Starting an Arduino DIY incubator project

[abqchicken]

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
#include "DHT.h"
#define DHTPIN 2 // Define the temp sensor data pin
#define DHTTYPE DHT22 // define the temp/hum sensor type
#define RELAY 0 // define the relay control pin
DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE); //initialize the temp sensor
// LCD Connections:
// rs (LCD pin 4) to Arduino pin 12
// rw (LCD pin 5) to Arduino pin 11
// enable (LCD pin 6) to Arduino pin 10
// LCD pin 15 to Arduino pin 13
// LCD pins d4, d5, d6, d7 to Arduino pins 5, 4, 3, 1
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 10, 5, 4, 3, 1); //set up what port the LCD will use
int backLight = 13; // pin 13 will control the backlight
void setup()
{
dht.begin(); //start the temp sensor
pinMode(RELAY, OUTPUT);
pinMode(backLight, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(backLight, HIGH); // turn backlight on. Replace 'HIGH' with 'LOW' to turn it off.
lcd.begin(20,4); // columns, rows. use 16,2 for a 16x2 LCD, etc.
lcd.clear(); // start with a blank screen
lcd.setCursor(0,0); // set cursor to column 0, row 0 (the first row)
lcd.print("Incubator 1.0"); // opening line
lcd.setCursor(0,1); // set cursor to column 0, row 1
lcd.print("Hatch Them!");
delay(2000);
// Uncomment if you want more text on the 4 line LCD (not used in 2 line LCDs)
// lcd.setCursor(0,2); // set cursor to column 0, row 2
// lcd.print("Row 3"); //Text for line 3
//lcd.setCursor(0,3); // set cursor to column 0, row 3
//lcd.print("Row 4"); // Text for line 4
}
//loop to read the sensor and display
void loop(){
float h = dht.readHumidity(); // Read the humidity
float t = dht.readTemperature(); // Read temperature in celsius
float f = dht.readTemperature(true); // get the temperature in Fahreheit
// uncomment to compute heat index in Fahrenheit (the default)
//float hif = dht.computeHeatIndex(f, h);
// Compute heat index in Celsius (isFahreheit = false)
//float hic = dht.computeHeatIndex(t, h, false);
int is,im,ih,id,ida; // variables for time
float time,s1,m1,h1,d1; // Set up variables to calculate time
time=millis(); // Get time in milliseconds since tunit turn on
s1=time/1000; // Convert time to seconds, minutes, hours, days
m1=s1/60;
h1=m1/60;
d1=h1/24;
id=int(d1); // Strip out remainder to leave Days:Hours:Minutes:Seconds
ih=int((d1-int(d1))*24);
im=int((h1-int(h1))*60);
is=int((m1-int(m1))*60);
// Calculate approximate days till hatch (assume 21 days to hatch)
ida=21-id;
if (isnan(h) || isnan(t) || isnan(f)){
// if sensor can't be read
lcd.clear();
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("failed to read");
delay(50000);
return;
}
else {
//sensor was read succesfully so print values to LCD
lcd.clear(); // Clear the LCD
//Print temperature and humidity in first two lines
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("Temperature:");
lcd.print(f,1);
lcd.print(" F");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("Humidity:");
lcd.print(h,0);
lcd.print(" %");
lcd.setCursor(0,2);
lcd.print("Time:");
// Print time in format Time: xxd:xxh:xxm:xxs
lcd.print(id);
lcd.print("d:");
lcd.print(ih);
lcd.print("h:");
lcd.print(im);
lcd.print("m:");
lcd.print(is);
lcd.print("s");
lcd.setCursor(0,3);
// Print days left till hatch
lcd.print("Days left:");
lcd.print(21-id);
//Temperature controller
if(f<91){ // Set the temperature for the relay to come on (somewhere around 90-101F to get eggs to hatch)
digitalWrite(RELAY,LOW); // Turns ON Relay
}
else{
digitalWrite(RELAY,HIGH); // Turns Relay Off
}
// Puase for 5 seconds
delay(5000);
}
}

Credit where credit is due, I started the project with the LCD tutorial from www.hacktronics.com/Tutorials/arduino-character-lcd-tutorial.html and the sensor library example from github.com/adafruit/DHT-sensor-library.

The code could probably be fancier and more efficient, but I am not a great coder and just wanted to make it work (at least I took the time to document a bit!).

 

[abqchicken]

The time keeping is not going to be very accurate due to the nature of the Arduino (probably several seconds or more inaccurate over 21 days); however, incubation is not a second by second accurate process so the time keeping is accurate enough. I can put a real-time clock in the mix, but that would just complicate things and probably require more that just the one Arduino board since I am using most of the ports on the board already.

 

[abqchicken]

This is the relay. The three screws at the bottom is where you switch the power to the heat source (light bulb) for the incubator. Power goes into the center screw will be toggled from right (closed without power and open with power) to left (open without power and closed with power).

 

[abqchicken]

Figured out that I can make my own characters so I modified the code to draw a thermometer for the temperature reading, drop for humidity and an odd looking clock for the time.

 

[abqchicken]

This is the updated code including the stepper motor drive. It is set to about 1/4 revolution every 15 min
Temperature is set to 98F

// Incubator code
// ---------------------------------------------
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
#include "DHT.h"
#define DHTPIN 2 // Define the temp sensor data pin
#define DHTTYPE DHT22 // define the temp/hum sensor type
#define RELAY 0 // define the relay control pin
#include <Stepper.h>
#define STEPS_PER_MOTOR_REVOLUTION 32 //define the number of steps per motor revolution
// #define STEPS_PER_OUTPUT_REVOLUTION 32 * 64
#define STEPS_PER_OUTPUT_REVOLUTION 8 * 64 //define the number of steps to take each time the code loops
// 6 should give about 1 revolution per hour with a 2 second delay at the end of the loop
DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE); //initialize the temp sensor
// LCD Connections:
// rs (LCD pin 4) to Arduino pin 12
// rw (LCD pin 5) to Arduino pin 11
// enable (LCD pin 6) to Arduino pin 10
// LCD pin 15 to Arduino pin 13
// LCD pins d4, d5, d6, d7 to Arduino pins 5, 4, 3, 1
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 10, 5, 4, 3, 1); //set up what port the LCD will use
int backLight = 13; // pin 13 will control the backlight
int is,im,ih,id,ida; // variables for time
float time,s1,m1,h1,d1; // Set up variables to calculate time
int ic,ip,ik;
int Steps2Take; // define the steper motor steps
byte thermo[8] ={B00100,B01010,B01010,B01110,B01110,B11111,B11111,B01110}; //thermometer icon
byte drop[8] ={B00100,B00100,B01010,B01010,B10001,B10001,B10001,B01110}; //drop icon
byte smile[8] = {B00000,B10001,B00000,B00000,B10001,B01110,B00000}; // smile icon
byte tim[8] = {B00000,B01110,B10101,B10101,B10011,B10001,B01110,}; // clock icon
//The pin connections need to be 4 pins connected
// to Motor Driver In1, In2, In3, In4 and then the pins entered
// here in the sequence 1-3-4-2 for proper sequencing (hook up driver bard pins to arduino 6789
Stepper small_stepper(STEPS_PER_MOTOR_REVOLUTION, 7, 9,8, 6);
void setup()
{
dht.begin(); //start the temp sensor
pinMode(RELAY, OUTPUT);
pinMode(backLight, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(backLight, LOW); // turn backlight on. Replace 'HIGH' with 'LOW' to turn it off.
lcd.begin(20,4); // columns, rows. use 16,2 for a 16x2 LCD, etc.
lcd.clear(); // start with a blank screen
lcd.setCursor(0,0); // set cursor to column 0, row 0 (the first row)
lcd.print("Incubator 1.0"); // opening line
lcd.setCursor(0,1); // set cursor to column 0, row 1
lcd.print("Hatch Them!");
delay(2000);
// Uncomment if you want more text on the 4 line LCD (not used in 2 line LCDs)
// lcd.setCursor(0,2); // set cursor to column 0, row 2
// lcd.print("Row 3"); //Text for line 3
//lcd.setCursor(0,3); // set cursor to column 0, row 3
//lcd.print("Row 4"); // Text for line 4
lcd.createChar(0,thermo);
lcd.createChar(1,drop);
lcd.createChar(2,smile);
lcd.createChar(3,tim);
}
//loop to read the sensor and display
void loop(){
float h = dht.readHumidity(); // Read the humidity
float t = dht.readTemperature(); // Read temperature in celsius
float f = dht.readTemperature(true); // get the temperature in Fahreheit
// uncomment to compute heat index in Fahrenheit (the default)
//float hif = dht.computeHeatIndex(f, h);
// Compute heat index in Celsius (isFahreheit = false)
//float hic = dht.computeHeatIndex(t, h, false);
time=millis(); // Get time in milliseconds since tunit turn on
s1=time/1000; // Convert time to seconds, minutes, hours, days
m1=s1/60;
h1=m1/60;
d1=h1/24;
id=int(d1); // Strip out remainder to leave Days:Hours:Minutes:Seconds
ih=int((d1-int(d1))*24);
im=int((h1-int(h1))*60);
is=int((m1-int(m1))*60);
// Calculate approximate days till hatch (assume 21 days to hatch)
ida=21-id;
if (isnan(h) || isnan(t) || isnan(f)){
// if sensor can't be read
lcd.clear();
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("failed to read sensor");
delay(50000);
return;
}
else {
//sensor was read succesfully so print values to LCD
lcd.clear(); // Clear the LCD
//Print temperature and humidity in first two lines
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
// lcd.print("Temperature:");
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.write(byte(0)); // Write the Thhermometer icon
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.print(f,1);
lcd.print(" F ");
//lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.write(byte(1)); // Write the drop icon
// lcd.print("Humidity:");
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.print(h,0);
lcd.print(" %");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.write(byte(3));
lcd.print(" ");
// Print time in format Time: xxd:xxh:xxm:xxs
lcd.print(id);
lcd.print("d:");
lcd.print(ih);
lcd.print("h:");
lcd.print(im);
lcd.print("m:");
lcd.print(is);
lcd.print("s");
lcd.setCursor(0,2);
lcd.print("_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-");
lcd.setCursor(0,3);
// Print days left till hatch
lcd.print("Days left:");
lcd.print(21-id);
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.write(byte(2));
//Temperature controller
if(f < 98.0){ // Set the temperature for the relay to come on (somewhere around 90-101F to get eggs to hatch)
digitalWrite(RELAY,LOW); // Turns ON Relay
}
else{
digitalWrite(RELAY,HIGH); // Turns Relay Off
}
ic= im % 15;
ik=im-ip;
if(ic==0 && ik != 0){
ip=im;
lcd.setCursor(0,2);
lcd.print("Turning Eggs!_-_-_-_");
Steps2Take = STEPS_PER_OUTPUT_REVOLUTION ; // define stepper CW steps
small_stepper.setSpeed(50); // set stepper max speed
small_stepper.step(Steps2Take); // take the steps
// Steps2Take = - STEPS_PER_OUTPUT_REVOLUTION; // define stepper CCW 1 steps
// small_stepper.setSpeed(700); // set stepper to max speed
// small_stepper.step(Steps2Take); // take the steps
}
// Puase for 2 seconds
delay(2000);
}
}

 

[Metolious]

Thanks for sharing. I love it because it provides a meaningful project for me to learn coding. Definitely going to use this to help me get into it.

 

[crank]

Very cool. I love chick and chicken oriented Arduino projects here. Keep us up to date with the progress of your project. I also have an Arduino based chicken project too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...sensor-ambient-air-temp-and-relative-humidity

 

[abqchicken]

Update - I have had the system working for a while and all seems to be stable with the setup and code I posted. I now need to figure out a reliable egg-turning scheme without making it too complicated. As an alternative to the stepper motor I have been thinking about is a servo. I have a few from a couple of deceased RC helicopters. The two options I am thinking about are:

1) rotating arns to push the eggs around in a circle
2) servo rocking mechanism to move the eggs from side to side.

I will probably prototype each to see which one works best. I really do not want to buy fertile eggs before I am sure things will work.

 

[gpop1]

I built my incubator about 6 months ago using a arduino mega and dht22 and that's still running good. I used a rtc (real time clock) that cost about $2.

For the turner I used a geared motor as a servo has to hold the load where a angle drive holds it by the nature of its design. I did go a little over board with the code as you can control every aspect of the incubator but I figured it was better to have to many options then not enoght. Im collecting and testing all the parts for my next incubator at the moment. .

If you need a hand im more than willing to help

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/976303/building-a-incubator-from-a-wine-cooler link to the first arduino one I built.

 

[abqchicken]

Impressive machine! Well done! That is way too many eggs for me to hatch!

I am shooting for a bit smaller machine to hatch maybe 12 eggs and keep it inexpensive. I don't have enough room in my back yard and city ordinance will not allow for more than 15 chickens (already have 7). I am mostly doing it as a challenge and to see if I can hatch some breeds I cannot get locally. I really like the different colored eggs.

Right now the challenge is to build a small egg turner. I was simply going to do use a stepper to sweep around an arm (I may go back to that). The small cheap stepper I have does not have enough torque. I am now trying a servo to "rock" the eggs somewhat like you have done, but much smaller. I have a feeling I will have to get a new servo since the one I have is a "micro" one from a long crashed RC helicopter. I may just have to go to a large stepper.