A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 11, 2016 1:04 UTC (Thu) by pr1268 (guest, #24648)
In reply to: A Linux-powered microwave oven by df5ea
Parent article: A Linux-powered microwave oven

Wouldn't it be easier to weigh the whole oven instead? That way the weighing mechanism would be independent of the mechanics inside the oven.

I doubt it. Most microwave ovens these days are mounted permanently into the cabinetry. It'd be impossible to accurately weigh the contents with an external scale.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 11, 2016 5:41 UTC (Thu) by roskegg (subscriber, #105) [Link] (2 responses)

When you're building a microwave oven enclosure from scratch, that isn't an issue. The scale is built into the box.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 11, 2016 21:33 UTC (Thu) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link] (1 responses)

You'd have to float the internals then. You couldn't have the parts you weigh have a firm connection to the housing.

Then to keep it from wiggling around you'd have to have some extruded aluminum railings or something like that as well. Then you'll have to test it to make sure that as the thing ages the vibrations from the transformer or microwave radio to do do anything odd to create a noise in the system and various other things. And it all has to be robust enough to survive shipping and being handled by the customer.

All in all adding platform with a couple sensors under it in the oven is easier.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 13, 2016 9:44 UTC (Sat) by lbt (subscriber, #29672) [Link]

Put a sensor under each foot (ie between the rubber foot and the frame) similar to the Wii balance board.

Trivial to calibrate and recalibrate too.