Arduino Based Weather Station

[Stub Mandrel]

Out of curiosity what layer thickness are you using on the white parts? (I realise this is an area where a good solid print matters more than superb surface finish!)

[angryowl]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

Looking now at the direction sensor...  From the datasheet for the chip the centre of measurement is 1mm from the centre of the chip towards the side with pins 1-4 and since the chip is soldered in the centre of the breakout board the latter will want moving 1mm towards the 1 & 8 holes.

My magnet is centred on the chip and found no issues whatsoever regarding accuracy, so maybe positioning the magnet's centre exactly above the sensor location within the chip is not crucial. Having it centred on the chip just makes it easier to mount in my opinion.

[Gina]

Thanks for that but the offset is not a problem.  Do you know about having the chip the other way up ie. with the magnet at the back?

Edited December 13, 2017 by Gina

[angryowl]

10 minutes ago, Gina said:

Thanks for that but the offset is not a problem.  Do you know about having the chip the other way up ie. with the magnet at the back?

Have not tried the chip the other way around. But I think it should work as that magnet is quite powerful and its magnetic field should penetrate the breakout board and the back of the chip. Curious to see if it actually does though.

[Gina]

22 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Out of curiosity what layer thickness are you using on the white parts? (I realise this is an area where a good solid print matters more than superb surface finish!)

0.5mm.  With a 0.6mm nozzle.

[Stub Mandrel]

Aha - the toothpaste tube approach! I imagine that gives very strong prints

I haven't gone above 0.2 with a 0.4 nozzle, I must see how my printer handles things like that.

[Gina]

Yes the prints are very strong   Probably over engineered but we get some very strong winds here at times and this is going to be nearly 7m above ground level on the side of a hill facing roughly SE.

[Gina]

Redesigned the bottom plate as it was a bit small plus I shall have it the other way up with "legs" to space it in the outer casing.

[Gina]

Print is perfect   It stays in place without anything holding it due to the ridges produced by the large nozzle size.  It sits about 1.5mm inside the outer casing so rain will drip off nicely without running along the bottom plate.  I'm now fiddling with the spacers to make up the correct distance from top bearing to disc and from disc to bottom bearing.  The spacer from bottom bearing to wind vane is easy because it's in full view.  I think I'll print a three legged support for the bottom bearing to hold it in place but let me see how the spacers are working.

[Gina]

Designed and printed the bottom bearing support "spider" and been checking things.  I've found out why I was having so much trouble with the spacers - the part that holds the top bearing was off centre and causing the disc to tilt so that it was catching on the magnets.  I have now removed the top bearing holder and will print a new one.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Gina

[Gina]

New top bearing holder.  This also holds the anemometer pedestal.

[sloz1664]

18 hours ago, Gina said:

Redesigned the bottom plate as it was a bit small plus I shall have it the other way up with "legs" to space it in the outer casing.

Hi Gina,

Just a subtle point. Whenever you design any components that protrude like the four tags on your model, add fillet radii at the base of the tags to give them strength. Otherwise you will find they will "break off" quite easily. You should always consider this on all your designs. If you have the room to add a strengthening radius  - add one. The bigger, the better.

Steve

Edited December 14, 2017 by sloz1664
spell check :)

[Gina]

Yes, I usually do this wherever there is a possibility of breakage. 

[Gina]

Those 4 legs are remarkably strong without fillet

[Gina]

Finally sorted out the wind vane axle, spacers, aluminium disc and magnets   Still have the direction sensor to sort out.  Then there's the anemometer to attach and the wiring to the Arduino Nano.  Everything seems to take much longer than expected!

[Gina]

Sorted out the directory structure for the MLX90316 test sketch and it compiles

[Gina]

Tried uploading to a new Nano board but I seem to have a computer problem :-

Quote

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00

Tried other Nanos and other sketches - all the same.  Maybe I'll try my Asus laptop with Win 7.

[Gina]

Not working on that either   Going to get coffee!!!  One other thing I can try and thats another laptop with Linux Mint.

[tekkydave]

Do you have the corrrect board and port selected?

Also - try a different USB lead.

Edited December 16, 2017 by tekkydave

[angryowl]

I second tekydave's suggestions, also might not apply here but have seen this behaviour when there are connections to the RX/TX pins. 

I had this exact same issue with my Uno a few weeks back and turned out to be a bad USB cable.

[Gina]

Yes, yes and have done - thanks for the suggestions

[Gina]

Nothing connected to any of the pins yet - brand new board.

[Gina]

Well, I don't know...  Had a mug of coffee and even been for a walk up the hill and back, tried 3 computers, three USB cables and two new Nano boards and whatever I do I get the same error.  Maybe I should take up knitting again!!!!!!

[Gina]

And tried other sketches.

[tekkydave]

Reinstall Arduino IDE? Clutching at straws now I'm afraid.