Bluetooth Wireless Android tablet DRO for iGaging scales

bloomingtonmike

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I did Yuriy's wireless dro for igaging scales today.

$30 Arduino Uno Rev3, $10 Bluetooth Slave module from ebay, $24 in scale connectors from digikey ($8 per scale), three 10K ohm res, one 220 ohm res, one 330 ohm res , Arduino Proto shield with breadboard, few pieces of jumper wire (Arduino Uno, Proto shield, breadboard, jumper wire, and resistors all from Radio Shack), iGaging scales (sold by Grizzly and others), sketch, and a used $100 ebay bluetooth equipped android 9.7 tablet = Wireless Digital Readout!

The instructions are on Yuriy's site linked below.

Here it is with one scale wired

http://www.yuriystoys.com/2012/09/arduino-bluetooth-module-wireless-dro.html

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looks great. planning on enclosing this in a box? mount on Mill? Lathe? just for play?
 
Yes - In fact I will use a proper bluetooth shield and solder the circuit on the breadboard built into it. The connectors for the scales are easy to install in a box. I will also have a proper power cord and power switch. I plan to use it on my 12 Craftsman lathe at minimum. 99% was to see if I could do it though :)

Let me see if I can break this out a bit more for folks that have no idea about arduino - at least describe the parts a bit more and give a how to like post. Links accurate as of 6/17/2013.

The potential here is to measure tools and see the measurement on a big screen that does not have to stay in the shop or be wired to the setup. Only the scale and controller stays with the machine. Also one screen can be used on any tool - just build a scale/arduino setup for each tool and just "pair"/connect it up to each controller you want to use on your tablet.

Yuriy's site has all the technical info you need. This write up explains some basic arduino setup as well. Read Yuriy's site/blogs too. It is the most informative.
http://www.yuriystoys.com/2012/01/lets-get-stated-with-dro-project.html
Bear with it as the posts progress over the months and his design changes once he decides on the arduino and the tablet.

Android tablet or android phone with blue tooth: These are your typical non-ipad tablets above $150 new. Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab are other popular ones. Just check the specs/google your tablet to make sure the tablet or phone you choose has bluetooth network capability.

Link to a tablet with bluetooth

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iGaging scale: These are the cheap Chinese scales used to measure distance. They have a little remote mountable scale display that takes 3v CR2032 batteries.

Link to an iGaging scale

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Arduino Uno - A little microcontroller /small little computer that has inputs and outputs. It runs on 5V and can also supply 3.3V to devices. You write code in a "sketch" and upload it to the Uno via a USB connection and it runs when powered up. In this case we monitor inputs from the scale and output it to the Bluetooth module.

Link to an Arduino Uno clone

51rbzWbH6RL._SX385_.jpg

Here is one that is a kit with the breadboard and jumper wires as well. The breadboard makes it easy to plug in jumper wired pins in a circuit. It has a ground trace and positive trace along the edge horizontally (all those horizontal holes are connected together) and above, in the numbered build area, all vertical holes are connected together. So anything plugged in in a line are connected.

Link to kit

51EAAPF6n0L._SX385_.jpg



Bluetooth to Serial module: This is a little add on board that takes serial communication from the arduino and outputs it wirelessly across a bluetooth network. It uses an in and out connection to the arduino and 5V+ and ground.

link to a Bluetooh Module

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Arduino Proto Shield: This board is nothing more than a build platform to build simple circuits on an arduino. Think electronic workbench with ports for all the features of the arduino.

Link to a Proto Shield

51mcAsoMI0L._SX385_.jpg


Connector for iGaging scale - allows us to connect the mini-usb style connector from the scale to our arduino without cutting any cables. I ordered mine from a website called digikey. Part number is 708-1235-ND. The description is CABLE IP68 B MINI USB-5WAY CRIMP - but it is really a just a USB Mini B (5 pos) Male Plug to Rectangular 5 pos Plug. You need one per scale.

Link to connector

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Resistors: A resistor is an electrical component that limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in an electronic circuit. They are color coded to determine the ohm rating of each one.

Link to a multipack of 1/4watt resistors

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So with those parts we can assemble a circuit on the breadboard. Get building:

We need a few key pieces of info. (In the diagram it also shows capacitors but a note in the blog says they can be omitted so I did). Namely the resistor values and colors:
So in the diagram:
Resistor R1-R3 = 10Kohm = and the colors are brown black orange gold
Resistor R4 = 330ohm = and the color is orange orange brown gold
Resistor R5 = 220ohm = and the color is red red brown gold

On the USB igaging digikey connector - red is 1, 2 is white, 3 is green, and 4 is black and we will not use 5 black on the connector.

Follow Yuriy's schematic being careful not to short any wires. Use the bread board for now. Latter after you are comfortable and like your circuit you can solder up a final version.

simple-schematic.png

Once done verify it is correct several times. again C1-3 can be omitted - hook wire four to ground only (black wire in connector)

You will also need the pieces of software.

First you need to install Yuriy's software on your tablet. Seach "touch dro HD google play" on your tablet and install that software on your tablet.

Next is the arduino IDE - easiest to do on a PC/laptop with a USB port. This software is what is used to load the arduino.
Here is the windows version of the installer
Other OS versions are HERE

You also need Yuriy's sketch to load with the above software:
Yuriy's sketch is here

1. Install that Arduino IDE software (#1 above) and start the arduino software

2. Connect up your Uno (without the shield) paying attention to the com port the driver selects

3. Select that com port in the Arduino software (under Tools, Serial port) - if you do not know this look up the Arduino Uno in the ports section of your OS's Device manager

4. Select the Uno board in the Arduino software (at the top of Tools, Board)

5. Load the sketch into the program (File, Open, ArduinoDRO.ino) agreeing to any prompts about sketch naming

6. Click the check mark to verify it and make sure it says "Done Compiling" and no errors are listed

7. Click the arrow that will upload the sketch to your Arduino - Make sure it completes with no errors

8. Unplug the arduino

9. Connect the shield with the circuit and plug in the scale

10. Plug the arduino in again. In the shop you will need to supply a Power adapter of some kind for the arduino like THIS. The light on the Bluetooth module is flashing at this point

11. Start your tablet and the Touch DRO HD software making sure bluetooth is turned on on the tablet.

12. Press connect in the upper right hand side and you should see it connect, you should see green digits on the DRO screen, and the light on the bluetooth module should be red.

13. Slide the scale and the numbers should change with the scale movement.

Congrats you have a working wireless Yuriy Touchscreen DRO setup!!!!

THANK YOU TO YURIY!!!!!!

Mikie
 
I will be putting two scales on a my 12" Craftsman Commercial Metal Lathe from 1972.

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A Shumatech DRO-550 is going on the 1987 Menards clone of a Rong Fu milldrill. It also uses iGaging scales. It is also getting some CNC treatment so the Shumatech setup will be redundant then.

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Nice wright up. I plan to go that rout When he gets the usb version worked out. My tablet doesn't have blue tooth. Can you do a short vidio when you get it all set up?
 
Awesome write-up! I've been considering exploring whether a Raspberry (or one of the other similar tiny computers) could be used for something like this. But using the Arduino and having the smarts in the display (tablet) is great. I so want to build one of these now...
 
Thanks Mikie ,

I got a 10 in Viewsonic gTablet on Sat. from Craigslist for $100 brought it home and upgraded it to Jellybean 4.1.1

and then put Yuriy's beta 2.0 on it now waiting for scales from DavidH and everything else from Amazon and I hope to be in

business will probably have to pick your brain for anything I don't understand here's some pics of what I got and it with Yuriy's

App

Bob

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mikie, that's beautiful. im almost thinking I could do it following what you wrote. I am private emailing you info on my craftsman mounts. second try is a breeze :)
 
Thanks Mikie for all your help I wouldn't have figured it out by my self .

mikie, that's beautiful. im almost thinking I could do it following what you wrote. I am private emailing you info on my craftsman mounts. second try is a breeze :)

David I just did it and I think I got it right won't really know till I get my scales from you ( glad to hear about the Craftsman mounts )

David if you need the resistors I have an abundance of them or anyone else for that mater I'll throw them in an envelope
and mail them off just trying to pay it forward .

Bob

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Wow, looks like you did it truckin23, cool... and thanks for the breadboard pic too! Guess I'll go slow and do one circuit at a time (I admit a bit of trepidation here :) )... fingers crossed. My last box of parts for this project came in today (was supposed to be tomorrow, so I'm happy). Big time thanks to bloomingtonmike for telling everyone about Yuriy's project too! FWIW... Walmart has a brand new 7" tablet for $149, it has one mini USB port and BT3: Hisense Sero 7 Pro 7" Tablet Quad Core Processor with 8GB Memory, M470BSA http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hisense-Sero-7-Pro-7-Tablet-Quad-Core-Processor-with-8GB-Memory/24805142 Sero 7 Pro manufacturer product page:http://hisense-usa.com/tablets/sero7pro
 
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