Starting a new build

Started by Chewy1576, February 12, 2018, 07:34:30 PM

Chewy1576

That would be awesome. Right now, I'm planning to use the Uno for sensor signal processing (turbo shaft speed, boost pressure, and EGT) and actuator interface/control. The Pro Mini will drive the LCD over SPI. The Uno will send values for display to the Pro Mini through CAN and not do any writing to the LCD to save overhead. I may run an SPI interface between the Uno and Pro Mini also for a programming interface, so once I have the nice enclosure built for it, I don't have to open it up to update code. One USB interface with the Uno and I can communicate with both processors.

Chewy1576

Well crap... I guess I wasn't paying attention when I ordered the LCD, and I got the one with I2C interface instead of SPI. I don't think it's a dealbreaker, but not what I was expecting. Shouldn't affect LCD display rate performance should it?

Rx7man

I'm not sure, I2C isn't fast.. start with it and see what you can do..   FYI, the fastest I2C clock I was able to use for my LCD was 800khz.. anything more would hang..
I haven't found that faster library yet.. haven't been on my laptop
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

Not a problem. I appreciate any help you can provide. I may just go ahead and order the SPI screen, it's only about $20 shipped. I can use the I2C screen down the road to tinker with.

Rx7man

I paid like $7 for my I2C screen.. the nice thing about I2C is it's so much less wiring to deal with, especially when you start to have many devices
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

I am going to have a lot of devices. The Uno, CAN shield, and thermocouple amp in one enclosure. The Pro Mini, CAN adapter, and LCD in the other. Then establish the CAN bus between the two enclosures and the actuator, yikes!

Rx7man

Lots of fun.. I'm working on a similar thing as well.. and then I have other projects in mind too.. I suffer from uncontrollable scope creep, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I just never get anything actually done!
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

I'm excited to learn a new platform and programming language. I work with PLCs and HMIs all day long, so I'm hoping I can get caught up quickly. I should have ordered some breadboards and jumpers while I was at it so I could start connecting components.

Rx7man

I did a lot of PLC work too.. I did packaging equipment.. here's one I built 12 years ago.. I like fiddling and learning too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQukx2IyyL0
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

That's awesome. Here's my latest and greatest. We didn't build it in-house, but I'm the project engineer over the electrical and control systems of the machine.

Rx7man

Looks expensive!.. We were at one time going to build a machine all from stainless, but never did.. Anyhow, I learned PLC's by the seat of my pants.. First some prehistoric Omrons, then Allen Bradley, mostly RS Logix 500 but later on we did some 5000 stuff.. Learned to loathe the dependencies of  AB software, and licensing nightmares.. I spent days on the phone with tech support trying to get simple stuff to work
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

Yeah it wasn't cheap. We build medical devices so it has to be stainless for the cleanrooms. I got thrown in the deep end too, but we have Siemens control systems because our machines are built in Germany. I need to learn AB though.

Rx7man

I think Hakcenter here does PLC work as well IIRC.. AB is pretty easy if you know any ladder logic.. the hard part is getting RS Linx (the part of the program that actually communicates with the device) to play nice with your IDE... version conflicts, endless updates, keys in the wrong place, keys for the wrong version, etc.. all the old Microsoft jokes apply x10 to AB software
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles

Chewy1576

I work mostly in function block with Siemens, but you can do ladder too. We have some machines with AB hardware so I've seen a little bit, but I do agree with you about RS Linx and the multiple versions of RS Logix. I've looked at Soapbox to use ladder with an Arduino, but I don't know if all of the functions for actuator communication and control needed would be available.

Rx7man

Might be interested in this... my buddy who still works at that company and is doing some moonlight work seems to like them.. Velocio.net
'94 dually,  67/67 HE351VE, NV5600, ~600hp
'93 ECLB 47RH, new toy truck, H pump project, 1000hp goal, 300K miles
93 XCLB auto, bone stock, 350K miles
93 XCLB 5spd, bone stock, 100K miles