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RE: RE: Pimp my coffee machine



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Hi Howard,



Just a cheap Rex C100 Chinese clone bought of eBay ; http://www.ebay.co.uk/=
itm/300955481471?ssPageName=3DSTRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=3Dp3984.m1423.l2649



I figured that a PID,  a Solid State Relay and a Thermocouple for =A312.99
=
was cheap enough just to give it a try and see. When it arrived the PID
was=
actually the Relay version so wouldn't drive the SSR without the need for =
a separate DC power supply. Fortunately I was able to mod it to make it
wor=
k with the SSR  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2NpcMycHDvk



The thermocouple screw also doesn't fit in the thermostat screw hole on my
=
Gaggia Classic, so I've just stuck the thermocouple onto the boiler with
so=
me bluetack just to test everything works. I'll probably buy some SUGRU
and=
use that to stick it on more permanently; http://sugru.com/about



I've spent another =A35 on spade connectors to wire it into the coffee
mach=
ines wiring loom and  about another =A315 on some aluminium square tubing
t=
o use as a case. So total cost so far is around =A327, but I will probably
=
buy another SRR and wire it to the PID alarm output and us it to control
th=
e stream temperature.



>From my initial test the PID is definitely worth adding (especially at
=A31=
2.99!) , in itself it doesn't actually improve the coffee or improve the
in=
-shot temperature stability, but it does provide you with a known set
tempe=
rature from which your starting and does remove the guess work out of
tempe=
rature surfing. It also looks really cool :) . Looking at how often (or
lit=
tle !) the PID actually turns on the heating elements I would also guess
it=
should save on electricity !



When you initially setup the PID you have to "auto tune" it so
that it lear=
ns the heating and cooling characteristics of the device its controlling.
W=
hen it does this it seems to go wildly over the temperature set point you
h=
ave set. I had mine set to 93C and panicked when I say it rapidly climbing
=
above 140C ! I quickly shut off the machine and set the temperature down
to=
a much lower 60C while it did its auto tune for 30minutes.



Next mod after this one is finished will be to add a small preheat stage
to=
the incoming water so that the brew temperature becomes more stable. Somet=
hing like this ; http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/preheating-i=
ncoming-water-on-gaggia-classic-t2794.html



Hope that helps.



Marcus

________________________________
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [ukha_d@xxxxxxx] on behalf of howardsi=
xtynine@xxxxxxx [howardsixtynine@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 13 September 2013 17:00
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] RE: Pimp my coffee machine



Out of interest, what PID controller did you use, and did it make a
noticea=
ble difference? I've been toying with the idea myself.

Howard


--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, <ukha_d@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I=92ve recently been tweaking my espresso machine at home to improve the
sh=
ots I=92m getting. One of the mods I=92ve added is a simple PID
temperature=
controller to try and improve stability. Whilst researching this I stumble=
d across this project that=92s using an Audrino to =93super=94 pimp his
cof=
fee machine=85 pretty impressive stuff..

http://www.cyberelectronics.org/?p=3D315

I guess given its Audrino driven you could even network it so you turn on
t=
he coffee machine over the internet, or maybe have your phone send a
messag=
e to turn it on when your GPS detects you=92re at a certain point in your
j=
ourney home so that it=92s all warmed up and ready to go as you walk in
the=
door. It would also be cool to xAP enable :)

Marcus




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<div style=3D"direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color:
#000000;font-size: =
10pt;">
<p>Hi Howard,</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Just a cheap Rex C100 Chinese clone bought of eBay ; <a
href=3D"http://w=
ww.ebay.co.uk/itm/300955481471?ssPageName=3DSTRK:MEWAX:IT&amp;_trksid=3Dp39=
84.m1423.l2649">
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300955481471?ssPageName=3DSTRK:MEWAX:IT&amp;_trks=
id=3Dp3984.m1423.l2649</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I figured that a PID,&nbsp; a Solid State Relay&nbsp;and a
Thermocouple =
for =A312.99 was cheap enough just to give it a try and see. When it
arrive=
d the PID was actually the Relay version so wouldn't drive the SSR without
=
the need for a separate DC power supply. Fortunately
I was able to mod it to make it work with the SSR &nbsp;<a
href=3D"http://=
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2NpcMycHDvk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2Np=
cMycHDvk</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The thermocouple screw also doesn't fit in the thermostat screw
hole on =
my Gaggia Classic, so I've just stuck the thermocouple onto the boiler
with=
some bluetack just to test everything works. I'll probably buy some SUGRU =
and use that to stick it on more
permanently; <a href=3D"http://sugru.com/about";>http://sugru.com/about</a>=
</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I've spent another =A35 on spade connectors to wire it into the
coffee m=
achines wiring loom and&nbsp; about another =A315 on some aluminium
square =
tubing to use as a case. So total cost so far is around =A327, but I will
p=
robably buy another SRR and wire it to the
PID alarm output and us it to control the stream temperature.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>From my initial test the PID is definitely worth adding
(especially at =
=A312.99!) , in itself it doesn't actually improve the coffee or improve
th=
e in-shot temperature stability, but it does provide you with a known set
t=
emperature from which your starting
and does remove the guess work out of temperature surfing. It also looks r=
eally cool :) . Looking at how often (or little !) the PID actually turns
o=
n the heating elements I would also guess it should save on electricity
!</=
p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>When you initially setup the PID you have to &quot;auto
tune&quot; it so=
that it learns the heating and cooling characteristics of the device its c=
ontrolling. When it does this it seems to go wildly over the temperature
se=
t point you have&nbsp;set. I had mine set to 93C
and panicked when I say it rapidly climbing above 140C ! I quickly shut of=
f the machine and set the temperature down to a much lower 60C while it
did=
its auto tune for 30minutes.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Next mod after this one is finished will be to add a small preheat
stage=
to the incoming water so that the brew temperature becomes more stable. So=
mething like this ;
<a href=3D"http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/preheating-incomin=
g-water-on-gaggia-classic-t2794.html">
http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/preheating-incoming-water-on-=
gaggia-classic-t2794.html</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Marcus</p>
<div style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 16px; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; COLOR:
#000000=
">
<hr tabindex=3D"-1">
<div id=3D"divRpF439941" style=3D"DIRECTION:
ltr"><font color=3D"#000000" s=
ize=3D"2" face=3D"Tahoma"><b>From:</b>
ukha_d@xxxxxxx [ukha_d@yahoo=
groups.com] on behalf of howardsixtynine@xxxxxxx [howardsixtynine@yahoo=
.co.uk]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 13 September 2013 17:00<br>
<b>To:</b> ukha_d@xxxxxxx<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [ukha_d] RE: Pimp my coffee machine<br>
</font><br>
</div>
<div></div>
<div><span>&nbsp;</span>
<div id=3D"ygrp-mlmsg" style=3D"POSITION:
relative">
<div id=3D"ygrp-msg" style=3D"Z-INDEX: 1">
<div id=3D"ygrp-text">
<p></p>
<p>Out of interest, what PID controller did you use, and did it make
a noti=
ceable difference? I've been toying with the idea myself.</p>
<p>Howard<br>
</p>
<div class=3D"ygroups-quoted"><br>
<br>
--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, &lt;ukha_d@xxxxxxx&gt; wrote:<br>
<br>
<div id=3D"yiv-1312326964">
<div class=3D"WordSection1">
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt">I=92ve recently been=
tweaking my espresso machine at home to improve the shots I=92m getting. O=
ne of the mods I=92ve added is a simple PID temperature controller to try
a=
nd improve stability. Whilst researching this
I stumbled across this project that=92s using an Audrino to =93super=94 pi=
mp his coffee machine=85 pretty impressive stuff..</span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt"></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt"><a href=3D"http://ww=
w.cyberelectronics.org/?p=3D315" rel=3D"nofollow"
target=3D"_blank">http://=
www.cyberelectronics.org/?p=3D315</a></span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt"></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt">I guess given its Au=
drino driven you could even network it so you turn on the coffee machine
ov=
er the internet, or maybe have your phone send a message to turn it on
when=
your GPS detects you=92re at a certain
point in your journey home so that it=92s all warmed up and ready to go as=
you walk in the door. It would also be cool to xAP enable
</span><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:
Wingdings">J</span><spa=
n style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"FONT-SIZE:
10pt"></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span
lang=3D"EN-US">Marcus </span></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
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