Comments on: New project: Arduinoponics http://blog.nemik.net/2009/11/new-project-arduinoponics/ Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:07:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: nemik http://blog.nemik.net/2009/11/new-project-arduinoponics/comment-page-1/#comment-157148 nemik Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:36:35 +0000 http://blog.nemik.net/?p=82#comment-157148 Peter, Very nice. I would also love some EC and pH meters, there are some good tutorials on the circuitry : http://blea.ch/wiki/index.php/PH_Meter http://damien.douxchamps.net/elec/ph_meter/ http://www.66pacific.com/ph/simplest_ph.aspx But my setup is so amateurish that I'm sure there are many more things the plants need (like lights) before I need to start measuring and tweaking pH balance. Right now the Arduino on the same supply as the pump is working fine, the adapter is up to the task. An old ATX PSU though is a good idea and probably will be next, when I merge the 5v supply of the Fonera router which it talks to and gives wireless control. I run the pump timings from the Arduino but plan to do lights and maybe some other things from the router/computer; it has thus far been very stable (running OpenWRT 8.09.1 Kamikaze). Main thing that prevents me from doing all the automation from the Arduino is the bad accuracy I get for time, and my unwillingness to add an actual real-time-clock IC to the Arduino. Peter,

Very nice. I would also love some EC and pH meters, there are some good tutorials on the circuitry : http://blea.ch/wiki/index.php/PH_Meter http://damien.douxchamps.net/elec/ph_meter/ http://www.66pacific.com/ph/simplest_ph.aspx
But my setup is so amateurish that I’m sure there are many more things the plants need (like lights) before I need to start measuring and tweaking pH balance.

Right now the Arduino on the same supply as the pump is working fine, the adapter is up to the task. An old ATX PSU though is a good idea and probably will be next, when I merge the 5v supply of the Fonera router which it talks to and gives wireless control.

I run the pump timings from the Arduino but plan to do lights and maybe some other things from the router/computer; it has thus far been very stable (running OpenWRT 8.09.1 Kamikaze). Main thing that prevents me from doing all the automation from the Arduino is the bad accuracy I get for time, and my unwillingness to add an actual real-time-clock IC to the Arduino.

]]> By: Peter http://blog.nemik.net/2009/11/new-project-arduinoponics/comment-page-1/#comment-156594 Peter Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:11:36 +0000 http://blog.nemik.net/?p=82#comment-156594 Hi Nemik. Great project. ALthough I had done some automation before, I got in to Arduino because of an interest in hydroponics too. As of yet, it is still very much a project in the proof-of-concept stage. I have been struggling with the pH and EC measurements and sensors (don't want to fork out a gadzillion for semi-pro lab stuff). As for the weakest point in the setup : I personally would not power the Arduino and pump from the same supply. STill, you could use an old ATX power supply and the connector sold by Sparkfun. Plenty of juice and voltage options. Also, I will run the whole setup from the Arduino, with only serial output to the PC. A PC is just too much of a weak point. Best of luck ! Hi Nemik. Great project. ALthough I had done some automation before, I got in to Arduino because of an interest in hydroponics too. As of yet, it is still very much a project in the proof-of-concept stage. I have been struggling with the pH and EC measurements and sensors (don’t want to fork out a gadzillion for semi-pro lab stuff). As for the weakest point in the setup : I personally would not power the Arduino and pump from the same supply. STill, you could use an old ATX power supply and the connector sold by Sparkfun. Plenty of juice and voltage options. Also, I will run the whole setup from the Arduino, with only serial output to the PC. A PC is just too much of a weak point. Best of luck !

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