Terrarium Bio-dome

[rnbrkr]

I have a ball python and I would like to automate his environment!

I plan on making a humidifier controlled by a timer to control the humidity, a heat lamp with a thermostat that will shut off when it gets above 85 degrees, and a fan that will circulate the air that is also controlled by a timer.

I am currently enrolled in an Electromechanical program and will graduate in June, so I have a general background of electronics. The only problem is, I am having trouble envisioning how I will construct the entire thing. I was hoping to maybe get some ideas from more experienced fellows.

The humidifier and the heat lamp is going to be 120VAC, and the timing circuit will be DC.

Any ideas and constructive criticism will be welcomed

 

[Harald Kapp]

You could construct this thing from separate controllers for the humidifier, the lamp and the fan.

However, this setup should really use a microcontroller. You could roll your own or use a module like e,g, an arduino or a raspberry Pi.
A temperature sensor and a humidity sensor can be adaptedt to analog inputs of the controller. You may need some signal conditioning, probably a sensor kit for each would be a good choice.
The lamp, the fan and the humidifier can be controlled from the microcontroller via suitable power relays (for potential isolation and safety).

The microcontroller solution will need some programming but it will reward you with a very high degree of flexibility, e.g. you can program a day-night rhythm with varying temperatures and humidities to make it comfortable for your python.
You may even want to expand the controller to include an automatic feeding mechanism, should the need arise (vacations etc.)

 

[rnbrkr]

Hey thanks for your input. Unfortunately, we have not discussed microcontrollers in my program and I am not sure if we will. But I will definitley do my research on them!

 

[Harald Kapp]

Have a look at arduino or raspberry pi. These are complete boards and a big commmunity on the internet where you can find tutorials, code examples, schematics, accessory boards and, last not least: Help!