I see there's lots of electric smoker mod threads. A bunch using a PID controller which is cool. Just so happens I used build electronic devices, and while I usually did it the hard way, I recently bought my very first Arduino. ( Had to build new controls for a coal stove using one). It just saves reinventing the wheel on the controller design and the 3 series are like <$3.
That said, for fun I bought a 4 series board (about $14) which has built in wifi and messed with that because I want to use it as a controller to track my heating system (gas furnace and boiler) and weather data / gas consumption data at the same time. The initial setup was so simple, and the functionality so easy, it seems this would be a fantastic way to control an electric smoker. You guys might be surprised how easy this is.
I set mine up as a wifi access point, so it basically acts like a web server I could access from my tablet or phone. PC might work too but that might be more involved. But in no time at all that was up and working, and I was monitoring a 1-wire temp sensor via my mobile devices web browser. Control for a smoker would be nothing more than writing more code to do other things and read an HTML form with settings. Meaning, using it as a server for a "Web Page", a mobile device can talk to it through a browser. You could display and control all parameters anyone could want.
Using wired probes and an OP amp, you could use all the analog inputs for temp probes, I think it has 6. 1-wire devices are a digital in which is serial, and you can daisy chain more than we'll ever want. PID could be done in code so as not to need a separate controller, and there's way enough digital outputs for controlling solid state relays, which are about $4 for a 15A or 20A one. Way enough for a smoker element at 800W.
Surprised I'm not seeing something like this mentioned anywhere.
That said, for fun I bought a 4 series board (about $14) which has built in wifi and messed with that because I want to use it as a controller to track my heating system (gas furnace and boiler) and weather data / gas consumption data at the same time. The initial setup was so simple, and the functionality so easy, it seems this would be a fantastic way to control an electric smoker. You guys might be surprised how easy this is.
I set mine up as a wifi access point, so it basically acts like a web server I could access from my tablet or phone. PC might work too but that might be more involved. But in no time at all that was up and working, and I was monitoring a 1-wire temp sensor via my mobile devices web browser. Control for a smoker would be nothing more than writing more code to do other things and read an HTML form with settings. Meaning, using it as a server for a "Web Page", a mobile device can talk to it through a browser. You could display and control all parameters anyone could want.
Using wired probes and an OP amp, you could use all the analog inputs for temp probes, I think it has 6. 1-wire devices are a digital in which is serial, and you can daisy chain more than we'll ever want. PID could be done in code so as not to need a separate controller, and there's way enough digital outputs for controlling solid state relays, which are about $4 for a 15A or 20A one. Way enough for a smoker element at 800W.
Surprised I'm not seeing something like this mentioned anywhere.
