Good Day everyone, i would very much like some assistance in helping to complete my little project, so far i have tried my best but i have hit the beautiful metaphorical brick wall...
My project is a fairly simple one with no need for any sensors, my ultimate goal is to create an environment which is completely self sufficient in order to grow chillies without me being around 24/7.
Primary reason for this is a change in career where i'll be away from home for 2 weeks at a time...
with the code i have so far i can control the time in which LEDs power on and off to assist the sun so they can grow better and last longer into the season, the problem is that they operate on 12v whereas the Arduino runs on 5v, i have tried a few transistors however i don't think i understand them very well as they all seem to resist a lot of power flowing through them making the leds worthless, would anyone have any recommendations?
Another part of the arduino job will be to water all the chillies daily or every second day, but once again its a problem with the transistor the pump is also 12v as i have used a cars window washer pump as they're cheap and cheerful, however get too hot as it needs to be on for a long time whereas if the pump runs direct from the mains only a few seconds run time needed, transistors restrict too much power flow...
The code i have attached is the code im using for testing at the moment, any help would be most appreciated
Please read the first post in any forum entitled how to use this forum. http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html then look down to item #7 about how to post your code.
It will be formatted in a scrolling window that makes it easier to read.
What part number are the transistors you have tried?
Can you please post a copy of your circuit so far, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
Energy is conserved...you will be needing much more than a transistor for the same power of lighting from the sun you'd expect for growth...or supplement. You'll be wanting to use relays I bet. A grow light for a couple or few plants could be a good 100watts each...which is about 10amps per light.
I'd come up with a clearer specification first. I.e. how much light will your plants need (at maximum).
Hi Tom sorry i got to about 5 and got too eager asking for help and i have tried googling for a couple weeks i only have 2 left before i go...
I'll download an app to draw one out shortly currently at work doing things on the fly with only my phone to work from.
2sc2625 is the transistor i have tried so far.
This is the code i am currently using to trial the pump, 5 seconds on and 5 off, code for leds and pump would be more or less the same as far as i am aware just in different loop.
The LEDs pull appromixately 4.5amps and the water pump pulls 4.5amps as well.
I have looked at grow lights and will probably buy them in time to come however the LEDs are there purely to aid the sun as theyre in shade for half of the day where they are.
int led = 13;
unsigned long timer; // the timer
unsigned long INTERVAL = 2500; // the off time for pump
void setup() {
pinMode(led, OUTPUT); // initialize LED output
pinMode(3, OUTPUT); // This allows Switch to work
timer = millis(); // start timer
}
void loop() {
if ((millis()-timer) > INTERVAL) {
// timed out
timer += INTERVAL;// reset timer by moving it along to the next interval
// toggle led
if (digitalRead(led)) {
digitalWrite(led, LOW);
digitalWrite(3, LOW);
INTERVAL = 10000; // turn the pump off
} else {
digitalWrite(led, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
digitalWrite(3, HIGH);
INTERVAL = 5000;
}
}
}
this is a crude version of the wiring diagram so far
Hi,
Looking at your drawing, you have no current limiting base resistor for a start.
What is your 12V supply, if a battery to supply all that current, you need to install fuses before you destroy anymore of your components.
erm no i have completey neglected resistors, the power supply is a 230v-12v inverter with a 10a output thanks for the suggestion i'll be doing that first thing tonight when i get home!
That 2sc2625 transistor needs b/w 200-300mA at the base for 12V 5A. You won't be getting that from a board I/O pin.
If you're just looking at turning on and off lights, you might be better off with a relay for simplicity. A 2 channel module can deal with your lights and pump.
ah right okay, is there any particular relay you'd recommend? i only thought a transistor would be best due to the two different voltages used, and the transistor does work with the circuit as it is however it does get incredibly warm after an hours use...
would you have any particular recommendations on the best means to turn on the water pump?
