ChickenBot (autofeeder auger)

thingiverse

UPDATE LOG 11-07-19: -Added Auger screw STL itself since original design was removed from Thingiverse due to unknown reasons. Without this addition, the design would be useless! -I added more details on components used and electronics controlling it. ###Stepper Motor Adapter for Auger Fitting 50MM PVC Tube This part is a remix of an original design by a designer who created thing:27854. I repurposed it to use as an auger for my chicken feeder. In the Netherlands, grey 50MM PVC tubing (T Part) is widely available and has a diameter almost identical to the original design. However, its diameter is slightly larger, so I enlarged the fitting fingers on the stepper adapter to create a screw hole after printing on both sides or gluing it in place. This allows for easy maintenance by simply unscrewing the adapter. Additionally, I designed a mounting plate for 50MM PVC tubing to attach the PVC T-part under my barrel as a mini silo on a raised wooden mount, as seen in the photo. This setup works flawlessly. The driver for the stepper motor is an Adafruit MotorShield V2: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1438 (I used a China-made version for a few euros, which also works perfectly.) As the controller for the driver shield, I used a Wemos D1 R2. This module has the same form factor as the driver shield, so no modifications are required (except for adjusting the voltage). This combination makes a wonderful wireless control node for the stepper motor! The casing for the driver shield and controller is easily printed and installed: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:161137 For the Controller, I used ESPEASY software: https://www.letscontrolit.com/wiki/index.php/ESPEASY (As the function for the Adafruit MotorShield V2 is still in testing, please choose the "DEV" version when uploading firmware to the ESP8266 controller shield "Wemos D1 R2". This can be found at the bottom of the list of firmware versions.) For this setup, you'll need a control server like Domoticz: http://www.domoticz.com This runs on a Raspberry PI and can control various IOT devices. You can place this tiny server anywhere as long as your access point is within WiFi range.