I have been thinking about making a computer controlled interface for roasters. I was wondering if anyone could give me some input/references/sites with more information.

I have access to quality programming and machining.

My current thought, just preliminary, would be to have a graphic, touch sensitive user interface. It would allow one to bring up a profile, move the time axis and the heat axis. It would have a large button for 1st Crack and one for 2d which the user would hit as they occurred.

It would have the ability to record a manually controlled roast and then duplicate that roast. It would have the ability to edit the profile.

It would probably use an iPad as the UI and a small dedicated computer to do the I/O (sensing). It would operate in some ways like a PID, though the idea would be to have it controlling a gas valve, so pulsing won't work. There is no reason it could not control an electric roaster and in fact that would be easier, but I'd rather start with gas.

The software will need to smooth out the spikes of the sensor.

A later version might have an audio pickup as part of the I/O for detecting the beginning and end of the cracks. The UI would show these overlaid on the time/temp axis.

A later version could also have a moisture sensor which would allow one to alter the beginning of the roast depending on the moisture level.

Any thoughts/ major problems etc.? The software side of it is not trivial, but it is not particularly difficult either. I realize that the software will have to anticipate, but that should be solvable.

dan

Hi.

Artisan will allow machine reproduction on the next release but only for Fuji pids (the only capable device at the current time). It also introduces a profile model designer that is capable of creating automatic machine commands for reproduction of the artificial models.

The model designer is like a CAD but for profiles (uses a mouse to draw). The artificial profiles can then be used as models in the background to guide roasts. However this feature is still green for machine reproduction, and there are not too many users with capable fuji pids, so it doesn't have much priority at this time.


Cheers

Rafael,

Thanks for your input. I was wondering, why do you bother at all with the PID if you are using an Arduino?

It would seem to me that the Arduino would replace the PID entirely and allow for more flexibility with less cost? Or am I missing something here?

I was thinking of using the Arduino to handle I/O and an iPad to run the user software. I'm trying to find reasonable gas valves with built in steppers, but haven't found much yet. Electric heat would be easy and perhaps with the ability to properly characterize the thermo characteristics, the software could make up for the lack of response in an electric system. But then, it seems that supporting gas would be really the way to go if possible.

Thanks again.

dan

Hi

The arduino device is in its works but not by me. There are currently several options to run artisan in a tablet form other than the ipad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison..._PCs#Slate


Cheers