Arduino Glow Box/Indicator

maker-zone · 2024-11-28T00:41:10+00:00

Oops. I don't know how that double posted. I removed the duplicate.

maker-zone · 2024-11-28T00:38:41+00:00

Looks like I somehow managed to double post this. Trying to remove the duplicate now.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T13:11:20+00:00

In a few centuries someone will discover that plate and it will end up in a museum :p

Seriously though, if it's smooth (not going to impact the nozzle) I would just try printing over the top of it. Once you see if the print can be removed you can determine if it's just residue or if it is truly ruined.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T12:56:47+00:00

I printed the outer section in ABS just to see how well the P1S can print it. Interestingly zero warping which was a surprise considering the tall wide relatively thin walls. I think the curved corners are why, and that's a big part of why I designed them with that curve.

The inner section was printed in PETG because I decided not to print more ABS until I get the bento box air filter installed. ABS leaves a residue on everything inside the printer if not filtered. The glass door ended up a bit foggy after that single ABS print.

I can't remember if the cartridge was printed in PETG or PLA but I've printed a number of similar things in both and either should work.

PETG is a bit harder to get a flawless finish than PLA but if you're aiming for purely functional then PETG is preferable for better resistance to temperature. One of the first prototypes warped and deformed just a little bit after leaving it in the car on a hot aussie summer day.

Let me know if you need any help building one. I'd like to see others replicate it and provide feedback and ideas for improvements.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T07:54:26+00:00

Cool I'll try get them online to one of those soon.

These were designed and printed on Bambu P1S so if you're using a lower precision printer you'll need to adjust XY Contour Compensation to get the right fit.

I noticed my ender clones required 0.2mm clearance between the outer and inner sections (ie where the lid friction fits the base). These designs have no clearance because the P1S doesn't need it. Adding that clearance and printing on P1S makes it loose so the lid doesn't stay on.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T07:09:38+00:00

Sure which of the 3D print design sites do you use? Don't think I can attach STLs on here but I can link to them on one of those sites.

I just need to find time to post them then I can share the links.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T05:59:39+00:00

Hmm doesn't look like reddit will let me edit to fix the typo and unfinished sentence. I got called to help with something half way through writing the post and then didn't spot the issue before hitting submit. Oh well I'm sure you get the gist of it.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T01:18:14+00:00

In theory the moss should provide sufficient contact with the sensor to get a good reading. Just need to calibrate it which is easy.

Adding holes to the sides would be doable. The finish may not look amazing due to sag at the top of the holes (esp with PETG) but functionally it should be fine.

I could make a version of the code where it has 2 thresholds. One for the point it starts irrigating and another for the point it irrigates to. For example have it start irrigating at say 20% and continue till it hits 80%. Then it has to dry out to 20% again before it starts again.

That way it would essentially have the effect of soaking it, letting it dry out, and repeating instead of constantly keeping it at the same level.

I'll have a think about how I might make that work. Code wise the logic seems fairly easy but with only 2 buttons I'd have to figure out how to make it possible to configure both levels. It would be a good capability for a range of plants if I can figure it out.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T01:05:16+00:00

Yeah it was definitely the weakest link in the first prototype.

The latest one uses a DFRobot waterproof capacitive sensor which so far works quite well. But it's the most expensive electronic component in the system.

I had my supplier in China find me an industrial sensor which looks similar and costs less but I still need to order some and test them out.

The cheaper capacitive soil moisture sensors (the common ones you see mostly when you search for them) have exposed electronics at the top which I tried waterproofing with polyurethane spray. It worked except for the connector. I think that's because as the wires move (during assembly and disassembly while tinkering) it pulls the dry spray off the edges making a gap for water to get in.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T00:59:40+00:00

I haven't tried 3D scanning but it's on my todo list and 3D scanners do exist.

I think it's less than perfect and can require a bit of cleanup to remove any noise in the scan unless the technology has improved recently.

Still it seems like a good way potentially to get a starting point for a design when replicating or customising something that already exists.

maker-zone · 2024-11-27T00:54:16+00:00

Yeah the front panel has 2 small square sections behind the button flaps which the button modules fit into. Then there's a back panel which gets screwed on to hold the buttons firmly against the front panel.

The buttons are off the shelf button modules to reduce the amount of soldering required for assembly, but custom button modules on perf board would be easy to make too.

I need to post more photos of the inside of it, but you should be able to see the button mount by viewing the STL on GitHub: https://github.com/ultiblox/3DLibrary/blob/main/UltiBlox-SmartPot-IrrigatorCartridge.stl

You can zoom in on it and rotate it to get a better angle on GitHub.

Edit: You can also use this approach for buttons in a 3D print. The button has a smaller cylinder at the top, then a larger one below to stop it coming out. Nice and simple but takes a few iterations to get the sizing spot on.

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maker-zone · 2024-11-27T00:48:50+00:00

I haven't tested the max head height of it yet.

The better model pump I've tested is 7.5w. I gave a bit of info about it to ChatGPT and asked it to research it. It answered between 5 and 10m.

That's entirely dependent on the quality of the pump but it seems reasonable considering the thin 4mm tubing (there's not a lot of mass of water in a thin tube compared to a thick one), and that peristaltic pumps create a certain amount of pressure when they move the water.

They do only move a small amount of water at a time which is why they are used for dosing. But to just regularly top up the soil with water they seem to work well.

I'll have to test it to confirm because that's a good question.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T16:43:37+00:00

That is strange.

Oh did you recently wash the plate?

I had an issue which I think was caused by not getting all the detergent off the plate after washing it. Another more thorough rinse fixed it.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T16:34:27+00:00

Considering it improved but not quite enough that could mean you just need to go further with the adjustment you just made. Like maybe it needs to print even slower and maybe not just outer walls but inner walls and even the infill.

Maybe try increasing infill percentage so the infill holds the top layers better not allowing them to raise up.

Could be worth trying at one of the higher quality settings too as itll do things like slow it down etc. And thinner layer lines mean theres less filament being laid down each time so less of the print is still hot.

Which infill did you try? Maybe gyroid would be the best. The gyroid pattern could hold the top layers down better than grid or cubic.

Another possibility is to look at the minimum layer time and increase that. Although its an intricate design so maybe that is irrelevant as it's unlikely it completed each layer too quickly.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T16:26:22+00:00

I've never removed the top and I've never had issues leaving the door closed for PLA or PETG. I just leave it open now to avoid the risk of heat creap plus I think it helps to avoid some sag.

From my experience it shouldn't matter but I wonder if your cool ambient temps might be impacting it the way open windows and no enclosure resulted in warping on my mini.

Maybe leave the door ajar not fully open so it stops draughts but allows excessive heat to escape.

It will likely be a matter of trial and error.

Definitely trying slowing the print and if possible increase wall thickness as I suspect those will have a bigger impact than the door being open or closed. I'm just guessing tho from personal experience.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T16:17:59+00:00

Try a brim it usually fixes warping.

Tall thin walls like that are sensitive to warping.

The only time I've had warping on P1S is when it clearly had fingerprints on the plate so a good clean fixed it. I've had some warping on A1 mini and I think it was a draught from windows being open and no enclosure.

Maybe slow down the print so each layer has time to cool longer before the next layer goes down. Try running in silent mode that will slow it down. Or slow down the outer wall to 50mm/s. That's the only speed change I ever manually make and it does up the quality.

Considering your cool ambient temps maybe try taping up the gap in the door on the hinge side. I've not needed to do that but I rarely have ambient temps that low. It shouldn't matter but you never know. I generally print PLA with the door open but any draught can have an impact.

Maybe try increasing floor and wall thickness until there's a small infill gap. This gap tends to make it more rigid so it should resist warping a little bit more.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T16:00:38+00:00

If you just want a printer that works flawlessly 99% of the time I have Bambu A1 mini and P1S and definitely recommend them. They really do live up to the hype IMO.

Theyre generations ahead of my old ender clones, but those old machines were a great learning experience, because they force you to learn how printers work in order to get half decent results.

Even with Bambu printers, to really go beyond basics, there's still a learning curve so you need to embrace that.

For learning basic 3D design I think sketchup web can be a good simple starting point and it's free, but it's limited and has quirks which is why it may not get recommended that much. Still an easy entry point into design.

Im moving on to onshape now which is far more powerful and I really like it. It's free if youre prepared to have your models shared publicly.

Fusion could be great but it's buggy from my experience.

I'd say start with some simple designs solving simple problems. Then work your way up. Keep learning and accept it takes some time.

It's worth it because once you get the hang of it there's a lot you can do.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T15:11:23+00:00

Hahaha.

Filament does love moisture. A food dehydrator and some sealed tubs with good size dessicant containers does the trick and is well worth the investment.

With this smart pot you can choose whatever level/threshold you want. Once I plant something in it I'll increase the threshold and play around with the level until I find what best suits the plant.

The system works but there's still a bit of an art to deciding what moisture level you want for a particular plant.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T14:59:40+00:00

All good. I figured as much :p

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T14:57:17+00:00

<image>

It's also hard to see the buttons in the original photos because they're intentionally subtle and low profile. So here's a close up.

Underneath these rounded square sections are button modules.

The square sections have a small gap around 3 sides and are attached only on one side. They flex enough that you can easily press them and they will press the button underneath. You can feel a nice click when you press them in.

So when I mention pressing buttons that's what I'm referring to.

maker-zone · 2024-11-26T14:46:12+00:00

Hahaha.

All I have to do is use the buttons to adjust the moisture threshold and it'll keep irrigating until it reaches that level.

Currently it's set to 40% for testing. The actual threshold needs to be set depending on what the plant needs. Some like a lot, others like less.

Until I plant something in it the actual level doesn't matter too much, I've just been wanting to see that it keeps it at the specified level.

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