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thorrak / brewpi-esp8266

An implementation of the BrewPi device code on the ESP8266, ESP32, and ESP32-S2
GNU General Public License v3.0
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LCD display should show error if no Fridge Sensor #82

Open bitzebraeu opened 1 year ago

bitzebraeu commented 1 year ago

Hi

I started a test batch and realized that heating/ cooling does not work. The duty remains 0% although beer temperature runs off several degrees Celsius.

My hardware is properly set up. All settings for constants are default. I have a tilt connected via a tilt bridge.

Is this related to issue thorrak/fermentrack#504? Is there any other way than changing the code?

Thanks Patrick

thorrak commented 1 year ago

Hm. Is the issue that your controller isn't toggling any heating/cooling, or is it that Fermentrack's user interface acts like you aren't getting any heating/cooling?

thorrak/fermentrack#504 was specifically related to the user interface misrepresenting the heating/cooling usage (but the heating/cooling was actually taking place)

bitzebraeu commented 1 year ago

The temperature has declined over time, so I am assuming it is not toggling

thorrak commented 1 year ago

Got it. What version of the BrewPi firmware are you using (and with what hardware - Arduino, ESP8266, or ESP32)? What sensors do you have set up - fridge, beer, room, or all 3? Are you running in beer constant, beer profile, or fridge profile mode? What does the display say (either the physical display or the Fermentrack virtual display - they should say the same thing)

bitzebraeu commented 1 year ago

I use an ESP8266 as controller and attached one beer sensor to it. I've been trying both constant beer mode and beer profile. Same situation. My heater and cooler are connected to the NO ports of 2 relais, and are not inverted.

The LCD got 1 line for the beer temperature: sensor value and the temp set in my profile. Makes me wonder that I also have a 2nd line for fridge. The value is ---, but it shows a profile value of 28 what is strange as I have never set a profile value for the fridge. I am not using a fridge BTW, so makes me wonder why it is shown here. The last LCD line shows me the idle time

Edit: whenever I start a control mode (constant beer temp or a profile) it adds fridge temp (profile) 28⁰ on the LCD

thorrak commented 1 year ago

Ah -- that's your issue then. The BrewPi algorithm uses the temperature from the fridge sensor as the "error" input for controlling the beer temperature. Having a fridge sensor is actually a requirement for BrewPi to work.

You should have an error message at the top of Fermentrack's "assign sensor" page underneath the "fridge sensor" icon that warns about this. That said, I actually think you've hit on something here -- the "mode" printout of the LCD saying "Idle" is misleading, when it should probably read something like "No fridge sensor" in this case just to be clear as to why it's not working.

I'm going to move this issue from Fermentrack's repo over to the BrewPi-ESP repo, and change the title to reflect that it should cover changing the LCD readout. I can't guarantee that it will go into v15, but it should get picked up in v16 at the latest.

Admittedly though, I recognize the above doesn't really answer what I anticipate is your next question: You don't use a fridge, so what should you do? What exactly is your cooling setup? Do you use Glycol?