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Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
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Posted: 04:01am 29 Jul 2023

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The August edition of Silicon Chip magazine is hitting the newsagents in Australia about now and has an article in it describing Peter's WebMite (link). The WebMite is also covered on my web site (https://geoffg.net/webmite.html).

The magazine also has a separate article (link) describing a Garden Watering System Controller. This is based on the WebMite and is used to control a series of sprinkler valves to automatically water your garden and lawn (something that is important in dry climates). The big thing about this design is that it is configured and run entirely via a series of web pages delivered by the WebMite, there are no physical buttons or knobs.

I have a web page describing the Garden Watering Controller (https://geoffg.net/retic.html) and I recommend that you check it out if you are thinking of building a complex project using the WebMite. It demonstrates how you can use drop down lists, check boxes, input fields, etc in web pages generated by the WebMite. The source code is at the bottom of the web page and it can be loaded onto any spare Pico W - you do not need to build anything to try it out.

Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Andrew_G
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Joined: 18/10/2016
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Posted: 06:56am 29 Jul 2023

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Hi Geoff (and Peter),
Congratulations, another great article demonstrating the power of MMBasic and the Mite.
I've been playing with the WebMite for a while now and read the SC article with interest. I have ordered the PCB and am now looking through the BoM.
I see that the rain sensor in the SC article Parts List has NC contacts yet the one it links to has NO contacts - which would you suggest?

Cheers,

Andrew

Geoffg

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Posted: 12:31pm 29 Jul 2023

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The contacts should be normally closed when no rain. I will check the parts list... I hope that I have not got it wrong.

Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Andrew_G
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Posted: 12:41pm 29 Jul 2023

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Thanks Geoff I was thinking beyond my needs.

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew_G
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Posted: 12:42pm 29 Jul 2023

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Sorry duplicate post - watching yet another dropped catch.
Andrew
Edited 2023-07-29 22:45 by Andrew_G

ice2642

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Joined: 27/05/2023
Location: Brazil
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Posted: 02:43pm 29 Jul 2023

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Hello,

Cool article. Congratulations.

I would like to know, if you buy one raspberry pico W and use it on PicoMite VGA it will work like the original pico but with plus of wifi connection? All vga capabilities working?

Best regards,

MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA

Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 6798

Posted: 03:12pm 29 Jul 2023

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AFAIK the W version is based on the ordinary PicoMite, not the VGA version. I think the wireless connectivity replaces the VGA section as there's no need for it - a browser is your display. I haven't got a W version so if I'm wrong, sorry. :)

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
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Posts: 3802

Posted: 03:33pm 29 Jul 2023

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+1

I think you would not be able to have VGA as well as WiFi.

The Pico is so cheap that if you want both WiFi & VGA just use two :)

John

Andrew_G
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Posted: 01:20am 30 Jul 2023

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Hi Geoff,
I've now downloaded your constructors pack and your link looks OK to me.
I suspect it is the SC link that is in error.
(I'm busy buying components - a great project, thanks)

Cheers,

Andrew

ice2642

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Joined: 27/05/2023
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Posted: 08:49pm 30 Jul 2023

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JohnS said +1

I think you would not be able to have VGA as well as WiFi.

The Pico is so cheap that if you want both WiFi & VGA just use two :)

John

Yes, use two, after buy more some cards, and the planet thank you for the garbage.

Ok, if the PicoMite VGA not work with wifi, no problem. was just a curiosity.

:)

MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA

Mixtel90

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Posted: 09:37pm 30 Jul 2023

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Ah, but when you get fed up with PicoMites you can reprogram them to do other things. Room temperature compensated coffee warmer with precision stirrer using a stepper-motor anyone? :)

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

MarkF
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Joined: 01/08/2023
Location: Australia
Posts: 47

Posted: 04:58am 02 Aug 2023

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For reference, the Silicon Chip info is here:

Silicon Chip August 2023 issue
https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/2023/August/The+WebMite

and here:

https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Shop/?article=15897
Edited 2023-08-02 14:59 by MarkF

Mixtel90

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Posted: 07:37am 02 Aug 2023

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But woe betide you unless you have a browser that their site approves of. Doesn't work at all with Pale Moon. Not unexpected though, a lot of sites don't seem to like it now!

I think you may need a subscription to read it there.

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
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Posted: 10:41am 02 Aug 2023

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If you have a Pico-W and haven't tried Geoff's code you really should. It is a stunning example of what can be achieved in MMBasic on the Pico-W

Martin H.

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Joined: 04/06/2022
Location: Germany
Posts: 1113

Posted: 11:00am 02 Aug 2023

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ice2642 said Yes, use two, after buy more some cards, and the planet thank you for the garbage.

:)

A very environmentally conscious approach.

But, If I understand you correctly, you are already planning to buy a PicoW to build a website/webinterface with. I'm sure you already own a normal Pico with or without VGA in your collection.
So you have to buy just one .. (the one with the W) new device.
The biggest task I see is to let the two of them communicate with each other.
If you finish the project at some point, you're sure to find new, useful tasks for the Picos

Edited 2023-08-02 21:06 by Martin H.

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ice2642

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Joined: 27/05/2023
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Posts: 82

Posted: 01:15pm 05 Aug 2023

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Martin H. said

ice2642 said Yes, use two, after buy more some cards, and the planet thank you for the garbage.

:)

A very environmentally conscious approach.

No, in really, I plan to buy a Minimig v1.97 or apolo vampire (other kinds of board):)

I just ask for curiosity, and make register for any one that will want buy can read about in the forum, know about the possibility, if it was possible, to buy the correct one.

And yes, we see the world problem, but is much difficult stop buy the things, it will be a very big problem in the future for the next generation.

Best regards,

MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA

Andrew_G
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Posted: 06:31am 02 Sep 2023

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Hi Geoff et al,
I've finally received all the parts from around the world and have assembled Geoff's 'Gardening Water Controller'.
It is a 'thing of beauty' and was very easy to assemble.
A great project and very useful for irrigation, garden lights etc.

Two quick questions:
- is is possible that the activation of Valve solenoids labelled 1 to 8 is transposed to be 8 to 1?
GP00 activates Valve #8 (as per the circuit diagram) but in the Schedule, setting a time for Valve #1 seems to set it for Valve #8 etc. When it reports Valve #1's activities it was actually Valve #8 etc.
(Easy for me to fix in the code or I could just re-label the PCB but others may want to know?)

- I've not dared do it but what happens if one plugs in the USB, to see the console output, while it is still powered by the 24V AC?
It is not essential, but I have a test rig with 8 24V globes that I'd like to see while fiddling with the code.

Thanks again Geoff,

Andrew
PS - I am going to have another go at getting email working . . .

Mixtel90

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Posted: 07:23am 02 Sep 2023

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As the 24V AC is a floating supply (not tied to earth) the earth reference point is the negative terminal of the bridge rectifier. That runs through to the Pico, so it's safe to plug a PC or laptop in to see the console messages. The 1N5819 diode into VSYS and the on-board diode from VBUS isolate the 5V supply so there is no 5V feedback into the USB port.

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3194

Posted: 08:04am 02 Sep 2023

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Hi Andrew,

Yes, you are right. I have just recently discovered that the firmware that I sent to the magazine and put on my website was my test suite and, as you said, the output pins were incorrect for the final PCB. My apologies, it must have been very annoying for you to have to discover this yourself.

This is Ver 1.2 of the firmware: Firmware V1.2.zip

It fixes two serious issues... the incorrect I/O pin allocations referred to above and also an error in calculating the day of the week for watering. It also includes some more cosmetic fixes, ie: stops the random truncation of the webpage, disables the configure and run now buttons when a schedule is running, more information is presented when the location test button is used and more.

Load the files in this zip into the internal filesystem of your WebMite overwriting the files that are there and run retic.bas. All your settings and configuration should remain untouched.

This is a temporary release to fix the two serious issues listed above. I still have a bunch of other things to look at including better recovery from a malformed email key, alternative SMTP relay servers, better handling of the weather data from Open Weather Map, a more robust response to user errors, and so on.

Doing all of this will probably take about a week or so and then I hope to release a stable version. So, it is a case of watch this space,

Geoff

Edit: I forgot to add - yes, you can plug your laptop into the WebMite while the controller is powered up. This is invaluable as you can then see the various status messages generated by the firmware while it is doing it's thing.
Edited 2023-09-02 18:14 by Geoffg

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Andrew_G
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Posted: 08:17am 02 Sep 2023

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Mick - thanks for the explanation - much appreciated.
I must admit that my trepidation was heightened by blowing the fuse while trying to resolve the valve number issue. No harm done (except to the fuse).

Geoff,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I'm pleased to know that I'm not losing my marbles as fast as I feared.
Thanks for the fixes.
It really is a useful project.

Cheers,

Andrew

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