node-red-contrib-pimatic

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@mwittig said in Node-red for pimatic available:

Which browser are you using?

I am using various browsers…but mainly firefox and chrome

It might be server-side issue though. Check memory usage and the ulimits for the user running node-red. Do you start node-red from the command line by typing “node-red” or does the apt package installation comes along with some sort of service wrapper?

I have remove the apt-get package and installed it via npm to have more control. I have started it via the console but also as a service via a script (raspberry script for node-red)

This also happens after a while of running. I did not look into it but can I increase the debug level of node-red?

node-red has a verbose option which you can use if you start node-red from the command line: node-red -v.
Ok I will run a console with this option to see the output…
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] Stopped flows
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] Starting flows
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [socketio-config:12fd9073.7fb54] Created server bind to Node-red port
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [inject:6f383581.b72cec] repeat = 300000
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [inject:Weather query] repeat = 300000
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [inject:bf2cffb.d7efd] repeat = 30000
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [inject:92f6524a.3197b] repeat = 300000
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [inject:a878321d.411298] repeat = 900000
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] Started flows
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [info] [mqtt-broker:cd46eff.89e6b1] Connected to broker: mqtt://192.168.178.10:1883
18 Jul 22:10:03 - [error] [tcp request:e69c8507.4b01a8] connect failed 192.168.178.41:8899

Can you pelase also let me know which non-core nodes (additional packages) you have installed? It might be a combination of packages causing the issue.


Maybe socketio is doing the trick…

@mwittig I have removed the socketio package and removed the settings from the websocket node. I was playing with these to connect to pimatic so some old settings were still activated. Let us hope this was the cause of conflict…

Update, still running now. So I think existing (web)socket(io) were conflicting with the plugin…But changes are of course low that someone else is playing with these and connecting to pimatic…;-)

@mwittig I have tested the set value as well. It works very well. A point of improvement is maybe some “content” testing. By accident I have parsed an object as payload. The value in Pimatic is still set as [object]. I think this will lead to problems in Pimatic if values are set which are not realistic?

Additionally: Would there be an option to set a parameter with multiple attributes with one message? For example I use node-red to read my MiFlore plant sensors via a script. These are now forwarded via a simple MQTT output in which the complete object with data could be parsed.

MiFlora/FicusBenja : msg.payload : Object
object
fw: "3.1.4"
Name: "Ficus Benja"
temp: "23.7"
Moisture: "45"
Light: "160"
Conductivity: "504"
Battery: “99”

I have now have a MQTT sensor with multiple attributes which are set by receiving the MQTT message.

@dynamite That’s great. I tried the node-red-contrib-socketio extension and a faulty node configuration blew-up my node-red setup. The only way to fix it was to remove the node manually from the json file which contains the flows. The implementation of the socketio-in and socketio-out node has some flaws like it does not handle exceptions gracefully. My recommendation is to avoid using the plugin!

Generally, the suggested extension to set multiple variables from msg.payload properties make sense to me. Note, however, this is only possible for variables! Attributes (that is $<device-id>.<attribute-name>) are read-only and can only be modified through action operations, e.g. changeStateToto change the state attribute of a switch device.

How, about Name: "Ficus Benja". Is this a variable in your setup? I am just wondering if some payload properties need to be disregarded (filtered out).

Perhaps you can provide some more information about the Pimatic setup you have for to present the data from your MiFlore plant sensor?

@mwittig
Hi this is my current setup for the mi flora

I am using a python script to read the data from the various sensors (3 plants). The output of the script is converted into a msg format in a function:
var tokens = msg.payload.split("\n");
msg.payload = {
fw : tokens[1],
Name : “Ficus Benja”,
temp : tokens[5],
Moisture : tokens[7],
Light : tokens [9],
Conductivity : tokens [11],
Battery : tokens [13]
}
msg.topic = "MiFlora/FicusBenja"
return msg;
This is sent to my influx database, MQTT gateway and if the moisture level is to low to telegram. (So my wife can water the plants )
The MQTT message is now used in pimatic as a MQTT Sensor:

The question is indeed whether you can set the attributes?

@dynamite Thanks. A replacement for the MqttSensor might be a VariablesDevice and a bunch of variables setup for the sensor values. Having thought about the ability to change multiple variables read from a message payload object this can be done easily using the split node. Here is my proof of concept:

The function node creates an example message which is the first debug message shown. The split node creates a new message for each property key in the message payload object and copies the key to msg.topic. The result is shown in second and third debug message.

@mwittig Ah did not notice that node was there, very convenient. But then you should be able to set the variable name in the Msg when sending it out via the set variable link? Or is this already possible.

@dynamite said in Node-red for pimatic available:

But then you should be able to set the variable name in the Msg when sending it out via the set variable link? Or is this already possible.

No, that’s not yet possible and needs to be implemented. Most likely, I’ll implement some kind of template mechanism. This way the Variable configuration may look like the following:

Variable: ${msg.topic}

@mwittig Looks like a feasible solution. Still if we have a message containing an object containing multiple name + values, it should be not that hard to process and set the corresponding value?

Fyi, I have published a new version of node-red-contrib-pimatic which adds the following features:

• Rule Action calls a pimatic rule action. The action expression may contain variables to include
  items of the input message object, for example dim light-1 to ${ payload }. Note, it is only
  possible to call a single action. It is not possible to combine multiple action like it is possibel with pimatic rules.
  
• For Device Action a new configuration option “Message on Error” has been added. If ticked, a message will also be sent on invocation errors, otherwise invocation error will only be logged.
• For Get Variable a new configuration option “Output” has been added. This can be used to select whether an ouput message shall be sent on variable change, on input, or both

@mwittig said in Node-red for pimatic available:

I have released a first version of the plugin for node-red! You can install it via “Manage Palette” as part of node-red. Just select the “install” tab and type “pimatic” in the “search modules” field.
Available nodes types are:

Device Action calls a pimatic device action. Optionally, a parameter name and
value can be provided to be passed along with the invocation.
Get Variable gets the value of the specified pimatic variable and sends it to the
output channel when the value has changed or when some input has been received.
Set Variable sets the received msg.payload or a given value as the new value for
the configured pimatic variable.
Controller is a supporting node type not shown in the palette. It manages the web socket
connection to a pimatic server. As part of the configuration for instances of the
aforementioned node types it is possible to select or create an controller. Thus, it is possible to interact
with multiple pimatic servers within a flow.

@mwittig Great I will test it! A little of topic but: I saw you have upgraded the plugin for milight for node-red as well. But the owner of the package is not responding to the commit…? How can I manually install your package? Clone it via git and then…

@mwittig After upgrade I can not find the pimatic nodes anymore:

Jul 28 11:45:28 RASPI3 Node-RED[19193]: 28 Jul 11:45:28 - [info] Waiting for missing types to be registered:
Jul 28 11:45:28 RASPI3 Node-RED[19193]: 28 Jul 11:45:28 - [info] - controller
Jul 28 11:45:28 RASPI3 Node-RED[19193]: 28 Jul 11:45:28 - [info] - get variable
Jul 28 11:45:28 RASPI3 Node-RED[19193]: 28 Jul 11:45:28 - [info] - device action
Jul 28 11:45:28 RASPI3 Node-RED[19193]: 28 Jul 11:45:28 - [info] - set variable

The node directory is still present?

@dynamite said in Node-red for pimatic available:

After upgrade I can not find the pimatic nodes anymore:

Sorry, my fault. This is cause by an unresolved dependency which I did not recognized as the missing packgage was on my test system. I have pushed an update (version 1.1.2) which resolves the issue. If installation of the update via “Manage Palette” fails you need to install from the command line using the same user account which is used to run node-red.

@dynamite said in Node-red for pimatic available:

A little of topic but: I saw you have upgraded the plugin for milight for node-red as well. But the owner of the package is not responding to the commit…? How can I manually install your package? Clone it via git and then…

You can use git clone, but for you it is more convenient to use npm directly (git must be installed however, as it will be invoked by npm, internally). See Method 1 at https://forum.pimatic.org/topic/1114/updated-how-to-install-a-plugin-from-github-using-npm-or-git.

Install it from the command line using the same user account which is used to run node-red, i.e. npm i mwittig/node-red-contrib-milight. Later on, when the maintainer publishes a new release you can update to the new release via “Manage Palette”.

If the maintainer lets me down I’ll publish my own package. However, it looks like a co-maintainer will step in and look after this. So maybe it is just a matter of days.

@mwittig Hi upgrade now works fine again. Did not test functionallity. Manually installed your milight plugin and works fine. Combining both I finally have full control over my milight via pimatic

Get this error after Node red Plugin installation:

13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Promise.settlePromise
romHandler (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node
odules/bluebird/js/release/promise.js:512:31)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Promise._settlePromise
(/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/blu
bird/js/release/promise.js:569:18)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Promise._settlePromise
(/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bl
ebird/js/release/promise.js:614:10)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Promise._settlePromise
(/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bl
ebird/js/release/promise.js:693:18)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Async._drainQueue (/ho
e/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebird
js/release/async.js:133:16)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Async._drainQueues (/h
me/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/pimatic/node_modules/bluebir
/js/release/async.js:143:10)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at Immediate.Async.drainQ
eues [as _onImmediate] (/home/pi/pimatic-app/node_modules/p
matic/node_modules/bluebird/js/release/async.js:17:14)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> at processImmediate [as _
mmediateCallback] (timers.js:383:17)
13:57:23.767 [pimatic] error:> This is most probably a bug
n pimatic or in a module, please report it!
13:57:23.771 [pimatic] info: exiting…

And now?

Edit: Removed node red plugin and pimatic starts well… For information: node red was installed i must only active the service and standard port 1880 is in use.

@Swen said in Node-red for pimatic available:

And now?

My suggestion is to use a separate node-red installation with node-red-contrib-milight installed via “Manage Palette”.

@mwittig Thank’s for your answer. Hmmm… a separated installation is not a solution for me. There is a preinstalled version and I prefer this version. If this won’t work, then I don’t use this plug-in.

@Swen said in Node-red for pimatic available:

a separated installation is not a solution for me. There is a preinstalled version and I prefer this version.

Why? The node-red version embedded with the plugin is outdated already (required version 0.16.2, current version 0.17.5)! Besides that, I think the embedded node-red version does not have much benefit as

• node-red requires its own listener endpoint (pretty much the same than what you have with node-red standalone setup), and
• there is no navigation between pimatic and node-red UI.

You may argue that the embedded version is more efficient as the node-red-pimatic node implementation uses the pimatic API directly rather than using the WebSocket API. However, I believe the overhead is neglectible for the typical application scenarios.

If this won’t work, then I don’t use this plug-in.

Ok, I think @Jos-Hendriks can sort this out for you. I leave it up to you guys

EDIT: Perhaps off-topic for you, but of concern for other users. Please pimatic-node-red interferes with pimatic-johnny-five. The problem is that pimatic-node-red comes with node-red-contrib-gpio which uses pigpio and does no orderly shutdown. This will cause a pimatic-johnny-five initialization error if pimatic is restarted via pimatic-mobile-frontend. Work-around for the time being is to restart pimatic with the service wrapper.

For related posts on how to install node-red and node-red-contrib-pimatic see https://forum.pimatic.org/topic/3200/installing-node-red-and-node-red-contrib-pimatic