I am very excited to announce a new Venturii interface board, the MID-1. Standing for
Multi-Purpose
Interface
Device, Model 1.
The MID-1 has a Swiss-Army knife's worth of inputs and outputs, and is built on the very versatile Atmega 328P microcontroller.
Features of the MID-1 include:
- 100mm x 100mm PCB size, designed to fit inside a 4 11/16" electrical box for easy termination of conduit carrying cables to / from this device. Can also be mounted standalone, and easily rotated to best accommodate wiring without changing mounting holes.
- Atmel 328P MCU
- Multidrop capable with DIP switch block for addressing & feature / option select.
- 4 x OWI (One-Wire Interface) terminals, for connection to DS18B20 Digital Temperature Sensors or AM230x Digital Temperature / Relative Humidity sensors. (These can also be used as Digital Inputs without PCB changes.)
- 4 x Digital Inputs
- 2 x Analog Inputs
- 2 x Digital Outputs with a footprint for SRT Form-C relays (capable of moderate current and voltage switching)
- 4 x Analog Outputs, whose wet output is relative to the input voltage. (VCC input to MID-1 is passed to each Analog Output - Ground is switched through a FET.)
- ICSP Header for easy firmware upgrades.
- 4-Pin Header for connection to an LCD display (2x16, 4x20, etc. using clock & data pins of MCU)
- Four 2-Pin Headers for connection to 4 discreet user interface buttons designated Up, Down, Enter, and Back.
- TTL level serial pins broken out for alternate communication options.
- RS-485 outputs and Power Input on 4-pin connector for easy daisy-chaining multiple devices on a 4-wire bus supplying power + data.
- Switch-Mode power supply based on a LM2695 regulator, 5V version.
- Main fuse protects circuitry from overload / short circuit etc.
- Individual PTC on the Analog Input bus, OWI bus, and on each Analog Output +12V supply protect circuit from overload / short circuit etc.
Applications I had in mind for this product:
- Environmental Monitoring.
- LED Strip Lighting Controller, RGB+W (hence the 4x Analog Outputs)
- Appliance monitoring & override (manual) control.
- Outdoor lighting control module.
- Water / Leak Detection & Electric Water Valve control.
- Underground Sprinkler Zone Controller (Analog Outputs can drive external relays.)
- Security System Distributed Zone Input collector / Output controller.
- DIY Thermostat to run HVAC equipment.
- Distributed User Interface / Feedback Device via LCD display & Menu Buttons.
OSH Park is presently making my first batch of prototypes, which should be here in a week or so. I will post the results (and some pictures) once the first couple are up and running!
