MM5D - Growing house controller

I. Hardware

The device - cooperates with a distribution and switching unit - is capable of measuring, controlling and monitoring the characteristics of a growing site. I use it in one of my mushroom growing tent, it works since 2019 continuosly.

1. Technical data

• Supply voltage: 5V DC
• Supply current: max. 2.5 A
• Mechanical size: 240 x 190 x 90 mm
• IP protection: IP 54
• Mass of cover: termoplast (ABS)
• Communication: Ethernet, WLAN and serial port
• Operation system: Raspbian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
• Latest software version: v0.6
• Administration: SSH and serial console
• User interface: web user interface

2. General description

The device is based on a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ single-card computer with Raspberry Pi OS Lite and includes software needed to operate the unit.

You can see input and output status, error indications, measured values and system messages on the LEDs and the matrix LED display.

You can acces to set up device via local area network with SSH or serial console. Set values and measured data can be checked with a web browser.

The inputs are TTL level inputs with pull-up resistance and the active state is level "L". The inputs are protected against overvoltage and reverse polarity input voltage.

• IN 1: manual operation mode from switching device
• IN 2: overcurrent error from switching device
• IN 3: water pressure sensor
• IN 4: door open sensor(s)

DHT 11, DHT 22 or AM2302 T / RH sensors can be connected to the unit.

The device has eight switching relay contact outputs with a load capacity of up to 250 V AC or up to 30 V DC 10 A, but an external relay or contactor is recommended to protect the printed circuit. Consumer circuits must always be provided with overcurrent protection. The relays can be disabled with the key switch on the right.

• OUT 1: heater control output to switching device
• OUT 2: lighting control output to switching device
• OUT 3: ventilator control output to switching device
• OUT 4: humidifier control output to switching device
• OUT 5: signal tower light - green (normal operation)
• OUT 6: signal tower light - yellow (normal operation with warning)
• OUT 7: signal tower light - red (error)
• OUT 8: not used/spare

In addition to the measured values, the system can also display system messages consisting of combinations of letters and numbers: 4 types of warning codes and 8 types of error codes. If debug logging is turned on, it can displays 15 types of debug codes.

3. Look of unit

a) Manuals and connectors

• 1: under supply voltage (green LED)
• 2: ACT signal light (green LED)
• 3: matrix display
• 4: operation mode switch
• 5: IN 1-4 active input signal light (green LED)
• 6: OUT 1-4 active output signal light (yellow LED)
• 7: ERR 1-4 signal light (red LED)
• 8: console connector (J2)
• 9: fuse of supply voltage (2, 5 A F)
• 10: disable output relays key switch

b) Internal construction

• 1: Raspberry Pi (U1)
• 2: GPIO port expansion module (U2)
• 3: matrix display module (U3)
• 4: module of LEDs (U4)
• 5: input module (U5)
• 6: output module (U6)
• 7: output module (U7)
• 8: supply voltage filter and speaker driver circuit
• 9: speaker
• 10: power voltage connector (J1)
• 11: inputs connector (J501)
• 12: sensor connector (J502)
• 13: OUT 1-4 connector
• 14: OUT 5-8 connector
• 15: screw hole

4. Schematic and PCB drawings

You can download wiring diagrams as part of the complete documentation or in separate PDF, SVG and KiCAD formats from the developer/manufacturer's website. The Gerber files needed for production are included in the package.

5. Other drawings and documents

Documentation package contents drilling drawings in PDF and DXF format and drawing and frontpage in EMF, EPS, PDF, ODG and SVG format and wiring lists in TXT format.

6. Terms of use

Hardware documentation can be modified and/or redistributed under the Creativ Commons 4.0 Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC-4.0) License.

7. Downloadable documentation

The complete documentation of the hardware in the.tar.gz format compressed file can be downloaded from the homepage or Github.

II. Software

1. General description

The software consists of five main parts:

Operating daemon

Measurement, timing and electrical equipment control is done by a Python-language program that runs as a service in the background. Its utilities are Bash shell programs, the configuration files are in text (INI) format. The setup program has a full screen character interface, its source code (FreePascal) is included in the tar.gz package only.

Matrix display handler daemon

The LED matrix display is handled by a Python-language program that runs as a service in the background. It communicates with the previous service through a named pipe file.

Environmental characteristics adjustment program

The setup program has a full screen character interface, its source code (FreePascal) is included in the tar.gz package only.

Web interface

Data access is provided by CGI programs written in Perl, its Bash shell utility, and web content consists of static HTML files. Currently available in English, Czech, French, Croatian, Polish, Hungarian, German, Russian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian and Ukrainian. This requires an Apache2 web server.

Hardware checker program

This Python program can be used to verify that the hardware is working properly. During the test, general information and messages are displayed on the screen, test information is displayed on the matrix display. Before testing, both running services of the software must be stopped.

Note: Used Python version is 3.

2. Download and installation

Before installing the program, you need to install Raspberry Pi OS Lite on your Raspberry Pi. Remember to change the default password for pi, set the device name (hostname) and access to the local network. For easy remote access, use a permanent IP address or set up an IP address assignment on your router.

You can download the installation package from the manufacturer's website or Github and install it with a package manager. In the latter case, the manufacturer's Debian repository must be set up on your system:

pi@raspberry$ sudo echo "deb http://www.szerafingomba.hu/deb/./" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
pi@raspberry$ sudo wget -q -O - http://www.szerafingomba.hu/deb/KEY.gpg | apt-key add -
pi@raspberry$ sudo apt-get update

Download program from homepage:

pi@raspberry$ wget http://www.szerafingomba.hu/softwares/mm5d/mm5d-sw-0.6-armhf.tar.gz
pi@raspberry$ tar -xzf mm5d-sw-0.6-armhf.tar.gz

Download latest version of program from Github:

pi@raspberry$ git clone https://github.com/pozsarzs/mm5d-sw.git

Installation from gzipped tarball:

pi@raspberry$ cd mm5d-sw
pi@raspberry$./prepare
pi@raspberry$./install

Download and install with Debian package manager:

pi@raspberry$ sudo apt-get install mm5d-prepare
pi@raspberry$ mm5d-prepare
pi@raspberry$ sudo apt-get install mm5d-sw mm5d-web mm5d-eec

3. Setup

The software can be set with the mm5d-editmainconf program, and the environment values of the growing site can be set with the mm5d-editenvirconf program.

4. Using the device

The device works automatically after installation and does not require human intervention. Operation can only be checked remotely via a network.

The device can be configured via SSH or serial console, the environmental characteristics can be set via SSH, serial console or with XMMEEC program. In the third case, a key-based login is required.

The set environment characteristic, the current status and the measured data can be checked with a web browser or MM5DRead program. Many data can be queried over HTTP in plain text or XML format, without a browser. See getdata.cgi.7.gz manual page for details.

5. Terms of use

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the European Union Public License 1.2 version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

6. Downloadable software package

The package can be downloaded from the homepage in a.tar.gz compressed file or from Github.