Over Serial Configuration - Sketch 2.3
Overview
RPICT board using Atmega microcontrollers can be configured over serial using a utility written in python. This involves boards RPICT7V1 RPICT4V3 version 2 and RPICT8.
Current version allows changes of
- Output format (csv or Emoncms)
- Nodeid (emoncms only)
- Polling (polling interval of data)
- Ical (current calibration value)
- Vcal (Voltage calibration value)
- Vest (estimated voltage for power estimate)
RPICT Configuration tool
The configuration tool can be downloaded directly from the raspberrypi:
$ wget lechacal.com/RPICT/lcl-rpict-config.py.zip $ unzip lcl-rpict-config.py.zip
Reading current configuration
Using the configurator without option only read the configuration stored in the board.
$ ./lcl-rpict-config.py
This yields
# RPICT Configuration Utility # Read only # Now reset RPICT hardware
Once the board has received the reset the configuration will be shown. How to reset the board
# # Configuration in memory: # # Structure: 0xa0 # Format: 0 # NodeId: 11 # Polling: 5000 # ICAL: 83.330002 # VCAL: 560.000000 # VEST: 240.000000 #
Note. Every time the configuration is read from the board it stores a config file in /tmp/rpict.config.
Modify the configuration
To change the values the configurator must be fed with a file containing the new values. We will use the example of a RPICT7V1. Such file looks as below.
[main] format = 0 nodeid = 11 polling = 5000 kcal = 545.0 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 vest = 0 Nnode = 7 Nchan = 15 HWSCT = 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWMCPSCT = 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWVOL = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWMCPVOL = 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 CHTYPE = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 CHID = 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255
We save this file in rpict7v1.conf. Then we can now start the configurator with the -w option.
$ ./lcl-rpict-config.py -w rpict7v1.conf
Once reset the configurator will read the old config then write the new config and display the newly stored one again.
# RPICT Configuration Utility # Configuration will be overwritten (Ctrl C to cancel) # Now reset RPICT hardware # # Configuration in memory: # # Structure: 0xa0 # Format: 0 # NodeId: 10 # Polling: 5000 # ICAL: 83.330002 # VCAL: 545.000000 # VEST: 240.000000 # # Writing configuration with file rpict3t1.conf # # Configuration in memory: # # Structure: 0xa0 # Format: 1 # NodeId: 11 # Polling: 5000 # ICAL: 83.330002 # VCAL: 560.000000 # VEST: 240.000000 #
The configuration file
The configuration file fed into the utlity must have the format below:
[main] format = 0 nodeid = 11 polling = 5000 kcal = 545.0 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 83.33 vest = 0 Nnode = 7 Nchan = 15 HWSCT = 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWMCPSCT = 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWVOL = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 HWMCPVOL = 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 CHTYPE = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 CHID = 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255 255
format indicate which format output will be used. Must be an integer number.
0 - CSV
1 - Emoncms
2 - Emoncms as float (must have datatype f setup in emonhub config)
nodeid Only used in emoncms format. Will set the node id.
polling Number of milliseconds between each data to be sent to the raspberrypi.
kcal Current or Volatge calibration coefficient.
vest Voltage to compute estimated power. Usually 240V or 110V. Must be present even is not used. Set vest=1 to obtain output as ampere instead of watts. Set vest=1000 to get milliampere.
Nnode Number of combination node to compute.
Nchan Number of channels (or fields) to output.
HWSCT Pin configuration of a current input.
HWMCPSCT Master or slave identifier for current input.
HWVOL Pin configuration of a voltage input.
HWMCPVOL Master or slave identifier for voltage input.
Combination nodes
Combination nodes are small programs in the microcontroller that computes power given a current/voltage couple.
When configuring the board with addnode the four given parameters are the pin numbers where to find the current and voltage and also which slave (or master) is to be used.
For example
addnode 8 6 1 10
will use current ct1 (8) on slave 1 (6) computed against voltage1 (1) on master board (10).
The tables below gives all pin assignment:
| Pin number | RPICT7V1 | RPICT8 | RPICT4V3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V1 | CT8 | V3 |
| 2 | CT7 | CT7 | V2 |
| 3 | CT6 | CT6 | V1 |
| 4 | CT5 | CT5 | nc |
| 5 | CT4 | CT4 | CT4 |
| 6 | CT3 | CT3 | CT3 |
| 7 | CT2 | CT2 | CT2 |
| 8 | CT1 | CT1 | CT1 |
| Pin number | Board type |
|---|---|
| 10 | Master |
| 6 | Slave 1 |
| 7 | Slave 2 |
| 8 | Slave 3 |
| 9 | Slave 4 |
How to reset the board
Use a small jumper to link the reset pin with the ground. This can be found on the 3x2 6 pin ISP connector.
Make contact with the two pins then remove the jumper. This will reset the board.