Phidgets HomeSeer Plug-in

[Ricky]

summing phidget device values?

Mike,

Do you have any ideas on how to create a device that is the sum of the values of the phidgets. I want to sum the 6 voltage phidgets (each at about 20-24 volts) to get the total voltage of my battery bank. Can this be done in your plugin, in homeseer, in mcstemp?

Thanks, Rick

[mwaite]

Hi Rick,

I had the same issue. I wanted to calculate the solar power wattage (multiply the solar voltage by the solar current). Michael McSharry added this feature to the mcsTemperature plugin based on my query. It works great. Check out this thread:

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread...46001&t=138325

[Ricky]

Thanks, again. That works.

What did you mean when you said "I know I can do this within HS, however my voltage flucuates so frequently that I don't necessarily want to add the overhead of calculating and storing a device update this each time the voltage changes. I thought the 5 minute interval I have configured within mcsTemperature would be a good idea."

I'm asking just because I want to expand my knowledge of HS, how could the multiplication have been done in HS?

Also just curious, have you noticed any descrepancies between voltage via phidget and via a standard voltmeter. I have six of the voltage phidgets and 3 are right on and the other 3 are off, some way off (like by 10 volts).

Is there a way of modifying the formula used to calculate the output from the raw sensor value?

Maybe the phidgets are defective?

[mwaite]

What did you mean when you said "I know I can do this within HS, however my voltage flucuates so frequently that I don't necessarily want to add the overhead of calculating and storing a device update this each time the voltage changes. I thought the 5 minute interval I have configured within mcsTemperature would be a good idea."

You can create a simple script that would multiply the two devices and store the result in a third device.

Also just curious, have you noticed any descrepancies between voltage via phidget and via a standard voltmeter. I have six of the voltage phidgets and 3 are right on and the other 3 are off, some way off (like by 10 volts).

Is there a way of modifying the formula used to calculate the output from the raw sensor value?

Check out the documentation that came with the Phidgets plugin. You can calibrate the sensor readings by either adjusting the offset value in the configuration page, and/or manually editing the Sensors.dat file to modify the sensor's formula. I provided this functionality because I found that the voltage value of the sensor wasn't reporting the same as on a DVM (close but no cigar). Also, the Phidget Interface only provides EITHER Ratiometric or Non-Ratiometric calculations. If you use both Ratiometric and Non-Ratiometric sensors at the same time, you can still get relatively close readings by modifying/tweaking the offset or formula.

Maybe the phidgets are defective?

I only have 1 voltage sensor, so I don't know how close the readings from sensor to sensor should be. One way to test this is to swap sensors with the Phidget Interface inputs to see if the problem moves.

[Ricky]

Phidget SBC and 1018 - PhidgetInterfaceKit 8/8/8

Mike,

I am planning on pluging in a 1018 - PhidgetInterfaceKit 8/8/8 to my SBC board. I am out of sensor inputs on the SBC. In addition I would like the sensors to be ratiomatic on one board and non-ratiomatic on the other. Recall my phidgets are at a remote site away from the homeseer computer. Can your plug-in handle this do you think?

Also I am getting a very lot of the following messages in my log file, sometimes every minute, sometimes every 15 min or so. MCStemp is checking sensors every hour.

3/6/2010 9:17:30 AM MytMyk Phidgets Phidget disconnected
3/6/2010 9:17:37 AM MytMyk Phidgets CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/6/2010 9:17:37 AM MytMyk Phidgets 24 Phidget devices found in HS

Thx Ricky

[mwaite]

Hi Ricky,

The plugin only supports a single Phidget Interface at a time. It is possible to make the required changes, however I'll have to find some time and see if the Phidget folks want to volunteer some hardware (I have a hard time justifying additional hardware purchases for a free plugin unless I have a need, which I don't really at this time).

For the disconnects, this seems to be more a network issue. The disconnect/reconnects are a direct result of the Phidget drivers disconnecting from the remote, not something the plugin has any control over. Can you test it on local and confirm it stays connected? Also, try to run the phidget control panel connected to the remote phidget interface, and enable verbose logging to see if it also disconnects, I suspect it will. This may be something we would have to involve Phidget support in.

[Ricky]

Sure, I understand. Thanks, Mike, for making this plug-in available!

[mwaite]

I'd like to hear what you find out with your tests. There is no function available in their drivers to manage the connection so that's why I'm suspecting it's either something on their end or a network issue.

[Ricky]

Ok, I will.

Remind me do I need to disable the phidget plug-in in HS before connecting with the phidget program? How is the best way to do the testing but keep HS running.

Also in addition to the disconnect/connect issue I sometimes get a "WSA error 10060" like in the following run (you will see in this list another add-in ipPower having problems connecting to the same server address)

3/8/2010 9:11:12 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:11:16 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:11:16 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:11:48 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:11:56 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:11:56 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:12:02 PM ~!~ERROR~!~MytMyk Phidgets: protocol error: Socket was closed before command finished.
3/8/2010 9:12:02 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Retrying connection continuously in background...
3/8/2010 9:12:02 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:12:19 PM ~!~ERROR~!~MytMyk Phidgets: Network Error (probably a timeout occured): Socket was closed before command finished.
3/8/2010 9:12:19 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Retrying connection continuously in background...
3/8/2010 9:12:22 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:12:22 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:15:08 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:15:11 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:15:11 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:21:10 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:21:30 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:21:30 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:23:58 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:24:02 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:24:02 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:24:56 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:25:00 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:25:00 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:32:22 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:32:25 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:32:25 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:40:15 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:40:20 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:40:20 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:46:58 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:47:54 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:47:54 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:47:56 PM ~!~IPPower~!~ERROR: Cannot query http://204.17.37.226:9212/info.xml: Unable to connect to the remote server
3/8/2010 9:48:26 PM ~!~Z-Wave Warning~!~No response from device when getting level: Outside Courtyard Fountain, Node: 12
3/8/2010 9:48:29 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:48:59 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:48:59 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS
3/8/2010 9:49:21 PM ~!~IPPower~!~ERROR: Cannot query http://204.17.37.226:9212/info.xml: The server committed a protocol violation. Section=ResponseStatusLine
3/8/2010 9:58:42 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Phidget disconnected
3/8/2010 9:59:03 PM ~!~ERROR~!~MytMyk Phidgets: WSA error 10060
3/8/2010 9:59:03 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~ HINT: Confirm IP Address and Port are correctly configured to a running Phidget WebService
3/8/2010 9:59:03 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~Retrying connection continuously in background...
3/8/2010 9:59:26 PM ~!~IPPower~!~ERROR: Cannot query http://204.17.37.226:9212/info.xml: Unable to connect to the remote server
3/8/2010 9:59:34 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~CONNECTED TO PHIDGET (remote 204.17.37.226/5001 password) - [Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 , Serial: 111124 , Version: 826]
3/8/2010 9:59:34 PM ~!~MytMyk Phidgets~!~24 Phidget devices found in HS

[Delboy]

Wish you had not :-)

I created a plug-in for Phidgets.

Mike,

Give me a break, just getting stuck into HS using X10 (OK should have been Z-Wave or Insteon but) and you throw a link to the Phidgets site at me.

How am i meant to find the time to play with all those new toys:-)

Great concept, first 'extension' to my system once I sort out the current bugs!

[mwaite]

Ok, I will.

Remind me do I need to disable the phidget plug-in in HS before connecting with the phidget program? How is the best way to do the testing but keep HS running.

Also in addition to the disconnect/connect issue I sometimes get a "WSA error 10060" like in the following run (you will see in this list another add-in ipPower having problems connecting to the same server address)

Hi Ricky,

I'm sorry to hear you are also having problems with other networked connections, but at least this confirms my theory that the issue is more network related than a problem with the Phidget interface.

The easiest way to test with the Phidget program is to change the connection to LOCAL in the Phidget configuration page. You don't have to disable the plugin. Since you won't have a Phidget Interface plugged in locally, the Phidget plugin will just sit there idle. Once you finish your testing, you then only have to change the connection back to REMOTE.

The WSA message is another communication error, basically a timeout talking to the Phidget Web Service running on the remote computer.

[mwaite]

Mike,

Give me a break, just getting stuck into HS using X10 (OK should have been Z-Wave or Insteon but) and you throw a link to the Phidgets site at me.

How am i meant to find the time to play with all those new toys:-)

Great concept, first 'extension' to my system once I sort out the current bugs!

Oh man I'm sorry! lol

[Ricky]

update of sensor values

Mike,

How often does your add-in update the values of the sensors? Is it possible to control that or force an update? I am monitoring the sensors in mcstemp and that forces a read at a specified time (every 1 hour) but sometimes I just want to go to the device and get a current value of a sensor. How is the best way to do that and make sure I have the current value?

Thx

Rick

[mwaite]

It only depends on how you set the sensitivity. A value change on a sensor that exceeds the sensitivity value you set in configuration will trigger an update. There is no way to poll the phidget interface manually.

[pklijnjan]

Super plugin, is it possible to use the LCD phidget with it?