RoastLogger with USB & webcam input

[silron1]

Simply amazing GB. Congratulations - My head is buzzing with questions. Cannot believe how simple you appear to have made the process of computerising the HT.

I understand the Teensy board plugs directly into the Hottop main board on the left, where there is plenty of room.

You have eliminated the need for connections via 8 or 7 piece cables?.
Looking at the boards (unbelievably small) am wondering where the TC cables connect.

Please put me down for one of the new Teensy Boards when you are ready.

Does this system circumnavigate the issue with the Hottop P2-K?

So many questions but do not want to bug you at this time

Renewed congrats!

Ron

[GreenBean]

....Simply amazing GB....

If it was that simple it really would be amazing, Ron. I am sorry if I wasn't clear in my post. The following is an attempt to be clearer and to answer your questions:

1. I have yet to test the new RoastLogger Hottop Controller (RL-HT-CTRL) board. There may be unexpected or even insurmountable problems. If and when I have successfully tested the board I will provide more information and photos to make everything much clearer. It is probably better to wait until that time for further questions.

2. I have been toying with the idea of exploring the advantages available using a Teensy instead of an Arduino for several months. Most of the perceived advantages listed in my previous post are due to using a Teensy rather than an Arduino.

3. I decided to develop the new RL-HT-CTRL board as a testbed for the Teensy a month or so ago. I had planned to say nothing about this until I had successfully tested the new board. As it is not clear when JimG will be able to recommence production of his boards, and I detect a growing frustration amongst people who would like to convert their Hottops, I decided to let people know that an interim solution for controlling Hottops may be available soon.

4. The Teensy board is only part of the new solution. It is similar to an Arduino but much smaller and its underlying communication is USB not serial. The new RL-HT-CTRL board I am producing provides the thermocouple reading (previously provided by a TC4) and the Hottop control signal processing (previously provided by an HTShield or HTC) in one board. The Teensy plugs into this new board to provide processing and communication with the RoastLogger.

5. The total footprint of the new board, with a Teensy plugged into it, is less than an Arduino Uno. This is to allow it to be fitted to the side wall of the roaster without a bracket.

6. No interconnecting cables are required between the new RL-HT-CTRL board and the Teensy as the Teensy plugs into the new board.

7. The new solution still requires the following connections:

- A USB connection to a computer running RoastLogger
- Two thermocouples reading BT and ET
- Two Hottop control cables connected to the Hottop control and power boards

8. This solution should work on the Hottop models D, B, B2, B2-K, P and P2 but not the P2-K. I do not have a P2-K control panel so can not investigate the issue with this panel.

[greenphil]

Subscribing to this. Looking forward to one!

[bruceb]

[frcn]

Maybe it should be called the "Control Alternative Delivery" or "CTRL/ALT/DEL" for short?

I believe that I have a P-2K I can easily set up so when testing is necessary I can do both B-2K and P-2K. Anyway, SOMEONE has to write the owners/installation manual!

[GreenBean]

Hi greenphil, welcome to TMC.

[GreenBean]

Maybe it should be called the "Control Alternative Delivery" or "CTRL/ALT/DEL" for short?

I should have asked for your advice before thinking up a name for the board, Randy. If testing does not go well that name may be entirely appropriate.

I believe that I have a P-2K I can easily set up so when testing is necessary I can do both B-2K and P-2K.

I do not believe this will work on the P2-K without some modification so it is not worth spending time testing it. It would require investigation of the P2-K control panel to resolve the issue. This is something to be resolved in the future.

Anyway, SOMEONE has to write the owners/installation manual!

You are too kind, Randy. Assuming testing goes well, I am only planning to make a few of these boards and offering them as a stop gap until JimG is back in production. The new board can be considered as a black box that connects to the Hottop and computer in a similar way to a TC4C/HTC or Arduino/TC4/HTShield so the existing manual should suffice in the short term.

[bruceb]

A black box for our favourite black beverage! Nice. Good work, GB and thoughtful of Randy to offer to write up some documentation. Good luck on the testing.

[GreenBean]

Randy Glass (frcn) has received an email from Jim Gallt (JimG) today. I am delighted to say that Jim is fit and well, some of us were becoming concerned and this is really great news . Apparently Jim is extremely busy on a large fast track project that is consuming all his time and energy. He hopes to have time to get back to coffee related issues later in the year.

I am sure that the many people who know Jim, including those Jim has helped in the past, and those who hope that he will help them in the future, will rejoice in this news and have the patience to wait until Jim is ready.

[GreenBean]

An update of the RoastLogger to version 1.9.2 is available. This update only affects the Arduino Controller. Previously the Arduino Controller only communicated with RS232 serial devices. From version 1.9.2 the Arduino Controller can communicate with either RS232 serial or USB HID devices.

USB HID communication is much more robust than serial and does not require any drivers in any operating system. To use it you just plug in the USB cable and then click start. The device is found and communication started automatically. I have tested this new USB HID communication in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, OS X Snow Leopard, OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion, OS X Mavericks and Ubuntu. I do not have Windows 8 but it should work with it provided its implementation of USB HID is not broken.

Currently the RoastLogger Hottop Controller (RL-HT-CTRL) is the only known roast controller capable of communicating via USB HID but it is hoped that other devices will be added in future.

For further information see the following version information and the RoastLogger website.

Version 1.9.2 5/8/2013

Added USB HID communication to the Arduino Controller. Previously the Arduino Controller only communicated with RS232 serial devices. From version 1.9.2 the Arduino Controller can communicate with either RS232 serial or USB HID devices. A check box is provided on the Arduino tab to allow the user to select either serial or USB HID communication. The selection persists between sessions. Currently only the RoastLogger Hottop Controller (RL-HT-CTRL) is capable of communicating via USB HID but it is hoped that other devices will be added in future.

Added the facility, when communicating with a USB HID device, for the Arduino Controller to send the users selection of temperature units (Celsius or Fahrenheit) to the roast controller to allow automatic setting of the correct units. The users selection of the units to use is taken form the setting in the Options | Set chart axes dialog.

[EDIT 30/11/2013: Updated list of operating systems tested with the USB HID communication]

[GreenBean]

I have now built and tested some RL-HT-CTRL boards and everything works as expected. I have been using these boards for all my roasts for the past three weeks. I have tested the boards on both the Hottop B and P and it is believed that it will work on any of Hottop models D, B, B2, B2-K, P and P2. Please note that this will not currently work on the Hottop P2-K.



The boards provide control of a Hottop roaster using the RoastLogger offering the same functionality for this service as a TC4C/HTC or Arduino/TC4/HTShield. Please note that this is NOT a general purpose TC4/C and has none of the inputs or outputs of a TC4/C other than those required for control of a Hottop roaster with the board installed inside the roaster. See my previous two posts on these boards in this thread for more information on the background and perceived advantages of this approach.

The RL-HT-CTRL board can be loaded with different sketches to communicate via RS232 serial or USB HID. I have produced a sketch for each and modified the RoastLogger to version 1.9.2 to communicate with the board using either. USB HID communication is much more robust and does not require any drivers in any operating system. To use it you just plug in the USB cable and then click start. The board is found and communication started automatically. I have tested this new USB HID communication in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, OS X Snow Leopard, OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion, OS X Mavericks and Ubuntu. I do not have Windows 8 but it should work with it provided its implementation of USB HID is not broken.

I have sent a board to Randy Glass (frcn) for review and beta testing on a Hottop B2-K. We should have the results of this in a few weeks time.

We hope that JimG will be able to recommence production of his boards towards the end of this year. In the meantime, for anyone who can not wait, I have a few PCB's left and could make up a few more boards on a first come first served basis. If anyone is interested in obtaining one of these boards please email me at the email address provided in the feedback section of the RoastLogger website . Please DO NOT request boards in this or any other thread, any such requests will be deleted. Only email requests will be considered.

For further information on the RL-HT-CTRL board, including more photos and information on installation, see this webpage.

[EDIT 30/11/2013: Updated list of operating systems tested with the USB HID communication]

[espressomattic]

So I am guessing that I can't retro fit to a whist pop then?

[bruceb]

So I am guessing that I can't retro fit to a whist pop then?

It's probably a bit of overkill for making popcorn.

[RichG]

Great you're offering an interim solution. Awesome. Was wondering about p-2k. and what the issue was with that control panel?
(The hottop pwr board seems to be the same for both models from USA hottop site.)

Does this solution work the same with usb connection logic as Jim's HTC4? (totally passive if usb not connected etc.). Can this solution use an external lcd and control buttons as well?


I am a newbie and my first exposure to the Hottop or Arduino was this week so excuse me if these questions are annoying. I receive the P2k this week. Wish I'd gotten the B.

[GreenBean]

So I am guessing that I can't retro fit to a whist pop then?

It's probably a bit of overkill for making popcorn.