Control Software -Main Form

Here is the main form of the software that controls and monitors the brewery. The software runs on a PC and interfaces with the brewery hardware through the HP34970A Controller.

Graphical User Interface Tour:

• Menu Bar
  • File - allows you to save all measurement data (high/low probe readings, liquor,mash and boiler temperatures) to a file
  • Range - Sets the displayed graphical thermometer range. You can independently set them as a percent of the set point value.
  • Table - tabular form of all measurement data
  • Graph - shows data on a real time X-Y graph. The graph auto scales and includes normal and delta markers.
  • Options - lets you set control parameters for proportional control of the heaters, the data acquisition rate and level probe resistance decision values. See the Options Form.
  • Sequencer - allows unattended control of the brewing process. You can edit, save and load different sequences with the Sequence Editor.
• Heat Control Group - the software provides automated control of the tun temperatures, but also allows the user to quickly take over and manually control the burners.
  • Liquor, Mash and Boiler Buttons - the caption on these buttons are red when the burner is on and black when off. When a button is clicked that burner is switched from automated to manual control. The automatic/manual state is indicated by an 'A' or 'M' in the small box to the right of the temperature set point at the bottom of the graphical thermometer.
  • Graphical Thermometer - to the left of each thermometer is the min and max of the viewable range (set under the Range menu) and the set point (desired temperature). To the right are tick marks indicating actual minimum and maximum tun temperatures. The numeric under the bulb is the current tun temperature.
  • Auto/Manual Group - this is where you (or the sequencer) sets the desired temperature. This group also contains the auto/manual mode annunciator.
• Mash Level Group - this group indicates Mash Tun wort level and controls the RIMS pump and sparge water valve solenoid. If you click the the Valve or Pump buttons it puts you in manual control. The visual graphic is yellow when the wort level is low, green when between the high and low probe levels and red when above the high and low level probes.
  • Auto Level - operates in two different modes.
    • Mash - if the grain compacts and all the wort begins to get trapped above the grain bed the pump is automatically turned off until the level returns to normal
    • Sparge - the pump runs continuously and the sparge/wort level is automatically maintained by controlling the sparge liquor valve solenoid.
• Main Buttons
  • Add Grain - after the water in the mash tun is up to temperature (about 10 degrees higher than the strike) and you're ready to add the grist you press this button. It turns off the pump and the mash tun heater. It then opens a dialog box to continue. After you mash-in you click the continue button. You are then prompted to change the mash set point temperature if desired and the mash burner and pump are reactivated.
  • Single Scan - takes a single measurement of all parameters.
  • Start - begins continuous acquisition and control of brewery parameters
  • Quit - duuuh