Glide with IoT, IIoT (Industrial IoT) and Domotic applications

[gvalero]

Hi guys,

Here I show you my demo APP where I simulate a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for cellular stations. From APP, the user could read/write values (real-time and historical data) from/to devices or machines connected to system.

Machine Control

Of course, machines don’t talk XML, JSON or HTML and Glide and Google services don’t talk industrial protocols either so, I use something called ** IoT Gateway** as translator and move the data from plant floor to cloud and vice versa.

The architecture and the data flow can be seen in this drawing to help

And due to I don’t have real machines at home to test, my laptop works as simulator for this data and speaks the machines’ protocol. The values you will see on my APP are random and they are changing every 3-5 seg (it’s a demo!) .

My Google Sheet is using a script to poll and log the machines’ data (my laptop so far) every 1 min and Glide updates the APP every 4-5 min automatically because of I’m using a Pro version otherwise, this must be done manually. My GS receives and sends data in JSON format to devices/machines (my laptop) but the Iot Gateway (which is running on my laptop too) translates it to industrial protocols like Modbus, Siemens TCP /IP, OPC, etc to work with machines.

Unfortunately, I can’t read that data faster because of max speed to fire a GS script is 1 min and even, doing this with Integromat, the fastest speed is 1 min too. Between using a GS script or Integromat to make my demo, I chose a GS script due to Integromat’s free plan only lets me fire an action every 15 min, instead, with GS I can do it every 1 min automatically. Both of them are valid options.

The APP allows you to update the machines data manually using this button highlighted in yellow…
The updating lasts 8-10 sec with my slow internet (sorry… I’m trying to replace my ISP ). With a faster internet connection, I could get 4-5 sec instead (we talked about it @Darren_Murphy)

So, if you press the blue button to update the data, please be patient

There are other considerations, improvements and tips to get this (using a Webhook for example, fire my script will be faster that a direct write from Glide) but I don’t want to complicate this tread more with a topic already wide and complex as well.

A great improvement could be the new Glide API Column (currently in development with @Mark working to improve its capabilities). If API Column would have more options and it was more flexible, I’d avoid using a script to read and classify the JSON data but I understand the problem that Mark is facing.

To sum up, I just wanted to show this demo to tell that Glide can be used in other markets/target like industrial automation that in these days, it is called IoT, IIoT or Domotic.

Any comment or suggestion is welcome.

Have a nice day!
Saludos

_

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Disclaimer to use my APP
1- I don’t have a fast internet connection (and my ISP is a calamity) so, the updating data can last 8-10 secs al least.
2- My laptop works as server to update data. Here I simulate the machines’ values (temperature, power, alarms, etc) and is where my IoT Gateway (software) is running (It’s an MS Windows world … not Mac!).
3- I’m going to keep my laptop ON and running as much as I can. If there is any failure regarding data updating, probably the cause is generated by my ISP or my laptop was shutdown… sorry

[AymenM]

Hey !

First reaction : WOUAW !

I’m impressed by the quality of your job ! Keep up the good work !

Thanks for sharing your app with us.

[gvalero]

Thanks @AymenM

[ThinhDinh]

This is ridiculously well done.

[Lucas_Pires]

@ThinhDinh agreed!

[Darren_Murphy]

Nice job, man. Very well done
Always great to see the different applications that others are finding for Glide.

PS. I tried updating one of the sensors, and it seemed to work fine. Only took a few seconds. Although, it seems that somebody left the door open

[gvalero]

Thanks @ThinhDinh and @Lucas_Pires

Thanks for the advice @Darren_Murphy, maybe it was the dog that lives at station!

I will call 911

Saludos!

[yinon_raviv]

great work brother.

I was working in IoT for about 15 years in Motorola and Telit so this industry is close to my heart.

You can achieve many things with IoT being connected to glide. I think glide could not be a real tool to control IoT nor industrial nor home use as the main idea is the instant of the data and the ability to react to it (industrial) with smart AI algorithms and for home use (e.g. turning the lights or AC) which again need instant reaction/

I think you did a great job indicating the potential of where glide could be when it will complete its transition to glide tables as well as allow writing into it either with api or app in integromat ( @david @Mark @Jason life changing event…) add to this removing the rows limitations and you’ve got a real unlimitless (almost) platform.

Well done for the demo, looks great

[abe.sherman]

Wow amazing work. I use a resberry pi to ping DDNS IP addresses to see if they are online or offline with certain ports for my customer. I believe if you can write some code (I can share the code with you to get an idea of how I did it. ) On a pi then things deffently will be faster on a local mechanic then a google script. Once the pi does whatever job you tell it to do (in bulk) it will update all the values in the Google sheet. On top of that I have some nice emoji if they are online or offline. Pretty cool stuff.

[Roldy]

Nice job @gvalero! It would be interesting to experience the IoT world having a device, let’s say, educational. Something like Arduino but ready to use, No Code or almost, which simply turns on / off (and / or which monitors temperatures, speeds, etc.), which uses Google sheets to read / write data. Anyone know something like this? @yinon_raviv may be?

[Tuttografica]

Gustavo congratulations!!!
As always impeccable your work
Great to be able to show other possibilities of glide.
Getting out of the known
Best regards

[gvalero]

Hola @yinon_raviv, @abe.sherman, @Roldy and @Tuttografica … thanks for your comments.

I’m going to try to explain every case/idea that you wrote to me:

Yinon:
Good to see I’m not alone here in this Gide world by trying to do something different, when I discoverd Glide en 2019 I felt like Tom Hanks’ movie… a Cast Away!

My background in automation process by creating SCADA and other systems (MES, Batch, PLCs etc) begun in 1994, Many things have changed and many technologies are under this bridge and sometimes, we can’t cover and know all (I try but it’s faster that I can)…

My original idea was to read real-time data from Glide and as you can see, it’s possible. Of course, I have to cross the GS’s roadblock so far due to Glide must read a value from somewhere to show it on an display but its API Column can be useful and change all depending on future capabilities.

Also, I don’t pretend to switch or move a real SCADA/HMI running on PCs to a Glide APP, no way. The APP will be a new and useful complement to people outside of a control room. As you know, many SCADA brands have their own mobile solution and it’s fine, I just wanted to have a solution able to work with many devices no matter the SCADA or PLC brand the customer is using.
I understand what you mean with “instant reaction” but as I wrote above, the APP won’t be a main system to control critical applications. Try to control devices or process remotely is very dangerous and for security conditions it is not allowed most of cases.

Abe:
I have seen and read about Raspberry Pi for years but I have never touched one
…my goal was to read/write more complex devices like PLCs or systems based on software. I know its capabilities to write data to GS and this makes simpler many thing (e.g., I’d not need an IoT Gateway) but what about if I don’t want to receive data directly from 10-20 RPi and instead, I just want to control how the data comes and the APP reads them every time I want (a historical data is not needed)?

I think they can support MQTT protocol but to be honest, MQTT is a pending task I have to learn and test…

Years ago we used Octagon devices, of course, they are more complex, expensive and robust than RPi but we could do almost the same what RPi does but using 90’s technology.

Roldy
I got something to you that maybe can be useful. These guys Sonoff have some IoT devices very interesting and cheap. Even, you can use their APP to control devices and turns on/off lamps, bulbs, switches, etc (I have one at my house) totally free.

The “problem” is that those devices are closed and only reply commands sent by their APP but they have other ones more powerful and flexible that support Rest API calls … With these devices any Glide APP could rule them without problem.

If you want to monitor temperature and humidity using Snoff devices, you can use it: TH10/TH16

but again, if at your home you have many IoT devices from several brands, use 3-4 different APPs to control your home doesn’t look easy and smart. In this case, you might create an only one and customized Glide APP to control all devices using Rest API calls… your wife will love you more and forever!

Dario
Estamos para ayudar en lo posible… take care!

Thanks for your comments again.
Feliz día!

[gvalero]

Is it @alfonso_ayala??

[alfonso_ayala]

amazing work gustavo

[Gdclavijo]

Hi Gustavo,
Great Job !!! … Is possible to share us the configuration of the components used on Integromat? … (for example, the “Gateway IoT via HTTP” and JSON… Please and Thanks

Saludos…

[gvalero]

Hola Germán, con gusto.

I have 2 options to create this solution depending on case, in other words, I have 2 kind of IoT Gateways (2 software) and 2 ways to connect to them:

1. via Integromat
2. via GS Script

With Integromat the effort could be easier (maybe!) but I wanted to read my data every 1 min daily automatically but to achieve this, I would have to use a Business plan at $99/month (my demo APP can read my laptop/server about 43.200 times monthly) therefore, I ran away to the right and created a GS Script which can be complex but give your more options and some kind of 'freedom".
My script is fired every 1 min or manually by any user from APP, makes a Rest API call to my IoT Gateway, handles the JSON data to be written into GS cells and is free

But what you want to see is my Integromat configuration (my other option which is not running currently) , here I show you it:

This is wide and complex topic, I hope it won’t cause you a headache.

Saludos @Gdclavijo … te cuidas!

[Gdclavijo]

@gvalero … Gustavo,… Thanks a lot…

[faisal8234]

wow great app