Losant Cloud Platform and Interface

Losant Cloud Platform and Interface

Losant IoT Platform

  • What is it?
  • Overview of component parts
  • Integrate MCU with virtual device
  • Build a workflow for storing data
  • Build a dashboard
  • Deploy a web app
  • Control device from platform

Key Terms

Applications

  • Includes all your IoT devices and workflow related to a project
  • Ex: All the connected devices in your home such as temperature sensors, garage door openers, pet feeder

Devices

  • Device or sensor that communicates with Losant
  • Ex: One Photon 2 that monitors the temperature and humidity in your living room

Device attribute

  • A piece of data associated with a device
  • Ex: The temperature in your living room

Integration

  • Connection between Losant and external data source that allows data to securely from a web service to Losant
  • Ex. Connect Particle Cloud to Losant. Data will flow from Photon 2 –> Particle Cloud –> Losant

Integration Events

  • Events that trigger Losant
  • Ex. Particle.publish() events

Workflows

  • The “brains” of your app
  • Allow you to specify where data (device attributes) go and are used
  • Ex: Store temperature data

Workflow Elements

  • Trigger: event that causes an action
  • Logic: code elements (e.g. conditions, functions)
  • Data
  • Outputs

Dashboards

  • Allow you to view stats, graphs, events and devices across multiple applications
  • Ex. Visualize the temperature and light level in your home

Lab

  • [Download project: Go to https://bit.ly/ProjectZip

  • Paste the following link into the top right https://github.com/reparke/ITP348-Physical-Computing/tree/main/_exercises/week11/losant_temperature_start)

  • Create account at Losant (we will go through the steps together)

  • Create application

  • Create device for each Photon 2

    • Go to Losant and create standalone device
    • Attributes
      • define temperature_fahr as number
      • define lightLevel as string

  • Create integration

    • Go to particle web console > settings > personal access token
    • Go to Losant and create new integration
      • Integration type: particle
      • Paste access token
      • Leave configuration blank
      • Event name: temperature and light (must be same name as Particle.publish())

  • Create publish event in firmware code

  • Create workflow

    • Add trigger: Particle

      • set integration to Particle integration you made

    • Create function to split data

    • Add output: device state

      • individual fields: and

  • Create dashboard

    • Add gauge for temperature

    • Add conditions to temperature

    • Add historical chart of temperature

    • Add light level indicator

  • Create experience (web app)

    • Go to overview –> Accept defaults (save URL, password, and login)
    • Create page
      • Edit > add page
      • Page type: dashboard
    • Create endpoint
      • Edit > add endpoint
      • Method: get
      • Route: /environment (this is the URL for the dashboard)
      • Access control: any authenticated users
      • Unauthorized reply: no static reply
      • Reply type: Experience page
        • Status code: 200
        • Select: Dashboard
      • Now log into website and visit https://«YOUR_URL»/environment

    • Control device from dashboard

      • Create particle function in firmware

      • Create Workflow

        • Virtual button
        • Particle function
          • function name ledChange
          • device id: «COPY FROM PARTICLE CONSOLE»
          • Function argument: String template -> argument template = “blink”

      • Create input control in Dashboard

        • Add input control

        • Virtual button

        • on Click: trigger workflow -> select correct workflow and virtual button

      • Events

        • Workflow: Connect create event to end of virtual button chain
          • Subject: LED off
          • Level: error
          • Message: Light is off
          • ID template
        • Create new chain: Event
          • Level: Error
          • Subject: LED off
        • Connect SMS
          • Note that max of 5 messages per minute
        • Trigger workflow

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