Quinten Speleers, Mazlum Akif Altun • Posted by proprietor

Published January 18, 2022

Automated powder dispenser

This project takes input with pot and gives that amount of powder.

BeginnerShowcase (no instructions)1,479

Things used in this project

Hardware components

ElectroPeak Loadcell Sensor

SG90 Micro-servo motor

TM1637 4-bits digital LED-display

Pushbutton Switch, Momentary

Rotary potentiometer (generic)

SparkFun Load Cell Amplifier - HX711

Breadboard (generic)

Male/Female Jumper Wires

Male/Male Jumper Wires

Resistor 1k ohm

Arduino Due

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE

Story

Hello everyone in this project we thought one of the problem we had in the lab. Getting exact amount of powder is some time can be difficult but with this project not anymore.

We used a loadcell for the scale the weight a display to show the weight and the input. For putting input we used simple button and potentiometer. Lastly servo motor used for dispense function.

After loadcell is fixated to his platform we used code from Hrisko, J for calibrating the loadcell.

#include <Q2HX711.h>
const byte hx711_data_pin = 3;
const byte hx711_clock_pin = 4;
float y1 = 20.0; // calibrated mass to be added
long x1 = 0L;
long x0 = 0L;
float avg_size = 10.0; // amount of averages for each mass measurement
Q2HX711 hx711(hx711_data_pin, hx711_clock_pin); // prep hx711
void setup() {
 Serial.begin(9600); // prepare serial port
 delay(1000); // allow load cell and hx711 to settle
 // tare procedure
 for (int ii=0;ii<int(avg_size);ii++){
   delay(10);
   x0+=hx711.read();
 }
 x0/=long(avg_size);
 Serial.println("Add Calibrated Mass");
 // calibration procedure (mass should be added equal to y1)
 int ii = 1;
 while(true){
   if (hx711.read()<x0+10000){
   } else {
     ii++;
     delay(2000);
     for (int jj=0;jj<int(avg_size);jj++){
       x1+=hx711.read();
     }
     x1/=long(avg_size);
     break;
   }
 }
 Serial.println("Calibration Complete");
}
void loop() {
 // averaging reading
 long reading = 0;
 for (int jj=0;jj<int(avg_size);jj++){
   reading+=hx711.read();
 }
 reading/=long(avg_size);
 // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
 float ratio_1 = (float) (reading-x0);
 float ratio_2 = (float) (x1-x0);
 float ratio = ratio_1/ratio_2;
 float mass = y1*ratio;
 Serial.print("Raw: ");
 Serial.print(reading);
 Serial.print(", ");
 Serial.println(mass);
}

After calibrating the loadcell we started to build part for input function. We wanted this project to work without a computer. Installed a button a potentiometer and a display.

Used potentiometer take input and with map function we converted potentiometer input to single digit number then button was used for confirmation with while loop

After input received a while loop constantly checks if the weight reeded from loadcell is matched or not and when the desired weight reached it stops.

In the process weight constantly showed in the display. We used a round function and basic math to show the weight in display

We also did built 3 different speed so it is going slower when the desired weight is close.

For dispense a servo motor was used. We used a basic servo.write function with different degrees for different speeds

Lastly we added a tare function which measure weight when button pressed in the beginning so it can ignore containers weight.

After the coding part is over we started to assembly our powder dispenser, we used duplo blocks but you can use different materials of course.

Board

Servo

Code

final code.ino

#include <Q2HX711.h>
#include <TM1637.h>
#include <Servo.h>

#define POTENTIOMETER_PIN A5 // potentiometer port
Servo servo;
int CLK = 11;
int DIO = 10;
float weight = 0.00;

TM1637 tm(CLK, DIO);
int firstdigit = 0;
int seconddigit = 0;
int thirddigit = 0;
int fourthdigit = 0;

const byte hx711_data_pin = 4;
const byte hx711_clock_pin = 5;
const int buttonPin = 2;     // the number of the pushbutton pin

float y1 = 145.28; // calibrated mass to be added
long x1 = 0L;
long x0 = 0L;
float avg_size = 10.0; // amount of averages for each mass measurement
int buttonState = 0;         // variable for reading the pushbutton status


Q2HX711 hx711(hx711_data_pin, hx711_clock_pin); // prep hx711

void setup() {
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT_PULLUP);
  servo.attach(8);
  tm.init();

  //set brightness; 0-7
  tm.set(3);
  Serial.begin(9600); // prepare serial port
  delay(1000); // allow load cell and hx711 to settle
  x0 = 8363340; // rate for scale
  x1 = 8545139; // rate for scale
}

void loop() {
  servo.write(0);
  while(digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH){
    delay(20);
  }
  long reading = 0;
  for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
    reading += hx711.read();
  }
  reading /= long(avg_size);
  // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
  float ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
  float ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
  float ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
  float tare2 = y1 * ratio;
  tm.display(3, 0);
  tm.display(2, 0);
  tm.display(1, 0);
  tm.display(0, 0);


  delay(100); // little bit time for board to rest
  while (digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH) {
    int data = analogRead(POTENTIOMETER_PIN); // read pot
    firstdigit = map (data, 0, 1023, 0, 9); // convert to 1 digit
    tm.display(3, firstdigit); // print digit in lcd
  }
  delay(200); // little bit time for board to rest

  while (digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH) {
    int data = analogRead(POTENTIOMETER_PIN);  // read pot
    seconddigit = map(data, 0, 1023, 0, 9); // convert to 1 digit
    tm.display(2, seconddigit); // print digit in lcd
  }
  delay(500); // little bit time for board to rest
  while ( digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH) {
    int data = analogRead(POTENTIOMETER_PIN);  // read pot
    thirddigit = map(data, 0, 1023, 0, 9); // convert to 1 digit
    tm.display(1, thirddigit); // print digit in lcd
  }
  delay(500);
  while (digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH) {
    int data = analogRead(POTENTIOMETER_PIN); // read pot
    fourthdigit = map(data, 0, 1023, 0, 9); // convert to 1 digitgit);
    tm.display(0, fourthdigit); // print digit in lcd
    delay(100); // little bit time for board to rest
  }
  float weight  = firstdigit * 0.1 + seconddigit + thirddigit * 10 + fourthdigit * 100 ; // the data is in the while loop so program cant read it out of the loop
  // averaging reading
  
  for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
    reading += hx711.read();
  }
  reading /= long(avg_size);
  // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
  ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
  ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
  ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
  float mass = y1 * ratio;
  float taredmass = mass - tare2;

  float r = round(taredmass * 10);

  int d1 = (int) r % 10;
  int d2 = (int) r / 10 % 10;
  int d3 = (int) r / 100 % 10;
  int d4 = (int) r / 1000 % 10;
  while (digitalRead(buttonPin) == HIGH) {
    while (mass < weight - 1) {

      long reading = 0;
      for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
        reading += hx711.read();
      }
      reading /= long(avg_size);
      // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
      float ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
      float ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
      float ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
      mass = y1 * ratio;
      taredmass = mass - tare2;


      float r = round(taredmass * 10);
      Serial.println(mass);
      Serial.println(weight);

      int d1 = (int) r % 10;
      int d2 = (int) r / 10 % 10;
      int d3 = (int) r / 100 % 10;
      int d4 = (int) r / 1000 % 10;
      tm.display(3, d1);
      tm.display(2, d2);
      tm.display(1, d3);
      tm.display(0, d4);

      servo.write(120);
      delay(200);
      servo.write(180);



    }
    while (taredmass < weight - 0.5) {

      long reading = 0;
      for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
        reading += hx711.read();
      }
      reading /= long(avg_size);
      // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
      float ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
      float ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
      float ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
      mass = y1 * ratio;
      taredmass = mass - tare2;


      float r = round(taredmass * 10);
      Serial.println(mass);
      Serial.println(weight);

      int d1 = (int) r % 10;
      int d2 = (int) r / 10 % 10;
      int d3 = (int) r / 100 % 10;
      int d4 = (int) r / 1000 % 10;
      tm.display(3, d1);
      tm.display(2, d2);
      tm.display(1, d3);
      tm.display(0, d4);

      servo.write(110);
      delay(500);
      servo.write(170);



    }
    while (taredmass < weight - 0.2) {

      long reading = 0;
      for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
        reading += hx711.read();
      }
      reading /= long(avg_size);
      // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
      float ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
      float ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
      float ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
      mass = y1 * ratio;
      taredmass = mass - tare2;


      float r = round(taredmass * 10);
      Serial.println(mass);
      Serial.println(weight);

      int d1 = (int) r % 10;
      int d2 = (int) r / 10 % 10;
      int d3 = (int) r / 100 % 10;
      int d4 = (int) r / 1000 % 10;
      tm.display(3, d1);
      tm.display(2, d2);
      tm.display(1, d3);
      tm.display(0, d4);

      servo.write(100);
      delay(500);
      servo.write(150);



    }
    servo.write(90);
    long reading = 0;
    for (int jj = 0; jj < int(avg_size); jj++) {
      reading += hx711.read();
    }
    reading /= long(avg_size);
    // calculating mass based on calibration and linear fit
    float ratio_1 = (float) (reading - x0);
    float ratio_2 = (float) (x1 - x0);
    float ratio = ratio_1 / ratio_2;
    mass = y1 * ratio;
    taredmass = mass- tare2;
    float r = round(taredmass * 10);
    int d1 = (int) r % 10;
    int d2 = (int) r / 10 % 10;
    int d3 = (int) r / 100 % 10;
    int d4 = (int) r / 1000 % 10;
    tm.display(3, d1);
    tm.display(2, d2);
    tm.display(1, d3);
    tm.display(0, d4);
    
  }

  delay(1000);
}

Credits

Quinten Speleers, Mazlum Akif Altun

Posted by

proprietor

Automated powder dispenser

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

Schematic

Code

final code.ino

Credits

Comments

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Automated powder dispenser

Automated powder dispenser

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

Schematic

Code

final code.ino

Credits

Comments

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