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Showing posts from February, 2021

Backyard utility shed part 1 (preparation and base)

Since my family and I moved outside of the city one of my dreams was to build the shed.  I never did that big construction project and this is what I was eager to try. In addition building the shed will create additional space in garage that has to be decluttered. Main idea was to build the shed big enough to put in riding mower and garden cart. Also it creates good place to store bicycles and other summer staff during the winter.   First I had to decide on the size. In RM (rural municipality) I live, permit is required for objects bigger than 120 sq.ft. Since I wanted to avoid any headaches with permits and inspections my choice was to go below the limit. Next step I had to compare 3 options:      1.  Ready to go plastic shed     2.  Wooden shed kit     3.  DIY wooden shed. Option 1 did not work for 3 reasons      1. B iggest shed I found is 10ft x 8ft (that is 40 sq.ft less than I need) and cost was about ...

Raspberry PI Zero W and DS18B20

 I use Raspberry PI 3 (Model B Plus Rev 1.3) to monitor temperature with DS18B20 around the house for few years now. Configuration is simple: I use multiple DS18B20 sensors (currently it is 7) that are connected in parallel with one 4.7kohm pullup resistor between Vdd  (3.3v) and DQ (Data) connectors.  I don't use "parasite power" mode. In my experience 3 wires connection is more reliable. I'm not going to walk you through all setup. There are multiple different manuals in internet and most of them are very detailed.  Couple of days ago I decided to replace Raspberry PI 3 with Raspberry PI Zero W. Raspberry PI Zero W has lower power consumption so I can use regular prone charger instead of special Raspberry PI power supply that provides 2.5A output. Currently I'm using  Samsung Charger that produces 1A. My first thought was "There is no difference between Pi 3 and Zero from configuration perspective. What can be easier, I did it multiple times...