Tue Nov 07, 2017

- installed OSEdev-WB (incl. OSEdev Backend on Postgres DB) with help from Lex

- tested D3D-WB, checking for import-problem, mailed with Stephen

Tue Oct 31, 2017

- tested Web-GL export from FreeCad. There is a rudimentary export-funktion available within Freecad, but it failed with more complex assembled objects. With simple objects it worked, but the result seems to have issues with the line width. Also colours get lost. I was however able to get into the resulting Web-GL/xml-code and setting manually an object-colour and also a bigger stroke-width. So these effects doesnt seem to be a bug, its just that the export script is still quite rudimentary and simple. But maybe a good point to start from. I have listed some basic links to Web-GL onto my discussion page at http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Talk:Oliver_Log#Wed.2C_Oct.2C25.2C2017

- started exploring the WB stuff that Stephen has collected so far. It looks promising.

Tue Oct 24, 2017

- off topic: I attended the Libresolarbox workshop in Hamburg, where we builded/assembled first "official" prototype of the OSE Germanys Solarbox project (A Solarenergy-Storage system with LiFePo4-cells), based on the LibreSolar BMS-5s with MPPT-20A Charge-Controler and the UniProKit/UPKlib for framing and housing structure including "shells and skins". Before i was working on a detailed Freecad-version of the construct which helped me to learn more on how assembling works in Freecad.

Solarbox-Specs:

12V, 72 Ah ==> capacity: 0.86 KWh (using CALB CAM72 cells)

suited for about 400Wp Solarpanel-input (or more with minor mods)

Balancing: BMS-5s, based on the TI bq76920 chip, with STM32F072 ARM Cortex M0 CPU

Solar-Charge-Controler: MPPT, up to 20A

dimensions about 44 x 32 x 20 cm

Inverter: Victron Phoenix 12/350

LibreSolarbox Workshop at St.Pauli FabLab in Hamburg
Freecad-construct of the Solarbox framing
left view with LiFePo4-cells
right-view with BMS-5s and MPPT-20A
closeup right view

- i had some Slack-discussions and testing on the Duniter/Gt1 system with Lex and Josh

Sun Oct 15, 2017

- attended TorchTable Workshop online for kicad walkthrough TorchHeightCTRL pbc and Shanes kicad tutorial

Tue Oct 10, 2017

- Made Video that shows how to deploy the TorchHeightCTRL_V.02 sources from Github [1] on Kicad.

 See on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-nhG5vuZW0

- installed and tested slack

Tue Oct 03, 2017

- installed OSE-Linux on USB-Stick and tested the KiCad installation with my TorchHeightCTRL sources

I started kicad from within the shell with typing /usr/bin/kicad, but there is also a start-icon in the left vertical menu-bar.

Then i opened the torchctrl.pro projectfile from my sources directory (which is a clone of Github repository at https://github.com/case06/TorchHeightCTRL) and everything appeared nicely in kicad, with one little exception: one has to load the 3d-library files for the 3d-viewer manually, but thats normal and has nothing to do with the KiCad-installation within the OSE-Linux.

Kudos to Christian, who did an excellent job with the OSE-Linux !!!

I appreaciated very much the fact, that i found the latest KiCad version here, and i also like very much, that FreeCad comes beside the 0.16-stable-release also alternatively with the nightly-build version (which is 0.17).

- off topic: i reworked and updated large parts of my UniProKit 3d-part-lib, which is now completely in FreeCad .fcstd-fileformat. https://wiki.opensourceecology.de/Upklib

- working on a FreeCad model of my D3D printer framing, which i can use also for other projects, like the testrig for the TorchCTRL and as structural base for the LibreSolarBox project.

UPKlib
UPKlib
LibreSolarBox framing

Thu Aug 31, 2017

- From last Thursday to Sunday evening i attended at the MakerFaire2017 in Hannover and showed there also the TorchHeightCTRL. Since i didn't found the the time before, to finish my D3D printer, i decided to use its frame as appropriate for a testrig integration. I had to made it 16 cm smaller to get it into my car ;) , which was no prob because i used components from my UniProKit, another project shown also at the MakerFaire.

MakerFaire 2017 Hannover Germany
TorchHeightCTRL-D3D Hybrid
For a D3D printer i still have to add the motors, an extruder and the heatbed, but as a testrig for the TorchHeightCTRL its ok for the moment.
The UniProKit, my modular construction system
The OSE Germany stand at the makerfaire; the red box contains an experimental setup for my zinc air fuel cell project, where we are "burning" (oxidating) zink into electric energy and show how the zinc can be regenerated then by renewable energies.

- here my full Blog-Report about that event (sorry, text only in german, but lots of pics) [2]

Tue Aug 22, 2017

- doing preparations for the MakerFaire Hannover this weekend where we exhibit some OSE(G) projects

Tue Aug 15, 2017

- mounted EndStop to testrig

EndStop
EndStop mounted to testrig
CloseUp

- implemented EndStop and homing-functionality into firmware and uploaded latest version on GitHub [3]

- performed testing for homing and switching between manual and autobalance-mode

- added testing-video on Youtube: [4]

Tue Aug 08, 2017

- implemented button-pressed functionality into firmware [5]

- added more detailed pinouts to wiring description [6]

- made a wiring diagramm for RAMPS_to_TB6600

How to connect the Pololu-stepperdriver connectors on RAMPS with a TB6600 driver

Tue Aug 01, 2017

- sended package with new pcb to Marcin

- made wiring-diagramm and BOM and added it to wiki-page

- made a list of checkpoints when starting from scratch with the new pcb [7]

Mon Jul 25, 2017

- added Host-Monitoring-Tool ad7747mon Processing-Sourcecode to GitHub repository, see [8]

- added Video showing the first auto-balance testruns, [9]

Sat Jul 22, 2017

- uploaded firmware on GitHub repository, see [10]

- summarized possible improvements on the signal quality on the discussion page at [11]

Tue Jul 18, 2017

CNC_Torch_Table_Z_Height_Control - working on code for auto height control.

Tue, Jul,11,2017

- made sensor-head and mounted it on test-rig

- wrote monitoring-programm (in processing) for visualizing CapSensing-data

- first test-samples measured on the test-rig with new sensor-head, see video [12]

sensor-head made from 2.75mm copper wire, outer diameter 42mm, inner diameter 32mm
whole sensor-probe with shielded coax-cable and BNC-connector
Experiment1: moving probe along 10mm in steps of 0.1mm
Experiment2: moving probe along 50mm in steps of 0.1mm
Experiment3: moving probe manually along 50mm in steps of 10mm ==> 5 distinct plateaus. Those little peaks on the beginning of each plateau are artifacts, resulting from moving the carriage by my hand.

Wed, Jul,07,2017

- soldered 3 PCBs

- testing circuits, all seem to work basically

- checked for firmware in Aidan Log from 2014; use the latest firmware-version from him

soldered SMD parts
added ThrougHole parts
made 3 PCBs
added Arduino Nano
first test-rig, utilizing Osci-probe as sensor
measuring against a copper-plate, grounded by crocodile-clib

Tue, Jun,27,2017

- the pcbs of the cap-sensing TorchHeightCTRL have arrived. Perfect quality.

Pcb frontside
Pcb backside

- made progress with printing and assembling 3D-parts for the universal axes for a D3D printer. I have meanwhile printed all parts for the raw-axes and started assembling them.

Parts for the raw-axis, 3D-parts made from ABS
4 axes assembled, incl. Idler
Motors, pulleys, belt and endstops to go

Sun, Jun,25,2017

- 3d-printed jog-wheel knob [13]

manually steered height control
Jog-Wheel for KY-040 rotary encoder

- made wiki project page for manual height ctrl, see CNC_Torch_Table_Z_Height_Control

Mon, Jun,19,2017

- made manual heightcontroller for torchtable, based on Arduino/Ramps and TB6600

manually steered height control
TB6600, Arduino_Mega/Ramps, KY-040 rotary encoder
stepper driven lineardrive

- demonstration video on youtube: [14]

- made from standard components, nothing to solder ;)

Wed, Jun,16,2017

- completed Mouser part-list and setup project on mouser. This can be accessed at [15] and there you have to type in as project-key 64fff8ecbf

- added exported part-list also to GitHub

- printed more 3d-parts for D3D

Sun, Jun,11,2017

- exported Gerber files from kicad and set up a pcb-project page on go.aisler.net [16], including option to order the pcb. I ordered three, for 36.00 EUR (incl. shipping) in total. production time is about 12 days or lower.

pcb manufactured by Aisler
Ordering page at Aisler
Detailed views on each pcb layer as Gerber file

Sat, Jun,10,2017

- today i received an order from a special material filament named "Iglidur I150 Tribo-Filament" from Igus [17]. This is specially suited for 3dprinting sliding parts and is about 50 times less abrasive than ABS.

I tested it with printing a surrogat for the lm8uu linear-bearings in the universal axis. Prints nicely at 255 °C. The bushings should give less play and a lower noise-level.