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DIY Aquarium Touchscreen Controller

87K views 207 replies 26 participants last post by  Darkblade48 
#1 ·
After seeing some amazing DIY controllers, I'm gonna have a go at it. Just had my Arduina Mega and 3.2" touchscreen delivered yesterday.
The plan is to monitor Temp, pH, dissolved Oxygen and eventually filter output flow. Want to also be able to control my heater, Co2, and LEDS with this controller.
I have never written code before, so this is going to be a learn as I go project :)

Used an existing sketch (Jarduino 1.1) to test everything out, and to give me an idea on how all the code ties in together.



Mike
 
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#3 ·
i am very interested in what you are doing as i wish to do this myself and i am just starting in arduino myself what code are you using (sketch) if you would can you post it or provide a link to get it.
thanks
doc
:fish:
This is a link to the sketch I used to check everything out. I'm gonna give it a shot at writing my own though :)

Jarduino 1.1
 
#5 ·
Im gunna keep my eye on this one you reckon it would be able to control c02 solenoid aswell? ?

If so I might have to get someone to assemble one with an austtalian adapter ;)

Sent from my ST25a using Tapatalk 2
Yessir :)
 
#7 ·
thanks got it now going to check it out seems i blew it on installing a water heater the other day should have doulbe checked for leaks. so have to repair the problem maybe next month i can get some of the hardware for this cool project. seems whenever i try and go the cheap way i end up spending more oh well.
doc
 
#10 ·
I know that feeling, just finally got the last of the weepers fixed on my tank over the weekend :)
Now to wait on the RTC to get delivered so I can get this project moving forward.
 
#9 ·
I am using a SainSmart 3.2" TFT LCD Display+SainSmart TFT LCD Adjustable Shield for the Arduino 2560
 
#12 ·
Finally had some time to start playing aroud with this controller build. Pogramming it isn't as hard as it looks. This layout will change, just getting the feel for everything right now :)



Gonna get the time and date working next, then the SD card. Once that's done I have to order my probes and shields then the fun begins.
Mike
 
#14 ·
Just about got the Home screen the way I want it :)

 
#18 ·
Time and date now working



Need to clean up my code and start building my menu pages. Will eventually have icons on the lower right hand corner of screen for navigation

Mike
 
#21 ·
Once I get everything set up and working, I plan on doing that. It'll be a ways down the road, this is kinda a rainy day project right now due to work.
Mike
 
#22 ·
Got the set Time/Date screen working last night. Still have to add option for 12/24 hr format, and get it to return to main screen.



Ordering my Temp, pH probes and relays next week, hoping to have most of it working by the end of the month :)
 
#23 ·
Il be ordering my touchscreen and mainboard next week hopefully so im deffinatly interested in seeing what sheilds you use with it

Il be using mine to control 2 parastaltic pumps for my macro's and micros mainly

So im interested in how your interface is programed and such

Sent from my ST25a
 
#24 ·
Il be ordering my touchscreen and mainboard next week hopefully so im deffinatly interested in seeing what sheilds you use with it

Il be using mine to control 2 parastaltic pumps for my macro's and micros mainly

So im interested in how your interface is programed and such

Sent from my ST25a
Most of what I have is placeholders right now. I'm still getting a feel for the programming end of it. I have the clock fully working, and when I go on vacation next month I will be getting pretty much everything else working.
Right now I have the 3.2'' Touchscreen, touchscreen shield, DS1307 breakout board, Arduino Mega 2560, and 2 temp probes. Still have to get the pH and O2 breakout boards, relays and SD card. I can PM you the code I have right now, but it needs a lot of cleaning up
Mike
 
#26 ·
Well im a few weeks from having mine yet il pm you when I get it as your pretty much taking the same route im gunna be going down so il borrow some code when iv gotten it all in the mail

Cheers

Sent from my ST25a
Sounds good, I'll keep an eye out for it :proud:
 
#28 ·
By anychance have you worked out how to drive led in a cost effective way from it at all I keep turning up dead ends shield wise

Sent from my ST25a
I'm still checking into DIY drivers. I want to be able to dim down to 0%.
Mike
 
#30 ·
Have a look around someone built one from a atx power supply but im not sute how they got it to dim tho

I think it was on this forum possably aswell

Sent from my ST25a
I'm using Meanwells on my DIY LED's right now, they just don't dim past 11%. O2surplus has quite a few DIY drivers he has done, thinking about getting a board made for one of his designs.
Mike
 
#36 ·
#34 ·
Ordered most of my arduino stuff today
I grabed the same touchscreen and mega kit
Real time shield
And a led driver shield. It's got 6 channels and has a input of up to 30v so I'm curious to get the unit to have a play around looks like I'm gunna be running parallel instead of in series with it and I think I got a motor shiel too just need my dosing pumps(in a fortnight a time il order them)

I can pm you a link to the driver shield if you are interested was only aus $22
 
#35 ·
Ordered most of my arduino stuff today
I grabed the same touchscreen and mega kit
Real time shield
And a led driver shield. It's got 6 channels and has a input of up to 30v so I'm curious to get the unit to have a play around looks like I'm gunna be running parallel instead of in series with it and I think I got a motor shiel too just need my dosing pumps(in a fortnight a time il order them)

I can pm you a link to the driver shield if you are interested was only aus $22
That would be cool, would like to check it out :thumbsup:
 
#39 ·
did you use wire.h for your ds1307 ? I've had trouble with jarduino's code and knock off ds13072's
Sorry it took a bit to answer, been preoccupied with storm prep.
I used the DS1307 library only, had to solder a wire to the +5V pad on the Arduino to power the breakout board
 
#40 ·
Diy2

Hey sounds like I'm not alone then!
I'm planning on doing the same thing - mainly for light control, maybe an automatic feeder in the near future. I had already blown (burnt, smoked, nearly started a fire) two of the fluoro ballasts so I've replaced them with LED strips. Pics are here if you're interested: http://electronicmenagerie.blogspot.com.au/

I want to try and build a cutdown version of jarduino, just using an atmega328P (ie the chip in the Arduino Uno), some transistors for PWM driving (dimming) the lights, a few temperature sensors, and a small LCD with buttons. LCDs big enough to have a touch screen end up taking up most of the pins and not leaving many for I/O - and the flash is smaller on a Uno so it could be a squeeze. I'll post here to let you know how it goes.

Boxhead - where in Oz are you? I'm in Adelaide.

cheers
Steve
 
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