Thingsboard

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What is ThingsBoard ?

ThingsBoard is an open-source IoT platform (server) for data collection, processing, visualization and device management.

ThingsBoard component is used to send data to the ThingsBoard server.

thingsBoardPublishMqttTm() - Send data to ThingsBoard server

• Description : thingsBoardPublishMqttTm() takes input as thingsboard object & data in JSON string format and returns 0 on Success and -1 on Failure. See Input and Output for details.
• Parameters :
  • Input (via Arguments):
    • Input1: thingsboard object.
    • Input2: data in JSON string format,
      • For example:

        { "temperature": 87.9, "humidity": 98.8 }

  • Output :
    • on Sucess: Returns 0.
    • on Failure: Returns -1.

List of ThingsBoard features implemented in Shunya stack

With Shunya stack you can Send data collected by IoT device to ThingsBoard server.

Using ThingsBoard component

Requirements to use ThingsBoard component

1. Shunya OS installed (supported Arm devices) or Shunya OS docker container (X86 based windows/linux devices)
2. ThingsBoard server installed and running, easiest way to do this is to use the Thingboard Demo server
3. Provision a ThingsBoard Device

Steps to use ThingsBoard component

1. Set ThingsBoard server settings in JSON.
2. Load JSON settings to a thingsboard object.
3. Connect to thingsboard server.
4. Get data and convert to JSON.
5. Send data to thingsboard.
6. Disconnect from server at the end.

note

Run the steps given below inside Shunya OS installed (supported Arm devices) or Shunya OS docker container (X86 based windows/linux devices) terminals.

Step 1: Set ThingsBoard server settings in JSON

Set ThingsBoard server details, by editing the config file /etc/shunya/config.json inside Shunya OS.

A simple configuration should contain these parameters.

Config	Description
thingsBoardServerUrl	ThingsBoard Server url
thingsBoardServerPort	ThingsBoard Server Port
thingsBoardAccessToken	Access Token for ThingsBoard authentication. (optional)
thingsBoardUsername	Username for ThingsBoard authentication. (optional)
thingsBoardPassword	Password for ThingsBoard authentication. (optional)
thingsBoardDeviceId	Unique ID for each device assigned by ThingsBoard.

note

Thingsboard has 2 types of authentication

1. Access Token based
2. Username & Password based

Default authentication is Access Token based.

If you are using Access Token then Username & Password are optinal and vice-versa.

Shunya stack will warn you of missing configuration, but will still connect as long as any one type of Thingsboard authentication is provided.

Example configuration:

Writing the below json in /etc/shunya/config.json file, will tell the Shunya stack to connect to ThingsBoard server at url https://demo.thingsboard.io

"thingsboardSettings": {
    "thingsBoardServerUrl": "https://demo.thingsboard.io",
    "thingsBoardServerPort": 1883,
    "thingsBoardAccessToken": "GVgwJWOSKnjRiaNoKfxK",
    "thingsBoardDeviceId": "2ab98b30-9466-11eb-9587-b30e83eb6bf1"
}

You can get all the required settings from Thingsboard UI.

Step 2: Load JSON settings to a thingsboard object.

1. Start with an ready to use template,

   git clone https://gitlab.iotiot.in/repo-public/examples.git
   cd examples/simple-examples/thingsboard

2. Open the thingsboard.cpp in an text editor and modify as per your use case.

3. Load JSON settings, add this code to main(),

   /* Load JSON settings to thingsboard object */
   thingsBoardObj thingsBoardServer = newThingsBoard("thingsboardSettings"); /* Argument = JSON Title */

Step 3: Connect to thingsboard server.

1. To Connect to thingsboard server, add this code to main(),

   /* Connect to thingsboard server */
   int rc = thingsBoardConnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);
   /* Check if connected Successfully */
   if (rc < 0) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error! Unable to connect to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
   } else {
       frpintf(stdout, "Connected to thingsboard server successfully.");
   }

Step 4: Get data and convert to JSON.

1. Use other Shunya components to gather data, for now we will use fixed values.

   float temperature = 27.89;
   float humidity = 89;

2. To Convert data to JSON format, add this code to main(),

   /* Create JSON for sending data to thingsboard */
   rapidjson::Document tmJson;
   tmJson.SetObject();
   tmJson.AddMember("temperature", temperature, tmJson.GetAllocator());
   tmJson.AddMember("humidity", humidity, tmJson.GetAllocator());

   This will convert your data into JSON given below.

   {"temperature": 27.89, "humidity": 89}

Step 5: Send data to thingsboard.

1. To send data to thingsboard, add this code to main(),

   /* Send data to thingsboard via MQTT */
   rc = thingsBoardPublishMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer, jsonDoc2Text(tmJson));
   
   /* Check if connected Successfully */
   if (rc < 0) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error! Failed to send data to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
   } else {
       frpintf(stdout, "Data sent to thingsboard server successfully.");
   }

Step 6: Disconnect from server at the end.

1. Finally when all the data is sent disconnect from the thingsboard server, To disconnect, add this code to main(),

   /* Disconnect from the thingboard at the end */
   thingsBoardDisconnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);

Understand this component with an example (ready to use code)

Let's take an example use case: Say we need to

• Read Moisture and send the data to Thingsboard.
• We will be using Analog Sensor component to read Moisture sensor.
• And using the Thingsboard component to send data.

Steps are :

1. Set the Thingsboard server settings in JSON,

   Write the below json in /etc/shunya/config.json file

   "thingsboardSettings": {
       "thingsBoardServerUrl": "https://demo.thingsboard.io",
       "thingsBoardServerPort": 1883,
       "thingsBoardAccessToken": "GVgwJWOSKnjRiaNoKfxK",
       "thingsBoardDeviceId": "2ab98b30-9466-11eb-9587-b30e83eb6bf1",
   }

2. Start with an ready to use template,

   git clone https://gitlab.iotiot.in/repo-public/examples.git
   cd examples/full-examples/thingsboard

3. Open the thingsboard.cpp in an text editor and modify as per your use case.

4. Load JSON settings,

   /* Load JSON settings to thingsboard object */
   thingsBoardObj thingsBoardServer = newThingsBoard("thingsboardSettings"); /* Argument = JSON Title */

5. Connect to thingsboard server,

   /* Connect to thingsboard server */
   int rc = thingsBoardConnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);
   /* Check if connected Successfully */
   if (rc < 0) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error! Unable to connect to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
   } else {
       frpintf(stdout, "Connected to thingsboard server successfully.");
   }

6. Read moisture data from ADC.

   /* Read Moisture from sensor */
   int16_t moisture1 = getADC(1);
   int16_t moisture2 = getADC(2);
   int16_t moisture3 = getADC(3);

7. Convert data to JSON formats,

   /* Create JSON for sending data to thingsboard */
   rapidjson::Document tmJson;
   tmJson.SetObject();
   tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor1", moisture1, tmJson.GetAllocator());
   tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor2", moisture2, tmJson.GetAllocator());
   tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor3", moisture3, tmJson.GetAllocator());

8. Send data to thingsboard,

   /* Send data to thingsboard via MQTT */
   rc = thingsBoardPublishMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer, jsonDoc2Text(tmJson));
   
   /* Check if connected Successfully */
   if (rc < 0) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error! Failed to send data to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
   } else {
       frpintf(stdout, "Data sent to thingsboard server successfully.");
   }

9. Finally when all the data is sent disconnect from the thingsboard server,

   /* Disconnect from the thingboard at the end */
   thingsBoardDisconnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);

10. Finally your code should look like this,

    #include <si/shunyaInterfaces.h>
    #include "si/json_utils.h"
    #include <cstdlib>
    #include <ctime>
    
    int main (void) 
    {
        /* Initialize the shunya interfaces library */
        initLib();
    
        /* Create a thingsboard object */
        thingsBoardObj thingsBoardServer = newThingsBoard("thingsboardSettings");
    
        /* Connect to thingsboard server */
        int rc = thingsBoardConnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);
        /* Check if connected Successfully */
        if (rc < 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Error! Unable to connect to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
        } else {
            frpintf(stdout, "Connected to thingsboard server successfully.");
        }
    
        while(1){
    
            /* Read Moisture from sensor */
            int16_t moisture1 = getADC(1);
            int16_t moisture2 = getADC(2);
            int16_t moisture3 = getADC(3);
    
            /* Create JSON for sending data to thingsboard */
            rapidjson::Document tmJson;
            tmJson.SetObject();
            tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor1", moisture1, tmJson.GetAllocator());
            tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor2", moisture2, tmJson.GetAllocator());
            tmJson.AddMember("MoistureSensor3", moisture3, tmJson.GetAllocator());
    
            /* Send data to thingsboard via MQTT */
            rc = thingsBoardPublishMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer, jsonDoc2Text(tmJson));
    
            /* Check if connected Successfully */
            if (rc < 0) {
                fprintf(stderr, "Error! Failed to send data to Thingsboard server. Error Code %d", rc);
            } else {
                frpintf(stdout, "Data sent to thingsboard server successfully.");
            }
    
            /* Set delay to 1 sec, so data is sent every sec */
            delay(1000);
        }
        /* Disconnect from the thingboard at the end */
        thingsBoardDisconnectMqttTm(&thingsBoardServer);
        
        return 0;
    
    }

11. Once you are done editing, save and compile the code , by running

    mkdir build && cd build
    cmake ../
    make 

12. Run the code

    sudo ./thingsboard

Facing errors with the component?