Gina

I checked the volt drop on the LEDs at the current of 5mA that I'm using and they are 1.20v.  The supply will be around 6v.  Vin for the ESP32 is quoted as 5-12v though lower voltages mean less power on the voltage regulator.  This is not necessarily "carved in stone" I could wire the LEDs is pairs and use 2 resistors.

Circuit diagram for the connections to the ESP32 for the wind sensors.  On the left are 4 optical sensors that read the direction from the encoder in the vane unit and on the right the Hall effect sensor in the anemometer that counts the revolutions to give wind speed.

This morning's dashboard display.  Wind Speed not connected - currently working on the wind sensor connections.

Working on the wind sensor connections to the ESP32 module.

The Hall sensor in the anemometer is connected to D4 on the ESP32 and the optical sensors to D34, D35, D32 and D33 in sequence.  This is the order of pins on the ESP32 module.  The collectors of the phototransistors are commoned and taken to 3.3v.  The emitters are connected to the ADC pins just mentioned with resistors to Gnd.  The IR emitter diodes are connected in series and connected between Gnd and 5v via a resistor to limit the current.  I have yet to perform tests to find the values for these resistors.  Once I've done this I'll draw and post a circuit diagram.

Still getting the problem with the Dashboard display!!  Is the dashboard too "busy" - too many widgets?

Incidentally, that roof with 4 x 120mm wheels and steel track from FH Brundell, can be pushed with one finger.

WOW!!  That sure is a lightweight roof framework!  I have a pair of 100x25mm each side with the wheels in between.  The main roof framework is mostly 4x2 with some 6x2 (dropped back into Imperial!).  Studding to support the 6mm plywood is 2x2.  EPDM on top of the plywood.  OK so I'm into over-engineering!  🤣.  But it was that same roof that was lifted off by wind and dumped onto the fence upside down several years back.  It too 4 blokes to lift it back on!!  I have some very helpful neighbours.

I used the same track but bigger wheels.  Very well made.  Very smooth and easy running.  I used 4 x 120mm diameter wheels with a very substantial and solid apex roof.

Quote

Double-click your mqtt broker node

I don't seem to have that.  But it's working so no longer a problem.  Thanks anyway.

Node-RED is on the same device as the broker so shouldn't need an IP address.

No problem with grass growing here - plenty of rain!!!  Devon is decidedly damp (except in a heat wave!!).

Seems alright now.  Tried changing the IP address in the browser again and this time it seems to have worked.  That's additional to changing the IP address for viewing the dashboard and in all the clients.

Another problem.  Think Node-RED needs the new broker IP address but I can't see where to set it.  Getting this :-

RPi Zero W now replaced with the RPI 3B with wired comms, all clients updated to the new broker IP address and everything working.  The microSD card from the Zero now in the 3B and all Node-RED links were preserved.  Display seems solid!  What a difference!!  Of course, logged data is gone but it was getting to the state where the display was just occasionally working for a few seconds and virtually useless.

Here's the latest Dashboard screenshot, before I unplug the RPi Zero and replace it with a 3B.  Wind Speed isn't running - I've dismantled the test rig.

I  shall look at all ideas for logging weather data and displaying and also the Arduino UNO hardware that I used before plus other ideas.  I think I would like to save the data to an SD card.  I haven't decided on a format for certain but comma delimited text looks a prime candidate.  I like simple.  I still hope to make a wall weather display with gauges and a 360 degree wind direction dial.  Servo motors would make good gauges I'm thinking with stepper motors for the wind direction.

Guess I'll just use what I've got rather than try such a "way-out" solution.  I've already got the wind vane with built-in Gray encoder printed and just have one or maybe two more parts to print and I shall have the vane hardware finished.  Have the stripboard and components to solder though.  There are 4 resistors needed for the optical sensors.  Not sure about the IR emitters - I'll connect them all in series and see if a resistor is needed to run off the 5v supply.  I'll sort that out tomorrow - I've finished for tonight.

Found an example of a single track Gray encoder.  That would produce a much smaller and simpler wind vane encoder, but this is a 5 bit coding yielding 30 different positions.  The down side is an extra optical sensor and more complex decoding.  Probably the "sledge hammer" method of a look-up table would be to simplest approach.  Also, the smoothing algorithm may not work.  So whilst this is very interesting I'm afraid it's probably "too clever"!!

Link here :- Gray Code

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Animated_Graycode.gif

Looking at the actual ESP32 module the top 2 pins on the left are labelled VP and VN so I think I'll use the next 4 - D34, D35, D32, D33.  These are all ADC1 so should be fine.  I'm using D4 (GPIO4) for the anemometer Hall sensor.

Now looking at the wind vane optical sensor connections to the ESP32.  These are analog so need the ADC pins.  There are 15 and I need 4.  But if using WiFi (which we are) there is a limitation on which pins to just 6 - see blue panel below.  I shall use the top 4 on the left, next to the EN pin.

I'll change to the RPi 3B then and Ethernet.  The IP address will be different so means changing the broker IP in all the clients though - slight nuisance.  I'll leave it until tomorrow.

No problem with developing the sensor sketches - they are coming on nicely.  My main concern is displaying the dashboard.  It keeps losing the connection.  The RPi is only about a metre from the WiFi AP.  Maybe the WiFi on the RPi Zero W is poor.  Wondering if I would be better off with an RPi 3B which has Ethernet and to use a wired connection rather than WiFi.

Opinions most welcome.

Had to take the anemometer apart because the pivot had come loose.  Replaced the nut with a Nylock - it won't come loose again!  One of the magnets came out so I'm running on one magnet.  I'll rebalance it later if needed.  It will need 4.4s Interval to to give mph from the pulse count.  I don't think using 4.4s instead for the Gust period rather than 3s will matter much - it won't be going towards an official weather report!

Beaufort Scale.

Analysis of calibration results from cup and propeller anemometers.