Programming the Wio

Hi all,

First of all I am very new to all this programming and IoT so I might be asking something simple or stupid.

I would like to know if it is possible to have the Wiolink act according to sensor values. A simple example would be reading the temperature and switching a relay according to a set temperature by the user vs. the room temperature.

Hello tagurgen
welcome to the world of programming and IoT. Like yourself I am also learning but had have previously experience on older technologies. You might like to follow my example of the Thermostat - postings I have published elsewhere on this forum. I would advise using the software package called ‘node-red’ . It provides a graphical way to construct software for IoT. Go the the website nodered.org/, download the software and explore the library. You can import both nodes and flows - analyse these and learn what others have done. It is just like playing with lego and the nodes are lego software components that you connect to make a flow. I have done many things with it and I am now using it to develop Grove and WioLink IoT applications. Another thing that is good about red-node is that it is based on the software language ‘node’ which is non-blocking and allows you to handle interrupts and event programming like responding to someone pressing a button much more efficiently than a blocking language like python. Node-red also allows you to extend the nodes by either adding function nodes that you can program in javascript or develop new nodes in the node language and re-package them for node-red. You also need to use a small computer to act as a server - either the Raspberry Pi or Beaglebones microcomputers will node. It is on these that you host node-red and they connect to your WioLink computers which handle the sensor data processing. So with Grove modules, WioLink computers and node-red you have both hardware and software lego components to make IoT devices and gateways. Good lick with your journey and share your projects
Regards Philip

you can do this very easy with IFTTT nothing else needed than a few apps.
There are YouTube videos out there which explain the wio link setup.

IFTTT is a simple app which allows to select a lot of sensors and actors and some rules when to make what. It checks the status every 5-20minutes.
You just need to install the app, register, search for seed channel and select the temperature sensor. And for the that the relay. I have done it and it works after a few minutes above the selected temp the relay switches.
Also you can log your temp with IFTTT, I just let the app write temp values in a sheet on my googledrive.

Very powerful and no need to program or whatever.

You can utilize the url of the grove interface of wio link,and program with the url to implement the project you write above.You can reference the “wio tutorial” in the Recipe. :slight_smile:

You are still programming when you are using IFTTT - it is a very simple construct but it is still programming. IFTTT is great for beginners but it has its limitations. Firstly when it is very busy you are lucky to get a response and sometimes replies take 15 minutes. Too long for a light switch. Secondly it is too simple - great as a toy. You can not do more complex logic with it and it does not have state variables. My advice is to start with IFTTT and quickly move on to power powerful programming. To use both your left and right brain use pictures to great design and programs. Node-red lets you draws programs and easily visualise them. For more complex nodes you can use javascript and node and this handles event programming and fancy user interfaces for your web browser. However professional programmers think that node-red is a toy - there is a youtube video on this. I also use mind mapping programs to capture the whole development cycle including programming and you can draw and capture photos and computer screens with mind maps.

I agree all above. IFTTT is good start.

Then more complex logic, you need nodejs or python, philip.mallon’s advise is very useful.