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Forum Index : Electronics : PicLogger

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windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 05:41am 31 Aug 2009
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First i want to thank glen and anyone else who came up with the piclog.
I have just finished building mine with a few changes,
basically two piclogs on one board with diode turn around at coil curcuit.
1 piclog charger only and on same board 1 that will record all data only.
Also had to change PicAxe_1.2_Ver2 Logging program,
(Count 5, 1000, WSpeed )TO (Count 2, 1000, WSpeed)so i could get all data RPMs And WSpeed.
I also added in two phone jacks for the rpm and wspeed wiring.









now i can record data.
instead of video tapeing
YouTube Vid Edited by windman1000 2009-09-04
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 12:15am 04 Sep 2009
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Had a little wind for a very short time today and was able to get a screen shot.



This Is mounted of the hitch of my truck while im doing blade testing.and no im not driving it around.
 
Gizmo

Admin Group

Joined: 05/06/2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 5024
Posted: 12:31am 04 Sep 2009
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Thats a pretty good result there Windman, be interesting to see how it goes when you get some more wind.

The Piclog build is very well put together, looks cool.

Glenn
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 12:36am 04 Sep 2009
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Thanks
I think this piclogger is the best thing i have seen ever.
I beleave october is when we start getting our real winds for a few months, so i will be posting more data with the graph.
 
JimBo911

Senior Member

Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 01:07pm 13 Sep 2009
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Hello Windman
I have just finished building my mill and like you I am waiting for the October winds so I can to begin testing and start charging my battery bank.
Your pic logger is awesome very nice job. In all honesty I my self would not be able to build such a fine device, that being said I would really like to get my hands on one and would be willing to pay some one like your self to build me one. I know the logger must have taken some serious time to put together so I would understand if your not interested. Nice to see another forum member in the US. Fantastic job and nice video.
Jim
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 03:40pm 13 Sep 2009
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JimB0
If I made just the Piclog Board for you could you put the rest of it together?
The rest of it would be Box , Shunt ,Relays , Wireing , Fine tuning Picaxe Software.

My was Made for a DC Generator but thats was only a blocking diode insted of a rectifier.

And im 12 volts, If you wanted 24 volts I counldnt fully test board.Edited by windman1000 2009-09-15
 
JimBo911

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Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 12:14pm 14 Sep 2009
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Windman
Thanks for your reply. At this time I am at 12 volts but will be up grading to 48. I know nothing about writing of fine tuning software to many years in the construction industry guess . (lol) I finished my mill about three weeks ago and since then we have had almost no wind at all but I know it's coming. Great job on your piclog.
Jim
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 03:39am 20 Sep 2009
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hi jim
i only have one more of those boxes with massive heat sink on it, and i need it for a nother piclogger.
as for the shunt resitors and relays i have no more at this time and im not to sure how to make this piclogger to work on a 48 volts system but im sure it can be done with no problems, as for the picaxe software all adjustments are easy to do by just asking here what you wanted to adjust.

i think il have my new wind generator and 16 pvc pipe blades up tomorrow, 16 blades for low wind high torque.

and as soon as its up i know there will be no more wind
 
JimBo911

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Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 02:56am 21 Sep 2009
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Not a problem Windman thanks for getting back to me about the piclogger.
16 blades! now thats something that I am sure most of us would like to see? In case you did not know the newer PVC blades are awesome.
October is just around the corner and I am just about ready to raise my mill off the ground for some real testing. The National Tour of Solar homes is on the 13th of October we had about 70 to 80 people here during last years tour, not sure of your aware of the tour. I am sure the floks in your area would like to see your handy work?
Jim
 
windman1000
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Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 03:49am 21 Sep 2009
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I did get my up today and while I was re running 0/2 wire from wind generator and the wires for rpm and wind speed , i could see the gen turning aprox 120-160 rpms in a nice low breeze.
But as soon As I Was Ready To Record, The Wind Went Away.
Il get pictures of the gen up in place this week , But here is the 16 Blade on a test stand With gen im running.


Edited by windman1000 2009-09-22
 
JimBo911

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Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 02:03am 23 Sep 2009
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You could call it the Windman1000. I can't help but to wonder what the neighbors are thinking? (a cooling fan)
Jim
 
GWatPE

Senior Member

Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127
Posted: 05:15am 23 Sep 2009
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Here are some pics of my piclog. I use plugs and headers for connections, and a 5V supply from whatever is convenient- plugpac, DC-DC converter etc. The 3pin prog port is towards the bottom end of the board, and the 3pin header for the current sensor is towards the side. There are 2pin headers for windspeed, rpm, and DC volts and 5V power. This unit is scaled for 24/48V system and is connnected to a 48V system. I have removed an optocoupler, as I don't record windspeed yet. There is LED visual indication of windmill rotation and anemometer rotation.



These are my own cct interpretation of the piclog. I have added the additional analogue filtering to the rpm and current sensing. There is additional digital filtering in the micro code, and the output is the same [XML]format.

I am still revising the piclog app, to filter corrupt data that can occur when using a USB converter and half rail zero current sensors.

Gordon.
become more energy aware
 
windman1000
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Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 01:30pm 23 Sep 2009
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JimBo
My neighbors Call it the wind stopper, every time i put up a multi blade the wind seems to go away and its a waiting period.

Gordon that piclog Look Nice and simple and small.

And your New Graft you just shared with us is really nice 2009-09-20_091438_PicLog_viewer
I havnt had enough wind to post anything Plus somewhere i seem to of broke a wire to my rpm reed switch, so im going to drop wind gen back down find broken wire and replace reed switch with encoder.
 
GWatPE

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Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127
Posted: 10:44pm 25 Sep 2009
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Hi windman1000,

there will need to be a revision to the PicLog, as differences have been found from Wh, calculated from logged readings and the Wh calculated on the fly from Gizmo's original work. I have found a problem with an averaging routine used in the Piclog, and I will be reworking it to calculate true averages, that are then logged. This will mean that the Wh on the primary window will then match calculated Wh from logged data.

Gordon.
become more energy aware
 
windman1000
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Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 01:32am 26 Sep 2009
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You mean the 100,000 watts is not true data?

Please let me know when you have it updated.

And im in no hurry, as I stated in a earlyer post I need to re do my rpm wiring.

I did drop wind gen ,fixed wiring and replace reed switch with encoder and found new problem.

After watching data volts,rpm,I noticed that It was turnning 155 rpms in 12 mph wind but only 8-9 volts, should of been aprox 20 volts 10 amps.
So I took down gen again and put in lathe and my voltage was half of what it was then before.
This drove me crazy until I remembered that I took this servo motor apart last week and put new bearings in.

Turns out this servo motor when taken apart it looses its magnet strengh and it must be re magnetized.

I found a place in texas that re magnetizes servo motors but im not sure the cost plus shipping is worth it.
 
GWatPE

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Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127
Posted: 03:22am 26 Sep 2009
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Hi windman1000,

I am not sure where the 100,000 comes from. The instantanous power readings are correct. I am still working on the simplest true average, that is used to calculate Wh. The number of picaxe COMM readings can change in the sampling interval, so I will need to count successful data readings and average these.

What sort of magnets behave like that? The servo motors I have use cast Samarium/cobalt magnets. These are pretty std. No change in these magnets when unit taken apart and rebuilt.

I will talk to Gizmo about updating the piclog. The viewer has some cosmetic issues that I may still address.

Gordon.

become more energy aware
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 03:49am 26 Sep 2009
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I was just kidden around about the 100,000 watts
i dont know much about magnets but they look like cast iron with a magnet tip bonded on them, there was a warning not to take apart do too magnet loose but I didnt beleave it, Now I know
The sevro Tech I talk to today saids this is very common on lost of servo motors and his RE-Magnetizer charges capasitors with 400 volts and they jolt the magnets about 12 milly seconds of charge.

Also my servo motor MAVILOR comes with wires wrap around all the magnets from the fatory to magnetize the magnets, I didnt know what those wires were for until the tech told me today.
 
GWatPE

Senior Member

Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127
Posted: 11:55am 26 Sep 2009
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Hi windman1000,

Gizmo had done a great job with the program, but I am confident that the program will now pass a higher level scrutiny.

I have just finished my revisions to my own piclog coding. I found that the original program does not average the readings, but used a short timing interval maximum seeking algorithm. This actually gives a positive bias to all logged readings. I had recorded up to 15% error in calculated Wh from logged data compared to the value calculated and displayed from the raw data.

I was able to keep the rapid update display showing the scaled raw data, but the logged data is now a true mathematical averaging, that allows for a changing log timing interval. The Wh reading on the main display uses this same mathematical averaging and now correlates with the calculated Wh I get from the logged data. The mod allows for more accurate logging. I also made the same changes to the Volts, Amps, RPM, Watts and WSpeed calcs.

As I said above, I need to talk to Gizmo about a possible update. The simplest may just be a patch replacement of one .exe with another .exe.

Will see what pans out.

Gordon.

become more energy aware
 
windman1000
Regular Member

Joined: 21/06/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 91
Posted: 05:45pm 26 Sep 2009
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  GWatPE said  

Gizmo had done a great job with the program, but I am confident that the program will now pass a higher level scrutiny.

I had recorded up to 15% error in calculated Wh from logged data compared to the value calculated and displayed from the raw data.



I Agree Gizmo did do a great job and i think but not sure but you were or are involed with this piclog too,
My hat is off to both of you guys.
and a 15% error in WH is not bad for a free software logger.
In my case this is a great tool for all my lowwind testing, I get as an average of 10-15 mph winds and maybe 30 mph 3-4 times a year.
And with this piclog I can now have data to compare blade differents , generator differents and gearing differents until i find what works best in low wind.

Like I Said My Hat Is Off To Both You Guys And This Site.

windman1000

P.S.
I have two websites , one is a gaming site and one is my Company site.
My Gaming site is a motocross racing site and my members can race off or on line and post there lap times at the site.

Im going to try to get this piclog to do the same at my company site, but this wont happen over night.
 
liqud

Newbie

Joined: 11/08/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 22
Posted: 01:24am 09 Nov 2009
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Gordon- what program do you use to draw your pcbs. Im using PCB123 v3 and its got a very limited footprint library. By the way keep an eye on your piclogger seems small enough to lose in the couch. (very nice!)

back to the drawing board thank fully i hung it next to my desk

Truly,
Shawn C Edited by liqud 2009-11-11
Shawn C
Real power is not given its made...
 
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