Post by thread:[OT:] RS232/Pic controlled washing machine project

Well I finally completed my little project converting the washing machine to run off a Pic Microcontroller and RS232 via the PC. Sad but something I've always wanted to do. Pictures here ;) http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=1356856#post1356856 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics

Mad but cool as an engineering test. ************************************************* Roy Hopkins :-) Tauranga New Zealand ************************************************* {Original Message removed}

I lack the ambition to do it, but if I had the option I would use two rinse/spin dry cycles. People with sensitive skin due to incomplete detergent removal. Also, there are times when a double wash cycle might be handy. John Ferrell http://DixieNC.US {Original Message removed}

From what I understood from reading about it, the user interface needs a bit of tweaking. (-: Great project though! {Original Message removed}

>-----Original Message----- >From: pic microcontroller discussion list >[spam_OUTPICLISTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of John Ferrell >Sent: 02 June 2004 18:10 >To: .....PICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU >Subject: Re: [OT:] RS232/Pic controlled washing machine project > >> >I lack the ambition to do it, but if I had the option I would use two >rinse/spin dry cycles. People with sensitive skin due to incomplete >detergent removal. Also, there are times when a double wash cycle might be >handy. > > >John Ferrell >http://DixieNC.US Funny you should say that but mine now does three rinse cycles - I was never convinced it used to get all the detergent out of my washing. It also spins them between rinses to it gets as much of the old water out as possible. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

I have sensitive skin and use double rinse/spin cycles on all my washing. I wish washing machines had this feature as standard -- as it is now, I just do it by hand. Matt Pobursky Maximum Performance Systems On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 13:10:24 -0400, John Ferrell wrote: > I lack the ambition to do it, but if I had the option I would use two > rinse/spin dry cycles. People with sensitive skin due to incomplete > detergent removal. Also, there are times when a double wash cycle might be > handy. > > > John Ferrell > http://DixieNC.US > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Dom, Nice project - I'd always wondered about doing something similar, and I say: Respect! for actually doing it! :-) On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 18:39:01 +0100, Dominic Stratten wrote: > Funny you should say that but mine now does three rinse cycles - I was never > convinced it used to get all the detergent out of my washing. It also spins > them between rinses to it gets as much of the old water out as possible. I had a washing machine that did 6 (six!) quick rinse-spin cycles, then followed with a deep rinse. I've never had problems with allergy to detergent at home! (I did once staying at my brother's place, where their washing machine just does the usual not-very-effective rinse... How did you find out how to "drive" the machine? Did you have documentation on its control system? Cheers, Howard Winter St.Albans, Herts. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

The Maytag I bought in 1964 advertised this as a feature. I have not seen it since. Who will be the first to engineer a "double flush" toilet for those of us in the US stuck with a Federally mandated throne? John Ferrell http://DixieNC.US {Original Message removed}

>-----Original Message----- >From: pic microcontroller discussion list >[PICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Howard Winter >Sent: 02 June 2004 20:49 >To: .....PICLISTKILLspam.....MITVMA.MIT.EDU >Subject: Re: [OT:] RS232/Pic controlled washing machine project > > >Dom, > >Nice project - I'd always wondered about doing something similar, and I say: Respect! for actually doing it! >:-) > >On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 18:39:01 +0100, Dominic Stratten wrote: > >> Funny you should say that but mine now does three rinse cycles - I was never >> convinced it used to get all the detergent out of my washing. It also spins >> them between rinses to it gets as much of the old water out as possible. > >I had a washing machine that did 6 (six!) quick rinse-spin cycles, then followed with a deep rinse. I've >never had problems with allergy to detergent at home! (I did once staying at my brother's place, where their >washing machine just does the usual not-very-effective rinse... > >How did you find out how to "drive" the machine? Did you have documentation on its control system? > >Cheers, > >Howard Winter >St.Albans, Herts. > >-- Hi Howard I had no documentation at all on how to drive the machine. I reverse engineered the existing controller to find out how the windings of the motor were controlled/switched. It uses a large induction motor with two sets of windings. One set for the wash (low speed high torque) and one set for the spin (high speed low torque). The direction of the motor was controlled by using a relay to swap over the terminals of the motor start/run capacitor. The speed of the motor was controlled by a simple triac circuit that switched the triac on at a certain part of the mains cycle depending on the torque required of the motor. The inherent "slip" of the induction motor is used to slow the motor down under load along with the firing of the triac. It took me about 2 weeks start to finish to research motor drive techniques on the net, build the controller and driver board (and etch/drill/solder/drive to RS components to pick the bits up), program the Pic and get my first wash load done. I used an LM2917 frequency to voltage IC hooked to AD0 on the 18F pic for the speed sensing (I didnt fancy overloading the PIC as I was already using a few interrupts to do other things) and AD1 on the pic for the thermistor. There were a few problems with the LM2917 picking up the mains hum on the motor when the drum was stationary but I found that by giving the drum a quick spin before checking its speed then it all worked well. Other problems were the Pic resetting occasionally when the relays were triggered and the temperature sensing is not very accurate when the drum is rotating (interference from the motor again) but this was all taken care of in software in the end. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) the new washing machine is turning up on Friday courtesy of the missus so this one is going to be scrapped tomorrow and the bits I bought for it removed :-( It was good fun though and if it wasnt for the missus constantly on at me to get something working so we could have clean clothes, it would have been a lot more fun :-) -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

At 04:29 PM 6/2/2004 -0400, you wrote: >The Maytag I bought in 1964 advertised this as a feature. I have not seen it >since. Ours (Kenmore Elite) has an optional second rinse cycle with a twist selector switch to include it in the cycle or not, or you can start it manually with the main timer switch if you forget to put it in. >Who will be the first to engineer a "double flush" toilet for those of us in >the US stuck with a Federally mandated throne? I suggest smuggling in a "full-flush" Canadian model. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" EraseMEspeffspam_OUTTakeThisOuTinterlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 16:29:18 -0400, John Ferrell wrote: > The Maytag I bought in 1964 advertised this as a feature. I have not seen it > since. > > Who will be the first to engineer a "double flush" toilet for those of us in > the US stuck with a Federally mandated throne? A friend of mine just installed an American Standard toilet with "turbo flush" (or whatever it is they call it) as seen in their television advertising lately ... It really works! It flushes as hard as the mystical "Ferguson" toilet that Al Bundy lusted after on "Married with Children". BAWOOOOOOM... now that's a man's flush!!! ;-) Matt Pobursky Maximum Performance Systems -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

> A friend of mine just installed an American Standard toilet with "turbo > flush" (or whatever it is they call it) as seen in their television > advertising lately ... Our's didn't come from a TV ad, but it *does* do the job that even the older ones couldn't do. Of course, it's rather loud, but it works with less water. -- D. Jay Newman ! jayspam_OUTsprucegrove.com ! Xander: Giles, don't make cave-slayer unhappy. http://enerd.ws/robots/ ! -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

> On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 16:29:18 -0400, John Ferrell wrote: >...< > > Who will be the first to engineer a "double flush" toilet for those of us in > > the US stuck with a Federally mandated throne? Modern loos in the UK often have a "twin flush" system, where you can choose if you just want a quick flush or a full-scale one. If it's a side-lever-flush you either push and let go or push and hold, but the trend is towards buttons on top with a smaller and a larger segment to press. Nobody checks to see if you use the right one, of course! :-) Cheers, Howard Winter St.Albans, England -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

............... " Nobody checks to see if you use the right one, of course! " And how do you know this ?? RP > On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 16:29:18 -0400, John Ferrell wrote: >...< > > Who will be the first to engineer a "double flush" toilet for those of us in > > the US stuck with a Federally mandated throne? Modern loos in the UK often have a "twin flush" system, where you can choose if you just want a quick flush or a full-scale one. If it's a side-lever-flush you either push and let go or push and hold, but the trend is towards buttons on top with a smaller and a larger segment to press. Nobody checks to see if you use the right one, of course! :-) Cheers, Howard Winter St.Albans, England -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

I am considering that, but so far I have not found a source. A grad school acquaintance of mine was in the sewage business. He claimed that the whole water saving scheme was a hoax anyway. According to him, the pumping stations always have to add lots of water. John Ferrell http://DixieNC.US > > I suggest smuggling in a "full-flush" Canadian model. > > Best regards, > > Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" > @spam@speffKILLspaminterlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com > Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email KILLspamlistservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 13:57:39 +1200, RemoveMERichard.ProsserTakeThisOuTPOWERWARE.COM wrote: > .............. " Nobody checks to see if you use the > right one, of course! " > > And how do you know this ?? > RP Well I've been pressing the wrong one, and nobody has mentioned it, of course! :-) Cheers, Howard Winter St.Albans, England -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email spamBeGonelistservspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

>>I suggest smuggling in a "full-flush" Canadian model. >> >> >> You can have our toilets, but you can't have our water. :-) Colin -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email TakeThisOuTlistservEraseMEspam_OUTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

I suggest you dam the rivers at the border then. :-) -Adam ColinC wrote: {Quote hidden}>>> I suggest smuggling in a "full-flush" Canadian model. >>> >>> >>> > You can have our toilets, but you can't have our water. :-) > > Colin > > -- > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > email RemoveMElistservTakeThisOuTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listservEraseME.....mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body