12. Turn‐Key Systems and Components - larry-athey/rpi-smart-still GitHub Wiki

Due to numerous requests, I have decided to begin offering complete turn-key systems as well as other components besides just the assembled RPi Hats. Complete systems are exactly that, the smart still controller, LIDAR hydrometer reader, Boilermaker (unless it's a gas-fired boiler which requires a gear-drive stepper motor), a 10" Android tablet, and a dedicated WiFi router so the whole system runs on its own isolated network.

These complete systems will be pre-configured and fully tested so all you have to do is insert the valves into your cooling lines, attach the temperature sensors, and plug in the power. If you are using a 240 volt boiler, you or an electrician will need to wire in the Boilermaker since those are only available as 120-volt-ready or hard-wired versions.

The WAN port of the bundled WiFi router will need to be connected to a LAN port of your existing home router which is required for remote support. All turn-key systems come with a free year of remote support (live remote hands and eyes). The isolated network also prevents unauthorized tampering and eliminates any possible network conflicts.

The assembled and tested smart still controllers (which are also available separately) are built on a Banana Pi M4 Zero rather than a Raspberry Pi due to their better performance and the fact that they run on an internal solid state drive rather than an SD card which will wear out in a few years. Remote support is available as a yearly subscription option.

These controllers will be available with either 1/4" or 1/2" US Solid brand motorized ball valves and ship with Adafruit brand professional temperature sensors. If a person ever wants to upgrade to 3/4" or 1" valves, they will drop right into the same footprint as the existing ball valves. The Banana Pi M4 Berry is available upon request if you want ethernet connectivity.

LIDAR Hydrometer Readers are only compatible with parrots that use 35mm or 1-3/8" collection and overflow cups. It is also recommended that you use a hydrometer with a 122mm scale in order to eliminate false readings caused by reflections from a longer glass stem. Parrots and hydrometers are not included with these systems.

As you can probably guess, these systems aren't cheap, but they also aren't going to fall apart and die for no apparent reason, either. These complete systems take a lot of time to build and test, and my time is in extremely high demand. You can email me at my website if you are interested in purchasing a complete turn-key system or have any questions.

NOTE: All individual modules aside from the Android tablets and dedicated routers are available from the Technology Assisted Distillation page on my website if you want to save some money and assemble your own system.