Cumulus Support

slashmusic wrote:As far as I understand, he asked, if it is possible to use the CumulusMX FTP Capabillities to upload a WebCam Image (which is created and located on the SD-Card of the Raspberry Pi) to upload it to his external Webserver. As Seve already mentioned, this is not possible, because the files are being processed first (trying to insert WebTags). since the Webcam Image does not have a webtag, the FTP Upload will not work.

That's not what I said at all, and it's not true. FTP of files without web tags works perfectly well. As I said, you don't tick the 'process' box for those files.

steve wrote:That's not what I said at all, and it's not true. FTP of files without web tags works perfectly well. As I said, you don't tick the 'process' box for those files.

Ahh okay, I didn't get this....but this is fantastic......he can upload as much files as he like also files which have nothing to do with the Weather Software.....

So that was very informative!

Seems the RPi does not reliably recognize the Davis Weather Envoy (or I have a bad extension cable)

Although I reset the Console, I have the data logger on the Vantage Vue so I reset that also.

Here is what I found. See below. Of the many times I plugged in and removed the VVue datalogger, there was only one time the RPi found it (CP210x)!
I simply could not reproduce a connection at all.

In the past, at Steve's suggestion, I have used dmesg, first -c (without logger attached) so it clears all the messages, and then again with the logger. That clearly showed the datalogger at TTYUSB0. I did also do that here, but did not find the Datalogger there either. Perhaps I have a bad cable.

WITH DATALOGGER-WORKED HERE
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $ sudo lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]
Bus 001 Device 015: ID 10c4:ea60 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. CP210x UART Bridge / myAVR mySmartUSB light
Bus 001 Device 014: ID 03f9:0100 KeyTronic Corp. KT-2001 Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 04f3:0801 Elan Microelectronics Corp.
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $
WITHOUT DATALOGGER
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $ sudo lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]
Bus 001 Device 014: ID 03f9:0100 KeyTronic Corp. KT-2001 Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 04f3:0801 Elan Microelectronics Corp.

AGAIN-DATALOGGER OUT
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $ sudo lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wi reless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 03f9:0100 KeyTronic Corp. KT-2001 Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 04f3:0801 Elan Microelectronics Corp.
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $
NOW DATA LOGGER IN-NOT FOUND-This is the result I got repeatedly
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $ sudo lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 03f9:0100 KeyTronic Corp. KT-2001 Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 04f3:0801 Elan Microelectronics Corp.
pi@RaspberryPi1 ~ $

I'm a bit confused as to what your setup is, and what you've tried. You have a Vue and an Envoy, yes? And they each have a USB logger connected to them? And you've tried connecting the Envoy and the Vue to the Raspberry Pi at various times, with the same result?

It does look like you have a faulty cable or logger, or it's not seated properly (a common problem with the Vue, I understand), but that doesn't explain why the same setup apparently works OK when connected to a Windows PC.

@acatalano

Thank you.

I had a lot of "experimentation" going on with the RPi & just got another to dedicate to the station. I'm think of starting with a clean slate. I have the program installed in the Downloads folder under user pi. Thought that might be an issue; would be in a Windows machine (except for Cumulus of course).

Many thanks for your help. Actually it was reading your posts that inspired me to get it off my desktop & try the RPi. However I'm quite new to Raspian & Linux.

BTW have you tried FTPing webcam images from within CumulusMX? That's my ultimate goal.

I am and have been doing that with CumulusMX as I did with Cumulus 1. I have also been migrating from older SD analog cams to newer IP HD cams. It is much easier now a days with a little self sufficient computer inside of the IP HD cameras. I do FTP my cams stuff to multiple sites.

That said I do not do video captures from a camera plugged in to the RPi2. It has been many years now that I have utilized a program called Zoneminder. Analog captures used to be via a capture card / Axis Server and cams were Optex. Today it is a direct capture from Zoneminder or the camera itself. Note too here I take the camera image and add some graphics and variable weather data to it then FTP it. A bit too much I guess.


Thinking we are looking at this device.

Bus 001 Device 015: ID 10c4:ea60 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. CP210x UART Bridge / myAVR mySmartUSB light

Let us rewind a bit and do some baby steps here now.

One of the benefits of using an RPi2 is that you do not need a direct console view of it running.

IE: monitor, keyboard and mouse.

I apologize in that I did not realize how and what you had connected to the RPi2.

Would it be possible to start with only three connections to the RPi2?

1 - power
2 - network (not wireless)
3 - Davis Console USB datalogger cable (between only the Davis console and the RPi2 - nothing else yet)

The above noted would it also be possible that you can be on same network with a desktop / laptop running wintel and Putty?

You can download Putty here. We will need to find out what IP the RPi2 is using (if using DHCP) on your network.

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgta ... nload.html

I would suggest also installing WinSCP on same said Wintel computer.

You can download WinSCP here.

https://winscp.net/eng/download.php

Note here too if you feel more comfortable having a monitor, keyboard and mouse plugged in to the RPi2 then we can use that.

Steve & Pete C

First thanks for all your first-class help. Second, let me clarify my setup. I have a Vantage Pro2 Weather Station. I have only one USB datalogger, which I started out using several months ago attached to the Console. As Steve I believe mentioned I indeed had trouble with getting a good connection between the Console & the Datalogger. Took a few tries. Afterward it worked reliably on the Windows 7 desktop with no issues at all except the Console was tethered to the desktop.

As we have been using RPi's here at work with some success, and learned that MX would run on the RPi, I saw the opportunity to free the console, so I purchased the Vantage Vue. After moving the data logger to the Vantage View I continued to use the 1.9X version of Cumulus on the Win7 machine without any trouble at all. Really a no-brainer (THANK YOU STEVE!).

So trouble began with the RPi. I have SSH and Putty running on the RPi & Win 7 box and can remote desktop (or SSH) into the Pi. The tests Pete suggested, which I performed at about 4 AM this morning (we had a storm) seemed to me to indicate the RPi was not reliably recognizing the Vantage Vue. lsUSB command showed it the second time I connected, but never again. Neither dmesg nor lsUSB indicated it was there. Not sure how long it takes the Pi to find it but it sure finds the keyboard quickly as I move it from port-to-port. I went off and got a cup of coffee and came back and still it was not "there". I even went so far as to reset the Vantage view (no batteries or wall supply) and yank out the logger just to start fresh.

So if I assume the RPi is capable of recognizing the Vantage Vue & Datalogger via the USB, then the most likely problem would be the USB cable as that short type C (?) USB cable is the only remaining factor. I don't use it on the desktop since the desktop and data logger have the same connector. I must say I have seldom had trouble with cables so this may be hope against hope that the problem is so simple.

We'll see. I'll continue this afternoon or tonight. Maybe I have another cable in a drawer. I just received another RPi to dedicate to the station and hope to mount the RPi's camera into the case, connect to the Vantage Vue via the data logger and use Steve's Cumulus MX to send both the weather data & RPi Cam photos to the Wunderground website. Really a great all-in-one solution! Next step is to build my own site.

So if I assume the RPi is capable of recognizing the Vantage Vue & Datalogger via the USB, then the most likely problem would be the USB cable as that short type C (?) USB cable is the only remaining factor.

Yes.

I have been testing here with three different cables and they all work. The reason I mentioned the loosey goosey buffered cable was that I had the issue being in a rush to connect not paying attention to the side plugging in to the Davis Console. Here I locked up my console while it showed it was connected it just wouldn't talk to me.

I don't use it on the desktop since the desktop and data logger have the same connector. I must say I have seldom had trouble with cables so this may be hope against hope that the problem is so simple.

We'll see. I'll continue this afternoon or tonight. Maybe I have another cable in a drawer. I just received another RPi to dedicate to the station and hope to mount the RPi's camera into the case, connect to the Vantage Vue via the data logger and use Steve's Cumulus MX to send both the weather data & RPi Cam photos to the Wunderground website. Really a great all-in-one solution! Next step is to build my own site.

I would recommend initially get the doo of the Davis Console to the RPi2 going. Then testing the addition of an RPi2 connected camera. That video stuff can be resource intensive.

I think you are doing well as a newbie RPi2 person.

Thanks for the comments. I really want to get the data logger off the console and onto the Vantage Vue. I assume you have had a good experience connecting EITHER the Vantage View + Data logger OR the Console+Datalogger to the RPi; is that the case?

Got it as far a bogging down the RPi with the camera. I will only be doing one still (JPG~150KB or so ) per 5 minutes or so I'm hopeful, but we'll see. I'm also worried about "wearing out" the SSD card so i'll place the constantly re-written "image.jpg" in a Ramdrive. That's next if I ever get the RPi doing the weather data.

I assume you have had a good experience connecting EITHER the Vantage View + Data logger OR the Console+Datalogger to the RPi; is that the case?

Yes - here it is and rather than or (2 setups)

Over the last few years I have had the Davis Console connected to a Vantage Vue weather station and using the data logger cabled plugged in to a Windows Server and running Cumulus 1.

It has been fine over the years.

It is one data logger cable that I used nothing more.

I wanted to test the new CumulusMX software on a new RPi2. Rather than disconnect Windows Cumulus1-Davis Console I set up a second connection duplicating everything mostly to learn about CumulusMX. This allowed me to continue with Cumulus 1 and use CumulusMX at the same time.

CumulusMX / RPi2 / Datalogger cable to Davis console is working fine. I am now at a point of shutting down the Windows server / Cumulus 1 and only using the RPi2 and CumulusMX.

The suggested direction and mention of baby steps was

first to get the Davis Console = = > Data Logger Cable = = > RPi2 running CumulusMX.

Before running the software I wanted to validate the hardware connection; hence "lsusb".

Once this is seen then the next part is to see the /dev/ttyUSB0. You will only see one unique device like this with one datalogger cable plugged in to the RPi2. (nothing else).

The next piece once the above two are validated is to run the software CumulusMX and configure the port to /dev/ttyUSB0.

Once the settings are configured in CumulusMX you will start seeing the data flow in the main screen of the web interface; IE temperatures, wind, etc.

At this point you can configure your uploads that are configured already in your Cumulus1 set up. Wait on the weather cam stuff a bit.

Next steps will be initially to configure your camera without Cumulus MX running and validation of the camera connection hardware wise to your RPi2. It is a plug n play configuration (well almost) taken one step at a time and I am optimistic that you will not have any issues with your configuration.

Relating to wearing down the SSD.

I had the issue with automation software running on the RPi 1 and first SD card. It got trashed mostly relating to the RW's. I was able to fix it. This was when the RPi was first released so its been a while now.

I am doing it different with the RPi2 using newest generation of microSD cards that RW much faster. I have always used 16Gb SD cards (probably way more than I need). I started initially with Samsung and now using the newest and fastest SanDisk cards. They are very reasonably priced on Amazon these days.

That and I have set up cache RAM drives to alleviate much of the RWing stuff to the SD card. I have been running automation software on another RPi2 for many months and have not had any issues to date relating to wearing down the SD card.

I wanted an RTC clock in the RPi2 and using the PiFace RTC shim. It is reasonably priced at around $15 USD from MCM electronics. Configuration is just running a script, setting the time and that is it.

Just a recap and to make sure we are in sync and doing an apples for apples test here.

Here use the Davis Vantage Vue Consoles model # 6351. I do not have an Envoy or Envoy8X. I have two serial cables and one USB cable. I have connected all three cables one at a time to the Davis consoles and they work fine with the RPi2.

I did have an issue with one loosey goosey USB buffered cable which sort of fell off and I didn't notice while testing in vivo.

Nice setup. Perhaps I mentioned already but reading your success on the RPi was what got me started. I seem to recall there was some discussion/amazement that you had "split" the serial data stream to two destinations (Wintel & RPi?) successfully.

I seem to have got things sorted out here. I had previously ordered another RPi2 and set it up today (used a 16GB Sandisk SD also)very simply. Just the basic software, mono & CumulusMX, & wireless dongle. Indeed the cable seems to have been the most likely culprit, as using the new cable gave the proper list of USB components with the lsUSB command. (Just to be clear: it is the Weather Envoy and the LCD Console which comes with the Pro2 station that I have; sorry for the misnomer in past posts. I've had the USB data logger connected to both at one time or another). Anyway after the new cable and getting the software configured, Presto I was taking data!!! I am now considering moving my data from the PC over to the RPi, but I want to make certain I can backup the data, put the RPi on a UPS system etc.

One anomaly: when I unzipped the CumulusMX file I found no .conf file, so I copied over the one from the "old" RPi; next I'll use the Conf file from the Win7 machine.

As an aside, I already have the RPi's camera working, sorta, using Raspistill, Motion and a few other programs. Raspistill is the simplest to use, but I likely will have to write a script to take JPGs on a periodic schedule. If I can get CumulusMX to upload the image.jpg files I will be over a huge hurdle. Ideally the RAM Disk is part of this.

One question for Steve if he reads this: Cumulus "takes over" the RPi when running so no keyboard action is possible short of ^C to exit. Do you think there is/will be a way to run a script or Daemon simultaneously?

MAny, Many, Many thanks for (both) your help

Great News acatalano

Yes I am splitting one console to two PCs using a serial server and a serial cable.

I do not know how it is working.

It has been fine. It reconnects fine if I unplug it and plug it back in.

I can mess it up by enabling debug stuff.

It just works.

A second console is using the loosey goosey USBCable and connecting to a Vantage Pro II which is nearby and I am using it as a failover right now.

acatalano wrote:One question for Steve if he reads this: Cumulus "takes over" the RPi when running so no keyboard action is possible short of ^C to exit. Do you think there is/will be a way to run a script or Daemon simultaneously?

It only takes over the console (command line) that it's running in, although I guess you could 'background' it as with any command by putting '&' on the end - note that I haven't tried that. I assume though that you are not using a 'desktop' but are running MX from a SSH connection, so you only have the one command line? You could presumably start a second SSH connection - or use 'screen', as a number of others are doing. See also this thread for a very useful user-written utility - https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13767

Caution using the & option, it runs in background, but terminates if you log off the session.

Yeah I would personally utilize the script that Steve mentions in his post above.

Here I have installed Webmin as a means of a GUI management piece to the pie. I utilize both Upstart / cron (similiar to the script) and watch the console sometimes from Webmin. I will probably switch over to the posted scripts.

Wrote a little blog here relating to using Steve's CumulusMX on the RPi2.

http://cocoontech.com/forums/blog/29/en ... ationware/

You can even install a GPS these days inside of the RPi2 for NTP time sync via satellite.

Here utilize a GPS / PPS connected to my PFSense firewall for local NTP and SD Radio for NOAA weather satellite downloads. I have read of an RPi2 set up using SD radio in a similar fashion.

Wrote a quickie blog last year about integration of a weather radio and my automation stuff. Here the weather radio triggers an alarm on my panel plus it does screen scrapes of local NOAA weather alerts.

Geez today you can just put the RPi2 in a box outside solar powered with a cellular connection, GPS, and wireless console to a Davis weather station for a weather station wherever these days.

http://cocoontech.com/forums/blog/29/en ... utomation/

Thinking back here used WWV in Fort Collins, CO for my radio (Hammerlund HQ-150) in the 1960's. It was a PITA to have to wait for the radio to get warm and then to adjust the frequencies on it.

Over the years have worked near Aurora, CO and visit a friend who built a home in Estes, CO (by the state park entrance there).

mcrossley wrote:Caution using the & option, it runs in background, but terminates if you log off the session.

You could always try using the following in a SSH session (this works, I've done it before but not sure with mono programs)..

nohup programname &

nohup tells linux to ignore the hangup signal