VersaLogic Corp., the embedded industry’s most trusted computer company, has announced a new SWaP-optimized embedded computing system with ECC memory.
Named “Harrier”, this new embedded computer features the Intel®’s latest 5th generation Apollo Lake Atom™ processors with error-correcting memory. The Harrier includes a TPM 2.0 security chip, on-board power regulation, USB and Ethernet I/O ports, and Mini PCIe expansion sockets. The soldered-on ECC RAM enhances both the reliability and ruggedness of the product.
Aiming high
Applications such as High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs and High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) systems present a considerable challenge related to memory errors. ECC memory is beneficial in environments where single bit memory errors may occur due to cosmic ray interactions, which increase dramatically at altitude. The Harrier is available with up to 8 GB of Error Correcting Code (ECC) memory to address the risk of memory errors in any high-reliability applications.
Small and tough
Within its 55 x 95 x 27 mm package, the Harrier is ideal for space-limited applications such as in unmanned vehicles, whether on land, underwater, or in the air. The Harrier is designed and tested for full industrial temperature (-40° to +85°C) operation and meets MIL-STD-202H specifications for shock and vibration. In addition, on-board power regulation ensures reliable operation with fluctuating or noisy power sources.
Secure
The built-in TPM 2.0 security chip provides hardware-level security for applications that require secure log-ins, encrypted data storage, protected files, etc.
Connectivity
On-board I/O includes dual Gigabit Ethernet, one USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, and two serial ports. A SATA interface, eMMC Flash, mSATA slot, and a microSD socket provide a range of data storage options. Dual Mini PCIe sockets accommodate plug-in A/D, Wi-Fi modems, GPS receivers, MIL-STD-1553, Ethernet, FireWire, and other mini cards.
Long-term availability
Like other VersaLogic products, the Harrier is designed from the ground up for long-term availability (10+ year typical production lifecycle).
Customization
Customization services to help customers create unique solutions will be available for the Harrier, even in low OEM quantities. Customization options include conformal coating, revision locks, custom labeling, customized testing and screening, etc.
Availability
The Harrier (VL-EPU-4011) will be available Q1 2020 at an undisclosed price. More information may be found in Versalogic’s Harrier announcement and product page.
pH meters are scientific instruments used for measuring the activity and concentration of hydrogen-ions in water-based solutions, with the aim of indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH values. They find application in water & wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals & petrochemicals, food & beverages, mining, and agricultural processes to mention a few. For today’s tutorial, we will attempt to build an accurate, DIY version of this very useful tool.
pH meters comprises of majorly a probe and a processing unit which interprets the data from the probe and displays in a human readable format. pHmeter essentially measures the difference in electrical potential between a pH electrode and a reference electrode. As a result of this, pH meters are sometimes referred to as a “potentiometric pH meters”.
The electrons movement in electronic components lead to the generation of heat which when beyond certain thresholds, prevents some components from functioning properly and in others could lead to a catastrophic breakdown. For this reason, the topics of ventilation, overheating, and cooling are important discussions in the design of any device. Several cooling solutions, including popular ones like; the use of aluminum heat sinks, and fans/heat extractor can be adopted for a project but the ultimate choice usually depends on the amount of heat produced and the maximum level the components can withstand. Heat extractors/fans are used in devices like Laptop computers and similar in which the amount of heat being generated could get really high. To save power and reduce noise levels, the fans are deployed in a feedback-based system such that the they only come on when certain heat threshold is attained and goes back off when heat levels are back to normal. For today’s tutorial, we will examine how a DIY version of this temperature-controlled fan can be built and deployed in your electronics project.
Temperature Controlled FAN using ATtiny10 – [Link]
The Tiny Reflow controller v1 we discussed in the first article uses a LCD display and mostly SMD components and this kind of controller is required to control the heat process in reflow ovens to ensure the right amount of heat is supplied at all stages of the reflow process.
The Tiny Reflow controller v2 unlike the v1, is based on the Atmega328p Microcontroller. It retains the MAX31856 thermocouple interface used in the v1 but comes with a USB-Serial interface chip to facilitate programming, and an OLED LCD instead of the 20×4 LCD display used on the v1. The OLED display ensures more information like the plot of the reflow curve can be provided as feedback to the users to give us a better understanding of the reflow process and state.
David Johnson-Davies published another great mini project. It’s a Timer based on ATtiny402 and was build to demonstrate the low power sleep mode of the microcontroller.
This article describes how to use the new 0-series and 1-series ATtiny microcontrollers in low-power projects, taking advantage of sleep mode to maximise the battery life and avoid the need for an on/off switch. The project is a simple 15-minute timer that flashes an LED once every 2 seconds while it is counting down, and then beeps a piezo buzzer when the time has expired. You could use it as the basis for an egg timer, a bath-overflow alarm, or any other fixed timer application.
ATtiny402 Timer with low power sleep mode – [Link]
The Tiny Reflow controller v1 we discussed in the first article uses a LCD display and mostly SMD components and this kind of controller is required to control the heat process in reflow ovens to ensure the right amount of heat is supplied at all stages of the reflow process.
The Tiny Reflow controller v2 unlike the v1, is based on the Atmega328p Microcontroller. It retains the MAX31856 thermocouple interface used in the v1 but comes with a USB-Serial interface chip to facilitate programming and an OLED LCD instead of the 20×4 LCD display used on the v1. The OLED display ensures more information like the plot of the reflow curve can be provided as feedback to the users to give us a better understanding of the reflow process and state.
Like the v1, the Tiny Reflow controller v2 also features mostly SMD parts to keep the cost low (manual soldering and left over residue cleaning is time consuming) with the only through hole component being the terminal block (which doesn’t come in SMD type). This helped reduce the form factor/size of the reflow controller to the smallest possible and makes it a controller of choice in space constrained applications. To make the controller easy to power and simplify the design, all components used were streamlined to run on 3.3V voltage level.
The reflow controller v2 encompasses all you will need to control the reflow heat and you only need to connect a K type thermocouple (we recommend those with fiber glass or steel jacket), a Solid State Relay (SSR) (rated according to your oven), and the oven of course, connected to the terminal blocks of the controller.
Some of the highlighted features of the reflow Controller V2 include:
Powered by ATmega328p
MAX31856 thermocouple interface
0.96″ 128×64 OLED LCD yellow and blue color
1 terminal block for driving SSR (through an NPN transistor, 5mA @ 5V output) to control heating element/oven
1 terminal block for driving SSR (through an NPN transistor, 5mA @ 5V output) to control fan
Warning Sounds via Buzzers
ISP pins breakout to facilitate reprogramming
Built-in USB-serial interface for firmware upload and serial interface
Power via a MicroUSB connector with 500mA fuse
Comes with extra 4 pieces of M2*5mm spacer (male-female) and 4 pieces of M2*5mm screws if you decided to mount it on the oven’s front panel
FR4 TG140 PCB with immersion gold (ENIG) finish
RoHS compliant
Required Components
The major components required to build this project include:
ATmega328p microcontroller
MAX31856 thermocouple interface IC
K-Type Thermocouple (Rocket stream recommends those with fiberglass or steel jacket)
0.96″ OLED Display
2 push button
LED
3 (dual port) Terminal Blocks
1 Buzzer
An Oven
External Solid State Relay
A small fan
To prevent the list from becoming messy, other components required are provided in the table below. The Oven, External Solid State Relay and Fan are the only parts needed to test after building.
Reference
Value
D1
Red
U3
MAX31856
SW2
IT-1109S
SW1
IT-1109S
SW3
TS-018
R1
2K2
LS1
HYG9605B
R2
100R
R3
100R
C3
100nF
C2
10nF
C1
10nF
J4
2.54mm 2×3
C4
100nF
C5
10uF 16V X5R
R4
10K
R5
10K
Q2
2N3904
Q1
2N3904
R6
2K2
R7
27K
LOGO1
LOGO-ROCKET-SCREAM
R8
53K6
R9
10K
D3
1N4148WS
C6
100nF
C7
100nF
J2
TERMINAL-BLOCK-1×2
J1
TERMINAL-BLOCK-1×2
C8
100nF
C9
100nF
R10
10K
C11
100nF
C10
10uF 16V X5R
LOGO3
LOGO-ROCKET-SCREAM
LOGO4
LOGO-OSHW
LOGO2
LOGO-KICAD
J3
MICRO-USB
L1
BLM18KG221SN1D
C12
10uF 16V X5R
F1
FUSE
R11
2K2
U4
CH340E
C14
100nF
C13
100nF
U1
ATMEGA328P-MU
C17
100nF
C18
100nF
L2
LBMF1608T100K
Y1
NX3225GD
C15
10pF
C16
10pF
U5
OLED-SSD1306-128X64-I2C
C19
100nF
Q3
2N3904
R12
53K6
J5
TERMINAL-BLOCK-1×2
U2
MCP1700T-3302E-TT
Schematics
As mentioned during the introduction, the Tiny Reflow Controller v2 used SMD parts, which automatically means we need a PCB for our build. The major reason for this is to make the project neat, portable and cheap. However, you can also decide to get the through-hole version of this components and use them to implement the project on a breadboard.
To make it easy to implement the schematics and transition to PCB, the schematics for this project was developed using Kicad. The components are connected as shown in the schematics below;
Schematics
The final PCB design will look like the render below.
Tiny Reflow Controller v2 PCB design
To make the board easy to replicate, all the design files including schematics and PCB are attached under the download section. Feel free to use within the license specifications.
Tiny Reflow Controller v2 assembled
Code
The code for this project will be developed using the Arduino ID and is based on the example code that is shipped with the Tiny Reflow Oven V2 by Rocket Stream. The sketch utilizes a PID based control algorithm of the awesome Arduino PID Library developed by Brett Beauregard and it is used to manage the reflow process, using the heater and the fan to ensure the heat is adequate for every stage of the reflow process.
The sketch utilizes three major libraries including; the Arduino PID Library already mentioned, Adafruit MAX31856 Library, Adafruit SSD1306 Library, and the Adafruit GFX Library. The PID library as mentioned earlier was used to ensure accuracy in heat levels with heat applied based on the current heat levels. The Adafruit SSD1306 and GFX libraries, on the other hand, were used to facilitate interaction with the OLED, and the Adafruit Max318356 library was used to reduce the amount of work involved in obtaining readings from the thermocouple sensor.
As usual, I will do a brief explanation of the code highlighting the major parts. The example code we will work with, takes into account both leaded and lead-free reflow oven configurations, allowing users to change from one to the other via a single push button.
We start the sketch by including all the libraries that we will use. In addition to the libraries already mentioned above, we will also use the Arduino EEPROM library, the Wire library and the SPI library. All these libraries come with the Arduino IDE so there is no need to manually install them.
// ***** INCLUDES *****
#include <SPI.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <EEPROM.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h> // Comment for VERSION 1
#include <Adafruit_SSD1306.h> // Comment for VERSION 1
#include <Adafruit_MAX31856.h>
#include <PID_v1.h>
Next, we create a type definition that holds several parameters to indicate the state of the reflow process.
Next, we create variables to hold constant values that will be used irrespective of the profile selected (General Profile constants) and we follow it up by creating variables to hold values specific to Lead-free profile and also create those specific to the Leaded profile. This ensures that irrespective of the profile selected by the user, the necessary information will be available.
Next, we create variables to be used by the PID Algorithm, specify the project version so the right display is used, and create messages to be displayed on the OLED along with a few other variables. The names are very descriptive so it should be easy to follow.
The sketch was designed to be compatible with the v1 of the project, with the version decision being made by the version indicated by the user in the code. As a result, you may continue to see things that relate to the first version of the project. Next, we declare the pins to which the displays are connected, with the OLED declarations under v2.
Several other important variables are also declared with self descriptive names.
// ***** PID CONTROL VARIABLES *****
double setpoint;
double input;
double output;
double kp = PID_KP_PREHEAT;
double ki = PID_KI_PREHEAT;
double kd = PID_KD_PREHEAT;
int windowSize;
unsigned long windowStartTime;
unsigned long nextCheck;
unsigned long nextRead;
unsigned long updateLcd;
unsigned long timerSoak;
unsigned long buzzerPeriod;
unsigned char soakTemperatureMax;
unsigned char reflowTemperatureMax;
unsigned long soakMicroPeriod;
// Reflow oven controller state machine state variable
reflowState_t reflowState;
// Reflow oven controller status
reflowStatus_t reflowStatus;
// Reflow profile type
reflowProfile_t reflowProfile;
// Switch debounce state machine state variable
debounceState_t debounceState;
// Switch debounce timer
long lastDebounceTime;
// Switch press status
switch_t switchStatus;
switch_t switchValue;
switch_t switchMask;
// Seconds timer
unsigned int timerSeconds;
// Thermocouple fault status
unsigned char fault;
With all the variables created, we then create an instance of the PID, the SSD1306 and the MAX31856 libraries after which we move to the void setup() function.
We start the void setup() function by checking the currently selected reflow profile on the EEPROM and this helps determine which of the variable groups should be selected. If no reflow profile was previously stored, the system selects the Lead-free profile by default.
void setup()
{
// Check current selected reflow profile
unsigned char value = EEPROM.read(PROFILE_TYPE_ADDRESS);
if ((value == 0) || (value == 1))
{
// Valid reflow profile value
reflowProfile = value;
}
else
{
// Default to lead-free profile
EEPROM.write(PROFILE_TYPE_ADDRESS, 0);
reflowProfile = REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE;
}
Next, we initialize the SSR pin to ensure the reflow oven is open after which we initialize the buzzer setting it to turn on immediately when the system powers up, the status LED is also powered on when the systems starts.
// SSR pin initialization to ensure reflow oven is off
digitalWrite(ssrPin, LOW);
pinMode(ssrPin, OUTPUT);
// Buzzer pin initialization to ensure annoying buzzer is off
digitalWrite(buzzerPin, LOW);
pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
// LED pins initialization and turn on upon start-up (active high)
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
Next, we initialize the thermocouple, indicating the type, and also initialize the OLED and display a sort of splash screen with the date and version of the controller. The code selectively runs every thing marked for 2.
Next, we initialize serial communication, turn off the Status LED, and initialize the variables we will use to monitor time as the sketch runs.
// Serial communication at 115200 bps
Serial.begin(115200);
// Turn off LED (active high)
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
// Set window size
windowSize = 2000;
// Initialize time keeping variable
nextCheck = millis();
// Initialize thermocouple reading variable
nextRead = millis();
// Initialize LCD update timer
updateLcd = millis();
}
With this done, we move to the void loop() function where all the major actions take place.
The code for the void loop() function is quite bulky but the idea is simple. We use the variables created earlier to manage the reflow process, monitoring the amount of heat with the thermocouple, and using that information as an input into the PID algorithm which then determines how the heater operates. For each stage in the reflow process, the PID operates in such a way that the designated amount of heat for that stage is achieved. While all of this is going on, the time and temperature information are also being displayed on the screen to provide visual feedback to the user and the switches which are used to set the reflow status and the reflow profile are also being watched so the system can act immediately on any change in their state.
void loop()
{
// Current time
unsigned long now;
// Time to read thermocouple?
if (millis() > nextRead)
{
// Read thermocouple next sampling period
nextRead += SENSOR_SAMPLING_TIME;
// Read current temperature
input = thermocouple.readThermocoupleTemperature();
// Check for thermocouple fault
fault = thermocouple.readFault();
// If any thermocouple fault is detected
if ((fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJRANGE) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCRANGE) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJHIGH) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJLOW) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCHIGH) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCLOW) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_OVUV) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_OPEN))
{
// Illegal operation
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_ERROR;
reflowStatus = REFLOW_STATUS_OFF;
Serial.println(F("Error"));
}
}
if (millis() > nextCheck)
{
// Check input in the next seconds
nextCheck += SENSOR_SAMPLING_TIME;
// If reflow process is on going
if (reflowStatus == REFLOW_STATUS_ON)
{
// Toggle red LED as system heart beat
digitalWrite(ledPin, !(digitalRead(ledPin)));
// Increase seconds timer for reflow curve plot
timerSeconds++;
// Send temperature and time stamp to serial
Serial.print(timerSeconds);
Serial.print(F(","));
Serial.print(setpoint);
Serial.print(F(","));
Serial.print(input);
Serial.print(F(","));
Serial.println(output);
}
else
{
// Turn off red LED
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
}
if (millis() > updateLcd)
{
// Update LCD in the next 100 ms
updateLcd += UPDATE_RATE;
#if VERSION == 1
// Clear LCD
lcd.clear();
// Print current system state
lcd.print(lcdMessagesReflowStatus[reflowState]);
lcd.setCursor(6, 0);
if (reflowProfile == REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE)
{
lcd.print(F("LF"));
}
else
{
lcd.print(F("PB"));
}
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// If currently in error state
if (reflowState == REFLOW_STATE_ERROR)
{
// Thermocouple error (open, shorted)
lcd.print(F("TC Error"));
}
else
{
// Display current temperature
lcd.print(input);
#if ARDUINO >= 100
// Display degree Celsius symbol
lcd.write((uint8_t)0);
#else
// Display degree Celsius symbol
lcd.print(0, BYTE);
#endif
lcd.print("C ");
}
#elif VERSION == 2
oled.clearDisplay();
oled.setTextSize(2);
oled.setCursor(0, 0);
oled.print(lcdMessagesReflowStatus[reflowState]);
oled.setTextSize(1);
oled.setCursor(115, 0);
if (reflowProfile == REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE)
{
oled.print(F("LF"));
}
else
{
oled.print(F("PB"));
}
// Temperature markers
oled.setCursor(0, 18);
oled.print(F("250"));
oled.setCursor(0, 36);
oled.print(F("150"));
oled.setCursor(0, 54);
oled.print(F("50"));
// Draw temperature and time axis
oled.drawLine(18, 18, 18, 63, WHITE);
oled.drawLine(18, 63, 127, 63, WHITE);
oled.setCursor(115, 0);
// If currently in error state
if (reflowState == REFLOW_STATE_ERROR)
{
oled.setCursor(80, 9);
oled.print(F("TC Error"));
}
else
{
// Right align temperature reading
if (input < 10) oled.setCursor(91, 9);
else if (input < 100) oled.setCursor(85,9);
else oled.setCursor(80, 9);
// Display current temperature
oled.print(input);
oled.print((char)247);
oled.print(F("C"));
}
if (reflowStatus == REFLOW_STATUS_ON)
{
// We are updating the display faster than sensor reading
if (timerSeconds > timerUpdate)
{
// Store temperature reading every 3 s
if ((timerSeconds % 3) == 0)
{
timerUpdate = timerSeconds;
unsigned char averageReading = map(input, 0, 250, 63, 19);
if (x < (SCREEN_WIDTH - X_AXIS_START))
{
temperature[x++] = averageReading;
}
}
}
}
unsigned char timeAxis;
for (timeAxis = 0; timeAxis < x; timeAxis++)
{
oled.drawPixel(timeAxis + X_AXIS_START, temperature[timeAxis], WHITE);
}
// Update screen
oled.display();
#endif
}
// Reflow oven controller state machine
switch (reflowState)
{
case REFLOW_STATE_IDLE:
// If oven temperature is still above room temperature
if (input >= TEMPERATURE_ROOM)
{
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_TOO_HOT;
}
else
{
// If switch is pressed to start reflow process
if (switchStatus == SWITCH_1)
{
// Send header for CSV file
Serial.println(F("Time,Setpoint,Input,Output"));
// Intialize seconds timer for serial debug information
timerSeconds = 0;
#if VERSION == 2
// Initialize reflow plot update timer
timerUpdate = 0;
for (x = 0; x < (SCREEN_WIDTH - X_AXIS_START); x++)
{
temperature[x] = 0;
}
// Initialize index for average temperature array used for reflow plot
x = 0;
#endif
// Initialize PID control window starting time
windowStartTime = millis();
// Ramp up to minimum soaking temperature
setpoint = TEMPERATURE_SOAK_MIN;
// Load profile specific constant
if (reflowProfile == REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE)
{
soakTemperatureMax = TEMPERATURE_SOAK_MAX_LF;
reflowTemperatureMax = TEMPERATURE_REFLOW_MAX_LF;
soakMicroPeriod = SOAK_MICRO_PERIOD_LF;
}
else
{
soakTemperatureMax = TEMPERATURE_SOAK_MAX_PB;
reflowTemperatureMax = TEMPERATURE_REFLOW_MAX_PB;
soakMicroPeriod = SOAK_MICRO_PERIOD_PB;
}
// Tell the PID to range between 0 and the full window size
reflowOvenPID.SetOutputLimits(0, windowSize);
reflowOvenPID.SetSampleTime(PID_SAMPLE_TIME);
// Turn the PID on
reflowOvenPID.SetMode(AUTOMATIC);
// Proceed to preheat stage
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_PREHEAT;
}
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_PREHEAT:
reflowStatus = REFLOW_STATUS_ON;
// If minimum soak temperature is achieve
if (input >= TEMPERATURE_SOAK_MIN)
{
// Chop soaking period into smaller sub-period
timerSoak = millis() + soakMicroPeriod;
// Set less agressive PID parameters for soaking ramp
reflowOvenPID.SetTunings(PID_KP_SOAK, PID_KI_SOAK, PID_KD_SOAK);
// Ramp up to first section of soaking temperature
setpoint = TEMPERATURE_SOAK_MIN + SOAK_TEMPERATURE_STEP;
// Proceed to soaking state
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_SOAK;
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_SOAK:
// If micro soak temperature is achieved
if (millis() > timerSoak)
{
timerSoak = millis() + soakMicroPeriod;
// Increment micro setpoint
setpoint += SOAK_TEMPERATURE_STEP;
if (setpoint > soakTemperatureMax)
{
// Set agressive PID parameters for reflow ramp
reflowOvenPID.SetTunings(PID_KP_REFLOW, PID_KI_REFLOW, PID_KD_REFLOW);
// Ramp up to first section of soaking temperature
setpoint = reflowTemperatureMax;
// Proceed to reflowing state
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_REFLOW;
}
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_REFLOW:
// We need to avoid hovering at peak temperature for too long
// Crude method that works like a charm and safe for the components
if (input >= (reflowTemperatureMax - 5))
{
// Set PID parameters for cooling ramp
reflowOvenPID.SetTunings(PID_KP_REFLOW, PID_KI_REFLOW, PID_KD_REFLOW);
// Ramp down to minimum cooling temperature
setpoint = TEMPERATURE_COOL_MIN;
// Proceed to cooling state
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_COOL;
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_COOL:
// If minimum cool temperature is achieve
if (input <= TEMPERATURE_COOL_MIN)
{
// Retrieve current time for buzzer usage
buzzerPeriod = millis() + 1000;
// Turn on buzzer to indicate completion
digitalWrite(buzzerPin, HIGH);
// Turn off reflow process
reflowStatus = REFLOW_STATUS_OFF;
// Proceed to reflow Completion state
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_COMPLETE;
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_COMPLETE:
if (millis() > buzzerPeriod)
{
// Turn off buzzer
digitalWrite(buzzerPin, LOW);
// Reflow process ended
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_IDLE;
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_TOO_HOT:
// If oven temperature drops below room temperature
if (input < TEMPERATURE_ROOM)
{
// Ready to reflow
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_IDLE;
}
break;
case REFLOW_STATE_ERROR:
// Check for thermocouple fault
fault = thermocouple.readFault();
// If thermocouple problem is still present
if ((fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJRANGE) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCRANGE) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJHIGH) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_CJLOW) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCHIGH) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_TCLOW) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_OVUV) ||
(fault & MAX31856_FAULT_OPEN))
{
// Wait until thermocouple wire is connected
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_ERROR;
}
else
{
// Clear to perform reflow process
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_IDLE;
}
break;
}
// If switch 1 is pressed
if (switchStatus == SWITCH_1)
{
// If currently reflow process is on going
if (reflowStatus == REFLOW_STATUS_ON)
{
// Button press is for cancelling
// Turn off reflow process
reflowStatus = REFLOW_STATUS_OFF;
// Reinitialize state machine
reflowState = REFLOW_STATE_IDLE;
}
}
// Switch 2 is pressed
else if (switchStatus == SWITCH_2)
{
// Only can switch reflow profile during idle
if (reflowState == REFLOW_STATE_IDLE)
{
// Currently using lead-free reflow profile
if (reflowProfile == REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE)
{
// Switch to leaded reflow profile
reflowProfile = REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADED;
EEPROM.write(PROFILE_TYPE_ADDRESS, 1);
}
// Currently using leaded reflow profile
else
{
// Switch to lead-free profile
reflowProfile = REFLOW_PROFILE_LEADFREE;
EEPROM.write(PROFILE_TYPE_ADDRESS, 0);
}
}
}
// Switch status has been read
switchStatus = SWITCH_NONE;
// Simple switch debounce state machine (analog switch)
switch (debounceState)
{
case DEBOUNCE_STATE_IDLE:
// No valid switch press
switchStatus = SWITCH_NONE;
switchValue = readSwitch();
// If either switch is pressed
if (switchValue != SWITCH_NONE)
{
// Keep track of the pressed switch
switchMask = switchValue;
// Intialize debounce counter
lastDebounceTime = millis();
// Proceed to check validity of button press
debounceState = DEBOUNCE_STATE_CHECK;
}
break;
case DEBOUNCE_STATE_CHECK:
switchValue = readSwitch();
if (switchValue == switchMask)
{
// If minimum debounce period is completed
if ((millis() - lastDebounceTime) > DEBOUNCE_PERIOD_MIN)
{
// Valid switch press
switchStatus = switchMask;
// Proceed to wait for button release
debounceState = DEBOUNCE_STATE_RELEASE;
}
}
// False trigger
else
{
// Reinitialize button debounce state machine
debounceState = DEBOUNCE_STATE_IDLE;
}
break;
case DEBOUNCE_STATE_RELEASE:
switchValue = readSwitch();
if (switchValue == SWITCH_NONE)
{
// Reinitialize button debounce state machine
debounceState = DEBOUNCE_STATE_IDLE;
}
break;
}
// PID computation and SSR control
if (reflowStatus == REFLOW_STATUS_ON)
{
now = millis();
reflowOvenPID.Compute();
if ((now - windowStartTime) > windowSize)
{
// Time to shift the Relay Window
windowStartTime += windowSize;
}
if (output > (now - windowStartTime)) digitalWrite(ssrPin, HIGH);
else digitalWrite(ssrPin, LOW);
}
// Reflow oven process is off, ensure oven is off
else
{
digitalWrite(ssrPin, LOW);
}
}
The complete Sketch for the project is quite bulky so it is attached to the zip file under the download section, at the end of the page.
Demo
One great thing about the Tiny Reflow Controller v2 is the fact that it comes with a USB port through which it can be programmed. However, you may still need to do some work on your Arduino IDE (like Flashing the bootloader to the Atmeg328p in case it doesn’t come with one) to ensure you can upload code to it. You can check out this tutorial we wrote a while back on the programming the Atmega328p with the Arduino IDE.
This board uses the stock Arduino Pro Mini ATmega328 3.3V 8MHz bootloader and it can be loaded just like V1 using the AVRISP mkII.
Connect the completed Reflow Controller v2 to your computer. Copy the code above, Paste in the IDE, Verify and hit the upload button. After uploading, you should see the splashscreen come up as shown in the image below, connect your SSR, fan and thermocouple. The Reflow controller is ready for use.
Installation
We installed the Tiny Reflow Controller v2 on a small oven rated at 900W and we tested its performance. As you can see in the photos below the reflow controller is installed on the front face, with the solid-state relay and the mini 5V power supply on the back. We were going to also install a cooling fan, but according to advice from the project author, natural cooling works better and stresses the components at a minimum. Also, the FAN output of the board isn’t implemented on the firmware so it would need some additional code to make it work. So, we decided not to install a fan at this moment.
Tiny Reflow v2 installed on the front face of 900W ovenSolid-state relay and a small 5V power supply was installed on the back o the ovenan angle view of the oven just completed a reflow cycle.
Reflow Results
As we said before the board supports two reflow profiles, a PB and a Lead-free (LF), both selected before the reflow cycle starts. The controller has an onboard serial to USB converter, so to capture the data during the reflow, all you need is to connect a USB cable, launch your favorite RS232 terminal, set the serial config tot 115200 bps 8N1 and you are ready to go. Upon pressing the start button, temperature data is logged on the terminal along with time, setpoint and heating elements ON time. We tested both profiles by doing a full reflow cycle for each one and we share the results here. During our initial tests, we experience some issues, like we couldn’t successfully complete a reflow cycle, followed by an Error on screen. This could mean that the thermocouple touched a conductive part of the PCB, that shortcircuit it, or the TC was disconnected from the board or that there was more noise on the power rail that the board could tolerate. It proved that our case was the noise issue and that after replacing the USB cable with one that had a ferrite bead in line, the reflow cycle was completed successfully.
reflow cycle for PB profilereflow cycle for LF profile
As you can see from the graphs above, both profiles start from room temperature (25ºC) and reach the soak phase after around 115 sec. Then the reflow stage starts and reaches 220ºC for PB and 245ºC for LF. We see that both profiles are smooth and clean and that could guarantee that your reflow soldering could be successful.
Video
Conclusion
Finished Reflow Oven v2
The major difference between the TinyReflow Controller v2 and the v1 is the use of the OLED display which displays a Graph of the reflow process and the built-in USB-Serial interface which takes away the need for a converter when programming the board.
Looking for a good reflow oven that works well with this controller? You can go through this list curated by Rocket Stream to get suggestions on the best kind of ovens to use with the tiny reflow controller or visit their eshop to purchase an already assembled and tested board.
That’s it for today’s tutorial. Thanks for reading. As usual, feel free to reach out to me via the comment section if you have any question about the project and also let me know if you made one using this guide.
Low quiescent current, also called supply current, might be an important spec for your power-supply design.. by Paul Rako @ electronicdesign.com
Quiescent current is the current that a chip needs to operate even if it’s not delivering power. It’s the bare minimum supply current the chip will use. For buck-regulator chips, improved processes have reduced quiescent currents over the years. The tighter process controls of modern chip manufacturing also mean that the range of Iq from chip to chip will vary less than in the old days.
Iq is why any buck-regulator chip will have worsening efficiency as your circuitry requires less power. Since the Iq is the constant “floor” of power needed to run the chip, it will be a smaller percentage of efficiency loss when the chip is delivering full power than when the chip is just idling, and your circuits that it’s powering are taking their minimum power.
Here are five buck-regulator chips with low quiescent current. Note that a buck-regulator chip is generally thought of as having the power switching transistors inside the part itself. A buck regulator controller uses external power transistors to do the high-current switching.
iLife MP8 micro PC looks to be the smallest Win10 mini PC, powered by an Intel Celeron N4100 quad-core Gemini Lake processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
The Windows 10 micro PC was showcased at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, where the company also displayed its iLife NY08 mini laptop sold as CHUWI Minibook. Notebook Italia was at the event and shot a video showing both devices.
The company representative did not provide exact measurements and instead showed that iLife MP8 micro PC used about a quarter of the area taken up by a standard mini PC. But based on the photos and knowing an HDMI female connector has a width of 14mm, we can estimate the dimensions to be around 50 x 50 x 40 mm. That’s even smaller than the Arm-based Solidrun Cubox Pulse mini PC (50 x 50 x 50 mm).
iLife MP8 micro PC is actively cooled and comes in two versions with either a black metal enclosure with vents on the sides or a white plastic enclosure with ventilation holes on the top. If you wonder about Linux support, we’ve found that Gemini Lake mini PCs usually support Linux well, but not always.
Pricing and availability are unknown at this stage, and it’s possible, or even likely, the mini PC will eventually be sold under another name.
ULX3S is a fully open source, compact, robust, and affordable FPGA dev board equipped with a balanced selection of additional components and expansions. Although it was designed primarily as a teaching tool for mastering the principles of digital circuit design, ULX3S incorporates a wide array of features and interfaces that allow it to serve as a broadly useful module for installation in complex devices.
Built around a powerful Lattice Semiconductor ECP5-series FPGA chip and supported by the latest open-source toolchains, ULX3S is one of the most powerful and desirable platforms available for FPGA enthusiasts. It comes equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, display, buttons, LEDs, and storage. Flash it with an over-the-air (OTA) update using the Wi-Fi connection or take advantage of the onboard OLED display and buttons to browse the contents of an SD card and select a bitstream. Due to its battery-backed RTC, ULX3S can power down completely and wake up only in response to certain events. This feature makes it perfect for use in low-power applications such as battery-powered remote sensor nodes.
And if you’re not the low-power type, onboard peripherals like SDRAM, USB, digital video out, onboard FM/ASK antenna, ADC, and DAC make it an audio/video powerhouse for signal processing and synthesis, motor control, and SDR use cases. It can emulate arcade machines and retro computers like the Minimig (Amiga) or modern systems like the F32C (MIPS/RISCV). It has 56 GPIO pins, all routed as differential pairs, and a PMOD compatible pinout, which opens it up to a wide range of expansion options. And if you are just starting out FPGAs, you can use the Arduino IDE to program ULX3S in seconds.
ULX3S has been actively developed since 2016 and is the result of a collaboration between Radiona.org / Zagreb Makerspace and FER – the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing – at the University of Zagreb in Croatia.
Features & Specifications
FPGA: Lattice ECP5 LFE5U-85F-6BG381C (84K LUT)
USB: FTDI FT231XS (500 kbit JTAG and 3 Mbit USB-serial)
GPIO: 56 pins (28 differential pairs), PMOD-friendly with power out 3.3 V at 1 A or 2.5 V at 1.5 A
RAM: 32 MB SDRAM 166 MHz
Flash: 4-16 MB Quad-SPI Flash for FPGA config and user data storage
Mass Storage: Micro-SD slot
LEDs: 11 (8 user LEDs, 2 USB LEDs, 1 Wi-Fi LED)
Buttons: 7 (4 direction, 2 fire, 1 power button)
Audio: 3.5 mm jack with 4 contacts (analog stereo + digital audio or composite video)
Video: Digital video (GPDI General-Purpose Differential Interface) with 3.3 V to 5 V I²C bidirectional level shifter
Display: Placeholder for 0.96” SPI COLOR OLED SSD1331
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth: Placeholder for ESP32 (standalone JTAG web interface over Wi-Fi)
Antenna: 27, 88-108, 144, 433 MHz FM/ASK onboard
ADC: 8 channels, 12 bit, 1 MS a/s MAX11125
Power: 3 Switching voltage regulators: 1.1 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V
The simplicity of the Arduino IDE has made it one of the most popular in the world — it’s easy enough for beginners and fast for advanced users. Millions of you have used it as your everyday tool to program projects and applications. We’ve listened to your feedback though, and it’s time for a new enhanced version with features to appeal to the more advanced developers amongst you — while retaining continuity with the simple, classic Arduino IDE that so many of you are familiar with.
We are very excited to announce the release of an alpha version of a completely new development environment for Arduino — the Arduino Pro IDE.
The main features in this initial alpha release of the new Arduino Pro IDE are:
Modern, fully featured development environment
Dual Mode, Classic Mode (identical to the Classic Arduino IDE) and Pro Mode (File System view)
New Board Manager
New Library Manager
Board List
Basic Auto Completion (Arm targets only)
Git Integration
Serial Monitor
Dark Mode
But the new architecture opens the door to features that the Arduino community have been requesting like these that will be following on soon:
Sketch synchronisation with Arduino Create Editor
Debugger
Fully open to third party plug-ins
Support for additional languages other than C++
The new Arduino Pro IDE is based on the latest technologies:
The Arduino CLI running in daemon mode provides all the main Arduino features.
Electron, the framework behind Eclipse Theia, allows the use of web technologies on desktop environments.
Available in Windows,Mac OS X and Linux64 versions; we need your help in improving the product. Before releasing the source code to move out of the alpha, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. Like all things in the Arduino community, we grow and develop together through your valued contributions. Please test the Arduino Pro IDE to it’s breaking point, we want to hear all the good and bad things you find. We’re open to recommendations for additional features, as well as hearing about any bugs you may find — there’s bound to be a few as it is an alpha version after all!
Versions(released on Saturday, October 19th at 16.00 CET)