I've been working on a project that uses spectrophotometry to analyse the concentrations of a fluid and based to it's readings add solutions or remove the liquid to achieve the desired state (like making a fluid appropriate for cells/plants/etc). I'm design pumps to deliver and take away the fluid.
These pumps are actuated by a motor turning a lead screw, so I want to be able to take real time reading from the spectrometer (the data will be sent online, then analysed to the useful readings).
I'm more of a science person, I don't use DIY electronics often, so how would I get those reading to the Arduino Board (I guess I would have to get a wifi shield) and then control multiple motors to actuate the pumps according to it's readings?
Software wise, how would I make a program that could constantly import data from the online source?
So the real-time control of the pumps relies on the (secret) spectrometer posting its results to a website somewhere?
You really need to get a direct output from the spectrometer via Serial, CAN Bus or some other direct connection which doesn't rely on the public internet.
Give us a model number, manufacturer's website or (ideally) a datasheet.
MorganS:
So the real-time control of the pumps relies on the (secret) spectrometer posting its results to a website somewhere?
You really need to get a direct output from the spectrometer via Serial, CAN Bus or some other direct connection which doesn't rely on the public internet.
Give us a model number, manufacturer's website or (ideally) a datasheet.
The problem is that it is a webcam spectrometer that uses diffraction grating to create an image of the various wavelengths. I was planning on using a website to process the image for me and return the values of intensity per wavelength. I do have all of the code from the website (because it's opensource) but it was a lot to sift through so I was thinking instead of downloading the whole program I'd make an amendment that exported the CVS file of the intensity and wavelength.
Aub:
I do have all of the code from the website (because it's opensource) but it was a lot to sift through so I was thinking instead of downloading the whole program I'd make an amendment that exported the CVS file of the intensity and wavelength.
If the system needs to be reliable you need to process the images on a PC that is close to the whole system and does not rely on the public internet.
For maximum reliability use wired rather than wireless connections between all the different parts of the system.
You could probably do away with the Arduino, as many small computers like the Raspberry Pi are perfectly capable of doing simple image processing and starting/stopping a pump, or even doing a PID control on the pump's speed.
For what I get from you, an Arduino type controller is simply not the proper tool for the job. Using a cloud server or so to do you processing even less so.