Brewpi-arduino assistance

Fernando · February 18, 2019, 1:50pm

Hi all.
It is the first time I write and I have read many threads but I can not find an answer for this specific problem.

I am a Brewpi user with: RPI3 (RevC) + arduino UNO + tuned refrigerator from 3 years ago. It took me a lot of work to prepare everything, especially to tune the refrigerator, and I’ve been working very well with brewpi all this time.
The problem is that the Rpi3 SDcard is damaged and I lost the backup! I bought a new card but I have been trying for a few days to get a copy of Noobs compatible with Brewpi-arduino-Rpi3.

The problem is not to change or buy Spark … is that the system I had was cheap, efficient and I have everything ready to connect and take advantage of it.

So I would need a link to a noobs / iso compatible with my Raspberry Pi3 + arduino.

I have tried many things but finally the summary:

NOOBS + wheezy present rainbow problem in boot (I suppose that by incompatibility with Rpi3).
NOOBS + Jessie seems that everything is fine, but it presents an error when executing ‘sudo ./install.sh’ and gives error: 4 libraries are missing php5 + libapache2. (ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR).

Any help will be welcome (links to download pls) and TY in advance.

F

Elco · February 18, 2019, 5:23pm

I think the easiest way to install is to follow our new docker install process:
https://wiki.brewpi.com/getting-started/raspberry-pi-docker-install

Then to switch to the arduino compatible legacy branch, run these commands:

docker exec -it brewpi bash
git fetch --unshallow
git config remote.origin.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"
git fetch origin
git checkout legacy 
cd /var/www/html
git fetch --unshallow
git config remote.origin.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"
git fetch origin
git checkout legacy
exit
docker commit brewpi

Fernando · February 18, 2019, 10:23pm

Thank you very much Elco, the procedure is very well explained.

I have followed all the steps with great care without errors, but finally when I open the Chromium browser in RPI it is not possible to contact arduino: the typical msg appears in brewpi: “Can not receive LCD text from Phyton script”.

When entering “maintenance panel” + “device configuration” + “Refresh device list” (checked “read values”)
it is not possible to see devices: after a while there is a msg "Error while receiving device configuration: SyntaxError: Unexpected token C in JSON at position 0".

On the main screen of Brewpi, on the right, it shows "Script not running!" and it is not possible to activate it.

Some considerations:

I have no spark (only arduino).

So:
I have to do the whole procedure including the final part even though I do not have spark?

Where is the error and the solution?

Thank you very much Elco!

Elco · February 18, 2019, 10:57pm

Please check the log why the script is not running. Also check whether the pi sees the Arduino with

lsusb
ls /dev/ttyA*

Fernando · February 18, 2019, 11:26pm

OK, there are the results:

Arduino connect solved: Change the USB port, shut down and on
(The arduino port appears yet in lsusb command)

LOG in Brewpi:

stderr:
Feb 19 2019 00:36:50 Error: Received invalid message on socket: lcd

stdout:
This version of BrewPi is not compatible with Arduino. Please check out the legacy branch instead.

(It appears not to downgrade to legacy…)

Elco · February 19, 2019, 7:37am

Yes sounds like something didn’t work in the steps above. Try them again and pay attention to any errors.

Fernando · February 19, 2019, 8:37am

I supposed it Elco. Ok, lets go:
I reboot RPI and check that both containers are running (Brewpi and portainer).

Open SSH in my Windows PC and login ok to RPI.

(I understand that should repeat this commands):
docker exec -it brewpi bash
git fetch --unshallow
***git config remote.origin.fetch "+ refs / heads / : refs / remotes / origin / "*
git fetch origin
git checkout legacy
cd / var / www / html
git fetch --unshallow
git config remote.origin.fetch "+ refs / heads / : refs / remotes / origin / "
git fetch origin
git checkout legacy
exit
*docker commit brewpi***

Here is the screen echo:

Excuse my null level of Linux… Had I forgotten something?
No changes on brewpi: “Cannot receive LCD text from Python script”

EDIT: I proceed to Delete the brewpi container and recreate it.
2 times repeated the same procedure with the same error.

Fernando · February 19, 2019, 2:02pm

BTW, I complete the procedure in " https://wiki.brewpi.com/getting-started/raspberry-pi-docker-install "…INCLUDING THE SPARK AT THE END.
(I dont know if it is correct to include this spark configuration…?)

No errors and everything aparently works until the manual commands at the end (to make arduino compatible)…but all the errors appears when trying downgrade to legacy (as screen shows).
I repeated all procedure from the begining (format SDcard) and all again the same

Elco · February 20, 2019, 5:07pm

Thanks for the log, now I see what the problem is.
You have some modified files that prevent the branch switch.

Updated instructions with stashing the changes:

docker exec -it brewpi bash
git fetch --unshallow
git config remote.origin.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"
git fetch origin
git stash
git checkout legacy 
cd /var/www/html
git fetch --unshallow
git config remote.origin.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"
git fetch origin
git stash
git checkout legacy
exit
docker commit brewpi

Fernando · February 21, 2019, 9:27am

TY very much Elco. I will try this

jlac55 · August 29, 2020, 4:37pm

Please help! The Wiki is down and I really want my BrewPi & Arduino setup running again! It was such a great system until my memory card failed!

jlac55 · August 29, 2020, 4:38pm

Same exact issue here and I just can’t resolve this. The Wiki is down and I can’t for the life of me install the OS and get BrewPi running. So frustrated!!! I’ve been working on it for a few weeks now

Bob_Steers · August 29, 2020, 6:40pm

You replied to yourself there.

BrewPi has been rebuilt from the ground up as Brewblox. It now supports multiple fermentations, brew day controls, and much more flexible configuration.

The bad news is that support for Arduino controllers ended in 2017. The primary controllers are the Spark 2 and 3.

jlac55 · August 29, 2020, 7:38pm

Hi Bob. Thanks for responding. I’m excited about BrewBlox and definitely want to play with it. I spent a TON of time building this really cool fermentation controller with LCD screen and dial for the BrewPi and Arduino so I was really hoping to get it running again. I totally understand not supporting indefinitely. Just disappointed I can’t fix what I already have… Thanks again.

Bob_Steers · August 29, 2020, 7:54pm

I totally understand you wanting to fix your existing configuration. Sadly, if you follow the install instructions for BrewPi Legacy (the Arduino version), you run into a bunch of other software versions that are no longer available, compatible, or supported.

If you want to stay close to your current hardware, you could take a look at the BrewPiLess fork. They use a ESP8266 controller, which is mostly pin compatible with the Arduino.

jlac55 · August 29, 2020, 10:14pm

Very much appreciated and spot on. Every time I overcome one legacy software issue another one pops up. It seems endless. All because of a dead memory card :-/ I had a backup but can’t find it…

Thanks for the info. I’m interested in the Spark. I it available in the US?

Bob_Steers · August 29, 2020, 10:35pm

Software moves pretty quickly, especially in open source.
I recently came across instructions for cloning SD cards: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/back-up-raspberry-pi-as-disk-image. That would be a more reliable way to restore your setup.

The Spark is available in the US: we ship pretty much anywhere.

Elco · August 30, 2020, 10:13am

Take a look at BrewPi remix for a fork of the Arduino version that has been kept up to date a bit more.
The wiki is down because it was not up to date anymore and BrewPi remix or other forks at this point offer a better experience on Arduino.

bvehorn · September 1, 2020, 4:22pm

Are the Docker installation instructions still available?

jlac55: I just went through the same thing and rebuilt my legacy BrewPi-Arduino system. I can share what I did if you still need help with that.

jlac55 · September 13, 2020, 1:45pm

Very much appreciated. I tabled the project waiting on some additional parts. I’m hoping to work on it in the next week. The BrewPi Remix site looks promising to at least get my legacy system back up and running. I’ve been looking at the Spark project builds people have been putting together and now I’m thinking I want to build one too!