Sending LM35 Sensor Data to Consentium IoT Cloud with OTA Firmware Updates

In this tutorial, we will walk through how to read temperature data from an LM35 sensor, transmit the data to the Consentium IoT cloud using the ConsentiumThings library, and enable Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates. This guide provides all the essential steps and code snippets to create a robust system for real-time monitoring and firmware management.

Why Consentium IoT Cloud?

Consentium IoT Cloud offers a seamless platform for collecting and managing sensor data, providing developers with powerful tools for deploying and monitoring IoT devices. Its integration with ConsentiumThings makes the process efficient and developer-friendly.

Consentium IoT allows users to:

• Visualise Sensor Data: Real-time data visualisation via Consentium IoT’s dashboard.
• Analyse Trends: Perform in-depth analytics and historical data comparisons.
• Trigger Events: Set conditions for automated responses when certain sensor thresholds are reached.
• Export Data: Download datasets for offline analysis or integration with other tools.
• Perform Model Inference: Run TinyML models directly on devices and send results to the cloud.

Key Features

• WiFi Connectivity: Connect your device to a WiFi network for cloud communication.
• Sensor Data Transmission: Send real-time temperature data to the Consentium IoT cloud.
• Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates: Seamlessly update firmware without physical access to the device.
• Automatic Update Checking: Periodically checks for firmware updates to ensure devices stay current.
• User Interaction: Control devices, visualise data, and interact with Consentium IoT’s advanced features via the dashboard.

Setting Up the Project

Dependencies

Ensure you have the ConsentiumThings.h library installed to enable communication with the Consentium IoT platform and facilitate OTA updates. The library offers simple API calls to manage sensor data uploading, OTA updates, and device monitoring.

Installing ConsentiumThings Library

To use ConsentiumThings, you need to install the library from the Arduino Library Manager. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Arduino IDE.
2. Go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries….
3. In the Library Manager window, type ConsentiumThings in the search bar.
4. Click on the library and press the Install button.

Once installed, you can include it in your code with:

#include <ConsentiumThings.h>

Now, you are ready to start building your IoT project with Consentium IoT Cloud.

Code Breakdown

1. Initialisation

First, we create a ConsentiumThingsDalton object to handle communication with the Consentium IoT platform. Define the firmware version and initialise the object as shown below:

#define FIRMWARE_VERSION "0.1"

ConsentiumThingsDalton board(FIRMWARE_VERSION);

2. WiFi Configuration

Define your WiFi credentials. Make sure to keep these credentials secure and do not expose them in your code repositories.

const char *ssid = "YourWiFiSSID"; 
const char *pass = "YourWiFiPassword";

Setting Up the Device

Setup Function

The setup() function initialises WiFi, prepares data transmission, and sets up OTA updates. Here’s how to configure it:

void setup() { 
  board.initWiFi(ssid, pass);   
  board.beginSend(SendApiKey, BoardApiKey);   
  board.beginOTA(ReceiveApiKey, BoardApiKey);   
}

• initWiFi(): Connects the device to the internet.
• beginSend(): Prepares the device to transmit sensor data to Consentium IoT.
• beginOTA(): Enables OTA updates from Consentium IoT Cloud.

Reading and Sending Data

Loop Function

The loop() function continuously reads data from the LM35 sensor and sends it to the Consentium IoT cloud.

void loop() { 
  double data_0 = analogRead(ADC_IN) * 0.322; 
  double sensorValues[] = {data_0}; 
  const char* sensorInfo[] = {"Temperature"}; 
  int sensorCount = sizeof(sensorValues)/sizeof(sensorValues[0]); 
  board.sendData(sensorValues, sensorInfo, sensorCount, LOW_PRE); 
  delay(5000);  // Wait for 5 seconds before the next reading 
}

• analogRead(): Reads voltage values from the LM35 sensor.
• sendData(): Sends the sensor readings to the Consentium IoT cloud for visualisation and analysis.

Implementing OTA Updates

Over-The-Air (OTA) updates allow users to deploy new firmware to devices without requiring physical access. This is particularly useful for devices deployed in remote or inaccessible locations.

The device periodically checks for firmware updates after every 100 loops. You can configure this frequency according to your needs.

if (loopCounter >= 100) { 
  board.checkAndPerformUpdate(); 
  loopCounter = 0; 
}

• checkAndPerformUpdate(): Checks for available updates from the Consentium IoT cloud and applies them if available.

Visualising Data and Interacting with Consentium IoT

Once your device is transmitting data, you can log into your Consentium IoT account and:

• Monitor Data in Real-Time: View the temperature data on the Consentium IoT dashboard.
• Set Thresholds and Alerts: Define conditions where alerts are triggered (e.g., temperature exceeding a critical limit).
• Download Data: Export sensor readings for offline analysis or reporting.
• Trigger Models: Run TinyML models on your device and send inference results to the cloud.
• Update Firmware Remotely: Seamlessly deploy new versions of your code from the dashboard.

Summary

In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to:

• Read temperature data from an LM35 sensor using an ADC pin.
• Transmit data to the Consentium IoT cloud using the ConsentiumThings library.
• Implement OTA firmware updates for easy maintenance.
• Interact with the Consentium IoT platform for data visualisation, analysis, and model inference.

This approach ensures your IoT devices remain up-to-date and fully functional, even when deployed remotely. Dive into the world of Consentium IoT and unlock powerful possibilities for your projects!