realtime interval issue

[DaveNZ]

Hi, I have recently launched a new weather site that updates key data values every 5 seconds.

In my cumulus settings, I upload one file to the server, a custom live-tags.php file.
It gets processed and uploaded every 5 seconds.

The problem arises when I try to include realtime.txt in the uploads as well (our NZ weather network needs that file).
When that is enabled, my website only updates every 10 seconds. It doesn't matter if the realtime.txt is uploaded using the standard "Realtime.txt FTP" checkbox, or manually specifying it in the Files tab of internet settings, the effect is the same.

It appears that those 2 files are only being updated by Cumulus every 10 seconds when I monitor the 'Date modified' timestamps of both files.

Any way around this? Maybe set the realtime to 2.5 seconds to get an effective interval of 5 seconds?

[duke]

This comes up fairly regularly and the most likely cause of your problem is in this post. If you do a search you'll find similar posts. Hope this helps.

[DaveNZ]

The uploads look just fine, every 5 seconds. But the files themselves are only be updated by Cumulus every 10 seconds

[mcrossley]

A more efficent method would be to only upload your PHP tags file, and redirect realtime.txt to a PHP script that simulates it from the tags?

[DaveNZ]

A more efficent method would be to only upload your PHP tags file, and redirect realtime.txt to a PHP script that simulates it from the tags?

Yes, I was thinking of going down that route.
Might not be able to replicate realtime.txt perfectly but it should be good enough

[mcrossley]

I still create a realtime.txt file plus a real-time gauges file along with a real-time PHP file every 5 seconds, but all on the local server, only file copies no ftp.

[steve]

The answer to your original question is almost certainly as in the post Duke linked to. Your assertion that they are being uploaded every 5 seconds but only updated every 10 seconds is noted. However, I can't think of any way that could happen. Perhaps the contents are being updated but not the timestamp?

[DaveNZ]

The answer to your original question is almost certainly as in the post Duke linked to. Your assertion that they are being uploaded every 5 seconds but only updated every 10 seconds is noted. However, I can't think of any way that could happen. Perhaps the contents are being updated but not the timestamp?

Possibly that could be the case. Anyway, I went for the approach suggested by Mark, with a realtime.txt produced from my live tags file.
It was surprisingly simple and quick to implement

[laulau]

It was surprisingly simple and quick to implement

Could you please explain or share some code ?
Thanks

[DaveNZ]

It was surprisingly simple and quick to implement

Could you please explain or share some code ?
Thanks

Firstly, using htaccess mod_rewrite, realtime.txt is mapped to realtime.php.
In this file all I do is read in the live data as an array, and perform some quick tidying up of the pressure trend value so it is formatted properly (and yes, I am using a 1 hour change instead of the cumulus 3 hour average rate).

Code: Select all

$d = get_live_data();

// Remove negative sign from 'negative zero'
$pressureTrend = round($d['pressure1hrAgo'] - $d['pressure'], 1);
if ($pressureTrend == "-0")
	$pressureTrend = 0;

// Add plus sign if trend is positive
if ($pressureTrend >= 0)
	$pressureTrend = "+" . $pressureTrend;

Then I just output the new data like this, inserting zero's for values that would require extra calculation/code and are not required for our weather network map.

Code: Select all

$fields = array(
	$d['day'] . "/" . $d['month'] . "/" . substr($d['year'], 2),
	$d['time'],
	$d['temperature'],
	$d['humidity'],
	$d['dewpoint'],
	$d['windSpeed'],
	$d['latestWindSpeed'],
	$d['latestWindBearing'],
	$d['rainRate'],
	$d['todayRain'],
	$d['pressure'],
	convert_bearing($d['latestWindBearing']),
	0, // beaufort
	"km/h",
	"C",
	"hPa",
	"mm",
	$d['todayWindRun'],
	$pressureTrend,
	$d['rainThisMonth'],
	$d['rainThisYear'],
	0, // yesterday rain
	0, // inside temp
	0, // inside hum
	0, // wind chill
	$d['temperatureTrend'],
	$d['todayMaxTemperature'],
	$d['todayMaxTemperatureTime'],
	$d['todayMinTemperature'],
	$d['todayMinTemperatureTime'],
	$d['todayMaxWindSpeed'],
	$d['todayMaxWindSpeedTime'],
	$d['todayMaxWindGust'],
	$d['todayMaxWindGustTime'],
	$d['todayMaxPressure'],
	$d['todayMaxPressureTime'],
	$d['todayMinPressure'],
	$d['todayMinPressureTime']
);

echo implode(" ", $fields);

[laulau]

Thanks,
I'll try it soon.