The Computer Controlled Super Unimatic Washes!

[Unimatic1140]

Well I’ve Completed Phase I of the Super Unimatic and washed about 10 loads in it this weekend. It worked perfectly except for some software tweaking. Its great fun, made for some very clean clothes. I used two cycles of Heating, one for undershirts/wear, the other for white towels. Both worked great, I measured the incoming water from the tap at 138F, during the Four Minutes of Magic Spray the water temp dropped to 120F and by the end of the 20 Minute wash/soak/heat cycle the temperature was above 130F. I wash a load of dark towels using hot water and no heat and the water temperature dropped down to 101F by the end of the 20 minute wash/soak cycle. So the heater definitely helped to keep the water temperature up.

Here is a link to the software I wrote to run the Super Unimatic. (You will get a security warning when you click on it because windows doesn’t recognize the program, but its safe to run.) It's going to be upgraded over time and I will add and adjust cycles, but it’s a good start. There are a few bugs left in it which I need to fix but you can get a good idea of how it works if you wish. just click on this link and select Run.

Here are pictures from the first wash load.

http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?dir=/COLLECTIONS/_SUPER-UNIMATIC

 

[compwhiz128]

Cool machine Robert!

Looks awesome.

You should record a video

 

[lavamat_jon]

Nothing to say but... WOW!!!

Congratulations Robert! Looking forward to any future videos .

Lets just hope the computer doesn't get a virus and deliver the same results as Jon's 12 hour jean wash... or even worse, perform an illegal operation and shut down!

All joking aside, fantastic job! Well done!

Jon

 

[westytoploader]

WOOHOO!!! Looks like a FUN machine...the "traditional" Unimatic with the 29-minute cycle gets my clothes sparkling clean so I can imagine what this one can do!

You really have talent as far as getting a machine to wash how you want it, especially creating a program with infinitely variable wash, rinse, spin, and other cycle times! To say that I am impressed is an understatement! Can't wait to see the action videos of this machine...and maybe in person in the future!

I tried running the wash program, but it displayed a run time error; apparently a DLL file is missing?

--Austin

 

[fnelson487]

Fabulous Robert!!

In the vacuum club, that machine would win in the "Monster" competition. A monster vac is a modified suped-up machine. Yours would definitely qualify. Great work.

 

[peteski50]

A Real Washing Machine!

Whooa Robert,
Way to go - I have to say this is the way all washers should work with plenty of sprays / deep action washing / and plenty of overflowing. This is some awsome machine. Best Of Luck!
Peter

 

[peteski50]

A Real Washing Machine!

And to add they should all have plenty of windows
YAH
Peter

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Robert,
This is no less than amazing!
I had so much fun seeing this in pictures, I felt like I was there!
This is so cool!
I bet your clothes come out so clean with the beginning of they cycle, and the spinning while spraying the clothes.
How many different cycles will you come up with?
Thanks for sharing this!
This is amazing! Oh, I said that already.
Brent

 

[shanonabc]

WOW!

I am impressed

 

[nurdlinger]

Run-time error 53:

File not found: inpout32.dll

I can't run "SuperUnimatic".

 

[rickr]

SUPER DUPER!!

If it isn't clean after all that.... It will never be clean!

Congratulations on your *Wash Monster* Dr. Robert!

 

[gyrafoam]

WOW, this is SOOOOOOO off the hook!!!!!! Would love to see what you do for the "Super Norge"!

 

[user 12105]

Robert you are amazing!! What a cool washer. Hope all goes well

 

[Unimatic1140]

Thanks everyone. Ooooh sorry I forgot about needing the DLL for the circuit board to run the software. Here is a link to get a copy of the DLL. For those interested download and save this file to your hard drive and copy it into your WINDOWS/SYSTEM directory.

inpout32.dll

 

[jasonl]

inpout32.dll

Don't pout about inpout
Here it is without a doubt
Open the zip file and pull it out
Put it in windows/system32 and check it out

http://www.logix4u.net/inpout32.htm

 

[nurdlinger]

Thank you, Robert

Works great now with DLL.

Is the field named "contacts" the decimal representation of the eight bit relay setting?

 

[jasonl]

oops

Robert beat me to it

DVD NOW! Please????? With whipped cream and a cherry on top?

 

[mayken4now]

OH ROBERT:

Why don't you take this to the Patent shop. I belive you'd have a seller, REAL FAST!!!!

Good work man!

Steve

 

[Unimatic1140]

"Is the field named "contacts" the decimal representation of the eight bit relay setting?"

Yes nurdlinger that is correct. Here is how it works:

1 = Relay #1 Motor
2 = Relay #2 Spin Solenoid
4 = Relay #3 Heater
8 = Relay #4 Drain Pump
16 = Relay #5 Recirculation Pump
32 = Relay #6 Hot fill inside cabinet
64 = Relay #7 Cold Fill inside cabinet
128 = Relay #8 Cold Jet-Circle Spray Fill.

So in writing the program if I want to the washer to spin I send the number 3 to the relay board. 1 + 2 = 3. 1 for the motor, 2 for the spin solenoid. If I want to spray rinse I send the number 131, 1+2+128. 1 for the motor, 2 for the solenoid, 128 to Jet Circle Cold Spray.

Next week I will start to work on Phase 2. This is going to be sending information from the washer back to the computer. Right now I'm using timed fills, but I want to hook up pressure switches and monitor the amount of water filling into the washer. I also want to add an unbalance sensor to communicate with the computer in case the wash load gets out of balance. From what I have researched there are 8 pins on in the parallel port cord that are for inbound messages, just like the 8 outbound pins I‘m using now. In order to communicate back to the computer I have to send 4 to 5 volts DC from the washer across one or more of the inbound pins. When that DC voltage is recognized at the computer port, the inbound values change and the program can always be on the look out for changing values. It will be interesting to experiment with this. I have a spare small, milliamp 6.3 volt transformer and I will use a resistor to bring the voltage down between 4 and 5 volts and see how the inbound values change.

 

[appnut]

Robert, fascinating and hart stopping photos. I agree with Steven, you could sell an awesome machine.

Now, reading your text about relay number combinations, I call this the 21st century version of Lisa douglas' electric combination in her kitchen.

 

[scott55405]

This is very fun Robert!

 

[gansky1]

IT'S AL-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VE!!!!!!!!

What did you come up with for a spray/recirculation nozzle? That powerful looking spray looks like it would just SCARE that dirt out of the clothes! This is just too cool for words!

 

[foraloysius]

Drama!!!

Robert, what a fun machine! Royal drama here!!!

 

[frigilux]

What can I say but

Well, Dr. FrankenUni, I am absolutely speechless! This is probably the most interesting thing I've ever seen in my entire life. You've done what many of us always wished we could do with a washer: program everything exactly the way we want it.

 

[Unimatic1140]

What did you come up with for a spray/recirculation nozzle?

After trying about 10 different types of nozzles, I decided to try the WO-65 water flume, it was so simple and right there all the time. I just re-installed the flume to face towards the right side of the wash tub and it works perfectly. The entire side wall of the spinning tub gets dowsed with the high concentration of detergent/water spray from right under the rim down to the very bottom of the tub. It's makes really cool sounds when it first starts as it takes about 2 or 3 seconds for the water to saturate the clothes and for it to start spinning back over the top of the tub.

 

[frigilux]

A question, Uni....

Not to be a complete moron, but don't the electronics/wiring inside the cabinet get wet from all that water flying around? Is the wiring protected somehow?

 

[gregm]

speechless

that is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing ..................

 

[mathewhebailey0]

I wonder how do I use this program? I want to interface my XP desktop to the car operating handle contacts of an old Otis elevator. (i'm looking at the elevator's electrical schematic which shows how the car's control switch is wired)
The interface needs to use six relays,three for up & the other three for down. The schematic is for an Otis No. 2A or 3A SOS
Magnet Controller w/ worm gear traction machine 3 phase,3 wire,car switch operation w/ potential switch & operating transformer variable. Relays 1-3 for down direction would have
their contacts connetcted to contacts 1D,A7,4D & 3D.
Relays 4-6 for up would have their contacts connected to
contacts 3U,4U,B7 & 1U. There are three operating speeds in either direction. & the building the elevator is in is 10 stories.

 

[jetcone]

Robert

I'm in love!

 

[bostonwash]

(gasp!)