myPIC32 Blogs

Blogs
CarbCounter Plus - Progress
By mimemike , On 10/20/08 9:16 PM

The Progress Reports

This  Blog will keep you informed of the progress of the Carb Counter Plus project. It will be casual project notes so that you will know where I have been, what I have done so far and what I am planning to do........

Historic information, Documentation on how to vote etc can be found at...... www.carbcounterplus.com

Please note: The Schematic, block diagram, prototype board photos etc on the main page will be changing on a regular basis until the project is stable, and I am not going to hide them as this is an "Open" project. I may put copys of older images and source on another websire and link to them from this blog.

****** 13 October 2008 ******

3am in the morning..... uploaded final items for round 2. Tested the scale input - was using scope to read Digital output from the PIC32 since the LCD did not arrive in time. Scope stopped working before I recorded the video (Scope has been intermittant since we moved). Showed readout using multimeter direct from the amplifier outputs, need to increade the gain on the amplifiers to get better resolution and range. Tested Charger circuit - works well. Tested Power enable/disable circuit - works well. Have not had time to test audio yet but should be simple to get running. MRF24J40MA had short on PSU rail so was disconnected for above tests, Have had it running off the PIC32, but never recoreded it.

****** 12 October 2008 ******

 

Since I was using a Gas Soldering Iron to touch up I accidentally fried the PCB around the PIC32!! Not good - took a long time to get the PCB together... and dont ahve enough time or parts to make another. I cannot just replace the chip as the PCB is charcoal and some pads have lifted.

Can connect and program using a ICD-2 , but cannot run in Debugger mode - ICD API crashes out. For some reason USB fails to operate... possibly because I cooked the PIC or have a short somewhere on the PCB. Crystal is running, Will attempt to test the scale amplifier, possibly using a multimeter since PIC may be cooked!.

****** 11 October 2008 ******

Done.....

  1. Soldering rework station, solder paste, batteries arrived... But No Soldering Iron!
  2. Assembled as much as I could without a soldering iron for clean up - see updated photo.

Hope to get enough done to test the rest of the circuit before Sunday
Still going to be a tight finish...... but should get there.

 ****** 8 October 2008 ******

 Delivery issues.....

  1. Soldering rework station, solder paste, batteries wont arrive until Friday....
  2. LCD is completely unknown at the moment!
  3. Some Misc parts are unknown at the moment as they are on back order.
  4. It is going to be interesting...... and tight.

 ****** 6 October 2008 ******

 DONE.....

  1.  PCB's and most components have arrived - Just need some solder paste to assemble it now. (LCD not arrived - may have to butcher my PICTail+ board for the display... hope not) 
  2. Uploaded Photo of Blank PCB next to credit card sized card to give idea of size
  3. Ordered Solder, soldering Iron and battery - hope to see on Wednesday
  4. Added basic software block

 

 ****** 30 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

1. Just had word from the PCB house... boards will be shipped to me tommorrow....they have to cross the Pacific so I should see them early-mid next week..... need to order some components so thay arrive at the same time.

****** 29 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

1. PCB sent to board house.... hopefully get it late next week (Leaving a couple of days to assemble and test before this round ends)

In the mean time I will prototype up the scales to prove that it works connected to the PIC32. When the PCB gets back it will be assembled quickly and new video will be creating showing the various hardware functions operating (Battery charging, Audio In/Out, Scale, Database access, wireless (if MRF24J40MA's arrive) etc etc) 

****** 23 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

1. Completed Schematic and Prototype PCB layout - will upload soon

TO DO.....

  1. Need to Get PCB sent to a board house ASAP - only 2.5 weeks left in this section
  2. Need to get components on order to assemble the board
  3. Need to get a good fine soldering iron, small toaster oven and solder paste
  4. Need to copy all parts to the BOM
  5. Need to assemble and test the prototype - especially weight scale input
  6. Want to experiment with a couple of alternate load cells and some strain guages int different configurations.
  7. Write more test code for scale, audio input/output, NAND Flash, MRF24J40MA (MRF actually tested but not shown in Video)
  8. Do the Software block diagram.
  9. Update video showing all of above......
  10. Dont Panic - only 2.5 weeks to go!!!!

 

****** 17 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

1. Worked some more on teh schematic and PCB - if you look at the prototype photo it is a 3D of the PCB layout (Components just dumped in place at the moment). The estimated Dimentions atre about 2inch x 2.8inch - which is the dimention of the LCD which is on the other side of the PCB. Still have to finalize some connections and create a couple of footprints etc.

****** 10 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

  1. Updated Schematic - Still have to finalize some connections and finish some of the "Optional" items. Will start on PCB layout for at least the scale interface soon as it is all SMD and pretty much requires careful PCB layout for it to work (Would have to much noise on a breadboard or veroboard).
  2. Ported a 3D wire frame drawing library just for fun (Took about 15 minutes) - may add it to end of video demo and  source code sometime this week. Please note the video quality is not good - the real thing is very crisp and smooth (A small flicker due to no double buffer on the display controller but not to noticable)

 

TO DO.....

  1. PCB layout for everything in the schematic (Easier to work with on a single PCB
  2. Order the above board(s)
  3. Assemble above board(s)
  4. Test Scale and communications hardware

 

****** 9 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

  1. Updated Schematic - Still have to add MRF24J40MA and High RES Bridge amp and ADC for scale, plus a few other misc items.

 

****** 5 September 2008 ******

DONE.....

  1. Release New Video - Episode IV - A New Hope  (Released without Scale interfaced to PIC  
  2. Workshop bench made out of an old door and 4 cupboard doors then set up in the basement.

TO DO....

  1. Now have something that sort of resembles a workshop I can start prototyping the analog circuitry for the scales and experimenting with a couple of different sensors.
  2. Every thing else that I have not done is still listed below....... 

 

****** 2 September 2008 ******

DOING.....

  1. Not much due to no workhop yet.... still have the soldering Iron in a box
  2. Hope to solder the Load Cell amplifiers and ADC to a protoboard late this week. 
  3. Have Episode IV in production.... waiting on above to happen to finish it.

 

****** 22 August 2008 ******

DONE.....

  1. Updated Video with audio and show the loadcell
  2. Found the loadcell and old 22Bit ADC demo board

 TO DO......

  1. Assemble Bridge amplifier and ADC onto protoryping board
  2. Write test code to auto zero and read load cell weight.

 

****** 21 August 2008 ******

DONE.....

  1. Fitted SD Card PICTail+ board.
  2. Wrote some code to read the food database from the SD card ( database.csv )
  3. Streams it to the LCD display

Will make video of it soon.

 

****** 17 August 2008 ******

DONE.....

Uploaded code demonstraiting the basic graphics test that was written on the 14th August. Nothing else done since then - hope to get time later this week.

****** 14 August 2008 ******

DONE......

Did a little more work on the Graphics and Uploaded my first short video.

Copy of the video is also on "You Tube"

 NEXT......

Will work on the SD card interface next and test reading of the Database.

****** 8 August 2008 ******

DONE.......

  • Started on the schematic design - posted current  progress
  • Uploaded Avitar of my inspiration for this project - My son.

 

****** 6 August 2008 ******

DONE.......

  • Assembled the PIC32 Starter Kit, breakout board and LCD board to test graphics library
  • Spent an hour creating a skeleton project using the Microchip Graphics Library (see photo)
  • Compiled and ran it
  • Took some photos - one put on myPIC32 today.
  • Started this Blog

 TO DO...... in no particular order

  • Something with the Video Camera..... I'm camera shy ;-)
  • Interface SD card and test FAT16 file system library from Microchip
  • Reading data from SD card scroll data on the LCD screen for test
  • Get suitable Loadcell / strain gage sensor for weight scale (Thanks to clarification of rules!)
  • Prototype input amplifier and high resolution ADC using sample parts sent with the Round 2 Kit.
  • Tune above circuit to get close to target accuracy and range required (1 gram +/- 0.5g 0 to 5000g)
  • Once scale operational make wireless using MRF24J40MA modules
  • Using PIC32 USB Starter Kit test USB memory stick as option for copying database to SD card
  • Above is the easy part!!!!  More info later about where it gets complex!

 

Average (4 Votes)
2070 Views, 2 Comments

  • Comments
Threaded Replies Author Date
MSP6948-ND 10lb load cell $55 I suppose to... ohio.cyclist 8/7/08 2:26 PM
I am looking at getting some nice machining done... mimemike 10/23/08 4:20 AM

ohio.cyclist
MSP6948-ND 10lb load cell $55

I suppose to reduce the range and increase resolution
you could use a lever with 1-10 ratio as part of the
means by which you support the pan where stuff goes.

Posted on 8/7/08 2:26 PM.

Top
mimemike
I am looking at getting some nice machining done to make the scale/lid. The sides of the lid will be machined into a load cell using some $2 strain gages.

I also only have very low gain at the moment on the OP-AMP (About 200 or so) upping this to >=2000 will help. Also intend to have the scale/lid to ouput a wider range to start with.

The $55 load cell is way over priced and is just a place holder in the BOM. I can buy an electronics scale with the resolution and accuracy needed from about $25 from Wal Mart.... see the one used in the video, it can from a surplus shop in Australia for about AU$10, including the display. ( http://www.oatleyelectronics.com/ )

I do not know why there is no "budget" load cell available from places like Digikey, or any where else for that matter... they would probably sell thousands of them if they did.

Mike

Posted on 10/23/08 4:20 AM in reply to ohio.cyclist.

Top

  • promptbk
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 12/07/11
  • Last Post Date: 12/07/11

  • codeman
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 10/05/11
  • Last Post Date: 10/05/11

  • cleberdrums
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 10/26/09
  • Last Post Date: 04/20/10

  • boseji
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 05/26/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/04/09

  • mimemike
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 04/18/08
  • Last Post Date: 03/31/09

  • bmorse
  • Posts: 4
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 03/22/09

  • txnghia
  • Posts: 7
  • Join Date: 07/08/08
  • Last Post Date: 03/22/09

  • jgray
  • Posts: 21
  • Join Date: 05/09/08
  • Last Post Date: 03/19/09

  • carl
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 06/20/08
  • Last Post Date: 03/05/09

  • akhe
  • Posts: 21
  • Join Date: 07/01/08
  • Last Post Date: 02/18/09

  • vernon johnson
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 04/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 02/11/09

  • regiscruzbr
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 01/28/09

  • jedetech
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 01/27/09

  • rustw
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/20/08
  • Last Post Date: 01/26/09

  • vu2kfr
  • Posts: 4
  • Join Date: 07/02/08
  • Last Post Date: 01/16/09

  • duc
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 07/14/08
  • Last Post Date: 01/06/09

  • mgpennell
  • Posts: 11
  • Join Date: 05/06/08
  • Last Post Date: 12/28/08

  • saipan59
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/18/08
  • Last Post Date: 12/24/08

  • kile
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 05/30/08
  • Last Post Date: 12/19/08

  • germ
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 05/03/08
  • Last Post Date: 11/08/08

  • fortuitus
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 04/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/25/08

  • vijay
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 05/19/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/20/08

  • tswift
  • Posts: 7
  • Join Date: 04/19/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/19/08

  • gbrettell
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 05/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/17/08

  • stienman
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 07/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/16/08

  • will
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/15/08

  • gbabecki
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/01/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/15/08

  • trilogic
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 05/05/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/14/08

  • bitcoder
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/13/08

  • lar1
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/01/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/13/08

  • aerosigma
  • Posts: 8
  • Join Date: 05/01/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/13/08

  • mrwes
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 04/23/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/12/08

  • emcniece
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 05/22/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/11/08

  • wolfe32
  • Posts: 5
  • Join Date: 06/16/08
  • Last Post Date: 10/10/08

  • matchhead
  • Posts: 4
  • Join Date: 04/21/08
  • Last Post Date: 09/26/08

  • vkatona
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/09/08
  • Last Post Date: 09/15/08

  • johnedh
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/08/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/23/08

  • darrell
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 07/02/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/21/08

  • sinflrobot
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/16/08

  • pferek
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/14/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/15/08

  • tj4shee
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 07/02/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/13/08

  • hampercm
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/14/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/12/08

  • gaubuali
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 06/13/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/09/08

  • vu2iti
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/08/08

  • secretengineer
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 05/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/07/08

  • ohio.cyclist
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/15/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/07/08

  • jeremy
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 04/19/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/06/08

  • phaintz
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/28/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/06/08

  • mdhendri
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/14/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/05/08

  • mchipguru
  • Posts: 4
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/05/08

  • orwellg
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/23/08
  • Last Post Date: 08/04/08

  • terrywest
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/20/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/31/08

  • rameesha24
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/28/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/29/08

  • gasegal
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/24/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/28/08

  • liamfoxtrot
  • Posts: 4
  • Join Date: 05/05/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/26/08

  • ganzziani
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/24/08

  • krishna p rao
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/21/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/18/08

  • adipdutt
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/22/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/17/08

  • rathergood
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/03/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/13/08

  • tomchrane
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 07/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/13/08

  • jhbinseattle
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/20/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/10/08

  • dar2000
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 07/03/08

  • crismora
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/27/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/28/08

  • pixelsmith
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/22/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/25/08

  • ohmite
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/29/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/20/08

  • rjp
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/24/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/20/08

  • er.sukhwinder
  • Posts: 3
  • Join Date: 05/26/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/15/08

  • fernando22
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/29/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/13/08

  • wseymour
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 06/07/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/11/08

  • vackor
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/26/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/10/08

  • wbahn
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/22/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/06/08

  • peter
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 06/03/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/06/08

  • kelvim
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/25/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/06/08

  • lonny
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/24/08
  • Last Post Date: 06/02/08

  • ksielski
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/27/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/27/08

  • bwike
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/24/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/27/08

  • dualcore2008
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 04/17/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/22/08

  • westfw
  • Posts: 2
  • Join Date: 04/18/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/14/08

  • sjrust
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/28/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/08/08

  • johncrawford
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/24/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/07/08

  • kauser.johar
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/22/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/06/08

  • montanaee
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 05/01/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/03/08

  • wmorris
  • Posts: 1
  • Join Date: 04/21/08
  • Last Post Date: 05/01/08