Fix typos, wordings, add finished pics
This commit is contained in:
		
							
								
								
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4830.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4830.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
										
											Binary file not shown.
										
									
								
							| After Width: | Height: | Size: 118 KiB | 
							
								
								
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4831.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4831.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
										
											Binary file not shown.
										
									
								
							| After Width: | Height: | Size: 128 KiB | 
							
								
								
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4832.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										
											BIN
										
									
								
								content/en/posts/smart-pwm-fan-controller/4832.jpg
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
										
											Binary file not shown.
										
									
								
							| After Width: | Height: | Size: 98 KiB | 
| @@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ But PC fans can be noisy, and control is ideal. So I decided to build myself a r | ||||
|  | ||||
| ## The Design | ||||
|  | ||||
| I of course wanted to base the design off the ESP32, which is my go-to microcontroller for all ESPHome-related devices these days. One crucial feature of the ESP32 is that it contains 8 pulse counter units, which allow the chip to count pulses - like a fan tachometer - very quickly and without using the CPU. I selected my venerable slim HW-395 model, which I also use for [my](/posts/the-supersensor) (Supersensors](/posts/the-supersensor-2.0), as its compact size but full pin count makes designing around it very easy. | ||||
| I of course wanted to base the design off the ESP32, which is my go-to microcontroller for all ESPHome-related devices these days. One crucial feature of the ESP32 is that it contains 8 pulse counter units, which allow the chip to count pulses - like a fan tachometer - very quickly and without using the CPU. I selected my venerable slim HW-395 model, which I also use for [my](/posts/the-supersensor) [Supersensors](/posts/the-supersensor-2.0), as its compact size but full pin count makes designing around it very easy. | ||||
|  | ||||
| The ESP32 alone can output PWM as well, so I didn't need any sort of fancy controller chip - I just hooked the PWM lines up to each fan and let the ESPHome software do the rest. Lastly a relay controls power to the fans, for simple on/off control in addition to the PWM level control, giving the full range of control needed for a fan array. | ||||
|  | ||||
| I also needed a way to step down the 12VDC input to the 5V that both the ESP32 and relay needed, so for that I selected a basic adjustable DC-DC converter. This did require initial tuning during each board's assembly, but once set it should never need further adjustment. I used an SMD-like method with a hot air gun to ensure a flat profile with good contact for this board, while everything else is through-hole soldered. | ||||
| I also needed a way to step down the 12VDC input to the 5V that both the ESP32 and relay needed, so for that I selected a basic adjustable DC-DC converter. This did require initial tuning during each board's assembly, but once set it should never need further adjustment. I used an SMD-like method with a hot air gun to ensure a flat profile with good contact for this board, while everything else is through-hole soldered. You can also find versions of this board with a fixed 5V output that would work well instead. | ||||
|  | ||||
| I designed the board in EasyEDA and ordered from JLCPCB for a very reasonable price (though shipping costs are not what they used to be). The overall design is quite simple, with power routing capable of at least 3A of current at a minimum. | ||||
| I designed the board in EasyEDA and ordered from JLCPCB for a very reasonable price (though shipping costs are not what they used to be). The overall design is quite simple, with power routing capable of at least 3A of current at a minimum. The schematics can be found on [the GitHub project](https://github.com/joshuaboniface/smart-pwm-fan-controller). | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
| @@ -63,4 +63,11 @@ ESPHome code and schematics for the PCB can be found on [the GitHub project page | ||||
|  | ||||
| ## Final Thoughts | ||||
|  | ||||
| This was a fun little project, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. And it will definitely help keep me cool this summer. Happy hacking! | ||||
| This was a fun little project, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. And it will definitely help keep me cool this summer. Here's 3 of them powering fan walls throughout my garage; with many more around my house. | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
| Happy hacking! | ||||
|   | ||||
		Reference in New Issue
	
	Block a user