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Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar and UV

Discussion and questions about Cumulus weather station software version 1. This section is the main place to get help with Cumulus 1 software developed by Steve Loft that ceased development in November 2014.
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Werk_AG
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Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar and UV

Post by Werk_AG »

Hi to all

This is my first post here, I'm very new to this matter.
In first place I wish to say thank you to Steve, for all the work with Cumulos. Great piece of software.

I have a Auriol (Ventos clone) station, and use it with Cumulos via easywether.dat file. I'm planing to do a homemade
solar and UV sensor, and the only way (or the more easy), to feed this extra data to Cumulos is by adding extra fields to easyweather.dat file, but obviosly Cumulos don't read it. There are any possibility, that future versions of Cumulos can read more fields (for extra sensors) from the easyweather.dat file?

Sorry for my poor english.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by steve »

If you tell me the format of an easyweather.dat file with solar data in it, I can consider adding it at some point.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

Excelente news...

For the Solar data I will use BH1750FVI Sensor. Output will be in Lux, but I can convert it to W/s2 using a simple formula for green light, or some better aproach.
For the UV Sensor (TP-6 UVA UVB ) I will try to obtain an output in UV scale (1 to 12).

I think the best way is to add extra fields at the end of each line of the easyweather.dat file
The format of these extra fields, is better talk about, after I having built the sensors.

I have practically ready, a modified version of Arduino Software (Cumulus_V133_BMP085) that in addition to receive the normal data station, receives also via RF, data from 4 extra sensors, and write its data to extra fields to easyweather.dat file
I am currently testing the software for an Arduino with a RF emiter module, that sends temperature / humidity data (from a DHT22 sensor). The soft at the receiver, can be configured do replace the data from the original Auriol Temp/Hum sensor with the data from this better sensor.

Very happy with your attention.

Best Regards
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by AllyCat »

Werk_AG wrote:I think the best way is to add extra fields at the end of each line of the easyweather.dat file
Hi,

An Easyweather data format which supports Solar data must already exist to use with the later Solar models. IIRC the program is called Easyweather Plus, but it's only on my other computer (because I rarely use it). I'll try to check it later to see if the added data format is at all obvious.

Cheers, Alan.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

Hi, thank you

You must be right, as some new FO stations have Solar and UV sensors.
If already exist a easyweather.dat file with fiels for this type of data, it is better follow an existing format than create a new one.

Thanks for the info on the easyweatherplus. I have downloaded the program. I'll see if I find anything about the format of the new easyweather.dat

Regards
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

After a quick look, it seems that the new EasyWeatherPlus.dat file, has the same data fields that easyweather.dat, plus two for Solar and UV data at the end, but previous fields are in a completely diferent order.

In this situation, if Steve decides to add support for a new way to inject data on its software, which may be more advantageous for users of cumulus?
Create support for the proprietary EasyWeatherPlus format, or build support for a new format based on existing easyweather.dat, which could come to be called CumulosWeather.dat, but with more data fields (simple by adding them at the end of each data line) to support extra sensors?

This would allow those who like to build their own sensors (based on Arduino or other), to have a defined format (controlled by Steve) to inject data in Cumulos.

I will wait to see what Steve thinks about this.

Does anyone have 3 ou 4 lines filled with data from a EasyWeatherPlus.dat file. This could help me to identify the data fields.

Thanks
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by steve »

Werk_AG wrote:if Steve decides to add support for a new way to inject data on its software
I think that's probably the best way to go.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

Also think so! If we start from the existing easyweather.dat format, a great part of the work is already done, as Cumulos already can interpret that file.

Concerning the Solar Data, what you think is better? Put in the file values in Lux (as most light sensors ships output values in this unit) and let Cumulos convert them to W/s2 (by green light formula) or put on the "cumulos.dat" file the value already converted to W/s2 ?

UV data can be in normal 1 to 11+, conform with international guidelines for UVI reporting ?

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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by steve »

Werk_AG wrote:Also think so! If we start from the existing easyweather.dat format, a great part of the work is already done, as Cumulos already can interpret that file.
It needs to be flexible; I'm thinking that the user should tell Cumulus what format their data is in (by some yet to be decided mechanism), rather than the other way around. Then it works for just about any format produced by other software without the user having to manipulate the data.
Concerning the Solar Data, what you think is better? Put in the file values in Lux (as most light sensors ships output values in this unit) and let Cumulos convert them to W/s2 (by green light formula) or put on the "cumulos.dat" file the value already converted to W/s2 ?
If you can do the conversion yourself, then you can experiment with different formulae, rather than having to use the one in Cumulus which is fixed.
UV data can be in normal 1 to 11+, conform with international guidelines for UVI reporting ?
Yes, but note that you can't literally supply "11+", it would have to be a number.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by AllyCat »

Werk_AG wrote:UV data can be in normal 1 to 11+, conform with international guidelines for UVI reporting ?
Hi,

I believe the FO Solar stations can report up to "14", so "15 or more" might be a suitable final value. However, the nature of the "UV index" (a linear scale with strong bias towards light frequencies which are normally heavily absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere) is such that higher values are not impossible. "10" was supposed to be the top of the scale but higher values are often legitimately reported in the Southern hemisphere. Also some stations (rightly or wrongly) report a value after the decimal point.

As Steve has mentioned many times before, conversion from Lux to Watts/m2 is "difficult" (strictly impossible) because the frequency (colour) responses are different. Furthermore, the directional response of the sensor is important. The FO solar unit uses an "omnidirectional" (diffused) sensor whilst I believe the Davis has a (horizontal) "flat plate" collector. A horizontal flat plate sensor is very poor for detecting if the sun is actually "shining" as it comes over the horizon, but a light response biassed towards green (e.g. Lux) isn't too good either.

Personally, I'm working on my own design of (very low cost) "sunshine sensor" (unfortunately with very low priority), but it will supply specifically a binary value (i.e. "The sun is/not shining") so that it can be carried over the standard (non-solar) FO wireless link.

Cheers, Alan.

PS: I have found an Easyweather-Plus file containing some solar data, but I have no details of the weather conditions at the time of recording (nor even where the station was located). So I will wait to see if anybody else has something to offer (or if I can find/record a better example).

Cheers, Alan.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

steve wrote:It needs to be flexible; I'm thinking that the user should tell Cumulus what format their data is in (by some yet to be decided mechanism), rather than the other way around. Then it works for just about any format produced by other software without the user having to manipulate the data.
This is the perfect solution!
If you can do the conversion yourself, then you can experiment with different formulae, rather than having to use the one in Cumulus which is fixed.
I understand. As there is not a perfect formula to convert LUX to W/m2, is better to let the user do the conversion that best suits the type of sensor that uses. So, the field for Solar data must be given in W/m2?
Yes, but note that you can't literally supply "11+", it would have to be a number.
I was thinking how Cumulos will display reported values that are ​​equal or greater than 11, just to conform with international guidelines for UVI reporting.
Some stations and sensors (like the one I pretend to use) are able to report values up to 15, but don't know if is important show (on the screen) values greater than 11 or just 11+ ???

AllyCat, says that some stations report UV values with a decimal point. Should we consider using for this data field, values with a decimal point ?
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

AllyCat wrote: As Steve has mentioned many times before, conversion from Lux to Watts/m2 is "difficult" (strictly impossible) because the frequency (colour) responses are different.
It´s true, there is no perfect conversion from Lux to W/m2. I've been reading some information about this matter
AllyCat wrote:Personally, I'm working on my own design of (very low cost) "sunshine sensor" (unfortunately with very low priority), but it will supply specifically a binary value (i.e. "The sun is/not shining") so that it can be carried over the standard (non-solar) FO wireless link.
I'm also trying to do my own UV sensor. It will be based on the REYAX UVI-01 Sensor (UVI-01 is able to detect the UVA and UVB band, and direct output the UVI (Ultraviolet INDEX), The UVI-01 is very suitable for the field of UV measurements).
Now I'm trying to find a suitable Single power supply, Rail to Rail OP, to amplify the sensor signal to be read by one of the ADC pins on an Arduino (the same Arduino will be used to read data from more 2 sensors, light and temp / hum and send it by RF)

Regards
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by AllyCat »

Werk_AG wrote:I'm also trying to do my own UV sensor. It will be based on the REYAX UVI-01 Sensor (UVI-01 is able to detect the UVA and UVB band, and direct output the UVI (Ultraviolet INDEX),
Hi,

That sensor looks rather too biassed towards UVA whereas the "UV index" is very heavily biassed towards the skin-damaging UVB (and C). I believe that accurate measurement requires the use of an (expensive) optical filter, and probably calibration against a reference standard. That's perhaps why the Davis UV sensor costs around £500. :(

Personally, I'm surprised by the interest in the "UV Index" for weather stations. IMHO it's not a very useful measurement to make even if you can make it accurately. If you have any concerns about skin damage then you wear sunscreen where even a humble "factor 15" converts a "Very high risk" UV index of 10 to less than a 1 ("Low danger"). And the amount of skin damage is going to depend also on whether the surface is primarily horizontal or vertical and/or surrounded by sea or snow, etc.

Cheers, Alan.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

Hi,

I agree that the UV index is probably the less important data for a weather station, this is why I'm not very concerned about the accurancy of this sensor. In fact the UVI-01 Sensor has its greatest sensitivity between 315nm and 340nm, which is clearly in the UVA range. I believe that this sensor is very similar to that used in the new FO stations.

What gives me most pleasure is the construction of this equipment, and learning.
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Re: Extend easyweather.dat with more two fields for Solar an

Post by Werk_AG »

About the matter of extending the data fields on the easyweather.data file I have found this almost 2 years old topic on the forum: https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5044
Charlie wrote:I suspect some homebuilt stations will have extra data - solar, or additional temperatures, or other things - beyond what the Fine Offset stations provide. Does the file format need to be extended to cover those things off? I'm not familiar with the WMR-928, but it has extra channels, so I suspect these parameters might need inclusion, for example.

If we define these extra things in the file format, does that mess up the current generation of Cumulus, or does it simply ignore extraneous data in the file?
steve wrote:Fair enough, but if we're going to design a whole new interface, it's not going to happen for quite some time (if at all in Cumulus 1). I was offering to extend the existing interface because the code is already there, and extending it is quick and easy. I appreciate that it's a hack and ideally we wouldn't do it this way.
Gina wrote:Strikes me that the easyweather.dat file would be easy enough to implement and extend. It is in one of the most common general purpose interface formats, after all. Cumulus already supports this so IMO this is the way to go. We would have to agree on what extra data the extended format would represent - eg. my homebuilt weather station adds light level and later I expect to add ground temperature and possibly leaf wetness. I would be happy to conform with whatever extended format is chosen. I haven't yet written the software beyond data logging so sending it to Cumulus would be good.
It seems that this matter had no development since then. My apologies for having raised this issue in a new thread.

Regards
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