Software Updates

[rott]

wow that is so cool

[rott]

I was looking around and if this can be figured out it is a way to read and write csv files to Google docs and the files can be read back as csv or excel or as HTML to populate the website then Rob does not have to worry about hosting any thing. I like the original Idea that people can decide for them selves what they want to do. with the understanding you will not support it if they use high charts and maybe direct them to there forum or have are own user helping user forum for this just an idea Rob doesn't need to payout more when he doesn't need to

http://www.highcharts.com/docs/working-w...ata-module

[niksunen]

I was looking around and if this can be figured out it is a way to read and write csv files to Google docs and the files can be read back as csv or excel or as HTML to populate the website then Rob does not have to worry about hosting any thing. I like the original Idea that people can decide for them selves what they want to do. with the understanding you will not support it if they use high charts and maybe direct them to there forum or have are own user helping user forum for this just an idea Rob doesn't need to payout more when he doesn't need to

http://www.highcharts.com/docs/working-w...ata-module

So if i am understand you correctly. Your proposition is send data directly from controller (arduino) to Google Spreadsheet so there is no need for Mysql database ? (And then Google "taken care" hosting those data :D ) If so then yeah it is possible and doable And then you can use that HighCharts data module and conf it read data directly to your Google Spreadsheet.

But i like more Mysql databases, so i don't add or modified that spreadsheet support. But Rob can do it if he wants :) And even when your data is Google Spreadsheet you still need some server / webhost to put your charts / files etc. And if you have a server / webhost you most likely have Mysql databases there.

[rott]

I like the MySQL version also I was thinking more like the arduino would put the files on a separate user account at google then they can support the band with and not Rob

[Rob F]

The bad thing about using Google if they change their API then things quit working and they have been known to do that. It'll take some time to figure out the best route to go. Another way is if someone wants this they can open a hosting account with someone like 1and1 or a free service somewhere and setup a database. Either way I can't do anything with HighCharts, maybe what I'll do when I re-do the website is add some graphs using a different method and if someone wants to enable them they would simply add database credentials to a file and it would start sending data to it. Then all a person has to worry about is setting up the database somewhere.

[rott]

That would be cool and a great asset to RT

[Rob F]

The more I think about that, I think it will work. Would be easy to setup too. Lets hope I can get through things quickly so I can start on the web.

[rott]

I can set you up with free hosting account be very similar to your 1&1 account if you need a testing account and my speed isn't bad

[niksunen]

:D I think i am too tired right now. I wonder last hours to how i get controller send kWh values to Mysql database every hour (using real time, so no matter when restarted controller). Using RTC is best way to do it. I allready start to add it, but then i realized, controller don't have rtc, it is in the display.

So i think and think, and wondering can i use millis to do the job (yeah it is easy to add function which send values every hour, but then it depends when controller is started. So you have to start controller exactly at 13:00:00 to get first value at 14:00:00. So not gonna happen :D

And then i realized it, i can use display rtc chip :D And now it send values using clock not millis. I have to go to sleep, because i cant clearly think straight :D

[rott]

lol you need to sleep :) :) things always look clearer when your rested

[Rob F]

Thanks Rott, its ok, I have lots of space and databases with 1and1 to test.

Sometimes simple things don't turn out to be simple. :) A few hours sleep and it'll hit you.

[dorrpost]

Been away for bit. Still back at the language part =)

RobF: instead of working on language pack at the moment, I would personally go for expanding the webshop. Make it more PlugNplay friendly. For example ph-probes, presoldered temp sensors, cheap fish feeders (plugnplay) and stuff like that. As long as the target group is prepared to solder and need to understand at least some electronics and DIY I´ll think the english language is less of a problem =) When you can offer a complete system to half the price of established brands to "normal" people, then you have really good thing going. edit: And think about translation...

Niksunen: Actually its all Swedish for me =) Nice to have more tanks goings in the surrounding!

Have you checked cacti and RRDtool for graphing? Might be worth a look..

[rott]

doorpost isn't that still all nix based

[Rob F]

Been away for bit. Still back at the language part =)

RobF: instead of working on language pack at the moment, I would personally go for expanding the webshop. Make it more PlugNplay friendly. For example ph-probes, presoldered temp sensors, cheap fish feeders (plugnplay) and stuff like that. As long as the target group is prepared to solder and need to understand at least some electronics and DIY I´ll think the english language is less of a problem =) When you can offer a complete system to half the price of established brands to "normal" people, then you have really good thing going. edit: And think about translation...

Niksunen: Actually its all Swedish for me =) Nice to have more tanks goings in the surrounding!

Have you checked cacti and RRDtool for graphing? Might be worth a look..

I would like to expand the webshop but its difficult. First it takes money which I don't really have, I don't make very much off these controllers. I would love to have ph and those other probes but the only ones that work good are the Atlas Scientific circuits. I can't really stock these and resell them because I have to pay really high shipping cost and customs to get them so I would have to sell at a higher price than Atlas and make no money on them so that won't work. I tried making my own circuits for PH and conductivity but that didn't work out. So I'm not really sure what I can do about that. I also don't know what to do about fish feeders, dosing pumps and other accessories, I thought about selling those cheap feeders and dosing pumps but I don't know if that's a good idea as they are low quality and make all kinds of sounds. If I have a note saying items are low quality people might wonder about the quality of the controller. You're right though, if I could start setting up complete systems I would have a good thing going. The new connectors on the 2nd gen controller are a great improvement, no more soldering required for temp sensors or the like. It's also better now that I can print cases, a lot of people don't want a bunch of circuit boards. :)  But yeah lots of people want plug and play. I won't be doing any language packs for a while, still t0o many changes to come and I don't want to be always updating languages.

[dagsterbox]

Been away for bit. Still back at the language part =)

RobF: instead of working on language pack at the moment, I would personally go for expanding the webshop. Make it more PlugNplay friendly. For example ph-probes, presoldered temp sensors, cheap fish feeders (plugnplay) and stuff like that. As long as the target group is prepared to solder and need to understand at least some electronics and DIY I´ll think the english language is less of a problem =) When you can offer a complete system to half the price of established brands to "normal" people, then you have really good thing going. edit: And think about translation...

Niksunen: Actually its all Swedish for me =) Nice to have more tanks goings in the surrounding!

Have you checked cacti and RRDtool for graphing? Might be worth a look..

I would like to expand the webshop but its difficult. First it takes money which I don't really have, I don't make very much off these controllers. I would love to have ph and those other probes but the only ones that work good are the Atlas Scientific circuits. I can't really stock these and resell them because I have to pay really high shipping cost and customs to get them so I would have to sell at a higher price than Atlas and make no money on them so that won't work. I tried making my own circuits for PH and conductivity but that didn't work out. So I'm not really sure what I can do about that. I also don't know what to do about fish feeders, dosing pumps and other accessories, I thought about selling those cheap feeders and dosing pumps but I don't know if that's a good idea as they are low quality and make all kinds of sounds. If I have a note saying items are low quality people might wonder about the quality of the controller. You're right though, if I could start setting up complete systems I would have a good thing going. The new connectors on the 2nd gen controller are a great improvement, no more soldering required for temp sensors or the like. It's also better now that I can print cases, a lot of people don't want a bunch of circuit boards. :)  But yeah lots of people want plug and play. I won't be doing any language packs for a while, still t0o many changes to come and I don't want to be always updating languages.

Dear Rob,

Why do not you create a simple database with compatible products and the best places to buy it, then the community can also share their recommendations ? From my opinion, expending the workshop will generate a lot of work with no additional significant profit.

About the language pack, I would say that as long as ENG, FRE, SPA, RUS, IT and CHI are available from start, it is better to focus on the code. Your product is great but still under development and if you want to maximise the profit, better to optimize the device than adding new languages.

[Rob F]

Hi Dagsterbox, yes a list of compatible parts something I will have to do, I'm hoping to be able to offer patch cables for some equipment so it doesn't need to be modified, for example, I don't think many people want to chop up their circulation pump cords to connect. But you are right, its a lot of work with no extra profit, otherwise its profit on junk which I can't be doing. I agree the best thing I can do is keep improving the controller with features, I need to get the circulation/power head ports working, flowmeters, better dosing, more alerts and lots of other smaller features. The last few months have a good/bad side, the good is the controller is much better but the bad is doesn't look like much was done in last few months. :)

The webshop does need an overhauling, I think doing that would increase sales, right now the message isn't very clear and lacking lots of details such as compatible products. I've put that to the side so I could get the controller back to what it was and now that it's basically there I can focus on the code and webshop.