Arduino Sensor Plugin

The Arduino sensor plugin allows you to build your own cheap wireless sensors [for less than $10] and communicate with them wirelessly. Using Nordic Semiconductors transceiver rf2401. See separate pages for how to hook up it to your Arduino. The plugin automatically creates the sensor devices it finds on the radio network.

Link Arduino page ​http://arduino.cc
Relevant forum thread ​http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,16170.msg123378.html

Author

Henrik Ekblad - henrik.ekblad at gmail.com (hek on forum)

All the components I've developed and compiled here is Open Source. The Vera plugin was inspired by the excellent rfxtrx plugin. I've also written a Arduino library handling all communication between Ardiono sensors and ArduinoGateway. This Arduino library allows larger messages than the 32 byte limit of the rf2401 radio chip. This was an important part of the plugin as this allows the sensors to present them self with full device-file and service id specifications.

Installing the Vera plugin

The latest version of the Vera plugin can be found here:

http://code.mios.com/trac/mios_arduino-sensor/browser/trunk/Vera

1. Download all files and upload them in Vera under APPS->Develop Apps->Luup files.
2. To create the new device to to APPS->Develop Apps->Luup and enter "D_Arduino1.xml" in "Upnp Device Filename" and press "Create Device"
3. After the usual Reload/Refresh? ritual the Arduino root device should pop up.
4. If you have your Arduino board plugged into Vera you should now configure which serial device to use.

Arduino Sketches

A sketch is a small programs that you download to the Arduino boards. To get started download Arduino SDK here:

​http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Also make sure to install all Arduino libraries I've created and collected here before trying to build the sensor sketches. http://code.mios.com/trac/mios_arduino-sensor/browser/trunk/Arduino/libraries

Follow the description below how to assemble hardware and configure each type of sensor.

ArduinoGateway

Acts as a link between Vera and your wireless sensors. This sketch should be downloaded to an Arduino Nano which then is connected to your Vera using a usb cable. It is important to use a Nano board for the ArduinoGateway as it contains a serial usb chipset recognized directly by Vera (the Uno does not!).

DallasTemperatureSensor

This is an example sensor sketch that sends in temperature information and presents it as temperature devices in Vera.