IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

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mnfisher
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IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by mnfisher »

An appeal for help with the IOT_Made_Easy component.

I set up an account with thingspeak.com - and created a single channel with one data field (Field 1) (WaterLevel) This also has a channel id - which I feel comes into play somewhere?

I also set up a MQTT device (LoftMonitor) Which has a long Id, password and is authorised to write to the channel data.

I wrote a small program that 'connects' both to the internet and to the thingspeak server (using IOTMadeEasyConnect()) It then attempts to write some data using PublishInteger.
This returns without error - however then nothing shows as entered on the thingspeak channel view (entries stays resolutely at 0)

I feel the issue is the Manufacturer\Series\Data1 entry in the IOTMadeEasy properties - but no combination of LoftMonitor, ChannelID, Field1, WaterLevel etc seems to work. (I've also tried forward and backward slashes as a separator :-( )

Ben's example uses a Raspberry pi -- and just has 'value' for this (and no WaterLevel on it's own doesn't work either)

Any suggestions - or should I repurpose a Pi?
WaterMon.fcfx
(19.88 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
I've replaced the password with password - but left the Client ID.. If you guess the password correctly then feel free to post some data :-)

Oops left my SSID and password in there though - if you are passing please drop in and steal some data! Ok - removed them, but feel free to drop in anyway for a cuppa.

The eagle eyed will spot that I also tried using MQQTClient - and did leave a password in it's properties. Sorry - it's changed since then though.


Martin

chipfryer27
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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by chipfryer27 »

Hi

I've used ThingSpeak extensively in the past but I haven't tried the IOT_Made_Easy (or not) component. I usually post data just using the api key but have used the mqtt component too.

I've posted plenty on it and like a lot of such things used value pairs for the data.

I'll try the IOT component later with known good TS credentials for a channel I use. I like api keys as I can send from anything whilst testing :)

Regards

mnfisher
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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by mnfisher »

Thanks - I did see the API keys - and maybe should just use those. The 'MadeEasy' tag took my eye though...

Just tried using a 'GET' using the API string - and that doesn't work either :-( Maybe I'm not designed to be connected. - CoPilot helped :-) Now can update via Edge and a URL - not yet through NetworkComms:Connect()

This still seems fairly easy (after 5 hours of fiddling!)

chipfryer27
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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by chipfryer27 »

Hi

This is a link to one of my posts, using an esp8266 to update TS.

As mentioned in the post, not a finished chart or anything, just showing "steps" required for me to connect and publish, which may help.

Regards

PS
I've been assisting in a water level project too, one version with ultrasonics, the other using hydrostatics. Will possibly post something re hydrostatics tomorrow if the Shiraz I'm about to open is terrible..:)

PPS
Would perhaps help if a posted the link. Shiraz is certainly looking good....

https://www.matrixtsl.com/mmforums/view ... 30#p107730

mnfisher
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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by mnfisher »

Enjoy the wine ;)

I do have some esp8266 boards around - wonder how Ben got on with adding them as a target?

I was hoping for minimal power consumption here - and probably only need one reading per 24 hours. I had an experiment with two parallel (ish) conductors and using an ADC to measure across the gap - which worked well enough for my purposes (really an alarm if the tank overfills)
Could be fun to try some other measurement techniques too.

Will play some more - looks like the API will be the way to go.

Martin

chipfryer27
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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by chipfryer27 »

Hi

I'm pretty sure I used mqtt to update TS too, so I'll have a look.

It might be an idea once you have api keys working to subscribe to PushingBox. When an alarm is generated it sends a signal to PB, which then sends you an email or Push message or whatever.

The tests I did indicated the SR04 Ultrasonic module I have to be quite capable, but hydrostatics is a very accurate way indeed, but at a cost.

Regards

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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by chipfryer27 »

Hi

Might be the Shiraz, but I can't find anything the IME can "Link To". Tried WLAN and Network Comm variants but no show.

Regards

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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by mnfisher »

I posted earlier on vc about this. Sometimes second click.

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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by chipfryer27 »

Hi

Not even after multiple. I knew about second clicking and to add "target" prior, but can't get it to work. I can get for example mqtt to link though so it seems limited to IME (or maybe .39 as I'm not near a .38 to check)

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Re: IOT_Made_Easy - or not?

Post by mnfisher »

I've done no better either. Managed to get it running in sim - so at least not waiting on an upload every time - but no update from FC. Works AOK from Edge.

Pour me a glass too - time for some down time!

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