Incubator at Home With Arduino Nano

Hey guys, I have made an Incubator with arduino nano to control the temperature inside a box.

I have successfully maintained the temperature between 36-38 degree Celsius.

Here I have shown you how I have made it. Also I made a youtube video on it. Find it here for more detailed explanation: (The sponsors of the video is JLCPCB, a PCB manufacturing company, where I got my PCB design manufactured. you can find them here: www.jlcpcb.com . You may make a PCB board, or use a dot board or bread board depending on your preferences.)

Step 1: Components

To make an Incubator that can be used to control temperature automatically you need the following components:

1. Arduino nano

2. LM35 Temperature sensor

3. One channel relay module

4. LCD display with I2C module

5. Bulb with wire,plug, and holder

6. Pin headers and jumpers

7. Other such as breadboard or PCB board, soldering equipment, etc.

*Thanks to all the sites where the images are downloaded from.

Step 2: Making of Incubation Area

1. Take a wooden/card board box.

2. Make a small hole on top of the box.

3. Insert the power supply (life and neutral) wires through the hole inside the box.

4. Connect the holder of the bulb with the wires and fix the bulb in the holder.

5. Make a knot at the top of the box using the wires, so that the bulb will be hanging from the top of the box.

Step 3: Connections

This is what going to happen in the system:

1. LM35 will read the temperature value and send it to the Arduino.

2. While displaying the temperature in LCD display, Arduino will switch on the bulb(through relay), if the temperature is less than the lowest threshold value that we fix.

3. Because of the heat of the tungsten bulb, the temperature will increase, and when it reaches the upper threshold value Arduino will switch off the bulb using the relay.

4. Temperature will start to fall and when it reaches the lowest threshold value again, Arduino will switch on the bulb. Hence, the temperature will be kept in a range between the lowest and highest threshold levels that we fix in the coding.

5. Apart from that, we have two LEDs in the system red, and green, Green LED will indicate if the temperature is in the range we prefer. And the red LED will indicate if the temperature has gone beyond the upper level, showing emergency/danger.

This is the connection:

Relay Pins

VCC to Arduino pin 5V

GND to Arduino pin Ground

IN to Arduino digital pin 4

COM to One terminal of the disconnected Lifewire of the Bulb

NO to Other terminal of the disconnected Lifewire of the Bulb

· (The relay is considered as the relay that connects COM and NO pins when HIGH input is given to the IN pin. Some relays do the same function when LOW input is given to the IN pin. In that case you should connect the second terminal of the Lifewire of the Bulb to the NC terminal of the relay instead of NO terminal)

LEDs

Green LED to Arduino digital pin 2

Red LED to Arduino digital pin 3

· (If needed, please connect 330 ohm resistors with LEDs)

I2C module with LCD display

VCC to Arduino digital pin 5

GND to Arduino pin Ground

SDA to Arduino analog pin A4

SCL to Arduino analog pin A5

LM 35 Temperature sensor

Pin 1 (left side pin from the face) - Arduino pin 5V

Pin 2 (middle pin) - Arduino analog pin A1

Pin 3 (right side pin from the face) - Arduino pin Ground

I designed a PCB for the connection and ordered it online on www.jlcpcb.com

You can either make or PCB or use breadboard for the purpose.

Step 4: Coding

Find the coding in the below link:

Before upload the coding please note these important points:

1. If your I2C module's address is different from my one, the coding may not print temperature values in the display.

In such case you have to find your I2C module's address and replace it in the coding. there is a word "0x3F" in the coding and you have to replace it with your I2C module's address.

2. If you don't know what your I2C module's address is, then you have to find it using a separate coding. It is available in the internet. Keep your I2C and LCD connected to your Arduino, upload the coding, and open the serial monitor. You will see the address of your I2C module there.

Find the I2C module address finding coding here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xhPeodcfLUG_epfDH...

3. To run the I2C module successfully you need one more thing. the I2C libraray! Download it, and save it inside your arduino libraries folder, and restart Arduino IDE. You are all good.

you can download the I2C library here(unzip it once downloaded, then paste it into the arduino libraries folder): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JCOHEuDHK0iSFhXPW...

For the above mentioned purposes this video may be helpful to you (Don't forget to check the description box of the video as well.):

Step 5: Implementation and Testing

Bring your circuit and keep it inside the incubation box (well to complete the relay connection, however you need to bring the circuit inside the incubator box.)

Now, plug in the bulb's plug.

Take an android charger and connect it with Arduino nano to provide power, and plug in the charger as well.

Now switch on the your system to provide power (switching on your home AC switch).

Look for the successful results.

Note: Please calibrate the temperature value with the real temperature. Sometimes LM35 can show you a different temperature value from the real value.

Find the video for full clear explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig-plkyVNIM