While there are definately no dead otters in my freezer (<confessions>a few choice duck parts may be hidden in there somewhere</confession>), there are a few OtterBoxes. While looking for ways to test out the new LPC1114 802.15.4 Wireless Transceivers and to make sure that the code base and deep sleep mode works as expected (so that the batteries last years instead of, well, hours) and just to make sure that the lights actually DO go off when I close the door on the fridge, I stuck a sensor node plus a digital luminosity sensor (a TSL2561 from TAOS to be specific, which approximates the human eye and measures both regular and infrared light levels), and used the LM75B temperature sensor on the board to see just how chilly it really is (or isn't) in there.
The medium waterproof box (available from Adafruit.com in three sizes) turned out to be perfect. They're transparent so I can measure the light levels (with a bit of adjustment of course), and since they're air tight, water proof and generally indestructible feeling, I don't have to worry about the LIPO battery shorting and burning the fridge down and robbing me of my diet Coke fix.
Here you can see the values it's sending back outside the fridge in the kitchen:
Received (node=0xF00D, len=56, rssi=33)
Batt: 3.993 V, Temp: 26.375 C, Luminosity: 336, UV: 231
And inside the deepest, darkest corner of the fridge, but in the nice cozy little OtterBox (midway through the long stabilisation period ... air tight containers make annoyingly good insulators), we get:
Received (node=0xF00D, len=52, rssi=23)
Batt: 3.980 V, Temp: 11.375 C, Luminosity: 0, UV: 0
Pfew ... the light does turn off!
If you're looking for a rugged and affordable waterproof housing for some of your own prototypes and project, we can definately recommend these boxes. (Note: If you order them from Adafruit.com you note only get to feel good about yourself supporting a great open source HW site, but you also get them cheaper than ordering direct from the manufacturer's site.)
We'll post some more details on this board in the coming weeks, and the LPC1114 Code Base and LPC1343 Code Base will be updated once we can be sure the more obvious bugs have been worked out frozen stiff. IF you're curious what we have on the receiving end, here's a preview of things to come (but to steal a line from the wonderful people over at Adafruit "Don't ask, it's not out yet!"):
