Arduino_Chicken_Brooder/README.md

Arduino Chicken Brooder

Arduino program to control the environment of day-old chickens until they grow feathers and are ready for the chook house.

Features

• Adjustable temperature and temperature variance via menu
• Keeps total time lamp and fan have run for and the average heat/cool time
• Adjustable backlight brightness
• Adjustable LCD backlight stand-by for power saving
• Loops through menu items (after the last, restarts on the first)

Usage

Build an insulated box with a heatlamp and fan wired through a relay board to the arduino. A computer power supply does well to power it all. Put the temperature sensor in the box, wire it all up, turn it on.

1. Press "select" to wake up
2. Press "select" again to enter menu
3. Press "up" or "down" to select menu item
4. Press "left" or "right" to change values
5. Press "select" or wait for the backlight to turn off to exit menu

Implimentation

Relays are required to actuate the fan and lamp.

5 button, 2x16 LCD shield http://www.jaycar.com.au/medias/sys_master/images/9021713219614/XC4454-dataSheetMain.pdf

DHT22 library (Temperature/Humidity sensor) https://github.com/markruys/arduino-DHT

Compilation instructions http://playground.arduino.cc/OpenBSD/CLI

TODO

• Replace DHT22 sensor with something more acurate or read the value several times and use an average
• Save menu options and statistics to EEPROM
• Remove C++ garbage and use ANSI C instead