Raspberry Pi to control environment for python enclosure

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BigFryMan

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I am currently writing software (in python) to run on a raspberry pi that will control the environment for my spotted python enclosure.


It will monitor the temperature from sensors on the cool and warm end and adjust the heating depending on preset values. It will also log humidity values. Planning to store all the temperature and humidity values in a log file every hour so that they can be fed into a web applet that I can check from my iphone or computer at work. If the temperature goes above a certain level it will send me a warning email or sms. The program will control the LED lighting during the day and infra red lighting at night. It's pretty simple software, anyone with a bit of python (software) knowledge could modify it to suit their needs very easily.

Could be really useful for checking on overnight temperature drops, etc...


Has anybody else done anything like this or would anybody else be interested in the software once i'm done? What about any ideas about other things I could automate or monitor in my enclosure?
 
Is this just because it's an interesting exercise for you, or do you think your python actually needs it?

Jamie
 
I'm sure my python couldn't care less what was turning his heat/lights on and off, but it's a bit of a fun exercise and it's really nice to be able to monitor his temps remotely. I'm always a little paranoid that his thermostat could die and he'd cook while I was at work.

I'd probably run all the power for my heating after my standard thermostat as well so that if the system did lock up or die, the thermostat would still cut the power if the enclosure overheated.

One other feature I forgot to mention is that I could also plug a webcam into the raspberry pi and monitor that remotely if I wanted.
 
Sounds like an interesting project and hope it works ok cause there could be a market for it..... Could it monitor my 17yr old sons movements ... Lol
 
Yeah somebody else was looking into it earlier in the year but I don't know how they went.

For me personally I'd love to make a basic humidity controller out of it for my frogs, but I'm no good with programming and that.

Would be interested to see how you go. I just use my pi as an entertainment unit lol.

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I'm sure my python couldn't care less what was turning his heat/lights on and off, but it's a bit of a fun exercise and it's really nice to be able to monitor his temps remotely. I'm always a little paranoid that his thermostat could die and he'd cook while I was at work.

I'd probably run all the power for my heating after my standard thermostat as well so that if the system did lock up or die, the thermostat would still cut the power if the enclosure overheated.

One other feature I forgot to mention is that I could also plug a webcam into the raspberry pi and monitor that remotely if I wanted.
I think it would be a lot easier to get piece of mind by installing a second backup thermostat set slightly higher than the first that controls the first one. That way if the first one gets stuck on the temperature will get hotter until the second thermostat turns off.
 
Yeah would definitely be easier to use two thermostats for piece of mind, but I'm mostly doing this for fun and programming practice. Happy to share the software once it's built so if anyone else wants to do the same it'll be a lot easier. If there's demand I could probably write a decent guide on how to configure the code and put the electronics together also.
 
Sounds interesting. Useful? Not sure. Big brotherish certainly. Good luck with it : )
 
Yeah would definitely be easier to use two thermostats for piece of mind, but I'm mostly doing this for fun and programming practice. Happy to share the software once it's built so if anyone else wants to do the same it'll be a lot easier. If there's demand I could probably write a decent guide on how to configure the code and put the electronics together also.

Heck yeah! I love the idea :)
 
whats raspberry pi?

you should incorporate a feeding and sloughing graph in the app to record feeds ands stuff.. snake keeper is only for iphone :(
 
whats raspberry pi?

you should incorporate a feeding and sloughing graph in the app to record feeds ands stuff.. snake keeper is only for iphone :(

A Raspberry Pi is a tiny little computer that runs linux and has an interface you can connect to various things, but in this case i'll be connecting it to temperature/humidity sensors, lighting and heating controllers. A quick google will show a lot. I wrote the bulk of the code this morning, but now I need to order the sensors and controllers before I can test it fully.
 
im staying tuned big fry. ive always wanted a full controller like this. you should make it plug and play and idiot proof, with sensor cords long enough to stretch across a whole room back to one point and make it affordable. you will be rich.

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Sax did you ever finish yours?
 
im staying tuned big fry. ive always wanted a full controller like this. you should make it plug and play and idiot proof, with sensor cords long enough to stretch across a whole room back to one point and make it affordable. you will be rich.

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Sax did you ever finish yours?

I very much doubt I'll get rich JustDragons, I'm planning on giving the software away if anybody wants it. If I can make it works well in practice then I'll be happy.
 
having said that bud, i think there is a big hole in the market for what you are working on. sure there is habistat and microclimate thermos. but my room has timers and thermos and cords and all crap everywhere. its very hard to get it all neat. I cannot believe nobody has come up with a basic hub where you can plug 50 plugs(sensors) in to and run a whole system off one ipad. imagine a sensor dies, just replace it. rather than the whole unit. i cannot imagine what the set up of someone like snake ranch costs. how many thermos and timers they must have..
 
I got mine working JD and I had it controlling temp to within 1°C and humidity within 5%RH but it was just a prototype to satisfy the requirements for my thesis. Unfortunately I haven’t had the time or motivation to improve it and produce something worth selling since finishing uni. I totally agree with you though. I don’t know why a big company hasn’t produced a hub style unit with expansion capability.

Fry man, what sensor are you using? What is the interface? I used a combined temp/humidity sensor that talks using I2C but that’s at least one or two layers lower than what I imagine you’d be able to do with a Pi.
 
I got mine working JD and I had it controlling temp to within 1°C and humidity within 5%RH but it was just a prototype to satisfy the requirements for my thesis. Unfortunately I haven’t had the time or motivation to improve it and produce something worth selling since finishing uni. I totally agree with you though. I don’t know why a big company hasn’t produced a hub style unit with expansion capability.

Fry man, what sensor are you using? What is the interface? I used a combined temp/humidity sensor that talks using I2C but that’s at least one or two layers lower than what I imagine you’d be able to do with a Pi.

Sounds like you had some promising results? What type of computer/interface did you use?

I haven't decided which sensors to use yet, but the first candidate I'll try will be the adafruit DS18B20 for temperature or maybe DHT22.
 
Awesome sax. I watched your thread waiting. Glad to hear you got some love out of the project.

You two should get things happening. Ill be the test piolet :p

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