Dog & Cat
automation for food and water
all monitored via Internet

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Cliccate qui per la versione in Italiano
Introduction
Automatic Dog Feeder
Automatic water dispenser
Power Supply


Introduction

If you have a dog or cat and you want to leave them at home when you go on vacation this project is for you.
This project allows you to monitor the dispensing of water and dry food to make sure that everything is working properly in your absence.
All, food and water are monitored via Internet.
The explanations here are for the dog system automation but are similar for the cat.

For do this I chosen the tools below.

Dog feeder model: http://www.tecnomediana.it/ - Art 130
Automatic water dispenser model: http://www.tecnomediana.com/Lingue/tecnomedianad.html - Art.100/S
Water Sprinkler Timer
STM32L-Discovery
IP camera model: DLink mod. DCS930L
Web camera
STM32L-Discovery board
UPS: Trust PW-4000 series
An old PC


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Automatic Dog Feeder

It was necessary to modify the dog feeder for receiving a feedback from it that guarantees us that the motor of the dog feeder works correctly.
To do this I used magnetic sensors for doors and I placed it on the motor of the dog feeder, see below.

     

Now it is necessary an electronic board that counts the impulse from the magnetic sensor.
I decided to use STM32L-Discovery because it has an LCD display and is cheaper.
Below there is the interface from STM32L-Discovery board to the contact from dog feeder.
Here there is the counter software to install on STM32L-Discovery (Rif. Monitor_Dog_Feeder_and_Water).
I used IAR IDE 32K free ver.6.20 and STM32L-Discovery example with a little modification.


In front of STM32L-Discovery I placed a Web camera connected to home PC that I use to see the number displayed on the STM32L-Discovery LCD pannel.
In front of STM32L-Discovery I placed also a USB LED Light to illuminate it.
See below.


On home PC I have installed TeamViewer to remote it via Internet.
During the holiday I use a NetPC to take a control of my home PC and in this way I see the monitor of it and I see the number displayed on STM32L-Discovery LCD pannel (see below).



In front of the dog feeder I placed a IP camera that I use to see if my dog heats.
This IP camera has a motion detection capability that sends me an e-mail when my dog heats (see the image below).



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Automatic water dispenser
I installed the automatic water dispenser and the sprinkler timer that sends water into the dog water dispenser every day for three minutes.
In this way I have two securities:
The automatic water dispenser refills itself automatically when the water level decreases
And every day the sprinkler timer sends water for 3min to the water dispenser
Again in front of the automatic water dispenser there is an IP camera that I use for seeing it.
This IP camera has a motion detection capability that sends me an e-mail when my dog drinks.
See the photo below.

  

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Power Supply

Pay attention to the powers that should never fail to give excellent reliability throughout the system.
For this reason I use a UPS that powers Home PC, ADSL, IP Camera, ecc.
Below there is the global schematic of the system.



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