Raspberry coop

[DaisyG2317]

The purple one? That is my wife's doing...tradescantia pallida AKA "purple secretia, purple-heart, and purple queen"

Thanks! I must get one.

 

[veedabowlu]

@jthornton your thoughts about my linked motor rolling wheel suggestion...injecting ample power over POE I should be able to run that small motor, two cameras, LED lights.

 

[veedabowlu]

A wheel like this one... Oh, and my speaker idea...

 

[jthornton]

@jthornton your thoughts about my linked motor rolling wheel suggestion...injecting ample power over POE I should be able to run that small motor, two cameras, LED lights.

Not sure what link you are referring to... adding up the watts per cable will tell if you can or not.

JT

 

[veedabowlu]

this motor https://www.adafruit.com/product/3802
and this wheel https://www.adafruit.com/product/3766

right now the door slides in a channel... (highlighted in green) instead of it completely riding the bottom of the channel, it would be partially supported by the ORANGE (circle) wheel that is attached to the motor... if necessary the door could be supported on two wheels, one being driven, one free wheeling(just for support)

 

[jthornton]

It's cheap enough to try it... I've only made vertical doors so no experience with a horizontal door. It does look like you need a longer track on top and bottom so the door is fully supported when open and less likely to bind in the open position.

JT

 

[veedabowlu]

Ok great,
I will look into your suggested POE injectors, etc...

So here is my rough draft of RPi parts to buy... @jthornton @Mouthpear
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3782 encoder for position. If I understand correctly, from door open to close it should be able to count the "windows" or interrupts for motor to turn on OR off. I just don't understand how it would know where "zero" or start is... in automotive, crankshaft sensors have teeth (same as the "widows") but one is missing, and when the sensor see the missing tooth, it knows it as "zero"
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3985 for encoder wheel for position
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3766 motor wheel for movement
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3802 motor, but looks like a tight fit to get the encoder and interrupter and motor wheel all on the 1 shaft... I picked this motor because of the all metal gearing, gear ratio, resulting in higher torque but slower rotational speed .
OR
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3777 gives more room to mount parts due to two "shafts"

Next part would be which RPi, the Pi zero ($14.00) is great, but not POE without adding an ethernet HAT/Splitter($8.00),($10.00) one micro USB, speaker Bonnet with speakers ($15.00)...etc I like it because of the size BUT it ends up being more expensive than a Pi 3 B+
($35)... which has POE via splitter($10.00), 4 × USB 2.0 ports . Having that many USB ports I can run 2 USB cameras,( as well as the Pi ribbon camera) and USB speakers.
A Pi 3 case with a fan is $10.00...

Again open to suggestions/opinions...

 

[jthornton]

I guess that is sorta like an encoder but with only one channel (encoders usually have 3 channels typically A, B, Index)

It would be way simpler to use the slot photo sensor as limit switches in your code. If I used that kind of sensor I would make sure the target that is used can't come into contact with the sensor. So typically the sensor is placed to "see" something that passes by and if an over shoot happens the sensor is not in danger of getting damaged. With chickens comes dust so any optical sensor is subject to failing if not kept a bit clean. That is the reason I use those magnet switches typically used for home alarms.

You might look into some kind of smooth operating drawer slides for your door...

I've never needed a fan on a Rpi 3B, just make sure you have the heat sinks installed.

JT

 

[CascadeQUAIL]

I'm doing something like this as well.

Is a cheapo solar panel enough to run the Raspi 24/7 ? I am thinking about using an arduino to try and save some power draw as I'm not in a very solar friendly place. I was going to power it up in a nearby shed and then use IR to send commands across a gap. Using solar panels just to power the lights. I didn't want to run the controller off of the solar.

 

[jthornton]

Is a cheapo solar panel enough to run the Raspi 24/7 ?

Pretty much impossible to answer, way too many variables.

A solar panel requires a batter to charge up for use when it's not producing enough amps to power the load.

You should put your location in your profile...

JT