Monitoring/controlling with Linux on the cheap

[GatorDad]

Here's some more analog gauge code using Javascript and canvas tags. This guy's code looks pretty sharp!

http://harmoniccode.blogspot.com/2011/01/canvas-steel.html

Geezzz. Thanks a lot Yuri. I'll be up for hours now...

BTW, if anyone else is grabbing the files for the above, the zip file is broken. Dig around on the right sidebar to grab what you need.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

There's an update on this page:

http://harmoniccode.blogspot.com/search/label/canvas

...and canvas tags now appear to be properly supported on the iPhone Safari browser. Sweet!

Ok, it's bedtime.

 

[GatorDad]

but no support for < IE9. I use Chrome so no matter...

 

[GatorDad]

There's an update on this page:

http://harmoniccode.blogspot.com/search/label/canvas

...and canvas tags now appear to be properly supported on the iPhone Safari browser. Sweet!

Ok, it's bedtime.

Actually... that's not as much of an update as it is a search result. Topics under "Category" (in right column) will get you there and a few other interesting places.

Simply outstanding. That gui widget Yuri found works very well. Big thumbs up.

I'll be posting the framework code for this and a few other fun things shortly (like sending an sms when temps are out of range). It's a combo of PHP, JS, AJAX and YUI. Lots of room to expand on...

The code will be posted via my github account, so, for those who don't know "git", now is a good time to start.

 

[GatorDad]

Very useful for playing around with the look & feel of the gauges:

http://idisk.mac.com/han.solo-Public/Canvas/Demo/Demo.html

 

[Foosinho]

I had been planning on doing an Arduino-based setup to run a lot of this stuff, but... this is so ridiculously easy and elegant, it's almost stupid not to do it this way. If you start with some basic bash scripts, you could easily - like in a few minutes - completely modify a brewing process.

I wonder if I could run a Cat5e drop from my garage to my server room to run the bus over, and use my main server to run all of this rather than adding an additional always-on machine to my network. I could just use my laptop to monitor, either via terminal, X11 forwarding, or web, depending on the front-end I build. That would be preferable to running an old laptop in my garage 24/7 to monitor fermentation chamber(s).

On the flip side, running an Arduino based PID on mains power in the fermenter would probably be a lot less "flaky" than sending temp data over the bus to a remote machine, that would send back commands to turn on/off the compressor or heat source.

Those Canvas web GUI elements are slick. This thread makes me happy.

 

[GatorDad]

If you start with some basic bash scripts, you could easily - like in a few minutes - completely modify a brewing process.

I run everything with bash scripts, mostly from cron. It's not sexy and it's not pretty, but, it's damned effective and almost bullet-proof.

I wonder if I could run a Cat5e drop from my garage to...

There are a zillion ways to set this up - this is one. I use ssh for remote access to my linux box, but you could use VNC (and its many cousins) or any of the methods you mention above.

On the flip side, running an Arduino based PID on mains power in the fermenter would probably be a lot less "flaky" than sending temp data over the bus to a remote machine, that would send back commands to turn on/off the compressor or heat source.

I've been using 1wire in private and industrial use for many years. I've never had a problem with it that wasn't later attributed to things like fork-lifts pulling wires loose and other stupid human tricks. YMMV.

Those Canvas web GUI elements are slick. This thread makes me happy.

Yea, I'm becoming a convert... Prior to this, I'd never looked into the "canvas" stuff in HTML5... We live in interesting times.

 

[GatorDad]

I found a nice little graphing widget: http://www.rgraph.net/index.html#download

that's about a 45min run...

 

[gclay]

Man that's nice, I guess it's time to learn to script. I do everything manually on demand now. When I get to play with linux that is.

 

[gclay]

I can't order any samples, they want a business or education address. I have neither.

 

[Foosinho]

I run everything with bash scripts, mostly from cron. It's not sexy and it's not pretty, but, it's damned effective and almost bullet-proof.

I work at a supercomputer center, and that's what we do too. Unix commandline capabilities are very powerful.

 

[GatorDad]

I can't order any samples, they want a business or education address. I have neither.

Use your home address...

 

[simtel20]

GatorDad, I'm less ambitious than you, but I did get some 1-wire temp probes to watch the basement fermentation chamber. Just so I understand what you're going for, why did you chose owfs vs. digitemp software for this? I've started playing with digitemp's software and it looks like it'd be very easy to dump into either an rrd database or a sql database. What's better about owfs?

Thanks!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Use your home address...

They changed their policy. I used to order from them on occasion. Recently, I tried to use the same account, and I got a message stating that they would not ship to a residential address.

 

[GatorDad]

They changed their policy. I used to order from them on occasion. Recently, I tried to use the same account, and I got a message stating that they would not ship to a residential address.

They shipped to my home address about a month ago... odd.

 

[GatorDad]

They shipped to my home address about a month ago... odd.

and I just placed another order. What are you folks clicking on?

EDIT: wait a sec... Yuri. What's the name of your brewery? Kampferstrahl? Where is it located? There's your "business" address.

 

[GatorDad]

GatorDad, I'm less ambitious than you, but I did get some 1-wire temp probes to watch the basement fermentation chamber. Just so I understand what you're going for, why did you chose owfs vs. digitemp software for this? I've started playing with digitemp's software and it looks like it'd be very easy to dump into either an rrd database or a sql database. What's better about owfs?

Thanks!

In short, because I can do what I want, the way I want it.

OWFS is a *file system* and as such fits into the *nix concept much better (little tools that work together). You can interact with it in ways you can't with "regular" software. From simple command line tools to full blown apps. As a file system, you can use any programming/scripting language you want as long as that lang can interact with a file system (and most can). What I didn't want was to be calling external programs with goofy parms (e.g. DigiTemp) from code and dealing with those headaches.

There are numerous ways/reasons to log data. I posted a link to a RRD tool earlier in this thread, and storing to a sql table is trivial in most scripting languages (e.g. PHP), and you're not limited to mysql - for example, postgresql might be your preference. I don't want someone else deciding how I log my data...

 

[GatorDad]

Code posted for the above at github.

From your linux command line:

#git clone git://github.com/ccurran/beer-monitor.git

Will pull the current source set to your machine.


This is a first stab at a PHP/JS framework for beer processing.

This first version displays a temperature gauge and a chart for a fermentation chamber (fridge) I have. It does not control the temperature; it monitors only. I use a cron script to control the temps.

Most of the fun is in "php/body.php".

• The 1wire device name used is "/mnt/fermiTemp".
• To enable SMS:
  • set BEER.SMS_ON = true;
  • read comments above BEER.checkRange()
  • search/replace the "to" number "1112223333@gateway" to yours
  • in "php/_server.php", search for "CHANGE BEFORE USE" and do it.

Let me know what you find wrong or broken...

 

[Homercidal]

GatorDad, I'm less ambitious than you, but I did get some 1-wire temp probes to watch the basement fermentation chamber. Just so I understand what you're going for, why did you chose owfs vs. digitemp software for this? I've started playing with digitemp's software and it looks like it'd be very easy to dump into either an rrd database or a sql database. What's better about owfs?

Thanks!

OWFS is neat, and powerful if you know what you are doing. But for basic logging, I think most people are going to want to try something canned and ready to go. I liked the LogTemp software I started with for logging. it's point and click and easy to use.

Now you can't do as much with it, but it's basic and easy enough for someone who has not done much programming. If you are familiar with basic programming skills and understand a scripting language, then OWFS is a better choice.

 

[GatorDad]

OWFS is neat, and powerful if you know what you are doing. But for basic logging, I think most people are going to want to try something canned and ready to go. I liked the LogTemp software I started with for logging. it's point and click and easy to use.

Now you can't do as much with it, but it's basic and easy enough for someone who has not done much programming. If you are familiar with basic programming skills and understand a scripting language, then OWFS is a better choice.

Yup. This stuff isn't really for beginners or the faint of heart. If you want plug/play, don't look here - this isn't for you.

 

[simtel20]

OWFS is neat, and powerful if you know what you are doing. But for basic logging, I think most people are going to want to try something canned and ready to go. I liked the LogTemp software I started with for logging. it's point and click and easy to use.

Now you can't do as much with it, but it's basic and easy enough for someone who has not done much programming. If you are familiar with basic programming skills and understand a scripting language, then OWFS is a better choice.

I'll look at both. I think an advantage of owfs is that if the fuse setup doesn't get messed up (too many fuse filesystems I've seen have been lackluster) then privs aren't needed - no setup required in the devfs configuration, but for most people doing brewing multi-user permission schemes and protections don't really provide anything useful.

I do like the fact that the library/daemon under owfs has various language bindings. I may play with this.

 

[gclay]

and I just placed another order. What are you folks clicking on?

EDIT: wait a sec... Yuri. What's the name of your brewery? Kampferstrahl? Where is it located? There's your "business" address.

Sorry I meant to say business or education e-mail address, they won't take yahoo or hotmail accounts.

 

[GatorDad]

Sorry I meant to say business or education e-mail address, they won't take yahoo or hotmail accounts.

Oh, that. Yea, more and more places have that same policy. Can't say I blame 'em. Use the email addy from your ISP.

 

[gclay]

Oh, that. Yea, more and more places have that same policy. Can't say I blame 'em. Use the email addy from your ISP.

lol I didn't even think about that one I'll have to find out what it is I've never bothered with it.

 

[gclay]

I just checked, Rogers is now Rogers/Yahoo, they give you a Yahoo account. I'll have to figure out how to setup an e-mail server here and dummy it I guess, if that'll work. Worst case I have to buy a domain name.

 

[GatorDad]

This to create an account, right? Do they allow Gmail? Do you have a work email you can use long enough to create the account?

 

[gclay]

I'm a stay at home dad, wife's the bread winner. I don't know if they accept gmail, I can try.

 

[GatorDad]

I just checked, Rogers is now Rogers/Yahoo, they give you a Yahoo account. I'll have to figure out how to setup an e-mail server here and dummy it I guess, if that'll work. Worst case I have to buy a domain name.

Setup your domain in Google Apps (personal edition). Let G handle the email - it's free and far better than any other solution I've ever seen. Google's spam filtering blows the doors of everyone else. Barracuda? A good door stop compared to Google...

http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html

 

[gclay]

Nope Gmail doesn't work. I'll just have to order some, no freebies for me.

 

[gclay]

Domains only $10/yr I'll take it. Thanks for the site.