SUPER TOASTER: The Brown Toast

Experience

Wes BrownComputer Electronic Networking

Dept. of Technology

College of Business & Technology

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VIDEO

This video explains the functionality of the device and once more goes over the build process.

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MOTIVATION FOR IP TOAST

Hunger... for knowledge (and toast).

Finding new ways to use Atmel AVR microcontrollers.

Making something incredibly easy pretty difficult – Like a Rube Goldberg machine.

Finding solutions for problems that don't exist.

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COMPUTER TOASTER?

Making toast is not very difficult, nor is it very computer controlled.

There are no truly computer controlled toasters.

The issue here is how can I enable an otherwise ordinary device over the Internet?

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THE ISSUE OF “IP” TOAST

How can I control a device from a computer anywhere in the world?

How can I make the process of toasting bread more complicated?

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PROPOSED SOLUTIONThe solution to needing control

over devices via Internet is an easy one – Add a web module with Input/Outputs.

Every household device could benefit from a web module.

Smart Appliances – Your fridge reporting what is in it, or being able to tell if your dishwasher is done running.

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PROPOSED SOLUTIONTaking all of these events

and putting them into a web feed you could monitor from your phone.

Complete appliance awareness no matter where you are, 24/7.

No longer worry if you left the stove on, as you can turn it off using the phone!

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

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HOW DOES IT WORK?User selects gradient of toast desired

on web page.Web page sends information to

Toaster Control Module (TCM).TCM sends signals to outputs which

rack the bread and start the timing sequence for toasting.

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PROPOSED SOLUTION I chose to go with a WIZnet

WIZ200WEB module as it comes with an Ethernet module as well as an ATMEGA128 microcontroller.

This allows me web control of I/O on the ATMEGA128.

The ATMEGA128 controls the toaster as well as an LCD to display status and IP information.

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PARTS All parts I ordered from Parts List:

MotorWIZ200WEBPower Supply 5V/3.3VFemale and Male Headers20x4 LCD

EZ1086 Fixed Voltage Regulator2x 10uf Capacitors2x NPN BJT TransistorsAssorted resistors and wireToaster

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ASSEMBLYAssembly started on a protoboard. On the protoboard I laid out lines and

headers.

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SCHEMATICS

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LAYING OUT HEADERS

Headers allow easy connection of devices

Laying out headers is the first step as it allows you proper spacing of components.

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WIRING ISP HEADER

The In System Programmer (ISP) header allows you to reprogram the ATMEGA128 when needed.

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WIRING LCD

Most of the wires used were for controlling the LCD.

I wired it for 8-bit control but ended up just using 4-bit control as it worked for my needs.

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WIRING TOASTER CONTROLS

Two transistors and one relay controlled the toaster.

A motor was attached to the toaster with a string to pull down the latch.

An electromagnet holds down the lever.

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WEB PAGE

The web page sends information to the microcontroller.

The microcontroller starts the toaster and times the toasting.

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FINISHED PRODUCT

Interconnecting circuit board to: Power and EthernetLCDToaster

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TESTING TECHNICAL ISSUES

Along the way I had quite a few build issues.

High power requirements for web module – replaced the voltage division circuit with a voltage regulator.

ISP header was wired up incorrectly – Updated datasheet helped resolve issue.

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TESTING TECHNICAL ISSUES I also burnt out the control circuit of

the toaster due to grounding problems.

The day before I made the video the back light of the LCD burnt out because of a surge from my programmer.

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RESULTSWonderful computer controlled toast.

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CONCLUSIONS

Any device you want online reporting for can be setup rather easily and hooked up to the network.

Also it is a lot easier than one would think to enable an otherwise ordinary device to communicate using TCP/IP.

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CONCLUSIONS

In this project I have pushed the boundaries of what I know, as I am not a circuit designer or a programmer. (The networking part was easy.)

Web enabled modules are incredibly useful in the workplace.

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FUTURE FEATURES

With this project I would have liked to also do the following:– Automatic loading of toast (this is

patented though.)– Scheduling.–Monitoring progress on LCD.– Slider bar on website for

toastieness.

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PRESS

This project was featured on the electronics site www.hackaday.com

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PRESS

Also featured on www.PCBHeaven.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Taken from WIZnet.co.kr/en

Taken from SparkFun.com

All other pictures taken from http://tinyurl.com/y65hhnq

Also thanks goes out to Bruce Jung for going through my code.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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deadhomersociety.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/computer-toaster.jpg

img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/health_tools/flu_foods/getty_rm_photo_of_toast.jpg

engadget.com/media/2008/09/toasterjpeg2.jpg

catchoftheday.com.au/images/pizza_maker/pizza_maker1.jpg

partselect.com/JustForFun/Images/ps_jff_digital_media_refrigerator.jpg

astro.wisc.edu/~townsend/resource/news/rss.jpg

teacherspodcast.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/twitter-bird.png