Advisability use of Arduino controllers in automation of refrigeration devices

Abstract

The advantages and disadvantages of Arduino controllers in relation to refrigeration automation systems are considered. An example of using the Arduino controller for creating an automation and monitoring system for a non-standard laboratory refrigeration unit is presented. Arduino is a computing hardware platform for affordable design, the main components of which are the microcontroller board with input and output elements, as well as the Processing / Wiring programming environment in a programming language similar to C, C ++. Arduino can be used to create standalone interactive objects, connect to the software that is used on your computer. The main advantage of using Arduino-based controllers is the availability of information about the microcontroller card, the specification of the elements, the software. Information is freely accessible and can be used by developers in any field. Microcontroller boards have a special structure, due to which, if necessary, it can be expanded by adding new components to the device. Thus, the presented platform allows to improve or change the operation of the automation system of the refrigeration unit, depending on the requirements of the consumer of the cold. The presented variant of automation of refrigeration systems gives an opportunity to come up with a new approach to the design of refrigeration units. During the development of the automation system, a modular algorithm for controlling and protecting the refrigeration unit was created in all its variants, the necessary peripheral equipment and signal receivers were selected. It is shown that the value ratio - functionality of these devices significantly exceeds the similar indicators of the world's leading manufacturers of refrigeration automation systems.