Post by thread:power usage meter?

Ok, I've got a question - I want to build a device which keeps track of how much energy a power-line-connected device (AC, Freezer, light, fan, whatever) draws over the period of a day or week or month or ... I had figured to use the toroid method mentioned earlier for measuring current, with some other means of measuring voltage (just to be complete and slightly more accurate - shucks, I could even compute power factor if I can get 'near- instantaneous' voltage and current measurements). I want to be able to enter our cost per KWH, connect a device to it, and come back in some random period of time to see how much power it used, and how much it cost to run (it would be nice if it also computed daily and monthly costs, based upon the measurments it took, as well) But, hey, if someone has already created such a beast, why recreate it when time is the important thing right now... So - does anybody know of such a thing? rusty (spam_OUTrustyTakeThisOuTazfms.com or .....rustyKILLspam@spam@descomp.com) (And I never can remember - is OT OFF topic or ON topic??? ;-)

Rusty Carruth wrote: > I want to be able to enter our cost per KWH, connect a device to it, and come > back in some random period of time to see how much power it used, and how > much it cost to run (it would be nice if it also computed daily and monthly > costs, > based upon the measurments it took, as well) > > But, hey, if someone has already created such a beast, why recreate it when > time is the important thing right now... So - does anybody know of such a > thing? http://www.sames.co.za/proinf.html has exactly what you want. It is even PIC - friendly! (Local is lekker hehehe) > (And I never can remember - is OT OFF topic or ON topic??? ;-) ONLY topic <G> -- Friendly Regards Tjaart van der Walt tjaartKILLspamwasp.co.za _____________________________________________________________ | WASP International http://www.wasp.co.za/~tjaart/index.html | | R&D Engineer : GSM peripheral services development | | Vehicle tracking | Telemetry systems | GSM data transfer | | Voice : +27-(0)11-622-8686 | Fax : +27-(0)11-622-8973 | | WGS-84 : 26¡10.52'S 28¡06.19'E | |_____________________________________________________________|

part 0 1700 bytes content-type:text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf"Cheers Santiago Tjaart van der Walt escribi—: {Quote hidden}> > Rusty Carruth wrote: > > > I want to be able to enter our cost per KWH, connect a device to it, and come > > back in some random period of time to see how much power it used, and how > > much it cost to run (it would be nice if it also computed daily and monthly > > costs, > > based upon the measurments it took, as well) > > > > But, hey, if someone has already created such a beast, why recreate it when > > time is the important thing right now... So - does anybody know of such a > > thing? > > http://www.sames.co.za/proinf.html has exactly what you want. It is even > PIC - friendly! (Local is lekker hehehe) > > > (And I never can remember - is OT OFF topic or ON topic??? ;-) > ONLY topic <G> > > -- > Friendly Regards > > Tjaart van der Walt > .....tjaartKILLspam.....wasp.co.za > _____________________________________________________________ > | WASP International http://www.wasp.co.za/~tjaart/index.html | > | R&D Engineer : GSM peripheral services development | > | Vehicle tracking | Telemetry systems | GSM data transfer | > | Voice : +27-(0)11-622-8686 | Fax : +27-(0)11-622-8973 | > | WGS-84 : 26¡10.52'S 28¡06.19'E | > |_____________________________________________________________| Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf" Content-Description: Tarjeta de Santiago Miqano Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="vcard.vcf" Attachment converted: wonderland:vcard.vcf (TEXT/CSOm) (0000D033)

In message <EraseME348EAB93.BBD47272spam_OUTTakeThisOuTinficad.com>, Rusty Carruth <rustycspam_OUTINFICAD.COM> writes >Ok, I've got a question - I want to build a device which keeps track of how >much energy a power-line-connected device (AC, Freezer, light, fan, whatever) >draws over the period of a day or week or month or ... > >I had figured to use the toroid method mentioned earlier for measuring current, >with some other means of measuring voltage (just to be complete and slightly >more accurate - shucks, I could even compute power factor if I can get 'near- >instantaneous' voltage and current measurements). > >I want to be able to enter our cost per KWH, connect a device to it, and come >back in some random period of time to see how much power it used, and how >much it cost to run (it would be nice if it also computed daily and monthly > costs, >based upon the measurments it took, as well) > >But, hey, if someone has already created such a beast, why recreate it when >time is the important thing right now... So - does anybody know of such a > thing? There was a project for doing this in 'Everyday and Practical Electronics' Feburary/March 1996. It uses a PIC16C84 to run the device, the software can be downloaded from their website 'http://www.epemag.wim bourne.co.uk'. I've built the project, it works fine! - it displays total number of watt/hours used, and the total cost used - both of these from when it was plugged in. The price per unit is stored in the PIC's EEPROM so doesn't need re-entering. It's presently connected to my fridge/freezer - it's really depressing :-(. -- Nigel. /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : @spam@nigelgKILLspamlpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Chesterfield | | | England | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/