So I recently got into the whole beer and wine thing, and decided if I really wanted to be professional about this, I needed a temperature controlled cellar right? Well the problem was that I didn’t want to spend any money on it, so here is what I did to make my own for minimal cost. Keep in mind much of the stuff I was able to scrounge up in my room or through various other sources, but a resourceful person such as yourself should be able to do some scrounging as well.
First order of business is how to keep the box cold. To accomplish this feat I used a Peltier Junction. To learn more about what this is exactly check out the Thermoelectric Effect. Luckily I was able to procure a device that already had a heat sink on one side, so all I had to do was apply thermal grease, and rubber band another head sink (stolen from an old computer) onto the other side. So now when power is applied one side of this will get hot and the other cold, guess which sides faces into the box?
Next up is the microcontroller. My buddy had recently given me one called an Electric Imp. This controller is neat because it is wifi enabled and connects to a cloud service, so with this I can monitor and control my fridge online (I can also modify and upload new code online). Here is my code
Electric Imp – What is the electric imp? In essence, the Imp provides an easy, integrated way to connect almost any hardware device both to other devices and to internet services. It’s more than just a WiFi card, or even a WiFi module with processing built in – it’s an integrated platform that deals with the drudgery of connectivity, allowing you to concentrate on the application instead of the mechanics.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: The latest on Raspberry Pi RP2350-E9, Bluetooth 6, 4,000 Stars and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
Great! Of course, if you had my mother and she saw that picture, she’d tell you to pick up your dirty clothes and put them in the hamper!