NodeManager: plugin for a rapid development of battery-powered sensors

[user2684]

Pretty big enhancement in the development branch of NodeManager if anybody is interested. I spent quite a good amount of time working on the core code to introduce mainly two features opening up the door to a good list of enhancements.

The first one is a sort of countdown utility. Can be based on the number of sleeping cycles or minutes. It detects automatically a sleeping node and instead of using millis sum up the sleep interval and reports when the time is over. This approach has been used to:

• Allow different sensors reporting at different timeframes (e.g. by configuring a specific sensor to report every e.g. 5 minutes or 10 sleeping cycles instead of at the end of each cycle)
• For output sensors optionally use the input value as an elapsed time (e.g. the output will be turned on and the input value will be used as a timer to turn it off automatically). For example by sending 3 to a relay, it will be turned on and after 3 minutes turned off automatically. Useful if you already know for how long the output should stay on.
• For output sensors optionally set a safeguard (e.g. after a relay is set to on, turn it off automatically after 1 hour). Useful if e.g. you are controlling a boiler and you are afraid something could prevent the command to turn it off to reach the board.
• Add timeframe option for reporting battery level (e.g. instead of reporting every 10 sleeping cycles, report every 1 hour regardless of how long is the sleeping cycles).

The other big change is a an complete remote API. With the current version you could send to NodeManager's service child id a limited list of commands to change the behavior of the board remotely, mainly to alter the duration of the sleep cycle. In the development release instead, almost every function of both NodeManager AND of every sensor can be invoked remotely. This is done by sending a V_CUSTOM message with a function_id and optional value to pass along to the service child id or each sensor's child id. More details here: https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/tree/development#communicate-with-nodemanager-and-its-sensors

This development branch is available here: https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/tree/development

[gohan]

Do you think it may be possible to add the function to use a digital pin to power a PIR sensor to turn it on only when setting it armed? (to save a little power)

[rakeshpai]

Why does the power manager use two pins to power the sensor? Could we just use one pin for Vcc, and assume that the GND is permanently connected?

[mar.conte]

But i'm trying to test a Pir of panasonic EKMB1201113 papirs series cost a bit but they have low power consumption
1 to 100 microampers in sleep mode, just connect a 100 kohm resistance in pulldown and it is very precise up to 12 meters

link text

[user2684]

@gohan interesting use case. I personally prefer to have the arm/disarm logic on the controller but I can understand there are also different situations. I've opened https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/issues/138 for this. Thanks for the suggestion!

[user2684]

@rakeshpai said in NodeManager: plugin for a rapid development of battery-powered sensors:

Why does the power manager use two pins to power the sensor? Could we just use one pin for Vcc, and assume that the GND is permanently connected?

I usually use the power pins when either I need to save power or I do not have vcc/gnd pins available on the arduino board. But yes, you're right, there are other scenarios to consider. I've opened https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/issues/139 for this. Thanks

[gohan]

saving pins is always good :D

[mar.conte]

Hello how can i enter the commands type 254; 200; 2; 0; 48; BATTERY in a lua script of domoticz?

[user2684]

@mar.conte said in NodeManager: plugin for a rapid development of battery-powered sensors:

Hello how can i enter the commands type 254; 200; 2; 0; 48; BATTERY in a lua script of domoticz?

Sorry, I don't use domoticz so I cannot help with that. I hope somebody else here will have an answer for you :-)

[user2684]

Guys, @hek has been so kind to offer a dedicated section within the forum for NodeManager so feel free to open new topics directly under https://forum.mysensors.org/category/43/nodemanager. I hope this can facilitate new users to better find the answers they are looking for and you guys to follow the discussions in a smoother way without the need to jump here and there along the same long thread.

[user2684]

Hello All,
I've just released on GitHub (https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager) a hotfix (v1.5.1) for NodeManager in order to include the memory optimization improvements already part of the development version.
This is to allow saving up to 20% of memory on a pro mini and prevent the board to crash or become unpredictable when approaching the memory limit. No new features or enhancements have been added to this hotfix.
If instead interested in testing out the development version or contribute please refer to https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/tree/development and https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/milestone/7.
Thanks

[user2684]

Hello, NodeManager's version 1.6 is almost ready. Plenty of new things and fixes are about to be available but I'd need some diverse testing before officially releasing it.

The first step would be to ensure that what was working with the current version is still working with this new release :)

All the new things are instead detailed here https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/issues?utf8=✓&q=milestone%3Av1.6 is%3Aclosed label%3Afixed and in the associated PRs.

The code is available at https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/tree/development.

Whoever is willing to give it a try, please report any issue directly on github whenever there is already an issue open or on https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/7266/nodemanager-v1-6-dev-comments-and-issues otherwise.

Ideally I'm targeting mid August for releasing a stable v1.6.

Many thanks!

[Getz99]

@user2684
Hello,
I'm using NM for all my projects and I really like it!
Will NodeManager support APDS-9960 RGB and Gesture Sensor in the future?

Thanks

[user2684]

@Getz99 thanks for your feedback! I've created https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager/issues/201 to track this request. Keep in mind no new features will be part of v1.6 which should be released soon so I've added this to the v1.7 backlog. Thanks

[Getz99]

@user2684 Thanks! I understand it will not be in v1.6, I'm waiting for that release!

[user2684]

Hi, kind of the the last chance to share any feedback regarding NodeManager v1.6-dev which is almost ready and should be out in a week or two.

Instructions on how to test the pre-release and report issues here: https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6183/nodemanager-plugin-for-a-rapid-development-of-battery-powered-sensors/184

Thanks!

[user2684]

Hello All,

NodeManager v1.6 is finally available! Download and upgrade instructions can be found as always on https://github.com/mysensors/NodeManager

First of all I want to thank everybody contributing to the project, especially those who have submitted pull requests to the repository.

In v1.6 we have 36 out-of-the-box sensors as well as a good number fixes and enhancements. The most notable are for sure the capability to customize any sensor remotely through a brand new remote API and a more flexible and effective way to configure reporting intervals and sleep cycles:

• Introduced new remote API to allow calling almost ALL NodeManager's and its sensors' functions remotely
• Reporting interval configuration is now indipendent from the sleep cycle
• Reporting interval can be customized per-sensor
• All intervals (measure/battery reports) are now time-based
• Added support for BMP280 temperature and pressure sensor
• Added support for RS485 serial transport
• Added support for TSL2561 light sensor
• Added support for DHT21 temperature/humidity sensor
• Added support for AM2320 temperature/humidity sensor
• Added support for PT100 high temperature sensor
• Added support for MH-Z19 CO2 sensor
• Added support for analog rain and soil moisture sensors
• Added support for generic dimmer sensor (PWM output)
• Added support for power and water meter pulse sensors
• Radio signal level (RSSI) is now reported automatically like the battery level
• SensorRainGauge now supports sleep mode
• SensorSwitch now supports awake mode
• SensorLatchingRealy now handles automatically both on and off commands
• SensorMQ now depends on its own module
• Added safeguard (automatic off) to SensorDigitalOutput
• Any sensor can now access all NodeManager's functions
• DHT sensor now using MySensors' DHT library

For those who have previously forked the repository, please ensure to merge the updated development branch first before submitting any new PR.

Thanks!

[betonmoewe]

@user2684

Hi,

thanks again for your great work!

As I said, I will try to include my Chirp module into 1.7 via a github branch/fork. You wrote in your explanation of "contributing to the code", that it is not allowed, to change config.h. But how should I include the lines for the chirp sensor?
And in wich way can the documentation be modified? (chirp sensor paramaters)

Best regards

Betonmoewe

[user2684]

@betonmoewe if I wrote that config.h cannot be changed, I wrote something wrong :-) You can change whatever of course, just keep changes to config.h and the main sketch to the minimum since those can only be upgraded manually and not just by replacing the files. To add a new sensor, have a look at one of the existing sensors. Documentation can be updated as well by changing the README file. Should you have any doubt or issue feel free to open a new thread on https://forum.mysensors.org/category/43/nodemanager. Thanks!

[vikasjee]

When do you plan to release V1.7 ?