Raspberry Pi DataLogger Update – Solar WXLink Now

Supported

The Raspberry Pi DataLogging and Graphing program is now supporting the new SwitchDoc Labs WXLInk  and low power Grove Mini Pro LP Arduino (Current on kickstarter!  10 days to go. Link below).

[callout size=”col-12″ title=”Checkout the Grove Mini Pro LP Board Kickstarter” button_title=”Go to Kickstarter” button_link=”https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunair/solar-the-missing-low-power-arduino-board-with-gro?ref=3224s”  button_size=”normal” button_rounded=”true” button_color=”red”]

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Introduction

The DataLogger consists of a Raspberry Pi 3 running the DataLogging Python Software,  MySQL, MatPlotLib and an Apache Webserver.   Installing all this software will be described in this tutorial.

The DataLogger now supports:

• – SunAirPlus – https://store.switchdoc.com/sunairplus-solar-controller-charger-sun-tracker-data-gathering-grove-header/
• – INA3221 – https://store.switchdoc.com/ina3221-breakout-board-3-channel-current-voltage-monitor-grove-headers-compare-to-ina219-grove-headers/
• – ADS1115 – https://store.switchdoc.com/grove-4-channel-16-bit-analog-to-digital-converter/
• – OurWeather – https://store.switchdoc.com/ourweather-complete-weather-kit/
• – Grove 4 CHannel I2C Mux – https://store.switchdoc.com/i2c-4-channel-mux-extender-expander-board-grove-pin-headers-for-arduino-and-raspberry-pi/
• – WXLink – Mini Pro LP Solar Powered Wireless Link (WXLink)

Latest Results

We have been running the Mini Pro LP on solar power for over a week now.   It is working perfectly for 5 days now.  Not a single reboot.   We have an external WatchDog Timer (see tutorial: https://www.switchdoc.com/2014/11/reliable-projects-watchdog-timers-raspberry-pi-arduinos/ ) installed to protect the system from brownouts (which we tested before we took the system outside).

The data is great.   This graph shows two days (captured by the Rx part of the WXLink with Mini Pro LP) and using the Raspberry Pi Datalogger to store and generate graphs (see tutorial:  https://www.switchdoc.com/2016/06/datalogger-measuregraphlog-current-raspberry-pi/ ).

You can see from these graphs the the battery on board is fully charged (when that happens SunAirPlus turns the charging circuitry off to protect the battery and the solar panel voltage climbs from 5V to about 7V.   It turns on a bit during the day when the battery has discharged a bit again.   The data from the last message is shown below the graph.

query= (SELECT timestamp, deviceid, Outdoor_Temperature, OutDoor_Humidity, Battery_Voltage, Battery_Current, Solar_Panel_Voltage, Solar_Panel_Current,  Load_Current, id FROM WXLINKTable ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 2000) ORDER BY id ASC
('count of t=', 2000)
------WXLINKGraphPower finished now
readWXLINKData - The time is: 2016-08-17 16:52:52.423661-07:00
-----------
block 1
0xab 0x66 0x1 0xf9 0x71 0x53 0x13 0xe 0x1 0x33 0x33 0xb3 0x3f 0x23 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x7 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x30 0x42 0xcd 0xcc 0x3c
block 2
0x41 0xcb 0xa1 0x85 0x40 0x0 0x0 0xa0 0xc1 0x66 0x66 0xb6 0x41 0xf4 0xfd 0x94 0x40 0x66 0x66 0x5e 0x42 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x3e 0x3c 0x0 0x0 0x12 0xf1 0x0
-----------
32
header = ab 66
protocol = 1
timeSinceReboot = 324235769
windDirection = 270
averageWindSpeed =   1.40
windClicks = 35
totalRainClicks = 7
maximumWindGust =   0.00
outsideTemperature =  44.00
outsideHumidity =  11.80
batteryVoltage =   4.18
batteryCurrent = -20.00
loadCurrent =  22.80
solarPanelVoltage =   4.66
solarPanelCurrent =  55.60
auxA =   0.00
messageID = 15422
checksumHigh =0xf1
checksumLow =0x12
Tick! The time is: 2016-08-17 23:52:52.440441
writing SQLdata 
lastMessageID = 15420
query=INSERT INTO WXLINKTable (TimeStamp , deviceid , Protocol, Outdoor_Temperature , Outdoor_Humidity , Indoor_Temperature , Barometric_Pressure , Current_Wind_Speed , Current_Wind_Clicks , Current_Wind_Direction , Rain_Total_Clicks , Battery_Voltage , Battery_Current , Load_Current , Solar_Panel_Voltage , Solar_Panel_Current , MessageID , Time_Since_Reboot , AuxA) VALUES(CONVERT_TZ(UTC_TIMESTAMP(),"+00:00","-07:00"), 0, 1, 44.000, 11.800, 0.000, 0.000, 1.400, 35, 270, 7, 4.176, -20.000, 22.800, 4.656, 55.600, 15422, 324235769, 0.000)

What is the WXLink?

One of the inspirations for the WXLink was the previous kickstarter we did, “The Weather Board for the Raspberry Pi”. One of the devices that the Weather Board connects to is the SwitchDoc Labs WeatherRack wind and rain sensor.

The issue is sometimes you don’t want to run a wire all the way from the Weather Station to the wind and rain sensor.   Like all the time.  So, using the Mini Pro LP, we build a solar powered WeatherRack reader and then we use a transmitter to send it back to the station inside the lab.   Did it on an average power of less than 5mA which made solar power easy to add.   No power.  No wires.   More on this project in the next few weeks.   Here is the complete project on a walkabout near the Spokane river. 433 meter (1,473 feet) range.   Amazing for a little solar powered device!

We have now boxed up the WXLink and it is out in the Sun.  Running perfectly.   See the Kickstarter for more updates.