Experimental Incubator/ei prototype designing

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ei Kit "Just"
SSR and heat sink
Working prototypes assembled at VoidWarranties, February 2017

Here you can find info about the development of the experimental incubator (ei)current version 5.0 "Kvas" which we are now working on. There are several improvements compared to the previous version 4.0 Just, the fourth generation of the experimental incubator.

The main change is leaving the arduino core behind and switching for the Sonoff device, in particular the Sonoff TH16 model which should make our life much more easy on many fronts.

How to get involved, contact

Get your kit and let us know! That is the most easy way how to get in and participating. Contact Algoldor, Justa or send an email to the experimental incubator mailing list. The total cost is around €25 max. you can buy it easily online, don't forget also the serial to usb 3.3v so you can upload the code to the device.

If you want to get involved, you need help with experimental incubator set up and running or you have some other questions you can get in touch with us:

Soldering and connection

This needs to be updated because of the switch to Sonoff TH16, however it is going to be way more simple than the previous models. For now, you can check the video here for just short overview.

Schematics

Well the schematics is something what we need to work on. At the moment lets say that the core of the Sonoff is the ESP8266.

Software

We have to discuss the software sources, there are many out there one of them for example BrewPiLess, Docs.

Programming

You will need a serial to usb 3.3v.


Heating&Cooling

One of the options for heating the incubator could be terrarium heater. Also keramik reptile heat emitter could be used.

Currently Run Prototypes

The prototypes which are currently running the "just" version are listed here:

Temperature probes

The DS18B20 temperature probes used have PVC shielding; that makes them unsuitable for long time use at temperatures of 100°C or above, although the sensor works up to 125°C. Some sensors are shielded with PTFE cable (more commonly known as Teflon) which is considered food safe to 160°C, so these sensors can be used up to 125°C (max sensor range). Here are some ordering options:

Bugs&Issues

So far no errors because we are not testing yet (2/9/2019).