Python/ Linux/ Raspberry Pi coder needed!!!
Python/ Linux/ Raspberry Pi coder needed!!!
Author
Discussion

Greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

268 months

Tuesday 31st August 2021
quotequote all
Hi all,

Let's lean on the power of PH...

Having been let down by someone at the last minute, does anyone here have skill/experience in the above environment that would be available at short notice to take on a couple of weeks project to write up some control software for fluid transfer machinery.
it will involve writing code to controll pumps, temp sensors and valves alongside the safety protocols surrounding them all.

for the right person, it should be reasonably straightforward, the spec is already written.

PM or reply please.

Greg

FWIW - extremely interesting project, i guarantee you will never have done anything similar...

rfisher

5,044 posts

305 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
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I'd get this moved to Computers, Gadgets & Stuff if you're in a hurry to find someone.

HappyMidget

6,794 posts

137 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
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Have you advertised on LinkedIn? Quickest way to find people and I can share to my network if so

Greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

268 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
quotequote all
HappyMidget said:
Have you advertised on LinkedIn? Quickest way to find people and I can share to my network if so
i don't really use linked in. would it be possible for you to post something up to gauge interest?

ps:
i tried to put it up on the computers forum on the advise above, but it got removed with an email telling me not to cross post, so that's that then, lol....

deckster

9,631 posts

277 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
quotequote all
Greg_D said:
Hi all,

Let's lean on the power of PH...

Having been let down by someone at the last minute, does anyone here have skill/experience in the above environment that would be available at short notice to take on a couple of weeks project to write up some control software for fluid transfer machinery.
it will involve writing code to controll pumps, temp sensors and valves alongside the safety protocols surrounding them all.

for the right person, it should be reasonably straightforward, the spec is already written.

PM or reply please.

Greg

FWIW - extremely interesting project, i guarantee you will never have done anything similar...
I have highlighted those sections that I find problematic. Good people are rarely available at short notice; nothing ever takes only two weeks; there is nothing straightforward about control software that requires significant safety protocols; and all of this is especially relevant if nobody has done anything like this before. Also, how are you planning to do QA and testing?

I genuinely wish you well in your search but you may need to be a little flexible with your expectations around timescales and costs.

ETA: if it genuinely is a small amount of straightforward, well-specced and one-off work, you may get a good result from something like https://www.fiverr.com/ I make absolutely no guarantee as to the quality of work you'll receive - it's a bit of a lottery - but I have no doubt you will find some takers there.


Edited by deckster on Wednesday 1st September 13:17

bristoltype603

256 posts

69 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
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deckster said:
I have highlighted those sections that I find problematic. Good people are rarely available at short notice; nothing ever takes only two weeks; there is nothing straightforward about control software that requires significant safety protocols; and all of this is especially relevant if nobody has done anything like this before. Also, how are you planning to do QA and testing?

I genuinely wish you well in your search but you may need to be a little flexible with your expectations around timescales and costs.
^^^ What deckster just said 100%.

Also I don't want to be a naysayer but a quick look on OP's profile says he's in recruitment not control engineering?

rfisher

5,044 posts

305 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
quotequote all
Greg_D said:
i tried to put it up on the computers forum on the advise above, but it got removed with an email telling me not to cross post, so that's that then, lol....
Ask the mods to move this thread, rather than posting the same message in two places.

Jim the Sunderer

3,261 posts

204 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
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What's the budget?

Greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

268 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
quotequote all
bristoltype603 said:
deckster said:
I have highlighted those sections that I find problematic. Good people are rarely available at short notice; nothing ever takes only two weeks; there is nothing straightforward about control software that requires significant safety protocols; and all of this is especially relevant if nobody has done anything like this before. Also, how are you planning to do QA and testing?

I genuinely wish you well in your search but you may need to be a little flexible with your expectations around timescales and costs.
^^^ What deckster just said 100%.

Also I don't want to be a naysayer but a quick look on OP's profile says he's in recruitment not control engineering?
Indeed, that’s why I need someone else to do it for me… it’s a departure from my background.

I’m well aware of all the above issues. But thought it wise to enquire on ph as I’ve had success in the past finding people to do similar ‘after hours’ jobs.

Regards budget, happy to discuss with seriously interested parties.

eliot

11,987 posts

276 months

Wednesday 1st September 2021
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the blagging is strong on this thread

journeymanpro

905 posts

99 months

Thursday 2nd September 2021
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eliot said:
the blagging is strong on this thread
  1. recruiter!!

bigandclever

14,192 posts

260 months

Thursday 2nd September 2021
quotequote all
journeymanpro said:
eliot said:
the blagging is strong on this thread
  1. recruiter!!
What’s particularly wrong with that? Fair enough, OP could’ve prefaced his post with ‘I am recruiting for..’ or whatever, but this is the Job forum. Unless it’s been moved from somewhere and I look like even more of a tit than usual smile

journeymanpro

905 posts

99 months

Thursday 2nd September 2021
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nothing wrong at all but blagging and recruiter go hand in hand.

Greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

268 months

Thursday 2nd September 2021
quotequote all
Let me be clear. I am the end client, and owner of the business that will be paying the bill. My other business interests have zero relevance to this particular project.

Even recruiters are allowed to start up more than one type of business.

And that is why I am asking for expert input. I’m not at all sure why I’m getting all this attitude after a genuine enquiry, made in good faith.

zippy3x

1,364 posts

289 months

Thursday 2nd September 2021
quotequote all
Greg_D said:
Let me be clear. I am the end client, and owner of the business that will be paying the bill. My other business interests have zero relevance to this particular project.

Even recruiters are allowed to start up more than one type of business.

And that is why I am asking for expert input. I’m not at all sure why I’m getting all this attitude after a genuine enquiry, made in good faith.
You could try not "selling" the job in typical recruiter fashion....

Start by giving some facts, what are you paying, Are you intending for it to be remote or on-site (see below), if on-site, where are you based. You mentioned "after hours" are you looking for someone to come in for two weeks or can they do evenings and weekends and take longer.

  • I've done several stints writing code to control physical hardware, you pretty much always need to be sat next to the hardware. Is your hardware portable enough to be shipped to the developer?

NikBartlett

688 posts

103 months

Friday 3rd September 2021
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A one sprint project for production quality safety critical control logic for pumps/valves/temp sensors including all of the unit/integration/acceptance testing ? I would be interested to read the spec for this.

eliot

11,987 posts

276 months

Friday 3rd September 2021
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NikBartlett said:
A one sprint project for production quality safety critical control logic for pumps/valves/temp sensors including all of the unit/integration/acceptance testing ? I would be interested to read the spec for this.
The spec is provided on a dual role medium…

jet_noise

5,983 posts

204 months

Sunday 5th September 2021
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eliot said:
NikBartlett said:
A one sprint project for production quality safety critical control logic for pumps/valves/temp sensors including all of the unit/integration/acceptance testing ? I would be interested to read the spec for this.
The spec is provided on a dual role medium…
Roll? wink

As soon as the safety word is mentioned any competent engineer (be it soft/hard/non-gender specific) will pause.

Are there specific industry standard:
Design processes?
Tools?
Documentation requirements?

Also echo the need to be next to the hardware for as much as is practical. Assuming software models for the hardware/system do not exist. And even if they do!

bucksmanuk

2,394 posts

192 months

Sunday 5th September 2021
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Just my 2p worth
I’m currently at a company making special-purpose robots.

All 7 of the control and software engineers (embedded C++ programmers) have left for more money in the last 6 months.

They cannot get anyone, well, I’ll tell the truth here, they can always get someone but not for what they are willing to pay.

They put £60K on the table for someone, and the guy turned it down as he was currently on £68K, and went to a job paying a £100k. This is a staff person.

Deckster nailed it above…

jackofall84

541 posts

81 months

Monday 6th September 2021
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Hi All,

I just wanted to shed a little more light on this. I am currently working on this project for the OP from an original request he put out a few months ago on PH, he is not a recruitment agent! I'm a mechanical engineer but happened to have worked alongside both electrical and software engineers in previous places of employment on varying different types of projects, so I have a reasonable idea of what can be achieved by each discipline. Whilst the OP had some very good initial ideas, what he openly admits is that he's not really worked in industry before and is open to suggestions on how to improve on his conceptual project further. Whilst initially talking through the project I made some suggestions about using something like an Arduino to control the pumps etc. via a relay board, we both thought this seemed like a sensible solution moving forward and I made contact with one of the senior software engineers I used to work with who started to undertake the work.

On the SW engineers advice things progressed slightly further, he recommended using a Raspberry Pi rather than an Arduino and run both Linux and Python on it as for himself this would be easier due to him being able to code in Python and Linux more proficiently. Further discussions then led onto the realisation that a GUI would be required to make the system easier to control. Unfortunately, said Software Engineer has had to drop out due to family issues (New born baby and an illness of a close relative). He has started the GUI and some of the Python code which can be passed on to the next person picking up the project.

Ultimately, what's required is somebody that knows how to create a simple GUI and code for a Raspberry Pi; to include the use of an I2C 23017 expansion board, drive a 16 channel relay board, make use of a thermocouple breakout board and set some parameters based on some switches creating high/low indications.

The hardware required is already procured and available to the software engineer, at least everything from and for the raspberry pi up to the 16 channel relay board, the relay board will then be used to drive some more industrial equipment within the Control cabinet.

I work full time and am undertaking my part of the project over evenings and weekends, the OP is aware that things may take a little longer due to people doing the work in their spare time, however due to the project being at a proof of concept stage he is looking to make it as cost effective as possible at the moment with a view to expanding it at a later date. I believe the OP is looking for somebody in a similar position to myself who may already work full time but is looking for a reasonably short project to take on in their spare time that may give them a bit of extra cash.