Multiple NodeLinks

[larryllix]

Nodelink installed right on cue according to io_guy's instructions on a newly imaged RPi. All went well!

However I can;t seem to get how NodeLink is supposed to hook into ISY now. In the old days we would load the nodeDefs file from the admin console nodes setup page. Now I understand I just have to click on the "Install NodeDefs" in the NodeLink devices tab.

Q. Does a second NodeLink have to connect to nodeserver 2 or does it connect to the same nodeserver 1? I assume it should be nodeserver 2 but how do I get my new Nodelink install to connect to it instead of the original nodeserver profile in ISY.
Both NodeLink installs are on different RPi s with different IP addresses. I set up the nodeserver 2 profile with the new IP address but rebooting Nodelink still reports using ISY's nodeserver profile 1. I am afraid installing test Node devices may clobber or disrupt the original Nodeserver profile.

 

[paulbates]

Larry,

If you are wanting to transfer from one pi to the other, simply copy config.xml, and set up the new pi to automatically start nodelink under mono. You do not have to do anything on the ISY side or recreate nodes. 

I have 2 pis, and the older one is my backup and dev. I've tested is as a disaster recovery box. I've tested it by copying config xml and starting nodelink (and having shut the other pi down). It works fine. It will have a different IP for the nodelink config page

Paul

 

[io_guy]

13 minutes ago, larryllix said:

Nodelink installed right on cue according to io_guy's instructions on a newly imaged RPi. All went well!

However I can;t seem to get how NodeLink is supposed to hook into ISY now. In the old days we would load the nodeDefs file from the admin console nodes setup page. Now I understand I just have to click on the "Install NodeDefs" in the NodeLink devices tab.

Q. Does a second NodeLink have to connect to nodeserver 2 or does it connect to the same nodeserver 1? I assume it should be nodeserver 2 but how do I get my new Nodelink install to connect to it instead of the original nodeserver profile in ISY.
Both NodeLink installs are on different RPi s with different IP addresses. I set up the nodeserver 2 profile with the new IP address but rebooting Nodelink still reports using ISY's nodeserver profile 1. I am afraid installing test Node devices may clobber or disrupt the original Nodeserver profile.

 

Won't work.  Never intended to run multiple NodeLinks to one ISY.

[larryllix]

4 minutes ago, io_guy said:

Won't work.  Never intended to run multiple NodeLinks to one ISY.

Aaaargh! I thought the multiple nodeservers in ISY would handle different NodeLink installs.

OK Thanks!

I did get the WC8 node installed and showed up in ISY as working on the same Nodeserver 1 from the second NodeLink install.. The temps updated and ISY didn't know the difference????

I don't suppose the Node handler can access across a network to access the 1wire directory?

Can the original 1wire system run parallel to NodeLink on another Rpi?

[io_guy]

The whole intent with NodeLink is a single channel to control and not overwhelm the ISY with multiple connections.  

Two versions will write (ISY won't know) but the ISY can only control/query the instance with it IP configured.  

OWFS supports remote owservers.  If you just need remote 1-wire that's the cleanest way.  

There are all kinds of forum threads talking about a limited number of sockets the ISY has for networking.  I wouldn't make multiple connections if I didn't have to.  

[larryllix]

Just now, io_guy said:

The whole intent with NodeLink is a single channel to control and not overwhelm the ISY with multiple connections.  

Two versions will write (ISY won't know) but the ISY can only control/query the instance with it IP configured.  

OWFS supports remote owservers.  If you just need remote 1-wire that's the cleanest way.  

There are all kinds of forum threads talking about a limited number of sockets the ISY has for networking.  I wouldn't make multiple connections if I didn't have to.  

Yeah. I agree. ISY is a workhorse but only a little horse when it comes to fast response needed for lighting with too many side jobs.

ISY took two NodeLinks  quite well, thinking it all came from the same NodeLink. I found no interaction between NodeLinks despite rebooting. I figured it might screw up the profile file in ISY and show up across the units but it didn't happen.

IIRC,  OWFS just stuffs Rest variables and I would be happy with that as the probes are only putting out one field each and no control is needed. Temps don't change that fast anyway.

Thanks again.

[smokegrub]

I am somewhat a "lay" user of the ISY and complex networking solutions are beyond my skill level. For those who want to monitor temperature, humidity and motion and see plots of the results, the tags are amazingly simple, inexpensive and reliable. My only difficulty with them is that they require some complex programming (in my opinion) to use their data within the ISY. If that process could be simplified, lay users, such as myself, would have a tool that would be hard to beat in terms of simplicity and reliability. It is really cool to be over 300 miles from my mailbox and get a notification that the box has been opened! 

[larryllix]

1 hour ago, smokegrub said:

I am somewhat a "lay" user of the ISY and complex networking solutions are beyond my skill level. For those who want to monitor temperature, humidity and motion and see plots of the results, the tags are amazingly simple, inexpensive and reliable. My only difficulty with them is that they require some complex programming (in my opinion) to use their data within the ISY. If that process could be simplified, lay users, such as myself, would have a tool that would be hard to beat in terms of simplicity and reliability. It is really cool to be over 300 miles from my mailbox and get a notification that the box has been opened! 

I use 7 CAO Tags now but I like to keep HVAC stuff separate from my Tag uses.

For this less serious application, I need hot water pipe contact sensing and the Tags would not be a good fit for thermal contact on round pipes, or the high temperatures encountered. It would likely melt the plastic at 140F.  The DS18B20 metal probes at $0.99 each are ideal and very accurate. for this.

However, I do monitor house and duct temperatures, as well a humidity differences between outside and cold cellar, for dampness control there, on a separate system process, using CAO Tags.

One older and less accurate Tag detects when my car is in the vicinity/garage. I found it triggered when my wife was over 1.5 km away with the vehicle, once while monitoring it closely.

Tags are pretty awesome and I have all parameters form 7 Tags inserted into ISY variables for any play idea I would like.

[smokegrub]

6 minutes ago, larryllix said:

I use 7 CAO Tags now but I like to keep HVAC stuff separate from my Tag uses.

For this less serious application, I need hot water pipe contact sensing and the Tags would not be a good fit for thermal contact on round pipes, or the high temperatures encountered. It would likely melt the plastic at 140F.  The DS18B20 metal probes at $0.99 each are ideal and very accurate. for this.

However, I do monitor house and duct temperatures, as well a humidity differences between outside and cold cellar, for dampness control there, on a separate system process, using CAO Tags.

One older and less accurate Tag detects when my car is in the vicinity/garage. I found it triggered when my wife was over 1.5 km away with the vehicle, once while monitoring it closely.

Tags are pretty awesome and I have all parameters form 7 Tags inserted into ISY variables for any play idea I would like.

Larry:

Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to share how you get the tag data into a variable using 4.6.2 or am I going to need 5.x?

 

[larryllix]

1 hour ago, smokegrub said:

Larry:

Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to share how you get the tag data into a variable using 4.6.2 or am I going to need 5.x?

 

Use the kumoapp programs from that thread.

Briefly
For the latest kumoapp script/program I posted you have to create 5 variables for each Tag you want to implement. This can be modified to use less if desired.
In the Tag webpage  you  click on the kumoapp button and copy the kumoapp program into the editor.
Then you have to change the names of the tags and variable numbers in the kumoapp.
Save, select the kumoapp and start it. It will then ask you for your ISY IP address and ID.

The values should start showing up in ISY for your usage. If you do not have ISY V5, a few more mods will have to be made to eliminate the decimals that can be sent and values like 72.5678 degrees can be found in the variables as 7256.

It is a lot easier to use V5 and get decimals and other enhanced features but the upgrade has to be done and some have had confusion with that.