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Initial TC4 Setup for Newbie
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 09/09/2019 10:42 AM
I finally finished my new roaster build and my TC4 driven control panel. Unfortunately, I am not terribly gifted with understanding coding and have been a bit stymied by figuring out how to load the TC4 sketches and adjust them to actually fire the roaster up and see how she goes.

Can anyone recommend a good video, source, etc. for a tutorial on how to get going?

I can access the TC4/Arduino on my Macbook via USB in order to upload and open everything but start to get confused by all the lines of code -- where to begin when it all looks the same to me! Shock
 
BenKeith
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 09/09/2019 5:01 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but you do realize the TC4 is a circuit board, which along with a few other necessary components is used to monitor or control a roaster. The TC4 software is just the Arduino based software to control that circuit board, does absolutely nothing without the circuit board. Which there are several versions of that software.

If by panel, you mean you have a TC4 controller and all the necessary components to monitor or control the roast, which ever you plans may be, then you have to decided which Program you plan to use. Artisan or Roast logger, etc.

Give a few details on exactly what you have and what you want to do.
Edited by BenKeith on 09/09/2019 5:09 PM
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 09/09/2019 5:24 PM
Yes, of course -- sorry.

By panel I mean I have assembled the TC4 with an Arduino Board, PWM Controller, SSRs, etc. I would like to use it with Artisan and have that downloaded but am feeling overwhelmed by the initial coding to have it control the roaster.

My current 1lb roaster is totally manual -- heat on/off switch, fan by variac speed controller, reclaiming heat with a little input air control via pvc ball valve. I dump the beans, hit the heat and fan on, control the spouting bed via the vac motor controller, and end the roast by visual/audio cues.

I went (want to go) the TC4/Arduino/Artisan route because the new capacity is much larger (2kg hopefully) and I want measurable and reproducible results moving forward.
 
BenKeith
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 09/09/2019 10:36 PM
Sounds like you need Brads ArtisanQ-PID. It's written to interface with Artisan.
I'm still a little foggy on your board. Is this a Arduino board you are trying to use or is this an actual TC4 board? While the TC4 board is based on the Arduino board, there are some things the TC4 board has that required and not on any of the Arduino boards. The programs to interface with the TC4 are written to for specific pins on the TC4.
Since Jim has gotten out of the TC4 board, Brad and a couple others are making either TC4's or TC4 compatible boards if you don't have one of those.
As for setup, I don't use Artisan, and it has to be configured for the TC4 so can't help you there. I will assume you plan on using aArtisanQ-PID since it's written to mainly work with Artisan if you planning on using the PID to control your heater/fan. There is a USER-H file for that you go through and setup for your application and it's pretty much self explanatory. You do have to use the Arduino software to access and change the USER-H.
So, first you setup the user-h and compile it with aArtisan into the TC4 Then you setup Artisan for the TC4. If all goes well, you will get temperatures on the Artisan screen, if things don't go well, you will get 0.0 for temperatures on Artisan. If you get zero's for temps, Artisan is not interfacing with the TC4. That's usually caused by something not being right in the Artisan setup, but can also be something you missed in the user-h.
Any help beyond that is not something I know, because like I said, I don't use artisan.
 
greencardigan
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 09/09/2019 11:01 PM
Start with learning how to program the Arduino board with the Arduino software on your Mac. Check out the Arduino website for basic guidance on this.

The only code you will need to modify is in the user.h tab in the Arduino software after you open the sketch. That's where all the customization and setup is done.

Also make sure you copy all the library files included in the downloaded sketch into your arduino library folder.
 
BenKeith
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 09/10/2019 12:47 PM
I guess I should have mentioned, there is a very specific order the files have to be loaded for Arduino. I've never used a Mac so not sure how to tell you how to do that. In windows you follow this order. Do not install the program, made a Arduino folder in your documents folder and copy the files to it. There is a Libraries folder in Arduino, and when you download aArtisanQ-PID, there are some library files in it that have to copied into the Arduino Libraries folder. If this is not done, aArtisan will not work.
So, once you get your Arduino folder setup and all files copied into it
Below the libraries folder, make a folded named Sketches.
Inside the Sketches folder make a folder for aArtisan and extract all aArtisanQ-PID files into it. Find the Libraries in aArtisanQ-PID and copy all those files into the Arduino Libraries folder.
Now initiate Arduino and it should load up and take you to basically a blank sheet a little stuff in the top left corner.
At the top of that you will see some pull down menus, click on File and go down to the one named SKETCHBOOK. Follow over to the right and you should see your Sketches folder and to the right again and you should see the aArtisanQ-PID folder.
I there you should see two folders, one for aArtisanQ-PID and one for the Profile loader
The Profile loader has to compiled and loaded into the TC4 first.
Next you will click on aArtisanQ-PID and it should fill the screen. At the top, you will see different headings and to the far right you should see one named USER-H and click on it. Go down through it a make the changes needed for your application.
Once you have all the necessary changes, compile it and load it into the TC4. Unless Brad had found a magic wand, you will get a memory warning when it has finished compiling, ignore that. The TC4 should be ready to use now.
If by chance you don't see the aArtisanQ-PID folder, go into the TOOLS pull down and make sure you have the UNO Board selected, and make sure you are seeing the proper port and file path. If it's not showing the port, it's not seeing the board.
It has been a long time since I've had to do any of this so if I'm not right, hopefully someone else will correct my mistakes.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #7 Print Post
Posted on 09/11/2019 8:28 AM
I appreciate all the replies - I'll give it another go this weekend. Thanks!
 
renatoa
Top  #8 Print Post
Posted on 09/11/2019 8:40 AM
I can assist you through a remote session for the whole process, but in Windows only...
If you have a Windows machine around, we can to this, then you replicate on Mac.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #9 Print Post
Posted on 10/05/2019 2:07 PM
So I've acquainted myself with Arduino and the instructions provided above (thanks!) but when I try to upload the Profile Loader i keep getting this error:

Arduino: 1.8.9 (Mac OS X), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "/dev/cu.usbmodem14301": No such file or directory
Problem uploading to board.
 
renatoa
Top  #10 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2019 5:57 AM
Why not start with manual roast ?
Profiles aren't so smooth as you might believe...
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #11 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2019 6:27 AM
My current roaster is manually controlled. I've roasted probably over 100 lbs on it and love it. However, capacity is limited to 0.5kg. I believe this new one will be able to handle around 2kg and wanted to profile the roasts if I'm using that quantity.

I did install the optional potentiometers and LCD are you saying start with using those instead of Artisan? Or just going full manual?
 
mg512
Top  #12 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2019 7:56 AM

Quote

CharcoalRoaster wrote:

So I've acquainted myself with Arduino and the instructions provided above (thanks!) but when I try to upload the Profile Loader i keep getting this error:

Arduino: 1.8.9 (Mac OS X), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "/dev/cu.usbmodem14301": No such file or directory
Problem uploading to board.


Sounds like you might have selected the wrong serial port in the Arduino IDE? Under Tools > Ports. If you have a genuine Arduino, it should say so. If you have a cheap Arduino clone, you might need to install a driver for whatever USB serial bridge that clone uses.
 
Web
renatoa
Top  #13 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2019 9:59 AM
If the laptop is part of your setup, then control from artisan is much smoother than using pots. With a low thermal inertia hot air machine, 1% of power is not a negligible amount... on mine 1% means 5C in ET and 30 seconds shift for FC. Is not easy to adjust power at percent level using a pot, unless is a precision multiturn pot.
So I roasted until recently, power control manually or from Artisan, watching trending lines on Artisan, and aiming the two nodal points of the profile: DE and FC.
With TC4ESP I have DE/FC predictions embedded in workflow, displayed on LCD, so no more need for Artisan and tethering.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #14 Print Post
Posted on 10/08/2019 10:08 AM

Quote

mg512 wrote:

Quote

CharcoalRoaster wrote:

So I've acquainted myself with Arduino and the instructions provided above (thanks!) but when I try to upload the Profile Loader i keep getting this error:

Arduino: 1.8.9 (Mac OS X), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "/dev/cu.usbmodem14301": No such file or directory
Problem uploading to board.


Sounds like you might have selected the wrong serial port in the Arduino IDE? Under Tools > Ports. If you have a genuine Arduino, it should say so. If you have a cheap Arduino clone, you might need to install a driver for whatever USB serial bridge that clone uses.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #15 Print Post
Posted on 10/08/2019 10:10 AM
Oddly enough, when I plugged my computer in this morning and uploaded the profile loader it went perfectly fine with no error...

Anyway, it's a genuine UNO board. I'll see how everything else goes.
 
JackH
Top  #16 Print Post
Posted on 10/08/2019 6:24 PM
Sounds like it initially did not detect the TC4 and when you did a power down/Up it connected.
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #17 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2019 9:28 AM
I've got all my code compiled and uploaded to the TC4 and am ready to play with controls, etc. eventually roasting my first batch using Artisan.

One last safety question that occurred to me when I woke up at 4am this morning -- if my wiring is all correct then when I plug the roaster into the power supply neither the blower nor the heating element should turn on, right? Meaning, the power is distributed by the TC4 controls instead of directly?

I'm sure this will be scoffed at but I'm just triple checking since I'm dealing with 30a of electricity.
 
allenb
Top  #18 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2019 10:20 AM
If the roaster will be fully automated and controlled from beginning of roast including blower, then it must be equipped with the same safety features as a UL listed commercial roaster to ensure the heating element cannot power up without sufficient airflow. Commercial fluidbed roasters have air proving static pressure sensors that will not allow automation controls to inadvertently apply power to the heating element without the blower flowing sufficient air through the element. If no safety static pressure sensors will be utilized then do not allow automation of the blower and certainly not at startup.
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #19 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2019 1:03 PM
I understand and that makes total sense. Perhaps if I ask it this way, with the TC4 wired into the heater and blower power when main power source is plugged it does the heater and blower wait to fire up until commands from the board?
 
allenb
Top  #20 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2019 1:58 PM
Unfortunately, my only experience with automation of coffee roasters is using Roastlogger with my fluidbeds and drums and I left the blower manually controlled on the fluidbeds. Upon Roastlogger opening on my laptop, it did not move straight into a roast profile live roast but waited until you activated the profile or PID roast.

Not sure about Artisan but I would imagine the creator of it would have never had it designed to roll right into a roast sequence without a command being initiated.

Quote

if my wiring is all correct then when I plug the roaster into the power supply neither the blower nor the heating element should turn on, right? Meaning, the power is distributed by the TC4 controls instead of directly?


Without the TC4 being commanded to start an approach to a temperature setpoint or respond to commands from Artisan, the TC4 should not do anything upon turning the power on to the roaster but without seeing a full schematic of your wiring it would be very difficult to give you assurance that all would remain idle upon powerup.

.
Edited by allenb on 10/12/2019 2:08 PM
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
allenb
Top  #21 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2019 2:42 PM

Quote

CharcoalRoaster wrote:

I understand and that makes total sense. Perhaps if I ask it this way, with the TC4 wired into the heater and blower power when main power source is plugged it does the heater and blower wait to fire up until commands from the board?


For safe testing of new circuits without the danger of heating element meltdowns, I always substitute a 100 watt incandescent light bulb (not LED) in place of the real thing. Although you'll need to use the one hot leg from your SSR and a neutral. Leave the blower hooked up as it will be and test away.
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
greencardigan
Top  #22 Print Post
Posted on 10/13/2019 5:21 PM
I agree with Allen that you should test with an incandescent light.

However, the TC4 should not power up any outputs on start up. It will only switch on the power to outputs once a command is received or a potentiometer connected to an active analog input is changed.

If you're using potentiometers connected to the analogue inputs, then I suggest you have them turned completely to the off position when starting up. If they're not completely off then their value may potentially change slightly from one read to the next, triggering an output to power on.

Also, there is an option in the user.h file (HTR_CUTOFF_FAN_VAL) which can be set. If the fan power is below this set value, the power to the heater will be cut off.
 
CharcoalRoaster
Top  #23 Print Post
Posted on 10/14/2019 8:08 AM
I'll be sure to hook up a light bulb and see how things go. I'm using Brad's wiring diagram found in the TC4 setup guide pdf with pots installed so I'll be sure to have them in the off position before initial fire up.

Quick question on that user.h file -- what's an ideal input value for that particular file?
 
greencardigan
Top  #24 Print Post
Posted on 10/14/2019 5:16 PM
The user.h file has lots of settings you can adjust. The user guide discusses all the options.

If you are specifically referring to the HTR_CUTOFF_FAN_VAL value, there's no ideal value. It depends on your roaster element and how powerful your blower is. I would recommend roasting a few times and then setting HTR_CUTOFF_FAN_VAL to a value a bit lower than your usual minimum needed blower value.
 
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