It's working... it's working!!!

LoopyByteloose · 2012-09-10 06:40

mindrobots wrote: »

Chickens are notorious for breaking ranks and becoming mutinous. Ducks on the other hand lend themselves more to precision marching and even exhibit this in the wild.

That is a bit scary. I suppose that since geese fly in formations, they too might fall under the control of military precision.

Rsadeika · 2012-09-10 07:48

What is missing in the video? The robots that come in to clean the coop, and get the eggs for you, maybe even round up a few stray chickens.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 09:11

varnon wrote: »

I would think some of the chickens would run under the coop if the heard the "death from the sky" call.

Good point!

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 09:13

When I was researching ideas I saw a similar contraption on youtube - somebody has done it... .will search for it again.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 09:14

Rsadeika wrote: »

What is missing in the video? The robots that come in to clean the coop, and get the eggs for you, maybe even round up a few stray chickens.

I was thinking and automatic feed dispenser too.

cuz, yeah. I'm lazy.

jazzed · 2012-09-10 09:32

doggiedoc wrote: »

I was thinking and automatic feed dispenser too.

cuz, yeah. I'm lazy.

You could hook up a motor or servo to a seed spreader

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100664982/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=seed+spreader&storeId=10051#.UE4Vto0iYuA

Think of the big wheels as mechanical advantage.

The handheld version works, but you have to shake it up.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 10:13

That could work. I was thinking an auger in a tube or something....

Hmmm.... spreader may have some advantages.

ElectricAye · 2012-09-10 10:36

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

Maybe a barking dog sound playing from outside the coop will coax that last chicken in before the door closes...

Or maybe fire up the animatronic Colonel Sanders sallying forth an empty bucket.

That's a great contraption you've got there, Doc.

GordonMcComb · 2012-09-10 14:41

erco wrote: »

I miss my chickens. I had 3 gorgeous Rhode Island reds before the twins, raised from Easter chicks. But then LA Animal control came a-knocking. I guess Huey, Duey & Louie failed to charm one of my neighbors...

LA has long allowed chickens (not sure about roosters) as long as you had the back yard for it. Not enough room in those new fangled tract homes, though. Don't know what kind of setbacks you have, but where we are we're allowed up to six chickens, as long as they're at least 35 feet from the neighbors (but then, I'm sure, only if they object). While we do have such a setback, it would mean a very small run for the chickens.

Put a chicken in your back yard and you will not have a bug or spider problem.

Nice project there, DD!

-- Gordon

GordonMcComb · 2012-09-10 14:50

Everyone else is posting their chicken videos, here's my favorite -- these aren't hens I keep, but I've known a few like this!

(Go in to 0:25 or so..).

-- Gordon

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 15:02

GordonMcComb wrote: »

Put a chicken in your back yard and you will not have a bug or spider problem.

This is a very true statement.

Nice project there, DD!

-- Gordon

Thanks GM - BTW I really like your Kickstarts Book!

Paul

doggiedoc · 2012-09-10 15:03

ElectricAye wrote: »

Or maybe fire up the animatronic Colonel Sanders sallying forth an empty bucket.

That's a great contraption you've got there, Doc.

Suppose I could find the Colonel on Ebay?

LoopyByteloose · 2012-09-11 00:40

I live in Taiwan''s second largest city. But Asia being what it is, I have a neighbour somewhere nearby that has 4 or 5 free range chickens that wander the streets. People simply respect the fact that they are someone else's and do not molest them.

If they lay eggs, I have no idea where.

I've seen other people keeping goats, pigs, and even a cow or two on vacant lots. And we still have the occasional rice paddy wedged between buildings in the urban environment.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-12 17:07

Loopy Byteloose wrote: »

If they lay eggs, I have no idea where.

Chickens will generally head home to roost. Home is easily imprinted by raising the chicks where you want them to roost. Then when they are big enough give the more room to roam.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-12 17:40

BTW, here's the code: (and I attached the spin file)

'' coop door test
'' 9/3/2012
'' Paul A. Willoughby, DVM

CON
  _clkmode = xtal1 + pll16x
  _xinfreq = 5_000_000

CdS_PIN = 0           'ADC pin (not to be confused with P0)
RELAY_PIN  = 14
MOTOR_PIN  = 15

UPPER_SWTCH_PIN = 1
LOWER_SWTCH_PIN = 0

DUSK = 7
DAWN = 50

ON = 1
OFF = 0
UP = 1
DOWN = 0



OBJ
    HB25        : "HB-25"
    adc         : "PropBOE ADC"                               ' A/D Converter on PropBOE
    pst         : "Parallax Serial Terminal Plus"             ' Terminal communication tools


VAR

  long lightValue, doorState                                              

PUB Main

  Initialize
  repeat

    lightValue := adc.In(CdS_PIN)                        ' Get AD0 analog to digitla conversion
    GetDoorState
    Display
    if (lightValue < DUSK) & (doorState == UP)
      CloseDoor
    if (lightValue > DAWN) & (doorState == DOWN)
      OpenDoor
    waitcnt(clkfreq / 5 + cnt)                        ' Delay for 50 ms

    OUTA [RELAY_PIN] := OFF            



    ''waitcnt(clkfreq * 5 + cnt)

PRI OpenDoor

    OUTA [RELAY_PIN] := ON
    waitcnt(clkfreq * 3 + cnt)
    HB25.SetMotorS(1650,1500)
    waitcnt(clkfreq * 2 + cnt)
    HB25.SetMotorS(1500,1500)
    waitcnt(clkfreq + cnt)
    doorState := UP
 

PRI CloseDoor

    OUTA [RELAY_PIN] := ON
    waitcnt(clkfreq * 2 + cnt)
    HB25.SetMotorS(1400,1500)
    waitcnt(clkfreq * 2 + cnt)
    HB25.SetMotorS(1500,1500)
    waitcnt(clkfreq + cnt)
    doorState := DOWN

PRI GetDoorState | switchVal

    switchVal := INA [LOWER_SWTCH_PIN..UPPER_SWTCH_PIN]
    pst.Str(String("Switches = "))
    pst.Bin(switchVal, 2)
    pst.NewLine
    case switchVal
       %01 :
        doorState := UP

      %10 :
        doorState := DOWN

  
PRI Initialize

    DIRA [RELAY_PIN..MOTOR_PIN]~~
    DIRA [LOWER_SWTCH_PIN..UPPER_SWTCH_PIN]~

  
    OUTA [MOTOR_PIN] ~
    waitcnt(clkfreq * 5 + cnt)
   
    HB25.SetMotorS(1500,1500)
    HB25.Start(MOTOR_PIN)



''uncomment to use as debug

PUB Display
''Display Method
''Sends cursor home, then displays ad=value and clears
''to right of value.

  ''pst.Home                                              ' Home position on screen
  pst.Str(String("CdS value = "))                        ' Display CdS value =
  pst.Dec(lightValue)
  pst.ClearEnd
  pst.NewLine
  pst.Str(String("DoorState = "))
    case doorState
       UP :
        pst.Str(String("Up"))

      DOWN :
        pst.Str(String("Down"))
  pst.NewLine
  pst.Home                                        ' Clear to the right of the value

doggiedoc · 2012-09-14 18:24

An idea stemming from Chris Savage's post in the project thread on Savage Circuits suggested I need to add a method that takes the average of some number of values from the CdS Photo Resistor to cancel out spikes of light, for example kids with flash light, lightning, car passing by and such.

I'm thinking something like: (have not tested yet, don't know for sure it will compile)

PRI GetLightLevels | sumValue
     repeat 20
         lightValue := adc.In(CdS_PIN)
         sumValue += lightValue
         waitcnt(clkfreq / 5 + cnt)
     lightValue := sumValue/20

Then just call GetLightLevels in the main loop instead of reading the CdS pin directly from the main loop.

Comments? Corrections? Is this "elegant" enough?

Paul

doggiedoc · 2012-09-14 18:44

Tested the idea (in code) and it compiles fine. Heading out to the coop to upload the program and "field test" it.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-14 19:16

Needed to initialize the local var sumValue to 0 each pass through the method. I also added some code to display the values in PST while testing.

PRI GetLightLevel | sumValue
     sumValue := 0
     repeat 20
        lightValue := adc.In(CdS_PIN)
        sumValue += lightValue
        pst.Home 
        pst.Str(String("SumValue = "))
        pst.Dec(sumValue)
        pst.ClearEnd
        pst.NewLine
        waitcnt(clkfreq / 5 + cnt)
     lightValue := (sumValue/20)

It seems to work fine. This creates a 4 second buffer for the light value reading and assigns the average reading to the global var lightValue. Yay!

Roger Lee · 2012-09-14 20:02

Nice idea to get some kind of average light level before making any logic decisions.
I think I can see what you are doing with the results of "GetLightLevel" method.
Results of one run though that method determines if and when to change the state of the door.

You want to eliminate false triggers for the door opening, correct?
Just wondering if 4 seconds long enough time.
Sure, sure, most of the time it will be enough.

You could easily stretch out that sample time to one or two minutes, for example.
After all, this is a decision that is made once in the morning and once at night. Why rush it?

Looking forward to results of your field test.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-14 20:07

Roger Lee wrote: »

... this is a decision that is made once in the morning and once at night. Why rush it?

Looking forward to results of your field test.

excellent point! Once I have it finessed to my satisfaction I'll do that. Testing goes much quicker with faster loops. Also I expect to drop the clock speed down to save on current draw.

Roger Lee · 2012-09-14 20:12

doggiedoc wrote: »

Testing goes much quicker with faster loops.

LOL, good point.

PS Congratulations on being named Project on the Week.

doggiedoc · 2012-09-14 20:16

Roger Lee wrote: »

LOL, good point.

PS Congratulations on being named Project on the Week.

Thanks! I thought that was pretty cool! Never had any kind of recognition like that before!

davejames · 2012-09-14 20:21

...how about using one of them cog thingies to act as a basic 24 hour clock "filter" which would determine the proper operating window of the light sensor?

Sounds good in my head, anyway...

doggiedoc · 2012-09-15 02:20

davejames wrote: »

...how about using one of them cog thingies to act as a basic 24 hour clock "filter" which would determine the proper operating window of the light sensor?

Sounds good in my head, anyway...

I thought about something like that. It could work I think, but I don't believe it's really necessary with this new GetLightLevel method.

Paul

Igor_Rast · 2012-11-09 17:13

Doggiedog ,
have you seen my tread about the wiznet connected to the prop measuring temp & humidity.HERE
and displaying them along with a graph. keeping a relay onder control .
maybe just wat you were looking for . nice barn by the way

skylight · 2012-11-10 08:26

doggiedoc wrote: »

Yeah it is! After I finish this automatic door project I'm going to expand the coop.. Then I'd like to........... set up a web server for it.

Paul

Ok I admit I was only joking when I suggested you train one of the chickens to close the door in your other thread but giving your chickens access to the internet I think is taking it a little too far!

Glad to see you got it working in the end.