the Stoker, and in my extensive searches did not find anyone talking about doing it. I will have to search some more.

3. I have found the http command interface doc.

4. I have read that extending the fan cords causes problems, such as the possibility of frying the Stoker. I guess the current capacity is the issue. I have seen people mention switching a relay, but I am not a hardware type and have not seen instructions on how to set that up. At that point, you could also plug the fan into its own 12V power supply.
Not necessary yet, but probably in the future.

5. Us Unix/Linux types cannot take advantage of your good work on Stokerlog, so I am going to have to write my own control and monitoring program in C or Perl (or bash?), and it has been a long time since I wrote a CGI program, but I am sure I can put something together. Unless you finish your Silverlight port and it runs on Moonlight/Mono on Linux.

It is becoming very likely that I will be the proud owner of a Stoker in the next few days.

 

[Amir]

Ah, didn't realize your interest was Linux. You may want to look at a few people who have created servers for providing rich logging and browsing although "rich" is a relative term. Stokerlog has a lot of features written over the last 3 years so it is kind of hard to replicate all of that functionality

. But the basics can be done that way.

 

[RJ Riememsnider]

Hey stew, if you are familiar with Perl, have you looked at RRD Tool for graphing? I used to use it with MRTG for gathering SNMP statistics. Querying the stoker should be about the same.