User Console

This article explains how to forward a property from an equipement to another device.

It is possible to redirect a property from one device to another even if their respective protocols are different. For example, redirection is possible between BACnet equipment and LoRaWAN equipment, or LoRaWAN to KNX Synco... The goal of this feature is to sent the property value to another device of your choice.

This function is not applicable from LoRaWAN to LoRaWAN

For example, a Synco device needs an external temperature value but no temperature sensor is connected to it. At the same time, a LoRaWAN sensor with this information is available in the Wattsense Console. The idea is to redirect the temperature property to the corresponding register of the Synco.

How to proceed ?

Go to the configuration Tab of the Wattsense console, choose the device and property to redirect. Then click on the edit button.

On the properties page, click to the label Advanced :

Then choose equipment/property target.

And that’s all …
Then in the Live Data Tab, a redirect symbol indicates that the temperature property is forwarded.

You will have to wait for the next update of the source device to check if the rediction process is correct. (Especially if the source device is LoRaWAN, it may take a while before the update is visible).

Before trying to redirect a property into another, please verify the format of the data. The forwarding process will success if the source and the destination properties format are consistent (float -> float, int16 -> int16, …)

If you encounter any difficulties with the redirection module, do not hesitate to contact the Wattsense support.

This article describes some improvements that have been made to the Graph section of the Console to make the interface easier to use.

Quick overview

1 – The default abscissa time goes from 1 to 15 days to have a better view of the evolution of indicators.
2 – Two arrows have been added to access the view of the next or previous period.
3 – A direct shortcut to the export function has been added on this page.
4 – All the curve’s properties are available from the property card
5 – A new function of interval calculation and display has been added.
6 – The right panel which contains all the graph attributes can be hidden if necessary.

Change the properties of the curve

Clicking on the property card opens a new window which allows you to modify the attributes of the matching curve.

Here, you can change the :

• Chart type (curve, steps, bars)
• The Y axis. You can link the curve to a Y left axis or Y right axis. (in the case of 2 curves on a single graph with different units for example)
• The end marker of the line segment plotted on the chart.

Interval curves

You can now simulate a metering function by showing a new calculated curve based on an existing property. The calculation mode is similar to virtual properties.

For example, if you want to have the interval view of an existing index, just choose the interval period in the Interval section and select the source data (index property)

Create a virtual property from the graph interface

From this point, you just have to click on the "+" button to create a virtual property.

The next steps are explained in the article dedicated to virtual properties.

The graphs allow you to visualize the values ​​over 8 months. The creation of a Virtual Properties allows you to historicize the values ​​beyond 30 days and thus make an archive request to have all the values ​​available. The creation of a Virtual Properties allows its use in alarms and in dashboards.

If you need any additional information, please contact us here.

This article describes some major improvements that have been made to the Live Data section of the Console to make the interface faster to use. New shortcuts have been added on the page (properties, gateway) to reduce search time and avoid multiple page changes.

Equipment header

On the device description line, the number of properties is now diplayed and a new button has been added. This button is a shortcut to the Configuration / Equipement page. So you have an access to the properties list directly from this place.

Filters

Each property is available either in Read Only access or in Read/Write access. We added a filter function to select properties based on this attribute.

Once the type of access is selected, the page only displays the corresponding lines. If you want to view both kind of attributes (read and read-write), simply click on the “Select” item.   

Quick properties access

You can now access the properties settings directly from the Live Data Page. The old way was to to go to the Configuration Tab / chose equipement / properties / search for properties / Modify. The new shortcut is available on the property’s line via the gear button :

Once the property has been modified, you must check the “send changes to device” checkbox to validate the changes with the box, then click the Save button.

Quick gateway access

In the same way, a gateway button has been added to the property line to directly access  the gateway page. Since a property can be linked to several gateways, an intermediate list is displayed so that you can choose the right line.

Assign a value to a property

For all the writable properties, a "remote control" button icon is available.

This functionnality allows you to update the value of a property.

Create a graph directly from the live data

A new button “Add a Graph” is available in the chart section. This functionnality is useful to create a graph in the Graph Tab of the Console without quiting this page. You just have to click on the button “Add a graph”.

Create a new chart or add the property to an exising one :

And the graph is available  in the Graph Tab :

Additionnal information about timestamp

In addition to the last sensor value, a pop-up window displays the penultimate timestamp when you hover over the timestamp with the mouse. Displaying the last 2 timestamps allows users of LoRaWAN devices to infer the frequency with which frames are sent and thus know when the next value will be received.

Responsive interface for mobile viewing

As the console application is often used on mobile devices, the interface now adapts to the display size of the medium. Here is an example of buttons that appear differently compared to the landscape format of a typical PC application.

Please contact us if you need any additional information : Wattsense Support

Virtual properties let users calculate indicators from existing properties. This article explains how to create them.

Please note that this functionnality is for the moment only available for calculation of consumption. It is intented for Towers only. The virtual properties are available from the Wattsense Console and the cloud (they are not available from the device itself meaning, they can't be used/redirected on gateways).

For example : this kind of property can display a hourly, daily, weekly or monthly consumption of one building instead of the real time (index) consumption.

The value of a virtual property is updated as soon as a new value for the underlying property is received. This to see the current consumption alongside the consumption of the period before.

Consumption virtual properties can be applied to electric power data, water flow, gas flow …

They can be displayed in graphs, and used to create alarms.

How to proceed ?

In the Wattsense console, go to the Virtual properties Tab, and click on the Create a virtual property button.

Fill in the fields as follows :

1 - For the moment, only Calculate a consumption is available.

2 - Choose a name for the virtual property

3 -Select an existing property of an equipement

4 - Choose the computing interval (Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly). See the note below to understand how the periods are taken into account.

5 - Specify the scaling if necessary. This function can be useful if the value of the difference between to properties is not meaningful in the unit’s origin.

6 - In this case above, it can be interesting to change also the original unit. 

7 - Use Create another virtual property after this one chekbox to add a new property which will be prefilled by all the parameters of the previous one. 

Then use the button Save to finalize the adding.

The new property appears in the listing, then Save changes to send the information to the console Wattsense.

Once the virtual properties are created, they all appear in the listing of the Virtual properties Tab.

From this page, you can modify, duplicate or delete the property.

You can only modify the name and the description of the property, the rest of the fields are not available for editing. If you want to change the interval for example, you will have to delete the property and recreate it.

Intervals calculation details 

Calculation rule : the virtual property is the last value of the period minus the first value of the period.

The virtual properties (consumption) have their timestamp at the beginning of the period as follows :

Hourly : example

Daily : example

Weekly : example

Monthly : example

Virtual properties : Data Analysis

The virtual properties are available in the live data tab as well as all the standard properties. They appear in the list in a special group (Virtual properties) like a new equipment.

They also can be displayed in graphs.

Virtual properties :

• can be exported and are available in the archive requests
• can be used to create alarm
• are available in the API and by extension in the data streams

Please contact us if you need any additional information : Wattsense Support

Here is an article about how to configure your Datastream Webhook.

A Datastream Webhook is an HTTPS communication between our Wattsense backend and your web server.

Available only with a Tower subscription, when our backend will receive either a value, an event or an alarm from the Tower, it will be automatically send to your web server.

Datastream Webhook architecture

Requirements to configure Datastream Webhook

In order to configure the Webhook communication correctly you'll have to get (from your web server parameters, Wattsense does not have them) the important informations that will allow our Backend to connect to it.

To do so, you will need :

Step by step configuration

Connector configuration

First of all, click on the "Organization" tab, select the Organization where you want to create your Webhook datastream and click on "Add a connector".

You can create several Webhook connector per datastream

Name your Webhook Datastream and fill the blanks according to your web server requirements :

Triggers configuration

Once the communication setup is done, you'lle have to create the Triggers :

Triggers define what is required to call the connector and what values to send.

When you click on the " Create new trigger" button, here is the interface you'll have to fill:

- Select what type of trigger you want to receive in your Web server.

- Add the Tower(s) in the list in the scope of the trigger. (Note that you'll only see Towers in the current Organization, not from an other one.)

Activate the Datastream

At the end of the configuration, don't forget to activate the datastream by enabling the toggle button

If you need any additional information, please contact us here.

Here is an article about how to configure your Datastream MQTT.

A Datastream MQTT is an MQTT communication between our Wattsense Backend and your Cloud based MQTT broker.

Available only with a Tower subscription, when our backend will receive either a value, an event or an alarm from the Tower, it will be automatically send to your MQTT Broker.

Datastream MQTT architecture

Requirements to configure an MQTT Datastream

In order to configure the MQTT communication correctly you'll have to get (from your broker parameters, Wattsense does not have them) the important informations that will allow our Backend to connect to your MQTT broker.

Step by step configuration

Connector configuration

First of all, click on the "Organization" tab, select the Organization where you want to create your MQTT datastream and click on "Add a connector".

You can create several MQTT connector per datastream

Name your MQTT Datastream and fill the blanks according to your broker requirements:

Triggers configuration

Once the communication setup is done, you will have to create the Triggers :

Triggers define what is required to call the connector and what values to send.

When you click on the " Create new trigger" button, here is the interface you'll have to fill :

- Select what type of trigger you want to receive in your MQTT broker.

- Add the Tower(s) in the list in the scope of the trigger. (Note that you'll only see Towers in the current Organization, not from an other one.)

Activate the Datastream

At the end of the configuration, don't forget to activate the datastream by enabling the toggle button

If you need any additional information, please contact us here.

This article is about how to create and edit Dashboards.

We wanted to give you a simple tool to visualize a building data that is why we created Dashboards.

The new Dashboards tab offer two experiences:

• Schematics: the same feature available before under the schematic tab. Your former schematics have been migrated there. You can still add new schematics as before
• Dashboards: A board to visualize values.

To add a new Dashboard, click on the Dashboard circle. The configuration panel for the new Dashboard is displayed.

Give the Dashboard a name.

Dashboards are made of different charts. In its current version, two types of charts are available:

• Single Value: to display the value of a data point in a tile
• Table: to show a data table (maximum 3x3) with different data points values

Select the “Single Value” chart type to start with and click “Select properties” to choose the data points that will be represented in the charts.

We improved the “Properties selector” to authorize multiple actions:

• You can filter properties by equipment
• You can search for specific properties by name (see “Tempe” in the search field above)
• You can select properties in the list. Perform an other search and select the new properties matching the results. They will all be added to the current list
• The total number of properties selected is always displayed on the top left corner of the table
• You can clear your selection or select all properties at the top of the table

Once you have selected the properties that you want to display in a single value chart, click “Save”. 

As we are adding charts for the first time here, we can add multiple single value chart at once. There will be as many single value charts created as there are data points selected. Example:

In the “Options” section you can add a link from the single value chart to other sections of the console to access in one click the latest values of a data point or its configuration.

Finally, click “Add” to create the Dashboard.

It will create four single value charts as I selected four data points

I clicked on “See more” on the second chart to illustrate the two links for the latest values or the configuration as I selected both options above.

You can click “Edit” on a single value chart to change the data point, to customize the label (by default the data point name) and to change the links.

You can add as many charts as you want. To add a table chart, click “Add a chart” on the Dashboard

Select “Table” as the new chart type. This chart allows you to display data points in a table format similar to Microsoft Excel for example.

Select the properties that you want to display. In this example, I selected four properties.

In its current version, the table chart, asks you to specify the number of rows and columns (2 or 3)

A 2 by 2 table will let you 1 cell to display the value of your data point(s).

A 2 by 3 table will let you 2 cells…

Depending on the number of columns and rows, you are asked to edit the headers or the labels of the columns and rows.

Here I want to display the temperature and the humidity for two rooms, so I select a 3x3 table.

Then, select the position of the different data points values in the newly defined table. For this select for each data point, the cell where it will be displayed. The cells are named in the same fashion as in Microsoft Excel with letters for the columns and numbers for the rows.

I could have selected a 2x3 table to display the temperature and the humidity of a room in the same cell.

In my example, the humidity for the room on the third floor will be in the cell C2 (C for third column, 2 for second row).

Click “Add” to add the table to the current dashboard.

You now have two single value charts and one table in your Dashboard. You can add as many as you like.

Like with single value charts, you can edit the table by clicking “Edit” in the top left cell

If you have any question, please contact us here

Requirements :

Step 1 :

Step 2 :

Once you've add the Schematic, you should Add the properties you want to see on it,

To do this click on the "Edit" button

 

Step 3 :

 

Select the equipment, then the properties.

Step 4 :

 

Then place the data where you want on the schematics

then  

Tower licenses

 

Example:  If your license contains 100 points, you could have 4 sensors using 25 points each one. You can still use your license because you have access to 100 points. With 2 sensors and 25 points your license continues working as long as you do not exceed the threshold.

Purpose of the Modbus IP Gateway

Step 1

Step 2

Important information: SlaveID needs to be unique in order to avoid conflict

 

Step 3

Step 4

Property configuration :

By clicking on the  button, you will be able to have the details of your gateway property.

 

Be sure that your Modbus IP client configuration is matching these parameters.

 

Step 5

 

The Modbus table is mandatory in order for you to configure your Modbus IP client, with this table, you'll know how to access the data made available by the Tower/Bridge

 

This article describes the QoS levels in MQTT.

QoS stands for : Quality of service

There are 3 different QoS available for MQTT :

Wattsense is at the QoS level 1.

If you need any additional information, please contact us here.

 

REQUIREMENTS TO CONNECT YOUR BOX TO YOUR MQTT BROKER : 

You'll need your MQTT broker connection information

1. Broker Address
2. MQTT Port (1883,8883,etc..)
3. Client ID
4. Authentication information (if required)
5. Certificate (if required)

These informations should be available in your Broker configuration, if not please contact your Broker provider.

First of all, you'll need to create a new MQTT gateway :

 

 

Fill the required Fields with your MQTT broker parameters.

 

 

TOPIC DEFINITION :

Uplink topic and Downlink topic are simple strings conformed to one or more topic levels. For instance, topics are case-sensitive.

Each topic is structured with forward slash as delimiters. The forward slash alone is a valid topic.

The broker uses the topics to filter the messages for each client subscribed to the topic

 

AUTHENTICATION :

If your MQTT broker require an authentication with Username and Password click on the Authentication button and fill the fields.

 

 

TLS CERTIFICATE :

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SECURITY IN MQTT SSL/TLS: The default port for MQTT TLS connection is : 8883 This implies a connection using certificates. Certificates are security files that allows you to authenticate to your broker. If you are using a TLS secured authentication please be sure that you have loaded your CA certificate.

 

TIPS It can happen that your broker is not using custom CA certificate but Public one. In that case, you will still have to load them in the Box. Because we do not stored them by default.

ADVANCED TAB :

NOTE Property Slug is the uniqueID of a variable, you'll find it in the property configuration itself Please note that your modifications will be aplied for ALL properties in the Gateway.

 

 

MQTT Gateway property configuration

 

To add properties to your gateway, select the properties button :

 

 

Then add Property:

 

 

On the next view you'll have the choice between all the properties available, select the one you want to redirect to your MQTT broker and click on Save

 

 

Once the properties select, you'll have that kind of view :

 

Click on "Save changes" to apply the modifications.

 

Be sure that the Access Type stay as LOCAL in this configuration.

 

If you need any additional information, please contact us: here 

Here you will have a video that will show you how to create your bacnet gateway:

 

You need to configure the Tower/Bridge before the sensor, otherwise the JOIN process will not succeed.

 

Step 1 :

 

NOTE If your equipment is not available in our database, you can still connect your sensor. You'll have "undecoded" informations : Communication level (RSSI, SNR and Spreading Factor) and the Raw-Payload.

 

 

Step 2 :

Step 3 :

Step 4 :

Step 5 :

Step 6 :