David

heated roofs automation

status

1/7/2019

"...I wanted to reach out to you about my App you were working on. It would really be of help to me and put me ahead of my competition in a big way. Dave"

I think we left it here about a year ago..."Dave hasn't yet moved from the ..working prototype to a production package that an electrician could easily install nor has he finalized the spec for a version 1.0 web app with any of the look and feel that he would want in the ui-control app."

1. I think we need to run this by your electrician. There's a wiring diagram here: https://wiki2.sitebuilt.net/index.php?title=Heatedroofsystems#wiring. The top part of the diagram is how to connect the line voltage relays (the ones you bought). Maybe I should ship you the prototype.

2. You need to do some work on what the app should look like. Send me logo images and shit plus some user stories that I can go from. I think we talked about this a while back.

On my end, I have good code now from Noah's app on how to authenticate users and give different users different privledges. I am happy to work some more on it once a couple of more hardware setups are put together and installed somewhere and when I have a bit more of a spec from you. Maybe when you get back from the far east.

1/4/2018 new company site

<justin@webez.net> Hi Tim,

I am the web developer and web host for your brother Dave's heatedroofsystems.com web site. Dave tells me that you have developed a device that connects a heated roof system to the internet so a customers can control their system remotely. very cool!!!

Dave's web site uses Joomla CMS system and it does have a user management system, so this might be a good way to test letting a customer control the device from an account on the web site. The customer would login to Dave's site and then a user menu would appear with “My Roof System Control Panel”, we can build a page that attempts to control a customers device.

Do you have a programming API?

This will allow a customer to control the devices with out a cell phone by simply logging in to the web site from any computer or device. This is the first step before the mobile app because not everyone has a smart phone, so this will cover anyone with a computer or device, then later a phone app can be built to make it easier for customers with smart phones…

Thoughts!!

Hi Justin,

I agree that there should be a connection between the company web site and and the roof heat control app and I agree that a responsive web app is the best way to go. It would be nice to use the authentication baked in to the joomla site but I'm not sure that is the best route to take.

Authentication involves the iot device itself as well as authentication on the mqtt broker, the node server and the web app which communicates to the broker via TLS websocket connection and to the node server over a secure socket. Each passes/ or accepts some form of encrypted token. The current stack runs on an nginx, ubuntu 16.04 linux server, using node, mysql, mongo and cassandra. The front end is mostly react and rxjs. The iotdevices are esp8266 running C++.

There is a registration process that would occur for the iot device that would assign ownership, location and wifi credentials for each device. A registered owner could have multiple devices at multiple lat/long. That registration would likely occur at the install site by the electrician making the connection to the electric panel. Then each ui device would get registered to an owner and the owners devices.

To me it makes more sense to leave a hook to a site-to-be-named-later, maybe with a splash page of 'coming soon cloud control'. That site-to-be-named-later would have some cookies or local storage sha encoded keys that would recognize a known user/ui-device and jump them to their control interface otherwise will register them for that ui-device. That way the company site can stay stable and any iterations on the ui-device-control-system can get rolled out continuously. Unless there is another reason to include authentication, maybe the Joomla site doesn't need it

Dave hasn't yet moved from the building-side working prototype to a production package that an electrician could easily install nor has he finalized the spec for a version 1.0 web app with any of the look and feel that he would want in the ui-control app. It would make sense to have some of that come from some of the graphics and logos ans styles of the company site.

I am glad you are embarking on a refresh for the company site and I look forward to see what you come up with. It will be great to see Heated Roof Systems continue to grow and prosper.

Happy New Year Tim McKenna (857)498-2574 http://sitebuilt.net/qr

5/4/2017 prototype docs

components

• Veris model 103 SPST pilot relay with digital HOA monitoring
• Veris model V320-20A DPDT Relay
• GFE 200v 20A Cuttler Hammer

wiring

4/28/17

https://youtu.be/F51P_0-v_CU

3/20/17

tim responds sure

The you tube videos you sent are a good way for someone to start with the technology. I encourage you to try it out. Maybe the simplest solutuion is the best in this case.

I am OK with trying to work together again. It would need to feel more collaborative for me to enjoy it. The model I am currently in favor of is called Agile Software Development. Here's a brief Medium article overview. Your role would be to create the user stories. The process is create a user story, build it, then meet to discuss. Then the process starts again any you create an additional user stories that adds features the 'user' would want. And on and on repeating the process til you have a full featured product.

What you were interested in from those youtube links would be an example of a good user story. So we could start there. So you could put a user story into a sentence, we would come to an agreement, I would build it and then we would meet again.

refs

• http://www.yodiz.com/blog/user-stories-applied-guide-in-agile-scrum-user-story-best-practices/
• https://medium.com/hackerlife/following-agile-this-is-how-you-should-create-user-stories-and-give-story-points-bdffba0cfe5a#.4229ts1eu

from David

Any chance of revisiting this controller I need , before you get to busy in your garden again

9/12/16

Hi David,

I was thinking of you today. Psyche.

Honestly, its pretty annoying, as I made the mistake of mentioning this device to many of my roofing professionals, 
who then in turn told there customers.

I am not really annoyed,

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE ?

No problem bro.

How about some simple communication. If your not interested in helping me ( as it seems) Lets move on. 
Its called communication 101

That seems a little condescending. A couple of observations.

There was a four month 'delay' that was on you. It took you that long to send me the items we needed. At that point I had spent about 80 hours on the project and I was losing confidence in you as a partner, So now we are at May 25th and I finally get them. At that point we were in the midst of things; Kelly and I got mom and dad up north, then me and Shaun and Coll and Meg and Cath were pretty full out for that next month. I see you at dad's funeral, do my best to invite you over to the AirBNB or arrange to meet with you in Boston, but you deem not to. I think that is also on you. I call you on it in emails and your response is 'Thanks, keep me posted'. then 'Great, perhaps this fall then, keep me in the loop'. I am a bit perplexed.

Yeah I did ask for some cuttings from my brother who lives in a legal state and you sent me some seeds and that device thing. I appreciated that, I don't really use that device but I am happy to pay you for the seeds. It was never to be construed as some sort of payment for expected services.

Your right, I'm 'not interested in helping me ( as it seems)', though I wouldn't mind collaborating on this project. As I look back at our communications about it, I find mine rather exemplary and yours short, adding little to the project, half the time I am not really sure you have read what I sent. So maybe your right and there is a problem. I would be happy to send back that project stuff that you bought and the marijuana smoking device so you could pursue other avenues, if you think that is best.

Otherwise, we should figure out how to better work together. Perhaps we should should schedule a time to do that, maybe Thanksgiving or on a leg of your NH/Maine trip. Perhaps we could have a little more positive communication before that so that I feel more confident in committing more time to the project.

All the best, Your bro.

5/25/16

got #What I now need from you I got today. Back on the queue. I have to remember what was up and put some other stuff aside.

Next I will wire up all the high voltage and build them into a electrical box. (Kind of a busy time of the year with the garden, getting the boat ready and some carpentry around here. Thinking of bringing that pot smoker thing up to dad next Monday to see if he wants to try it. Oxycodone is fucking up his digestion and tylenol isn't cutting it)

1/22/16

One way to design something is by implementing user stories. I have built what I need to implement most of the user story below. The little esp8266 wifi chip turns out to be awesome. It is up and running in a prototype. It reports on the state of the (my fake) HOA switch and if the HOA is in 'A'utomatic then it tells if it is automatic/on or automatic/off. It sends this information out to a server in the cloud whenever anything changes. At the same time, the microcontroller is listening for any changes that might be initiated by a user. 'Users' can read the status of the device on laptop or mobile device and can switch the (virtual) heater on and off. Observers can check the status without being able to change it.

Next thing I will probably do is work on the the 1 one feature of this story yet to be implemented

A form comes up asking for the ssid & passwd, and the device ID from the side of the box. Once entered, the mctrller resets and joins the home wifi network.

That gets me as far as I can get without real stuff.

What I now need from you

Send me a piece of your heater and a Veris model 103 SPST pilot relay with digital HOA monitoring and a Veris model V320-20A DPDT Relay (don't be concerned that is says 120V, it switches 2 120V poles at once.) Also a GFE could be for Cuttler Hammer or SquareD QC. I have both panels.Send this stuff to 12 Parley Vale, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

What is next for me

I have ordered the production wifi device plus the low voltage relays and connectors and boards I need for a more realistic prototype. Once I get your shipment I can select the best off the shelf circuit boxes for the setup, grab a 24v transformer and build the thing. I will spend a little bit more time on cleaning up the prototype controller/cloud/device communication software and maybe do a little work on the client devices. Then I will await the arrival of the stuff. Then I will test it locally and put the software in the cloud so you can control it.

to do(after that)

• build real clients with modern web technologies
• add server side authentication with different privileges for admin/installer/superuser/user/observer
• build server database for - HOA state over time for each registered device including who changed it and when (admin/user/weater...)
• build server side weather monitoring system.
• add client side weather info direct from external API
• add client side weather connection to server control

before 1/22/16

user story so far

The installer opens a box with a wifi enabled controller and the relays and power supply needed to control this IOT application of weather condition controlled ice-dam heaters.

The electrican has already been there, hanging a box on the panel, connecting the 220V roof panels through a 220 volt relay that is switched by a 110V pilot relay. The electrician has added a 220v breaker and a 110v breaker to the panel(or added to an existing 110V circuit). the 110v circuit powers the pilot relay, the 24 volt transformer and a 110v receptacle. The system now runs manually using the HOA switch on the pilot relay. He leaves a 100v receptacle and a low voltage connection block with 5 terminals: two of the terminals are the relay and the other 3 are the HOA digital monitoring signals.

The easisest thing would be a little circuit box with a 5 wire connector between what the electrican left and the microcontroller. Hook it up, plug in the usb power and find it on your laptop from its broadcasting AP. A form comes up asking for the ssid & passwd, and the device ID from the side of the box. Once entered, the mctrller resets and joins the home wifi network.

Now the installer goes online to check if the device is operating by going to a special page that references the deviceid. If he sees the status and can change it he is done.

intro

The first question that came to mind for this project was to be sure that there was a UL approved product that we could connect the control microcontroller to. There are a number of options. This one is the most flexible. Ii mounts to the panel of any junction box. It has a HOA switch (Hand control on, Off , or Automatic) that allows you override the automatic system and turn the heaters off and on from the relay if the internet or wifi go off.

Right now the electrician is providing some kind of 220v DPDT switch anyway. In the new scheme you would deliver the product with this relay/switch that mounts to the panel. In addition you would need to have them install a 24volt transformer (like is used to control doorbells or zone valves) and an outlet for the microcontroller usb cord.

At that point you are done with electricians and UL requirements since the line voltage wiring is complete and the switch is UL approved. The rest is control wiring and that is low voltage not requiring any special permits or anything. The internet connected microcontroller would mount there or be connected by doorbell wire to some other convenient place (near the router maybe).

You could start now including this relay and even a 24 volt transformer + timer to create a default standard for your installations. Then it is a simple matter to reconnect the 24 volt wires form the timer to the microcontroller.

relay choice

Veris V321 : Enclosed Power Duty Relay, 20A DPDT N.O., Coil: 24VAC/DC, 120VAC, w/2 HOA Switch, Relay Power LED, UL

The Victory 321 DPST power duty enclosed relays combine an industrial-strength relay with installation flexibility...use the nipple mount to attach to any enclosure. One coil input controls the state of two power-rated contacts for simultaneous control of two devices, or both poles of a single-phase load. Each output is enabled with a Hand-Off-Auto switch for local control. The Victory series does not require a dedicated field enclosure, so it is ideal for retrofit projects. Field-selectable high and low voltage coil inputs provide on-site versatility.

• V321 relay
• V321 install
• V321 $36.00

relay revised

Hey what is the breaker like for typical install? A double 20 (I hope) or a double 30 (a different ballgame)?

I have revised my thoughts on the relay a bit. I still do think we should have this feature called HOA (hand on/off automatic) so that if the internet is down you can still go to the relay near the panel and turn it on/off manually. But I think maybe we should use a device with 'HOA monitoring' which sends a signal that our microcontroller can read that will tell the user if the system is working as automatic or maybe someone flipped the basement switch and now it is on manual.

HOA monitoring is only available for 110 volts so now we would need 2 relays. The second relay needn't be high current, it can be a pilot duty relay like this for $21 since it is just driving the 220 relay. The 220 relay doesn't need HOA and can be something like the v320 $27. So I need to know what your electrician thinks of that setup and what you think of HOA monitoring. It changes the system architecture a bit

design decisions

server architecture

There are 2 basic ways to design how the microcontroller talks to the world.

One way allows the microcontroller to be a server and requires that users open a port on their wifi router. This is much the same as Xbox and nintendo requires users to open ports on their wifi routers to play online. All routers are different.

The other way is to have the microcontroller be a client who talks to the internet every 20 seconds or so and gets its marching orders from the servers response. No wifi router settings are necessary.

The first option puts more of the power on the microcontroller device.

my questions to you

We haven't really decided if we are cat5 lan connected, wifi only or wifi AND lan. What do you think? Lan only is by far easier to configure.

I would like you to go to your router and open a port on one of your devices, lets say your laptop. Open port 6438 for the hell of it. Now a server from the outside world can talk to your laptop on port 6483. Was that too hard? Would you not want your customers to have to do it?