I was looking for a better way to do my Network Server commands, so I headed over to the Python IRC channel and asked for some better ways to send text across the network.  After some chatting back and forth someone mentioned HTTP and REST, so I started my research.  It didn’t take long to find Django (what I used before) and Flask (I saw before, but haven’t used).  So I looked around trying to see what the purpose and differences of the 2 are.  It was obvious pretty quickly that Flask was the one.  My commands and data are pretty basic, so having a micro framework to send and receive made sense.  There also seems to be a lot of module attachments to enhance Flask, so future expansion is there.  

I have now replaced my basic sockets server with Flask.  I have to admit, there’s a lot to like.  For one, I can just go to the URL of the sensor in a web browser to view results!  Soo very helpful during testing to see if anything looks off.  This also opens up possible phone apps that just use a wrapper around a web browser.  It would be pretty sweet to use my phone to interact with sensors.  

Definitely a few more possibilities in the near future.  I still have to rework some of my unit tests and actually test the program a bit more, since I just overhauled the network service, but so far it’s looking pretty good.  

Lots to do, so back to it I go. 

I have been working on a few things as of late.  For one, notes can be saved into the sensor Database at whatever time you choose.  This is meant to aid in putting notes beside the actual sensor data.  I’ll be adding the notes into the graphs later, so that they will show up with the graphed sensor data, using the time you enter!  AKA, you notice the sensor malfunctioning at a certain time, you enter a note with the same or close Date & Time saying “Malfunction, ignore this” or “Very important data represents time travel”.  Whatever helps identify what the data represents.  It can also be used to bookmark or tag certain times with things, like manual settings for temperature offset or other important information not being captured by the sensors, etc.  Later on, I’ll try to get it so you can “Graph by notes”, and it will graph say, 1 hour on either side of every note’s time frame, making it easy to instantly populate graphs with important data without having to search every time. I’ll be giving it more thought for sure. 

Since I seem to like ordering my options in the config and sensor files, in a way that’s not great for compatibility (AKA I don’t add every new option to the bottom, I reorder the whole list).  This is a pain, as I manually have to log in through SSH and re-adjust the sensor configuration files for the new options.  So I had a few ideas on solving it. 
1) Add the ability to change installed sensors from the control center
and or
2) Create some updated functionality to automatically make needed changes after the upgrade. 
I went with the 2nd option first and made an upgrade module that adjusts any needed files and related settings, then re-saves them.  It also uses the versioning system, so it can incrementally update from this version onwards, even if you miss a few versions along the way!  This will make my future upgrade tests go a bit smoother!

My other major upgrade was to the environmental temperature adjustments.  Before it was a manually set option in the graph window, but this makes it annoying to swap between different sensors with different offset needs.  So I moved the offset into the sensor itself and created different offsets for different setup combinations.  This way it’s all automatically set by how you set your installed sensors configuration file!  AKA it will give recommended offsets depending on what hardware is being used.  So now you can check a “Use Default” temperature offset checkbox, and the graphs will use the offset provided by the sensor.  A custom offset is also available in the sensor configuration file, in case a sensor doesn’t follow standards.  And of course you can uncheck the use default and set your own setting during graphs.  Whatever is set on the sensor, will also be saved into the SQL database when the environmental temperature readings are saved.  

Those are the 3 main things I have been working on.  

I think I’ll re-work my re-configuration of the sensors.  I think I can make a decent live update by pulling and pushing the text files into and out of a textbox, similar to my Log viewer and Notes window.  If I do that, I think the program can do everything remotely!  Between the log viewer, update module and soon to be installed sensors and config adjuster, keeping my demo and test sensors running smoothly through upgrades is starting to sound like an easier task 🙂

If you are lucky enough to have a SenseHAT with your Raspberry Pi, I have updated the sensor software to allow the use of its JoyStick and LED grid! The following commands are

• Up = Scroll IP address on the LED grid
• Down = Display “Steve” on the LED grid OR Confirms Shutdown
• Left = Scroll humidity
• Right = Scroll Temperature
• Push = Initiate Shutdown (Requires confirmation of Down JoyStick)

Due to the extra additions on the SenseHAT, it is a nice sensor to start with for trying things out, since you can just plug in power and be able to see readings right on the LED grid AND have it shut down with the button combo.  Other sensors you have to shutdown remotely with the Control Center or login directly and shut down, and of course, no other currently supported sensor has a display. 

I now have a working Gnu/Linux installer working for both SMB and HTTP, but customizing a file is required if you want the desktop shortcuts on a different user than pi (Menu shortcuts work just fine). 

In other news, a few new battery backup systems have come in for me to try out.  This time I decided to go with something a bit more expensive to help with the solar deployments.  To that end, I grabbed a “Goal Zero Yeti 150” and a “Goal Zero Sherpa 50”.  They both have hookups for solar panels and are pretty hefty.  I put a RP Zero + Garden HAT on the bigger 150 to see how long it lasts.  I’m going to put the smaller one outside with a solar panel and see how that goes.  Both units oddly enough cost me about $250 each.  If they work as fully self-sustaining units, they are worth the price.  O yeah, the manual for the Yeti was pretty useful! It says to help with using the battery in colder temperatures, put it in a cooler, as the ambient temperature it puts off would keep it warm enough inside the insulated container.  A very good idea, since it will be in the outdoors during winter and I have been thinking of ways to protect the battery units from the elements.  I look forward to testing results, but I suspect I’m going to have trouble keeping the snow off the solar panels … I might have to be a bit more creative for that.  

That’s it for tonight.  

New Version out!  I was going to get pipenv working before release… but it looks like that’s going to take a bit more time.  
Here are a few highlights of this release.

• Allow Live Graph on 3 point data
• Merged Sensor SQL Interval & Trigger code & databases
• Created Log viewer and downloader in Control Center
• Tweaked System Report and added Installed Sensors to Config Report
• Raspbian desktop and menu shortcuts added
• Created uninstaller for sensors
• Changed locations for sensor programs, configuration and data to be more in line with Gnu/Linux file structuring
• Updated help files
• Bug fixes and code optimization

Due to the location and database structure changes, this version is not compatible with older versions.  I recommend doing a clean install if you have  a previous version installed.