Hi! I’m new here and somewhat new to PIC micros, but have a project that I believe would best be handle by a micro controller system. I have to heat a 4500 sq ft building as efficiently as possible, as the floor will be a cement slab a good heat mass I decided to go with radiant heat in the slab. The building will be divided in to three zones, each with it’s own thermostat. Each thermostat will have an on/off switch and two temperature sensors. One for the slab and one for the air, the sensor in the slab will serve as a safe guard to prevent the slab from getting to hot (<90f). If the slab sensor gets a reading above the set point it shuts the zone down (maybe turn on a fan) till it cool down. The other sensor should be self-explanatory. Each of the thermostats will send a simple signal to a central control unit that monitors all thermostats and open or closes valves and runs a two speed circulating pump or three single speed pumps (one for each zone). Each thermostat will have a 16x2 back lit LCD that will display the current temperature of each sensor on it’s own line and the set point for each at the right side of the same line. There must be a means of setting the set points for each as well. The central control unit should be able to handle five thermostats even though current design will only use three. A simple single output pin from the micro in the thermostat would go high to signal the need for heat and low when heat is not needed. It would be stepped up to a higher voltage (12V) for transmition to the central unit where it would be buffered to (5V) then in to an input pin of the central unit micro (another PIC micro). The central control micro will simply poll the input pin from the thermostats and toggle the out put pin (maybe turn on indicator LEDs) for the appropriate valves, pump(s), and monitor the heating source. With that all being said, where do I start? What sensors do I use? What would the best micro be? How and where do I start programming (I have pic basic pro)? I well be grateful for any and all help!
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