PetFeedr

An automated pet feeder powered by a Raspberry Pi. Schedule feedings, control portion sizes, and monitor activity through a web interface — all running on your local network.

Features

• Schedule feeding times with configurable portion sizes (small, medium, large)
• Optional schedule randomization (±30 min) to mimic natural feeding patterns
• Web interface for managing schedules, triggering manual feedings, and viewing activity history
• Stepper motor control (DRV8825) with anti-jam agitation
• Simulation mode for development without hardware
• Systemd service for reliable, always-on operation
• Automatic daily schedule regeneration with fresh randomization

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi (tested on Pi 3/4/5)
• DRV8825 stepper motor driver
• NEMA 17 stepper motor (or similar)
• Food hopper and dispensing mechanism

GPIO Pin Mapping

Function	GPIO Pin
Direction	13
Step	19
Enable	12
Mode 1	16
Mode 2	17
Mode 3	20

Quick Start (Raspberry Pi)

First-Time Setup

1. Clone the repository on your Mac/PC:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/PetFeedr.git
   cd PetFeedr

2. Configure the deploy script for your Pi (defaults shown):

   export PI_HOST="pi@petfeedr.local"   # your Pi user@hostname
   export PI_PATH="/home/pi/PetFeedr"   # install path on Pi

3. Deploy to your Pi:

   ./deploy.sh

4. SSH into your Pi and run the one-time setup:

   ssh pi@your-pi.local
   cd ~/PetFeedr
   ./setup-pi.sh

5. Access the web interface at http://your-pi.local:5000

Deploying Updates

After making code changes, run:

./deploy.sh

This will back up the current Pi installation, sync changed files, update dependencies, and restart the service. Backups are stored locally (last 10 kept).

Development (Mac/PC)

For local development without a Pi:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python3 PetFeedr.py

Simulation mode is enabled automatically when RPi.GPIO is not available. You can also force it:

PETFEEDR_SIMULATE=true python3 PetFeedr.py

In simulation mode, no GPIO/hardware is touched — motor movements are logged but not executed, and the web interface works normally.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
PI_HOST	pi@petfeedr.local	SSH target for deploy script
PI_PATH	/home/pi/PetFeedr	Install path on Pi
BACKUP_DIR	$HOME/PetFeedr-backups	Local backup directory
PETFEEDR_PORT	5000	Web interface port
PETFEEDR_SIMULATE	false	Force simulation mode
FLASK_SECRET_KEY	(random)	Flask session secret key
FLASK_DEBUG	false	Enable Flask debug mode

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual setup on the Pi:

1. Copy files to your Pi

2. Create a virtual environment:

   cd ~/PetFeedr
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate
   pip install -r requirements-pi.txt

3. Create the systemd service:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/petfeedr.service

   [Unit]
   Description=PetFeedr Service
   After=multi-user.target
   
   [Service]
   Type=simple
   User=<your-user>
   WorkingDirectory=/home/<your-user>/PetFeedr
   ExecStart=/bin/bash -c 'source /home/<your-user>/PetFeedr/venv/bin/activate && python /home/<your-user>/PetFeedr/PetFeedr.py'
   Restart=always
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

4. Enable and start:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable petfeedr.service
   sudo systemctl start petfeedr.service

Usage

1. Access the web interface at http://localhost:5000 (or http://<pi-hostname>:5000)
2. Add feeding schedules with time, portion size, and optional randomization
3. Use the manual feed button for on-demand feedings
4. View recent activity in the feeding log

Security Note

The web interface has no authentication and listens on all network interfaces (0.0.0.0). This is designed for use on a trusted local network. Do not expose it to the public internet without adding authentication and HTTPS.

Useful Commands

sudo systemctl status petfeedr.service    # Check status
sudo systemctl restart petfeedr.service   # Restart
sudo journalctl -u petfeedr.service -f    # View logs

License

Copyright 2024 Jason Marsh

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for details.