Help with wireless thermometer build (early build stage)

[1215]

I'm looking to build an open-source (free to DIY) wireless controller. Something that can do up to eight temp sensors, four fans and four servos. There is a ton of really good info out there for DIY smoker controller builds but everything I see is lacking --one fan, one (or two) temp sensors... Four temp sensors but no fan or servo control, etc. I don't have any ulterior motives, I'm doing this for me and the two smokers I'm building in my garage.


I have a few requirements:
1. Must have Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
2. Must be able to serve a web page
3. Hardware and software must be able to support up to eight (I don't care if it's headphone jacks or 2-prong thermocouple jacks) thermometers/temp sensors.
4. Hardware and software must be able to support four blower fans and four servo controls.
5. Software must be able to support multiple cookers at same time.
6. MOST IMPORTANT: Power requirements/supply are limited to 9VDC, 12VDC.

"Nice to have" but not required:
1. I'd like to keep the build close to a $100-$125 price point. (not including temp sensors, fans or servo motors) I don't care if someone has a 3D printer, they can weld, have an EE degree, etc. I'd like this to be something cheap enough that people can screw it up 2-3 times as they attempt to DIY it.
2. I'd like to keep the all-in build around $300-$350 with temp sensors, fans and servos.
3. I'd like to keep size down to something smaller than a 4-pack of beer, a box of tissues, box of gloves, etc. Ideally it would be smaller but one step at a time...


I'm willing to spend $500-$600 on hardware/parts for the first try but would expect that costs would go down significantly after that. People aren't going to want to DIY a $500 contraption (solder circuits and bread boards) when they can spend half that on something decent that does 80% of what this does.


I'm not married to a Pi but I think that would probably be the easiest.


I see a bunch of different software out there that runs on Pi-ish hardware. What is going to be the best in terms of ongoing development, feature enhancement, stability and the ability to tweak/change/customize?


Or --if you stopped reading because it sounds like a different language to you... Where can I go to ask about something like this? I see a lot of people on SMF have DIY'd temp or cooker controllers. Really looking for someone to give me a heads up as to what software is the best at the moment and also if a Pi has a daughter or add-on board that can support that many extra interfaces.


Thanks.

 

[SonnyE]

I don't have your answers, but I can point you to where to research:
Arduino Controllers.
These can be marvelous devices if you care to do the leg work for yourself to dig out the particulars.
Blue Tooth, or WiFi, USB to mini computer to WiFi.
But I don't think you are going to find anybody to donate the legwork for you.

I can shotgun some links to start you on your madness though:
Arduino
Source Forge Open Source Cooking Controllers.

Of course if you are one of "those" people, you might prefer Raspberry Pi stuff. At which point, you are on your own.
Raspberry Pi

As for me, I wanted a way to do remote control of my Astrophotography Telescope, mount, and specifically, WiFi electronic focusing.
I got there. And it is out of this world.
But my cooking and smoking is Back Yard. So about as Tech as I go there is digital controllers for temperature, and a ready made ThermoPro so I can monitor my temperature out back, while badgering people like you on the Internet.
Have you been watching too much Star Trek? "Computer, make me a medium rare Steak, 137.6 degrees, baked potato, 141 degrees, and cold beans, 47.8 degrees....

Now don't get pissed off, I have a disclosure in my signature.
Good luck on your Quest! ;)

 

[normanaj]

As for me, I wanted a way to do remote control of my Astrophotography Telescope, mount, and specifically, WiFi electronic focusing.
I got there. And it is out of this world.

Off topic of course and by no means trying to hijack this thread but would you be interested in expanding on this another thread?Astronomy fascinates me.

 

[mosparky]

I did a site search for "Pi" and got way more results than I expected. Someone within the last year or so was working on nearly the samething you hope to do. Sorry I wasn't going to wade thru 10 pages of results to find it, but be my guest.

 

[1215]

Now don't get pissed off, I have a disclosure in my signature.
Good luck on your Quest! ;)

I did read your disclosure. Thanks for the reply. I'm wondering specifically what "Of course if you are one of "those" people" means in reference to a Pi. To be honest I haven't ever used either. I own three Pi's but bought them about 2 years ago for some home automation stuff and just never got around to using them. I know very little about either so out of ignorance, I assume Arduino is simpler, more straight forward/logical, linear, does what it's told and can't think on it's own. Whereas the Pi has a ton of (in my opinion) useless features/functionality but easily takes to customization (hardware or software).

I don't have your answers, but I can point you to where to research:
Arduino Controllers.
These can be marvelous devices if you care to do the leg work for yourself to dig out the particulars.
Blue Tooth, or WiFi, USB to mini computer to WiFi.
But I don't think you are going to find anybody to donate the legwork for you.

I'm not looking for anyone to donate anything. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "Blue Tooth, or WiFi, USB to mini computer to WiFi.". I'm not interested in needing a device that can translate to push data into another device (on another board/chip) so that I can push it to yet one more device/board/chip. I'd rather use an Intel NUC (or similar) and be done with it. Then again, I've never used an Arduino so I don't know.

But my cooking and smoking is Back Yard. So about as Tech as I go there is digital controllers for temperature, and a ready made ThermoPro so I can monitor my temperature out back, while badgering people like you on the Internet.
Have you been watching too much Star Trek? "Computer, make me a medium rare Steak, 137.6 degrees, baked potato, 141 degrees, and cold beans, 47.8 degrees....

I'd like to sleep at BBQ comps. I don't want an alarm going off every 15min because something is out of range. Or --I'm willing to put in the effort so that I can build something that lets me sleep. And also lets me get up at 4am to light a fire in my back yard, put a piece of meat on and then go back to bed so I can sleep and maybe help her while we get ready for a party.

 

[SonnyE]

Off topic of course and by no means trying to hijack this thread but would you be interested in expanding on this another thread?Astronomy fascinates me.

Sure Norman!
I'll take it to PM (Err, conversation here...)...