# computer controled thermostat.



## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

does anyone know of a thermostat that can be controled from my PC/Laptop? 

i am thinking a computer program, where i can type in values/temparatures, and the program sends information to the stats/units, and the temps are controled like that. 

does one exist, if so, where from.

i have been to google, and there are only wall mounted ones, that are for central heating, nothing with a probe on it!

thanks 
Dan


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## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

I think you would need a specialist control unit to be honest mate. There won't be anything reasonably (under £500) priced that will sense and adjust a power output (to a mat / bulb).

You could quite easily get an electronics company to wire a temp sensor to a port on your pc and another wire to a control box for adjusting power outputs. You would then need a program to control the ports.

Lol.

Possible but quite long winded and really not worth it unless you really want it.

Good idea for controlling a few vivs, especially if you could get humidity too and graphs on the go.

Would be like herp-mission-control. :lol2:


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

i remember seeing some links about a guy who wanted to build one of these and sell them......i think it was on this site........i forget.....ill have a look for you.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

thanks. 

it would be fantastic, if i could get a program running, so i can view mx mins, humidity, and stuff. 

what would be really nifty, is if i could get live weather reports from their origins, and set the computer to match them, thats natural!

seriously, though, it would be very nice to have all of the stats through the computer, then i could monitor them and make changes at the touch of a button.

is there not a system in use in zoos, or industral breeding facilities, or in green houses for plants or somthing.


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

darkdan99 said:


> thanks.
> 
> it would be fantastic, if i could get a program running, so i can view mx mins, humidity, and stuff.
> 
> ...


do you have endless time & finances to set this up ? 
or is it a hypothetical question ? 
if you do set it up keep us posted as it sounds intriguing


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

its a "if i had the time, willing, and money" kinda thing, neither of which i have right now.

but i would like simple thermostats, controled from my computer, so i can change, and monitor max.min temps and such.

i presume that if the greenhouses have them, to help letice grow, then they cannot be that un-affordable. 

but i would be willing to pa a fair amoun for this hard, and soft ware. remember that each stat costs £50 givev or take, so if i had a computer controle unit, for 10 vivs it would be worth at least £600, as the equavalent is £500.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

I'VE GOT IT 

now i just need to make sence of it 
Making a Computer Controlled Greenhouse


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

looking at the costs, for thi guys setup, i may be able to do it for alot less than anticipated. 

try £about 50-80 for up to 8 vivs, but that is simple on/off thermostats, which are ok, with mats or ceramics i guess.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

for anyone interested.

i can use the above systems, to control various conditions in vivaria.

it will take one or two ports for control of a unit. if you opt for one, it will be a simple on/off switch, based on stimulai (like a temprature/mat thermostat), if a second is used, you can set limits, so it does not flicker on and off, but it has action limits. like this. 


describing lucky reptile humidity control said:


> E.g. you can set a value of 15 which means that the humidifier will only start working if the measured humidity is at least 15% below the desired setting (if setting is 70%, it will start not before reaching 55%). This can make sense to prevent the humidifier to turn on and off in quick cycles. The humidity also varies in nature.


.

the values are set by computer, and can be modified on ones desktop. 

there are undoubtably some componants that allow for dimming, and others for puls prop, but i need to research this more.

i also need to find someone who knows what they are doing, as i have a very vegue knowledge, and want somone who has a clue to help, and advise me.


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

sounds like a really good idea in theory......... let me know how it works out.


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## 16-BIT (Apr 17, 2006)

i hope uve got a mac to run this on because if ur putting ur reptiles lives in the hands of bill gates shite ur a very very niave man....


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## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

I thought of doing this myself as there are several advantages such as remote access from anywhere via the internet.
However there is the fact that everything is controled from 1 source.
I may end up doing something with it as I have several spare computers so I could run so many vivs per computer limiting the risk of failure.
There are many easy ready worked out ways of doing this, some require only a couple of components that are very cheap.
Not everyones ideal solution as you require a pc running 24/7 but very feasable at a very cheap cost apart from the pc.


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## 16-BIT (Apr 17, 2006)

i wouldnt trust a windows based pc running 24/7 if it was my reptiles lives at stake


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

i have been working on something similar, well.. i have been working on a lot of thermostat projects at the moment.. 
One that would probably intrest you dan is a pic based pulse thermostat, It basically runs without the computer, all the computer is used for is the change the temperatures, the software should also have a temperature readout. 
Ive actually stopped working on it at the moment though, not enough time but i am still ocassionally finding time to work on the code, etc.. just not for that particular thermostat, im concentrateing on a different design at the moment that dosnt link to a pc.. 
Owen


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

mEOw said:


> i have been working on something similar, well.. i have been working on a lot of thermostat projects at the moment..
> One that would probably intrest you dan is a pic based pulse thermostat, It basically runs without the computer, all the computer is used for is the change the temperatures, the software should also have a temperature readout.
> Ive actually stopped working on it at the moment though, not enough time but i am still ocassionally finding time to work on the code, etc.. just not for that particular thermostat, im concentrateing on a different design at the moment that dosnt link to a pc..
> Owen


that is what i am talking about. 


my pc is, and will be on 24/7 anyway, and if i was to do this, given the amount i would save, i would invest in a cheap PC to run the internet, antivirus, a decent firewall, and notheing else. i would use this as my control, and records system. ONLY FOR THE REPTILES.

i would also, if i do run it directly from the PC, put a saftey cut out on it, so if the PC goes off, so does all of the equeptment. 

i would double up on thermisters, in paralell, with one shorted out of the circuit so if one was to blow, it would still function. and a LED would light, to let me know that i am running on backup.

if i did make a componant, for the control, i would test it in a non reptile area, vigourously, and exaustively, before i even began to think about installing it. 

Owen, is there any chance you could "let me in" please mate, that wold cut a lot of time out of the process, and if i can get one going, u'd be the first to know. 

cheers 
Dan


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

reptiles-ink said:


> There are many easy ready worked out ways of doing this, some require only a couple of components that are very cheap.
> .


as in my last question, dont s'pose you feel like sharing?:lol2: 

thanks 
Dan


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## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

darkdan99 theres hundreds of codes already on the net for this.
not looked in detail at this particular 1 but it came straight up on a google search, it uses the ds1620 which is cheap and small and very simple to wire.
PC Parallel Port Interfacing with DS1620 Digital Thermometer / Thermostat
also the data sheet for the 1620 is worth reading.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

i was looking, and searhing loads of terms, and found nothing, so i started looking for greenhouses etc, and came up with the above linked site. this is all i could find 

but thanks for that link. 

regards
Dan


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

:shock: didnt get a word of that  its really goble-de-gouky) i was hoping that i could get somthing like the "wasp" oR "bee" and use the attached software, to control and monitor the tempratures. 

is this possible?


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

DS1620 programming tool <<thats a better link... and it will keep working at the set temperature points even if the pc does go down.. I was going to do something similar but useing pic's instead so i could make a decent pulse stat.. basically the same as above but pulse stat and not normal on/off stat..
owen


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

that makes more sence lol and idots gude  works for me.


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