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Flow Meter

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when you talk about statoins what do you mean ...... and let me try to understand a dio card with 8 ch ...... will or wont run 8 taps ????
 
when you talk about statoins what do you mean ...... and let me try to understand a dio card with 8 ch ...... will or wont run 8 taps ????

The term "stations" is referring to the number of taps. Each tap for example would use a minimum of two channels of (DIO). You would have the flow meter providing an input and you would at least have an output to turn off and on a solenoid valve for the tap. That is a minimum of using two channels per station or tap. So for example if only two channels were used per tap, then an 8 channel DIO device would handle 4 taps.

Last night after work I began working on a basic GUI (Graphical User Interface) program. It will be a simple demo. The DIO data will be simulated but it will give you a literal idea of what you are looking at. This will afford you an opportunity to graphically see things and think about features. It will cover for example 3 taps. Since the taps are redundant there is really no need for more than three in a demo version. Doing the first is the difficult part, after that it is just a matter of duplicating the software code.

A note on the software itself. When software like this is written it is written for a specific IO device. That is why it was unwise to buy a card. Most cards include a disk with specific files consisting for example of .dll and .ocx files. Those files are used in the written software to communicate with the device. Again, as I mentioned earlier, I am not a software developer or programmer. I do a little work with the stuff.

Without any problems, by Sunday I should have something basic for you to download. The idea here is you look at it, run it and play around with it and get ideas for additions and changes. That is how a project like this is built.

Remember also that two channels per tap is a minimum that would be used.

Soon I have to get my butt to work so more later if you have questions. While I don't get email notifications of post at work I do check the forums as time allows. After work I have a Friday afternoon appointment with some fine lager. :)

I will look over the data sheet you posted later today.

Ron
 
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Hi Ron,

A quick look at the data sheet posted would imply there is 8 in and 8 out channels avaliable, so this would allow for up to 8 stations to be serviced from the 1 card.

It must be about "fine ale" time on your side of the pond so enjoy your afternoon.

Pete.
 
i live in a pub its always " fine ale " for me saborn...lol

Come on! you cant call that English Beer "fine ale", its like mop water. lol

Glade i dont live in a pub as i would drink the profits to often....Hic.....

Pete.
 
OK, I managed to cobble out a small demo program. This example is far from perfect but should convey an idea of how things (in my opinion) would work. The example shows three taps for dispensing brew but in reality only two of three actually do something. I got tired. :)

The complete zip folder can be downloaded from here. Download the files by clicking the link. The downloaded zip folder contains two sub folders. Download to a location of your choice on your computer. Left Click the downloaded folder and choose Extract. Windows XP and newer will extract the zip folder contents to a folder of your choice. Open the Brew Tap EXE folder and double click the Executable. The program will do a normal install. The program is also easily removed through Add / Remove programs in Windows when you are done experimenting with it. The other folder labeled SRC is the source files in VB6 used to create the program.

When running the program the first thing to do is click the Quantity button and select a quantity of brew to vend. Next click the Enable Tap button and note the changes on the form. This would in real life enable the brew solenoid DIO. The Tap Off button simulates the user opening and closing the tap. When the tap is open the brew would flow. When the flow reaches a preset limit the tap turns off. The reset is just a master reset.

The program likely still has a few quirks. Keep in mind I am using a timer function to simulate things that would in real life be much, much different. Also keep in mind as I have mentioned I sure as hell am not a Programming Engineer type. :)

Any questions just ask. Anyway, this is likely how I would go about things.

Back to enjoying my Stella Artois on a beautiful Saturday morning. Last night after work I enjoyed Stella on tap as well as a few very good local brews. I view good brew as a gift from the Gods. :)

Ron
 
Ron i tried the program and all i got was Stella Artois on tap. :D

The darn thing flooded my keyboard and drowned the mouse.

Pete.
 
Ron i tried the program and all i got was Stella Artois on tap. :D

The darn thing flooded my keyboard and drowned the mouse.

Pete.

Pete

I made it quite clear the software was an example and cobbled together. Most people would be happy with free beer. As to the mouse, would be drowning in beer really be that bad of a way to go? I think not. :)

I do have a few DIO devices sitting here and had given some thought to trying a program using a function generator to simulate the flow meter pulses.

Programs like this can get interesting as with enough work an entire brew management system could be created.

Ron
 
Wow looks absolutely perfect for what I want … easy will it be to make this see the dio card

Thank you
 
One problem I am having is that using this Black Box website I can't find much of any technical information on that card? Generally manufacturers of cards / devices like this provide driver information and code samples in several developer languages on how to communicate with the device. I can't find anything? Google also is not giving much up.

When I do stuff like this, I generally have the I/O device sitting here so as I write code I can physically watch it work and I can debug the code as I move along. Even with code syntax samples nothing says things work just writing code blind. Next, when writing for example at work I continuously get input(s) from the end user where design additions and changes are made on the fly before the code is actually compiled into a program that works and meets what the end user actually wants.

Glad you found the little sample program amusing.

Ron
 
It ’s bank holiday weekend this side of the pond so its going to be Tuesday at the earliest before the flow meters arrive when they arrive I will let you know if I need to get another dio card then that’s what al do,….. cant wait to try this .....Thanks for your time
 
My pleasure. Projects like this are amusing and fun to put together.

Ron
 
Hi again just installed the dio card cant do much with it waiting for bd35 to 16 block connector and flow meter sender but there is some sample programs come with the program don't mean much to me but if I can work out how I will send them they my contain the info you need to link to software
 

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I'll get back to you tomorrow. I did look at the files.

Ron
 
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