Rainfrog Inc.

Tag: Data Logging

  • Upgrading to Phidgets Lib22 from Lib21

    Upgrading to Phidgets Lib22 from Lib21

    In the summer of 2017, Phidgets introduced a new driver library called Library 22 (Lib22). This replaced their legacy Library 21 (Lib21) software, and was rewritten from the ground up to provide support for their new VINT products, as well as greatly improve the reliability of wireless connections via a network host.

    Unfortunately, Lib22 drivers are not backward-compatible with the Lib21 drivers used by earlier versions of Roastmaster. Roastmaster 11 (October 2017) requires Lib22 to be installed on your network host in order to connect to Phidgets.

    Following are instructions for upgrading a Lib21 installation to Lib22. Detailed instructions for first-time installers can be found in Setting Up Phidgets.

    SBC Host Users

    1. Log into the administration console of your SBC
    2. Navigate to System > Packages, and click “Refresh Available Packages”
    3. Click “Upgrade All Packages”
    4. Once the packages have been upgraded, click the “Install” button next to “Phidget22 Network Server” in the “Installable Packages” section
    5. Next, navigate to Phidgets > phidget22 Network Server
      1. Verify that Phidget Network Server and PhidgetServer are enabled, published and running
      2. Verify Server Name and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
      4. Click Save Changes
    6. Deactivate the old Lib21 package in Phidgets > phidget21 Webservice
    7. Reboot your SBC in System > Reboot
    8. Your probes should link in Roastmaster. If not, restart Roastmaster by double-tapping the home button. This will show all of the background apps. Swipe upward on Roastmaster’s screen to terminate it. Tap the home button again, and launch it as usual.

    MacOS Users:

    1. Download the Lib22 drivers for your operating system here.
    2. Install the Phidgets Lib22 Control Panel application.
    3. Open the Phidgets Control Panel application and:
      1. Verify PhidgetServer is enabled and published
      2. Verify Server Name and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
    4. Uninstall the old Lib21 Preference Pane from System Preferences
    5. Restart your Mac
    6. Open the Phidgets Control Panel application and click “Start Network Server”
    7. Your probes should link in Roastmaster. If not, restart Roastmaster by double-tapping the home button. This will show all of the background apps. Swipe upward on Roastmaster’s screen to terminate it. Tap the home button again, and launch it as usual.

    Windows Users:

    Installation instructions are similar to MacOS, with one major difference: If you use Windows Firewall (most users), Phidgets will need a firewall exception rule in order to communicate with Roastmaster. Otherwise, Windows will block the network traffic at the port level. You can do one of two things (short of disabling Window firewall–NOT recommended):

    1. If you had previously created a Firewall exception rule: write down the previous port of the Lib21 that you were using before uninstalling Lib21. After installing Lib22, apply this port to replace the default port of 5661. Lib22 will then use the previous port exception in your firewall.
    2. If not, add a Windows Firewall port exception rule for incoming and outgoing TCP traffic on the new PhidgetsServer port (usually 5661).

    Upgrading Lib22

    • Download the Lib22 drivers for your operating system here.
    • Install the Phidgets Lib22 Control Panel application.
    • Open the new Phidgets Control Panel application and:
      1. Verify PhidgetServer is enabled and published
      2. Verify Server Name and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
    • Uninstall the old Lib21 Control Panel
    • If necessary, add a Windows Firewall exception rule as outlined above
    • Restart your PC
    • Open the new Phidgets Control Panel application and start the Network Server
    • Your probes should link in Roastmaster. If not, restart Roastmaster by double-tapping the home button. This will show all of the background apps. Swipe upward on Roastmaster’s screen to terminate it. Tap the home button again, and launch it as usual.

    Verify Your Probes Can Communicate

    Navigate to Probes in Roastmaster, and select each probe to view its details screen. Each probe should display a status of “Linked”. If not, your network host is not properly sending Phidget information across your WiFi network. Please visit Troubleshooting Phidgets for help resolving common issues, or instruction on how to get help.

  • Setting Up Phidgets

    Setting Up Phidgets

    Phidgets offer a versatile and scalable solution for monitoring and logging roast temperatures with Roastmaster’s Data Logging option. Roastmaster connects to one or more Phidget Temperature Sensors through your WiFi network via a network “host”.

    Please see How Do Phidgets Work? to become acquainted with how a network host is used to communicate with Roastmaster. Or, see Phidgets for a list of supported Temperature Sensors and hardware.

    If you are upgrading an existing Phidgets Lib21 installation on your network host to Lib22 for compatibility with Roastmaster 11, please see Upgrading to Phidgets Lib22 from Lib21.

    Note: These instruction apply to Roastmaster 11 (October 20, 2017) which requires Phidgets Lib22 to be running on your host. If you are configuring Phidgets for an earlier version of Roastmaster for use with Lib21, please see Setting Up Phidgets Legacy Lib21.

    To use Phidgets with Roastmaster, you’ll need…

    1. A Phidget Temperature Sensor (one of the following)
      • Legacy Temperature Sensor
      • VINT Temperature Sensor and accompanying VINT Hub
    2. Attached thermocouple or RTD probes
    3. A network host computer to send wireless readings (one of the following):
      • A full-size computer, e.g. Mac or PC desktop or laptop
      • Phidget SBC with USB WiFi adapter
      • Another brand of wireless DIY computer
    4. A wireless Ethernet network
    5. Roastmaster’s Data Logging entitlement (available as an in app purchase in the “Probes” section of Roastmaster’s Utilities screen)

    Once you have procured the necessary parts, you need to configure your host with the Phidget Network Server software drivers that allow it to communicate with Roastmaster on your wireless network.

    Configure Your Host

    Configuring a MacOS Host

    1. Download the Lib22 drivers for your operating system here.
    2. Install the software and Phidgets Lib22 Control Panel application.
    3. Open the Phidgets Control Panel application and:
      1. Verify PhidgetServer is enabled and published
      2. Verify Server Name and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
      4. Disable Webserver and Dictionaries – these are not used by Roastmaster
    4. Set the Network Server to start automatically on boot if desired
    5. Restart your Mac
    6. Open the Phidgets Control Panel application and click “Start Network Server” if not set to start automatically on boot

    Configuring a Windows Host

    • Download the Lib22 drivers for your operating system here.
    • Install the software and Phidgets Lib22 Control Panel application.
    • Open the new Phidgets Control Panel application and:
      1. Verify PhidgetServer is enabled and published
      2. Verify Server Name and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
      4. Disable Webserver and Dictionaries – these are not used by Roastmaster
    • Set the Network Server to start automatically on boot if desired
    • Restart your PC
    • Open the new Phidgets Control Panel application and start the Network Server if not set to start automatically on boot

    Note: Windows host users will often need to add firewall exception rules to allow Phidget Network Server traffic through the Windows firewall. See Troubleshooting Phidgets for more information on adding a firewall exception rule.

     

     

    Configuring an SBC Host

    1. Download and install the appropriate version of Driver Library 22 to a standard computer. This software and the standard computer will be used only once to perform the initial configuration of the SBC.
    2. Attach the Temperature Sensor to your SBC via the supplied USB cable.
    3. Launch the Phidgets Control Panel application on your standard computer.
    4. Navigate to the PhidgetSBCs pane.
    5. Double click the SBC to launch the web Administration Console.
    6. In the Administration Console, navigate to System > Packages, and verify that “Phidget22 Network Server” is installed. If not:
      1. Click “Refresh Available Packages”
      2. Install the available Phidget22 packages
      3. Disable the outdated Phidget21 Webservice in the Phidgets pane if it is installed
    7. Navigate to Phidgets > phidget22 Network Server
      1. Verify that Phidget Network Server and PhidgetServer are enabled, published and running
      2. Verify Server ID and Port are entered
      3. Verify that Password field is blank
      4. Disable Webserver and Dictionaries – these are not used by Roastmaster
      5. Click Save Changes
    8. Reboot your SBC in System > Reboot

     

    Define Probes in Roastmaster

    After configuring the network host, it’s time to define the probes you want to use in Roastmaster. This process is only performed once. After the probes are defined, they will be available for the life of the app on your device.

    If you have not yet purchased the Data Logging option, you can purchase it by navigating to Probes, and tapping “Probe Store” in the bottom toolbar.

    1. Navigate to “Probes” in Roastmaster.
    2. Tap “+” to create a new probe.
    3. Choose Phidgets Temperature Sensor.
    4. Enter Temperature Sensor and probe configuration parameters (These are listed below according to Temperature Sensor and probe type)
    5. Name the probe
    6. Tap Save

    Legacy Thermocouple Temperature Sensor Parameters

    • Serial: The unique serial number of the Temperature Sensor
    • VINT Hub Port: Unused
    • Sensor: Thermocouple
    • Sensor Port: The Temperature Sensor port the probe is attached to (0-3)
    • Type: K, J, E or T

    VINT Thermocouple Temperature Sensor Parameters

    • Serial: The unique serial number of the VINT hub the Temperature Sensor is attached to
    • VINT Hub Port: The port on the VINT hub that the Temperature Sensor is attached to (0-5)
    • Sensor: Thermocouple
    • Sensor Port: The Temperature Sensor port the probe is attached to (0-3)
    • Type: K, J, E or T

    VINT RTD Temperature Sensor Details Parameters

    • Serial: The unique serial number of the VINT hub the Temperature Sensor is attached to
    • VINT Hub Port: The port on the VINT hub that the Temperature Sensor is attached to (0-5)
    • Sensor: RTD Probe
    • Sensor Port: 0
    • Type: The PT100 or PT1000 configuration that matches your RTD probe
    • Wire Setup: 2, 3, or 4 wires

    Locating Serial Numbers

    Mac or PC Host: Serial numbers of attached Phidgets can be found in the “Phidgets” tab of the “Phidget Control Panel” application.

    SBC Host: Serial numbers of attached Phidgets can be found in the Phidgets > Status pane of the Administration Console.

    Verify Connection

    After entering all required probe information according to your Temperature Sensor and probe type as listed above, Roastmaster should display a green “Linked” status, as well as the current temperature of the probe.

    If you see “Unlinked” displayed in red, and have followed all of these steps, it’s very likely that a firewall somewhere on your network (either on the host or the router itself) is blocking the Network Server traffic, or there is another configuration problem preventing the host from sending information to Roastmaster.

    Please visit Troubleshooting Phidgets for a list of common connection problems and possible solutions.

    Begin Using Your Probe!

    Once your probe definition has been created, and displays a linked status, all that’s left to do in the future is to link the probe to reading curves in roasts to report temperatures and log data.

    1. In “Roasts”, tap the “+” button to create a new roast.
    2. Tap the curve button, and choose “Create New Curve”
    3. Set the curve type to “Reading”
    4. Tap the “Bind To” field to bind the curve to your new probe definition.
    5. Save the curve

    In the roast console, you can select your curve by tapping the console graph. Roastmaster will display live temperature readings as they change on the probe. After you start the roast, Roastmaster will log these temperatures at the interval defined in the curve for the duration of the roast.

    Developing Your Workflow

    Have a look at some of our screencasts, particularly those in the “Roasting with Roastmaster” series, for instructions on how to leverage curves and profiles with Data Logging to create effortless workflows with vital Reference Curves for targeting, and Data Curves for logging new data.

  • Roastmaster 11 and Phidgets Lib22 Compatibility

    Roastmaster 11 and Phidgets Lib22 Compatibility

    Roastmaster version 11 has just been released. If you are a Phidgets user, please read the following compatibility statement before upgrading.

    Phidgets Lib22

    In the summer of 2017, Phidgets introduced a new driver library called Library 22 (Lib22). This replaced their legacy Library 21 (Lib21) software, and was rewritten from the ground up to provide support for their new VINT products, as well as greatly improve the reliability of wireless connections via a network host.

    Unfortunately, Lib22 drivers are not backward-compatible with the Lib21 drivers used by earlier versions of Roastmaster. Roastmaster 11 (October 2017) requires Lib22 to be installed on your network host in order to connect to Phidgets. So, before you upgrade to Roastmaster 11, PLEASE ENSURE that you can devote the time to upgrading your Phidgets host to Lib 22 before roasting.

    We scheduled the release of Roastmaster 11 for late in the evening Friday, Oct 20, in order to give Phidgets users time to experiment, and bring their host into compliance with the new drivers before production cycles begin again on Monday.

    The upgrade should be quick. SBC and MacOS host users should be up and running in a matter of a few minutes. Windows host users may have to allow additional time to configure a Firewall exception rule in Windows firewall.

    Please see detailed instructions in Upgrading to Phidgets Lib22 from Lib21.

  • Roast and Curve Events

    Roast and Curve Events

    Are you looking to record a noteworthy occurrence at a particular time in a roast? Events are your answer. Do you want Roastmaster to alert you when a particular time or temperature has been reached before, during or after a roast? Events can handle that as well.

    Marker Events

    In their most basic capacity, events in Roastmaster are simple markers containing custom notes that are affixed to a specific time. Events can be created in either a roast or a curve as a permanent record of a noteworthy occurrence that happened at a particular point during a roast.

    Creating a Basic Event Marker

    You can create and edit events as line items in the detail view of either the roast console or a curve. But, the easiest way to create events is graphically in the roast analyzer.

    1. In the analyzer, tap the event icon
       in the tool bar, or the roast or curve icon in the top left corner of the screen. If a curve is selected, an event will be created in the curve. Otherwise, it will be created in the roast.
    2. Enter a title.
    3. If created during a live roast, the time will already be set. If not, set to the desired time.
    4. Save the event.

    Auto-Trigger Events

    Events can also function in more advanced capacities than just their role as basic markers. When defined in the context of a new roast (or future roast via a curve template in a profile), they can be set to automatically trigger by time or temperature criteria. If an event is created in a roast, it can fire at a certain time, presenting a visual or audible alert. If it is created in a curve or curve template, however, it can also be set to fire when a certain temperature has been reached. This provides both a helpful means to be alerted when adjustments on the roaster should be made, and also a record of when they occurred.

    Creating an Auto-trigger Event

    Roast events can auto-trigger at a specific time in that roast. Curve events, however, can auto-trigger at either time or temperature related criteria.

    1. Create an event in a curve or profile curve template details screen by tapping “Add” in the “Events” section, or in a roast as described above.
    2. Set the type to “Marker” for a standard event, or choose from one of the pre-defined event types, such as Turnaround or Pyrolysis.
    3. Set “Trigger” to on.
    4. Choose whether it should be evaluated before, during or after the roast.
    5. Set the trigger criteria.

    When the curve or roast satisfies the criteria during a roast, Roastmaster will alert you, and affix the event marker to the applicable time on the curve or roast’s time line.

    Interacting with Events in the Roast Analyzer

    When the Analyzer’s label mode is set to Milestones, Curve or All, Events will be displayed at their appropriate time and temperature in the graph. Tap an event to expand or collapse it. When expanded, tap on the pencil to edit the details of that event.

    Using Events in Lieu of Control Curves

    Some folks like to roast using both Reading and Control curves to record both temperature and machine settings as static variables in each roast. Others, though, appreciate the flexibility of events. Personally, I don’t use control curves in my own roasts. I simply have a series of auto-trigger events defined to alert me to adjust machine settings at specific temperatures, based on the personality of my particular roaster. This style of roasting affords me a lot of freedom, allowing my roasts to be truly hands-free, and letting me multitask on other things, like bagging, labeling, etc.

    Querying Event Information in Reports

    As helpful as events are when performing or viewing a particular roast, they can also be leveraged by Roastmaster’s reporting engine and analyzed as individual metrics over a series of roasts. This helps you to see larger patterns in your roasts.

    The following pre-defined event types are incorporated into Roastmaster’s reporting engine:

    • Turnaround
    • Drying (End)
    • Pyrolysis

    Creating auto-trigger events in your Profile curve templates of these types will ensure that this information is available as individual metrics when analyzing reports of your roasts.

     

  • ThermaQ Blue

    ThermaQ Blue

    The ThermaQ Blue is an improved model of the trustworthy and battle-tested BlueTherm Duo from the same manufacturer, ThermoWorks.

    Like its predecessor, The ThermaQ Blue is a convenient and easy to use solution for home and specialty roasters alike.

    It has been improved with a slightly smaller size, and utilizes the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol for continuous, direct communication with Roastmaster. It is powered by 1 AA battery, boasts a 4000 hour battery life, and supports up to 2 K type thermocouples.

    In order to use the ThermaQ Blue with Roastmaster, you’ll need:

    1. ThermaQ Blue (Available internationally from ThermoWorks)
    2. 1 or 2 K Style thermocouples
    3. Roastmaster Data Logging Option

    Available in Roastmaster 10.1 and above.

    Documentation for

    ThermaQ Blue