Reflowduino Demo

Reflowduino Demo Code

Ready to have some fun? Assuming you've gone through the set up and got the blink sketch working, now is the time to start testing for real!

Attach the K-type thermocouple with the red and yellow wires as indicated next to the Reflowduino screw terminal
Load the Reflowduino Demo sketch in Arduino IDE. Make sure that you also have the file "pitches.h" in the same folder as the Reflowduino_Demo.ino sketch otherwise it won't compile
Upload the sketch to the Reflowduino and open the serial monitor.
You should see the temperature values appearing periodically in the serial monitor. This should be approximately the ambient temperature where you're at (typically around 21-25 degrees Celsius)
Note that the line "while (!Serial) delay(1);" in the setup() function should be commented out after you are done debugging, because this line waits for the serial monitor to open before the Reflowduino will run the code!
If you haven't already, follow these instructions to install the demo Android app
If you haven't already, you should go through the Reflowduino Oven Tutorial to get your oven set up!
Connect to the Reflowduino Bluetooth and you should see the temperature values appear on your screen
Put a test PCB, like a scrap from an old appliance or an extra prototype board, and put an extra surface-mount resistor or capacitor on it with some solder paste. This tutorial assumes you are already versed in surface-mount PCB assembly basics
Press "START" to start the reflow process! If your Reflowduino is still connected to your computer you should see the start command in the serial monitor
Let the Reflowduino do its magic and verify that the temperature does indeed follow the desired profile
You can prematurely abort the process at any time with the "STOP" button on the app, but the process will automatically end on its own when finished
After the board cools to a reasonable temperature, take it out and see the results!

Reflowduino Excel Keyboard!

The ATmega32u4 can be used as an HID (human interface device) such as a mouse or keyboard. One really cool way we can use this is to make the Reflowduino "type" the data points in Excel and graph the data in real time! However, this requires that the Reflowduino be connected to a computer. Note: Don't be confused; we're not using Bluetooth in this scenario!

Open the demo Excel file Excel graph demo
Place the cursor on the first available cell (A2). This is where the Reflowduino will begin typing when the process is initiated via Bluetooth
Open the app, connect to Bluetooth, and when you press "START" the Reflowduino should begin typing in the time and temperature values into Excel! Here is a demo video showing this in action. NOTE: Make sure you're in Excel when you press "START" otherwise it can't enter the data and you might see random things happen because it will simulate pressing Tab and Enter!
Once you press "STOP" it will stop inputting data into Excel