webcam and motion based power meter data sender

Instead of doing anything to do with actual hardware-hacking, I decided to use a webcam to read the infrared blips from my electric power meter.

I placed the webcam on top of the meter (a better, weatherproof, mounting system is still needed).
Taped it in place, placed some addition material above it to shield it from background light.

I then used the open source package 'motion' and basically don't use it's snapshot or movie taking modes at all.
I use it strictly to trigger my data logger script:

motion.conf useful bits:


width 176
height 144
framerate 30

gap 1

output_normal off   #this disables picture taking

on_event_start /usr/local/bin/on_event_start

ppm on # speeds things up
webcam_maxrate 30  # we can watch it in realtime, but only feasible using ppm
threshold 50
noise_level 32
auto_brightness off
brightness 200
contrast 250

on_event_start looks like:

#!/bin/sh

DATE=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)

FILE=$(echo $DATE | cut -f1-2 -d:)

SECONDS=$(echo $DATE | cut -f3 -d:)

echo $SECONDS >> /tmp/${FILE} 

and I push these files via wattvision's public API with this script:

#!/bin/sh

# Check if motion died, if it did, restart and log it
MOTION_EXEC=$(ls -l /proc/$(cat /tmp/motion.pid)/exe 2>/dev/null | cut -f2 -d\>)
[ x${MOTION_EXEC} != x"/usr/bin/motion" ] && (
  /usr/bin/motion
  date >> /root/motion.restart.log
  )

# this will skip the last matching file, since it's not yet complete:

PENDING_LIST=$(echo /tmp/????-??-??T??:?? | tr ' ' '\n' | tac | tail +2 | tac)

for crumb in ${PENDING_LIST} ; do

  echo -n processing ${crumb}==

  COUNT=0

  COUNT="$(grep -c . ${crumb})"

  AVG_DT=$(( 60 / ${COUNT} ))

#  INST_WATTS=$(( 3600 / $AVG_DT ))

#  echo -n instant $INST_WATTS

  MS_PER_WH=$(( 60000 / ${COUNT} )) # ( 1minute in ms / pulses last minute )

  echo ms_per_wh $MS_PER_WH

  POST_DATA1="h=<house_id>&k=<secret_api_key>&v=0.1"

  POST_DATA2="time=$(basename $crumb):00"

  POST_DATA3="ms_per_wh=${MS_PER_WH}"

  POST_DATA="${POST_DATA1}&${POST_DATA2}&${POST_DATA3}"

  

  wget -q -O - --post-data="${POST_DATA}" http://www.wattvision.com/api

  code=$?

  echo return code: $code

  

  [ $code -eq 0 ] && rm $crumb

  

  sleep 15

  

done

and I run the script every minute from cron.

Next up:  an every-15 second reporting mode.

Power meter reader

http://www.avbrand.com/projects/powermonitor/


and derivative projects:
http://blog.blakecrosby.com/2011/05/08/arduino-electricity-monitor.html (solar cell)

http://andres-leon.blogspot.com/2010/02/measuring-my-electricity-consumption.html (IR transistor)

and directory: http://sourceforge.net/apps/wordpress/irmetermon/2011/05/15/similar-power-monitor-projects/

and published arduino code from:  http://www.avbrand.com/projects/powermonitor/code.asp

and blakecrosby...

-------

void setup()   {                
  
  // Pin 13 is the blinking status LED

  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);    

  // Pin 2 is the input from the phototransistor
  pinMode(2, INPUT);

  // Start serial communication
  Serial.begin(115200);
}

int lastRead = HIGH; // The last reading (off)

long lastUpdate = 0; // The last time we sent an update
long counter = 0;    // The current counter

// Track the rate.
long lastBlink = 0;  // The last time we saw a blink

// Average blink times over 10 blinks

long blinkTimes[10];  
byte currBlink = 0;

void loop()                     
{
  int r = digitalRead(2);

  if (r != lastRead)
  {
    lastRead = r;

    if (r == LOW) // A blink has been detected.
    {

      counter++;
      blinkTimes[currBlink] = millis() - lastBlink;

      lastBlink = millis();
      currBlink++;
      if (currBlink > 9) currBlink = 0;

      digitalWrite(13,  HIGH);
    } else {
      digitalWrite(13,  LOW);

    }
  }

  if (millis() > lastUpdate + 1000 || millis() < lastUpdate)

  {
    // Send data out the serial port.
    lastUpdate = millis();

    Serial.print(counter);
    Serial.print("\t");

    Serial.println(avgBlinks());
  }

}

long avgBlinks()
{
  // Calculate the average time between blinks. 
  // This gives us the number we need to calculate the watts
  long avgCounter = 0;

  for (int i = 0; i <= 9; i++)

  {
    avgCounter += blinkTimes[i];
  } 
  return avgCounter / 9;

}
	

osx user/group administration examples (chgrp)

From http://drupal.org/node/783808

2. Configure system requirements
================================

Next we'll create the aegir user and add it to the _www group. This part is
very different on Mac OS X than Linux or most other Unices. Must be a NeXTism.

Shell commands::
sudo dscl . -create /Users/aegir NFSHomeDirectory /var/aegir

Now you need to find the next spare UID to assign the user.

Here's how you find out on your system:

Shell commands::
sudo dsexport users.out /Local/Default dsRecTypeStandard:Users

Then open the file users.out in a text editor, search for the highest 5xx user
ID and add 1 to it (in your brain, not in the file). So if you find 506 but
no 507, use 507. When you're done, delete users.out to be safe.

Shell commands::
sudo rm users.out

Now assign this UID to the aegir user, replacing "5xx" with the UID.

Shell commands::
sudo dscl . -create /Users/aegir UniqueID 5xx

Set a secure password for the aegir user, as it needs shell access.

Shell Commands::
sudo passwd aegir

Create the aegir home directory and set its permissions.

Shell Commands::
sudo mkdir /var/aegir
sudo chown aegir /var/aegir
sudo chgrp _www /var/aegir

Add the aegir user to the _www group. This is the group Apache runs as.
sudo dscl . -append /Groups/_www GroupMembership aegir

Give the aegir user the ability to restart Apache.

Shell Commands::
sudo mv /usr/sbin/apachectl /usr/sbin/apachectl-apple
sudo ln -s /opt/local/apache2/bin/apachectl /usr/sbin/apachectl
sudo visudo

Go to the last line of the file and add the following:
aegir ALL=NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/apachectl

Save the file and exit your text editor.

Next configure Apache to include the Aegir config.

Shell Commands::
echo "Include /var/aegir/config/apache.conf" >> /opt/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf
/opt/local/apache2/bin/apachectl restart

Configuring your MySQL database and user accounts is the same as in the
INSTALL.txt file. But you probably want to add the path to its executables
to your user's PATH and the aegir user's PATH.

Shell Commands::
echo 'export PATH=/opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
su - aegir
Password: (the password you setup earlier)
echo 'export PATH=/opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
exit

setting RTF margins using TextEdit

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?s=aa2f711c386a64e6ffaca955a19ed9ad&p=9877191&postcount=14 - How do you control the margins in TextEdit? View Single Post

Create or edit the to of your RTF document near:

{\rtf1\mac\ansicpg10000\cocoartf824\cocoasubrtf480
{\fonttbl}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}
{\info
{}}\margl720\margr720\margt720\margb720\vieww15400\viewh17940\viewkind1\viewscale100
}

save this and then use it as a template with 1/2" margins all the way around. Adust the 720 as you need. 1440 = 1" so do the math.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63607 - "Ideal" Kindle 2 PDF page size

So, with this, I created a custom page size 3.4"w x 4.4"h in the OS print dialogs, as well

as set my margins to be maybe 0.1":

\paperw4809\paperh6451\margl120\margr120\margb120\margt120

Voila.

Perfect edge-edge PDF for kindle 2.

some basic config stuff for yii


--- testdrive/protected/config/main.php 2011-07-07 06:16:45.000000000 -0700
+++ test/protected/config/main.php 2011-07-21 10:13:13.000000000 -0700
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
// CWebApplication properties can be configured here.
return array(
'basePath'=>dirname(__FILE__).DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'..',
- 'name'=>'My Web Application',
+ 'name'=>'My Awesome Web Application',

// preloading 'log' component
'preload'=>array('log'),
@@ -16,15 +16,19 @@
'import'=>array(
'application.models.*',
'application.components.*',
+ 'application.extensions.yiidebugtb.*', // debugging toolbar
),

'modules'=>array(
+ // uncomment the following to enable the Gii tool
+
'gii'=>array(
'class'=>'system.gii.GiiModule',
'password'=>'obihai',
// If removed, Gii defaults to localhost only. Edit carefully to taste.
'ipFilters'=>array('127.0.0.1','::1'),
),
+
),

// application components
@@ -34,16 +38,18 @@
'allowAutoLogin'=>true,
),
// uncomment the following to enable URLs in path-format
- /*
'urlManager'=>array(
'urlFormat'=>'path',
+ 'showScriptName'=>'false',
'rules'=>array(
- '<controller:\w+>/<id:\d+>'=>'<controller>/view',
- '<controller:\w+>/<action:\w+>/<id:\d+>'=>'<controller>/<action>',
+ '<controller:\w+>'=>'<controller>/list',
'<controller:\w+>/<action:\w+>'=>'<controller>/<action>',
+ '<controller:\w+>/<id:\d+>/<title>'=>'<controller>/view',
+ '<controller:\w+>/<id:\d+>'=>'<controller>/view',
+
+/* '<controller:\w+>/<action:\w+>/<id:\d+>'=>'<controller>/<action>', */
),
),
- */
'db'=>array(
'connectionString' => 'sqlite:'.dirname(__FILE__).'/../data/testdrive.db',
),
@@ -68,6 +74,13 @@
'class'=>'CFileLogRoute',
'levels'=>'error, warning',
),
+ array( // configuration for the toolbar
+ 'class'=>'XWebDebugRouter',
+ 'config'=>'alignLeft, opaque, runInDebug, fixedPos, collapsed, yamlStyle',
+ 'levels'=>'error, warning, trace, profile, info',
+ 'allowedIPs'=>array('127.0.0.1','::1'),
+ // '192.168.1.54','192\.168\.1[0-5]\.[0-9]{3}'),
+ ),
// uncomment the following to show log messages on web pages
/*
array(
@@ -82,6 +95,7 @@
// using Yii::app()->params['paramName']
'params'=>array(
// this is used in contact page
'adminEmail'=>'webmaster@example.com',
),
+ 'defaultController' => 'site/login',
);