STC1000 Hacking

[Andy]

My STC1000 arrived and......


it's a v1.00 model with the 5 programming pins

[keith1664]

Care to share the supplier.... Please!

[Andy]

Sure.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STC-1000-Digi ... 1396569456

[keith1664]

Thanks

[keith1664]

Sure.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STC-1000-Digi ... 1396569456

I ordered one from them and it came this morning... also a V1.0

[Andy]

Excellent, I ordered a spare also

[keith1664]

Excellent, I ordered a spare also

I just ordered another now that I know they're good.

[DethApostle]

Quick question on STC's and the such because i'm very interested in this as my next project!

My kegerator is a fridge/freezer model. Am a correct in thinking that using an STC to control the fridge would also affect the freezer? if so, is there anyway around this?

Thanks
DA

[Kev888]

Unfortunately the vast majority of fridge freezers share a single compressor system which cools both the fridge and freezer whenever it runs, so theres not a lot you can do about that however you try to control it. Though a very few are said to have dual compressors and so can be controlled separately, say by two separate STCs. I hear some use a fan to waft cold air into the fridge from the freezer; if so then the fan could potentially be controlled by an STC but I've never seen one myself so I'm only guessing, it may not work.

Cheers
Kev

[Chrissyr63]

Hi

can I ask a question - in the user manual on the github page they show a low cost solution and list two boards that need connecting and the connected to the stc. Is this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-USB-Nano ... 4ada205cb1

those two board combined - ie you use this to connect and a computer to send the update via the arduino ide and new firmware?
I have a couple of stcs I use so will need to look if they are ok to use but looks like a great way for me to control the fermentation as I am not always at the location.

C

[Andy]

those two board combined - ie you use this to connect and a computer to send the update via the arduino ide and new firmware?

That's right, you use the Arduino as a reprogramming tool for the STC. The Arduino connects to the 5 pins on the STC board and sends the new firmware down. As you're aware though, this only works on revision 1.00 STC boards which have those 5 pins.

[AnthonyUK]

One thing to consider with the Nano is how much flash memory they have. The code for flashing nearly fills the Uno 32kb and whilst the Nano has the same amount it uses 2kb instead of 0.5kb in the Uno for the bootloader.
You can buy an Uno variant for around £8 which is known to work.

[Chrissyr63]

thanks all

so this

http://www.gearbest.com/development-boa ... oC7zXw_wcB

C

[AnthonyUK]

I used an Uno R3 although it was the older DIL type chip but fundamentally the same so that would be fine.

[Andy]

Well I've just reflashed my STC1000 using an Arduino Uno and the "resting the header pins on the STC contacts" approach. Bit fiddly but it's done and I now have the modded firmware installed