Electronics - PICAXE Fish feeder

I'm slowly learning this electronics caper.

I think it's week five now, and I've learnt quite a bit.

I can program a chip just well enough, and almost know enough electronics to make my new improved fish feeder.

It looks like this so far.



What we are seeing here is an incredibly lifelike cardboard fish, acting the part of the hungry test subject.

Currently my prototype allows the user to set how much feed will be delivered by adjusting the length of the pulse to the motor (simulated with the green light).

The user can also adjust the length of time between feeds.

A flashing light (not shown on the video) flashes out long flashes for 10's and short flashes for 1's to indicate the number of feeds so far today. ie 23 would be     long long   short short short (actually very easy to read)

A red light comes on indicating the fish can feed. This will be placed near the lever so as to condition them to the feeding routine. If they attempt to feed when the light is off, they wont get any food.

Eventually there will be a lever in the water that the fish hit when they want feed (tested and working fine - it takes them around 4 or 5 days to work it out)

A light will come on when they can feed, and will be off when they are being too greedy.

There will be a method of adjusting the times between feed, the total number of feeds, and the amount delivered each feed. (probably with a screwdriver so you cant do it by accident)

There will be a switch that reverses the motor, and delivers one days worth of feed via the back of the feeder so you can put a bucket under it and test any adjustments you have made. This test feed can then just be returned to the hopper.

It will have a hopper.

The feed will be delivered via a small geared down motor turning at around 36 rpm, and a screw of some kind.

It's an open source project, (software, hardware, and actual device) and will all be offered freely to make as you see fit. If I can work it, I'll even make a solder-less version that you can put together with a screw driver.

I'll make sure everything I make it out of is easy to find pretty much anywhere.

If all goes well.

not just Electronics - PICAXE Fish feeder - 120 things in 20 years