Supervision

Projects Interfacing w/ Software on the Computer
1

Hi,
I’m working on a supervision project.
First of all, I want to choose the temperature/ humidity sensors in the dehumidifying chamber, which I can use it to send (wireless, Ethernet cable) the values.
Also, we have 21 stoves (étuves), it’s have a serial communication port, so I want to convert it and send it (wireless, Ethernet cable).
Therefore, I want to choose the arduino compatible with my project, and choosing the shield which can be useful for all equipment’s.
To sum up, I want to know what the efficient solution well be: using XBEE, Ethernet, or WIFI… and what the components I must use it, to complete my objective?

Thanks a lot.

2

Your description assumes we know a lot of stuff that only you know.

What dehumidifying chamber?

Do you mean there are 21 stoves in different places and you want to collect data from each of them and send it to a central location?

What has the "serial communication port"? If it is not an Arduino device, do you have a link to the specifications?

When you talk about "sending" data, what will it be sent from? What will it be sent to? What is the distance involved? How much data is involved?

...R

3

Thanks Robin2 for your response,

I’ll try to make this clear,
1/ dehumidifying chamber: is chamber that we need to be cleaned from humidity, so we use the humidity/temperature sensor to control it.
2/ yes, we have 21 stoves in different places and I want to collect data from each of them and send it to a central location, and visual it in real time in website.
3/ concerning the type of communication, we have 2 with RS 232, and others they have no communication port, just I temperature regulator (west 6100), which have a RS 485 communication protocol (MODBUS).
4/ when I’m talking about sending data, I mean send it from the sensors, and make it in graphic interface in website. So how can I make this? And what the components I must choose (shield Ethernet, WIFI, using Xbee… )

:wink:

4

It sounds like you already have some devices that can transmit data using RS232, MODBUS etc and some that have sensors. You haven't said, but perhaps you need to buy sensors for the other devices.

What you are asking seems to me extensive and complex and the small amount of data you have provided doesn't even begin to explain it.

One way to proceed would be to get an Arduino Mega2560 and get that working with one appliance to start with. The appliances that produce RS232 data should be readable by the Arduino provided you use a "level shifter" to convert the RS232 voltages to TTL levels. The Max232 chip is commonly used. You will, of course need the specifications for the appliance so you can make sense of the data. And it is possible that it produces TTL signals (at 5v) that can work directly with the Arduino - but you need to check this.

The reason I suggest a Mega rather than the cheaper Uno is because the Mega has 4 hardware USARTs so you can easily communicate with your appliances and with your PC at the same time.

...R

5

In fact, I started with one appliance, the stove

Now, the problem is about the RS485, MODBUS protocol. I don’t know how to communicate with the regulator (west 6100).
Also, I want extract data (temperature value, consign …) from the regulator, and send it wirelessly to arduino.

This is the datasheet west 6100:

datasheet 4100_6100_8100.pdf (2.95 MB)

6

The logic seems to be straightforward but I don't know anything about RS485 so I can't advise you about the physical connection.

I suggest you Google Arduino RS485 and do some reading.

...R