Green Building Forum - iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

borpin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:05:28 +0000

Posted By: JSHarrisI've been looking at simple, low power Linux options today. Anyone else seen the Raspberry Pi? (http://www.raspberrypi.org/) £16 for a board that will run Linux, has an SD card, enough I/O ports to do pretty much anything and runs at low power (around 1 W or so).

At the price, I intend getting a couple to play with as soon as production units are available.

Announced today. You can preorder from RS components (well register interest). The biggest flaw I see is that the only real data interface is the USB (or ethernet). I have been meaning to buy a Nanode but not quite got around to it although I see they have updated it so might just go and get a pre assembled one.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:05:25 +0000

I managed to register on the RS site, the Farnell one had crashed (got a mention on Radio 4)

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

wookey — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:13:16 +0000

yep - remarkable what a bit of hype can do. But they are cheap, and with all those 15-yr-olds having one hopefully the non-freeness will get fixed soon enough.

These (CuBox) are super-cool too: http://www.solid-run.com/news €99 tiny little box (and it really is tiny - computers small enough to lose are now upon us) which will run your media player. It has SATA too so you can plug a real hard drive in, unlike a PI (as well as 1G RAM, ethernet, USB host, USB slave, IR, SPDIF and MicroSD card). Still non-free GPU drivers though, but everything else about it is very nice. Sexiest home server or media box money can currently buy. <3W. Debian, Ubuntu or Android as you see fit.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

skyewright — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:11:46 +0000

Posted By: wookeyand it really is tiny - computers small enough to lose are now upon us

When I was moving a BifferBoard (http://bifferos.co.uk/) computer one day I couldn't see where I'd put it down...

... then it dawned on me that I it was still in my hand!

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:44:19 +0000

Can it run Windows?
1Watt power consumption, that is what we are after.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

Ed Davies — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:34:30 +0000

Posted By: wookeySexiest home server or media box money can currently buy.

Strictly, money can currently pre-order.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

skyewright — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:45:03 +0000

Posted By: SteamyTeaCan it run Windows?
1Watt power consumption, that is what we are after.

Bifferboard? Not Windows, but people do run various flavours of Linux on it and use it for OWFS (i.e. 1-wire).

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

Ed Davies — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:04:58 +0000

Something else you can pre-order (well “pledge”):

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/02/ninja_blocks_do_for_home_automation_what_raspberry_pi_does_for_programming/

Might be suitable in some cases.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

wookey — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:33:59 +0000

Good point about the pre-order. I've had my grubby mitts on an early one - so I forgot they aren't actually on general sale yet. Ninja blocks (aka beaglebone) look interesting. Beaglebones can do 1-wire with a suitably-hacked kernel: http://dominion.thruhere.net/koen/cms/using-1-wire-on-a-beaglebone so this ninja thing out to be able to. 1-wire is vital on such home-monitoring/control kit IMHO, otherwise sensors are too expensive.

Windows is so yesterday ST. Have you not noticed that none of this cool new stuff runs windows? There are good reasons for that. If you want new toys you're going to have to get with the program.

Windows for ARM will be available on v8 hardware, sometime in 2014. But that'll be aiming at netbooks/laptops and servers, it'll be a while before cool gadgets like this have v8 ARM CPUs, and given the nonsense Microsoft are trying to impose about secure boot on ARM platforms anything hackable simply won't run Windows at all because if they do the rules make it impossible to run anything else.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:27:58 +0000

Mission 2 finished a few days ago but I only gathered the data today.

The temperature in the loft actually dipped below freezing a couple of times for the first time this winter.

It is difficult to tell for sure without some slight effort in analysis, but with the MHRV the daily swing in bedroom temperature is down to about 2C or less from 4C-ish with having to open and close windows each day to dispel moisture.

The temperature under the floor is still getting lower than I'd like, presumably through a mixture of air leakage and thermal bridging through the joist that the sensor is next to.

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:02:19 +0000

I've started a new mission:

http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-iButton-temperature-monitoring-of-aerogel-drylined-bedroom.html#m3

This is now comparing temperatures between the boy's room, the bedroom beside it, the living room below it, and outside.

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:29:55 +0000

Good choice. Is the iButton outside in a shaded area? They can give strange readings when in the sun.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:51:19 +0000

Out of direct rain and sunshine, but otherwise 'outside'!

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:06:35 +0000

I had one in the direct sun and one in the a box that was shielded and the one in direct sunlight have a lower reading, took me a while to work out why, shiny stuff.

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:01:06 +0000

First set of readings taken for mission 3. I notice that the living room temperature changes faster than I expected.

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:29:38 +0000

Is living room the pale blue line at the top.
Do your patio doors gets hit by the sun?

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:16:08 +0000

Living room is number 3, ie "3l".

See more here: http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-iButton-temperature-monitoring-of-aerogel-drylined-bedroom.html#m3

We do start to get a bit of warming by the sun in the afternoon from this time of the year, which is why we have blackout blind linings on our curtains, to help control it (as well as provide extra insulation in winter).

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:12:08 +0100

Update on the temperature measurements: the rise in temperatures over the last few days can really be seen.

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

SteamyTea — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:21:28 +0100

Lovely
There is nothing like numbers to show what is happening. But shoudl the new insulation not be limiting the temperature rise as anything sustained over 26°C is heading into a risk area.
Or have you had the windows open?

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:47:35 +0100

Windows have been open!

Right now in the living room the solar blinds and the aerogel are helping prevent the room overheating (and makes it possible for the kids to see the TV): a big improvement on how it was.

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:49:44 +0100

BTW, have just started graphing/charting output of my kids' school's new PV system. Early days yet but covering well over 25% of consumption over last few days for example, and does tentatively support assertion that thin-film does relatively better in cloudy conditions!

http://www.earth.org.uk/solar-powered-schools.html

Rgds

Damon

iButton-based temperature monitoring after IWI

DamonHD — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 13:43:04 +0100

First round of the 2h samples: interesting how close all the house temperatures are and how much less swing there is than outside in the porch.

Rgds

Damon