Home automation - writing apps for Joggler

[MikeF]

Hello,

I've recently obtained 2 Jogglers from eBay, and I've successfully reflashed these using Roobarb!'s 30300 firmware. I've then installed SqueezePlay OS on one, and PnP III on the other. The first runs LMS and acts as a server, while the second has more general use: Internet, iPlayer, Radio, SqueezePlay, etc. I've customised the GUI on the latter, by removing the games and other apps I don't use, and reordered the apps that I do use, to suit my own preferences.

What I like about the Joggler is the touch screen interface, and I would like to write some simple additional apps. Specifically, I want to be able to control the LightwaveRF dimmers and sockets which I have in my house, via LWRF's so-called WiFi Link. You can control LWRF devices via an iOS or Android device, or from a PC or Mac - these all send out a UDP packet over the (local) network, and I've established the format of commands to create the UDP payload.

I've even managed to send the UDP commands from the Joggler via Telnet / SSH - the SqPOS Joggler supports the 'nc' command, which can be configured to send a UDP packet; however, PnP III doesn't use a full shell but uses Busybox instead, and the standard Busybox doesn't support nc (busybox.new provides a 'lightweight' version of nc, but this doesn't support UDP!). Instead, I've installed ncat, which seems rather bloated by comparison.

What I now want to do is to create an swf app which will send on / off / dim commands to my various devices by touching appropriate buttons.

I've found this link: http://knolleary.net/2010/05/31/creatin ... der-linux/, which seems the way to go, and which refers to registering for and downloading the Openpeak SDK. However, whenever I try to register, I get an error stating that my details cannot be entered into the database (although I can specify my country - UK - it insists on having a US state, and defaults to Alabama!).

Does anyone know how this - or an alternative - SDK can be obtained?

Thanks,

Mike

[Juggler]

Hi Mike and welcome to the forum !

Have a look at this :

http://www.jogglerwiki.com/forum/viewto ... f=2&t=1492

Other people had the same/similar problem, so I guess if you ask roobarb! nicely, perhaps he could do the same again, as I'm getting a 404 on the dropbox link.

I don't know what your programming abilities are, but personally, I would tend toward writing scripts or better some C to implement the functions you want, then it is just a matter of using flash/swf as a front end. I guess this would overcome any limitations placed on you by Flash or whatever. And if you choose to go for some other distro on your Joggler, which is what I've done since getting Jogglers, it would be easier to implement. I've found it very easy to write small C programs actually on the Joggler. Even have an Ada compiler and NASM assembler on there too. Just personal preference here, may not be the best way. I tend to avoid using the internal flash, as it is not replaceable easily. You can get some small flash drives that do not look too bad on the side. I have 4 and 7 port USB hubs on mine, but I'm not too concerned about aesthetics.

Anyway, it would be great if you could let us all know how it goes...

I know Pete is heavily into home automation and I think he uses some special apps for this.

Cheers and HTH

[hawsey]

Have you seen this
http://www.homeautomationhub.com
May be of use to you

[MikeF]

Thanks for your replies, Hawsey.

Have a look at this :

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1492

Yes, I had already seen this, and had the same experience as keekee.

Roobarb!: any chance of posting the link to the SDK again, please?

My programming experience is limited (mostly BBC BASIC on Risc OS!) - I've never used C. I think the cgi script route is worth pursuing. (Out of curiosity, I have just installed Blassic Basic on the Joggler, having come across this link:http://www.sunspot.co.uk/Projects/Joggl ... ative.html.

Re http://www.homeautomationhub.com, this describes the Home Automation Hub project, which has developed an xAP Flash app for the Joggler, which has a nice Adobe Flash control interface. I've installed this on one of my Jogglers, and can customise the layout of the buttons in one of the config xml files. xAP is a protocol which can control home automation devices; xAP Flash has been architected to use the BSC (Basic Status & Control) schema. I've posted on the xAP Flash forum at http://www.automatedhome.co.uk, and established that LightwaveRF is not compatible with BSC - BSC is a two-way schema (i.e., it can send commands and query the status of devices), whereas LWRF (at least, for sockets and dimmers) is one-way (send only), and so unfortunately this is a non-starter.

I think the approach for me will be a simple webserver with scripting to create and send the UDP packet for each LWRF command.

I'll certainly let everyone know how this goes.

Mike

[pete]

Welcome to the forum Mike.

Yup; here Automation is a hobby. I have played a bit with the O2 OS included with the Joggler. Works fine.

I have utilize a software automation program called Homeseer.

I am writing about this software mostly cuz I am most familiar with it using it now since 1998.

It runs today fine on Buzz's Ubuntu 14.04 build just fine. I am also now playing with Wine as I utilize text to speech and want to utilize my collection of Microsoft SAPI speech fonts. Personally here into "wired" automation versus "wireless". That is me though mostly because of my age.

I posted this snapshot of the Homeseer GUI because the program already includes many automation features off the shelf and allows for the use of scripting plus a number of automation plugins.

The Homeseer touchscreen designer while it runs in Wintel creates touchscreens in Linux, Android, Windows and iOS (IPhone / IPad).

Here is a quickie example of a script that runs on the RPi to check out CPU utilization (for Homeseer).

Code: Select all

Sub Main(parm as object)

dim proc as System.Diagnostics.Process
dim resp,s as String
dim ary() as String
dim i as Integer
dim sw as System.IO.StreamWriter

Try
     proc = new System.Diagnostics.Process()
     proc.StartInfo.FileName="/usr/bin/uptime"
     proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute=False
     proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True
     proc.Start()
     resp=proc.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()

     ary = resp.Split(New Char() {","c})

     If(UBound(ary)>=4) then
          sw = new     System.IO.StreamWriter("/usr/local/HomeSeer/Data/ZeeCPUPerformance.txt",True)
          sw.Write(Now() & "," & ary(4))
     End If

Catch ex as Exception
     hs.writeLog("Exception",ex.message)
Finally
     If(not sw Is Nothing) then
          sw.Close()
     End If
End Try

End Sub  

Personally here played with much wireless over the years. Wireless is wireless is wireless. RF is RF. Talking to a few folks in the EU / UK living in a stone home; wireless doesn't work well and that is due to RF propagation.

The solution with Insteon, Zigbee and Z-Wave is just to add more devices which is a PITA to do. 802.11X still also has same RF propagation issues. I mean I can turn on a microwave oven in my home and take out wireless communications. I do think though the idea of selling a wireless light bulb is cute. That said I still prefer to use a light switch on a wall to turn on the lights in a room; but that is my personal opinion. I am a bit old fashioned here and not tethered to my cell phone. I did remote control my home back in the late 1990's with my GPRS cell phone and bugged my wife while working in the UK / EU. I had much fun with it. (I am currently playing with Windows Mobile 8.1 for fun now).

My personal preferences relating to automation is to a have a "closed" automation system that is not cloud based nor requires the use of my cell phone and mechanisms of transport related to the wire. (whatever that may be).

That is me.

I did automate with X-10 a home around 77-78. (that is when I got bitten by the automation bug.

Concurrently I have played with xAP, FlashxAP, OpenHAB (which works well) and a variety of opensource automation.

Openhab runs fine on the Joggler Ubuntu 14.04 build. Its faster than on Wintel XP, W7 or W8.

Code: Select all

root@ICS-Ubuntu-229:/opt/openhab# ./start.sh
Launching the openHAB runtime...
osgi> 07:45:49.431 INFO  o.o.c.internal.CoreActivator[:61] - openHAB runtime has been started (v1.5.0).
07:46:00.929 INFO  o.o.i.s.i.DiscoveryServiceImpl[:72] - mDNS service has been started
07:46:43.629 INFO  runtime.busevents[:26] - AudioZones_DiningRoom_Key state updated to -1
07:49:54.265 INFO  o.o.io.rest.RESTApplication[:159] - Stopped REST API
07:49:58.291 INFO  o.o.u.w.i.s.WebAppServlet[:90] - Stopped Classic UI
root@ICS-Ubuntu-229:/opt/openhab#

http://www.openhab.org/features-tech.html

I do not see a lightwave RF plugin for OpenHab though.

I do see a whole bunch of stuff over here:

https://www.lightwave3d.com/lightwave_sdk/

I also have installed wireless consoles on the Joggler in Linux, Android and Wintel. They all work just fine.

My current base of automation servers talk to some 20 plus hardware controllers. I am using X-10, Insteon, Zigbee, Z-Wave and UPB. My in wall switches today are UPB. (There is also 1-wire stuff in the mix).

Currently trying to fit some basic stuff on a modded OpenWRT TP-Link Microrouter (C only here). It has two network ports and a USB port on it for serial communictions or whatever. A little tight.

I am a moderator over at the Securifi forum and helping a bit with the new Securifi Almond +. This is currently a combination switch, router, wireless AP and repeater, plus it has an LCD plus Zigbee and Z-Wave. Many other wireless protocals / communications are being looked at. Personally here testing X10 on it and it works well.





Over on the Chumby dot com site there are a few flash only automation applications. One is an X-10 automation application which is interesting.

Here is the Chumby running flash automation (which would work just fine with the Joggler native mode)





I look forward to see what you can do with the base Joggler O2 OS relating to automation.

The new trending is a wireless automation hub that talks to everything using multiple devices built into the hub. Based on the Joggler hardware specfications; you can turn it into an automation hub easily enough today. All the new multifunctional wireless automation hubs have much less relating to CPU processing power today.

The Almond + is headed in that direction. Geez you could probably write something easily enough for the Almond + such that it will talk to the Lightwave devices.

Just noticed that Revolv is now a Nest company which is a Google company.....gobble gobble gobble....

I like to tinker here and would like to be a tester of your stuff if that is OK with you?

[jimeney]

Hi Mike,

Great to see another LightwaveRF user out there! I had little success on stock OS, but had a semi-working setup installing Windows XP to the Joggler, there are some open source .net DLLs for integrating with the WiFi link.

You might also find you'd do well to run android and install one of the LightWaveRF clients from the App Store, I can't see any barriers to that, but I can see you're likely looking to preserve the o2 OS.

The third option will require purchasing some hardware, but you might find you fare better. An arduino paired with an 433MHz RF Transciever will allow you to capture the specific commands your remotes are outputting, bypassing the WiFi link altogether. You'd interface using USB / Serial to the arduino, and it would relay the messages. Again, I got as far as being able to capture and send captured messages, but not to the point of accepting Serial messages to interface with this from a software process of some kind.

Look forward to seeing your progress on this!

James

[MikeF]

Hi Pete / James,

Thank you both for your replies and your encouragement!

At the moment, I've got a very modest LightwaveRF setup: 3 rooms with 3 remote sockets (controlling lights) and 2 dimmer switches between them, plus 2 relays controlling external lights. All are RF controlled (433MHz). I've also got a LightwaveRF (WiFi) Link, which enables me to control the lights using iOS / Android apps - the apps send UDP commands over the network to the Link, which then sends RF signals to the devices. Range does not appear to be an issue. I'm currently not looking to extend this significantly, due to WAF!

I'm aware of other technologies such as X10, Insteon and Z-wave, but as my setup is currently very simple, I don't want to replace what I've already got.

I'm really hoping I can develop a simple app / UI to send on / off / dim commands to my devices - I know what the command format is, and I can successfully send commands from the Joggler shell via Telnet / SSH. I'm looking for something (e.g., a scripting solution) to sit on top of this, so that when I touch a button it sends the command.

Progress is very slow at the moment, due to other time commitments, but I'll keep you posted on progress.

Mike

[jimeney]

I'd say using PHP and Shell_Exec might be the way forward, then you can host a web page locally that references a PHP script, relaying the command.

See http://php.net/manual/en/function.shell-exec.php

[pete]

Another referencing automation thing is here.

Not much is xPL these days (similiar to xAP) but you can utilize the methodologies. I tested and played and it worked fine for me.

Note too that I am a curmudgeon a bit getting older but always trying new things....I do drive my wife nuts with this stuff and she is very patient with me sometimes with middle of the night software glitches and the sort. (well the house talking)...

I envy you for the "fire" that you show in your pursuit of the Lightwave technologies.

Note too that the Joggler 2 which is the Openpeak 1.0 device is different than the Joggler O2 device and the Openframe 7 device.

The Joggler 2 / Openpeak 1.0 device has a Zigbee energy chip and was included in the base build for energy management; IE: thermostat and electric meter stuff. It also has traces for a SIM chip (along with already included PATA ZIF drive port and the GSM modem is aleady there).

Relate to the use of PHP stuff / automation have a read here:

http://doghouselabs.blogspot.com/