How does MySensors actually work

[palande.vaibhav]

Hello everyone,

I know this is a very dumb question but I am very new to all this. My question is how does this thing work? I have seen the getting started videos and I have also read the whole getting started page on the website. Here is what I understood.

1. I need to get the Arduino, radio and a sensor. Wire everything up as shown on the website and power up.

What after that? I figure I need to connect to the internet using the radio. but after that how does this all connect up? What is vera? Do I need to have it? It looks like a router. Can I use my own router I already have at my home for this? How does the android app connect to the sensors?

All the videos show how to make a gateway and how to wire up arduino and sensors but then after that they suddenly show the web interface and the android app and everything just starts working. I am having hard time connecting the dots here.

I am very new to all this but I think I have read whats on the website and also watched the videos before posting this question. So can anyone guide me through the step by step process?

Thank You

[sundberg84]

@palande.vaibhav - Welcome!
Did you read this? https://www.mysensors.org/about/network

Vera is one of many controllers, and this is connected to internet. You can install a controller on different plattforms. Myself i use Domoticz (another controller) running on a raspberry pi.

The controller is connected to a gateway (you build with arduino, radio) and then you have the sensor network.

[palande.vaibhav]

@sundberg84 Thanx for the reply.

I read the contents of the network page before posting this question.

Can you explain controllers more in the sense that if they are hardware based or software based? I saw OpenHAB controller which looked like a software based controller like you install it on the Windows machine and it works where as Vera has a hardware home automation controller.

What piece am I missing here?

Thank You,
Vaibhav

[mfalkvidd]

@palande.vaibhav yes some are hardware based. Most are software based.

[palande.vaibhav]

@mfalkvidd
OK great. So I am not completely lost.

I am doing a project where I am growing a plant in a enclosed box where I want to control the parameters like temperature, humidity, pH level of the water, CO2 concentration etc. and I want to monitor and control these parameters using an Android app.

Which controller do you recommend considering there are like 5-6 different sensors involved and monitoring/control with an app is crucial.

OR do you want me to make a different post for this?

Thank You,
Vaibhav

[Lawrence Helm]

For a start just install domoticz, or other software on a pc (controller), connect a gateway to that pc and make a sensor, then go to the software website and read how to add the gateway and sensors :)

[palande.vaibhav]

@Lawrence-Helm @sundberg84

I have built the gateway using the NRF24L01+. I just followed the steps shown in the video on the mysensors website. I have different Arduino for the Gateway and the sensor. I have the DS18B20 temperature sensor connected to the Arduino, I followed stpes from https://www.mysensors.org/build/temp and uploaded the code for it on the Arduino with the gateway.
Which code should I upload to the Arduino with the sensor connected to it? How do those Arduino's talk to each other?

Now I am trying to connect it to Domoticz. I followed the hardware setup instructions on the domoticz manual here: http://www.domoticz.com/DomoticzManual.pdf and typed in the information about the name, type, serial port and the baud rate and got a device to show up on the Hardware tab. But nothing shows up in the Devices tab. Whats the next step after this for connecting my gateway and sensors to Domoticz?
I am using Domoticz because it's a software based controller and I am just starting with the IOT realm, so I want to keep things simple.

[Lawrence Helm]

@palande.vaibhav o.k if all connected o.k, it should show up, remember it will send something when the temperature changes so hold your fingers on the temperature sensor, and it should show up...