New user, losing the will

Hi
I've copied to a 16GB SSD, installed the plugin, but can't seem to get it all going.
Configured, sent config to Pi etc etc
2021-03-20-pibeacon-buster.img
piBeacon v7.137.533

This isn't right!...

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ps -ef | grep python
root      5970     1  0 15:14 ?        00:00:01 /usr/bin/python /home/pi/pibeacon/master.py
root      6047     1  0 15:14 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /home/pi/pibeacon/copyToTemp.py
root      6416     1  0 15:14 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /home/pi/pibeacon/receiveCommands.py 9999
pi        7744  5663  0 15:22 pts/0    00:00:00 grep --color=auto python[


Where have I gone wrong?
All help appreciated.

Colin

do select your ip# (0-20) click confirm
add userid password etc (make sure the password on the rpi is the same here (and change from default!! ( with passwd on rpi ) click confirm, then close

Screen Shot 2021-07-09 at 08.48.56.png (82.03 KiB) Viewed 2385 times

then
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and click on "send all of above + ...."

Screen Shot 2021-07-09 at 08.49.35.png (31.01 KiB) Viewed 2385 times

wait a minute
ssh to rpi

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cd pibeacon
cat parameters
ls -f /var/log/pibeacon


post output (mask userid etc) or send email to karlwachs at me com

Karl

ps and it ia a good idea to do
sudo ap-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
that will take >>5 minutes
after initial download of the ssd

Hi Karl
Thanks for helping, here's the output you asked for
The ' ls -f /var/log/pibeacon ' doesn't produce anything though?
Not tried the update/upgrade on the SSD will give that a go later...

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pi@raspberrypi:~/pibeacon $ cat parameters
{
  "BLEserial": "sequential",
  "GPIONumberAfterBoot1": "-1",
  "GPIONumberAfterBoot2": "-1",
  "GPIOTypeAfterBoot1": "off",
  "GPIOTypeAfterBoot2": "off",
  "GPIOpwm": "1",
  "IndigoOrSocket": "indigo",
  "acceptNewBeaconMAC": "",
  "acceptNewTagiBeacons": "off",
  "acceptNewiBeacons": -70,
  "addNewOneWireSensors": "0",
  "authentication": "digest",
  "batteryUPSshutdownEnable": "0",
  "compressRPItoPlugin": 40000,
  "configured": "2021-07-09 19:50:39",
  "debugRPI": 0,
  "deltaChangedSensor": 5,
  "distanceUnits": "1.0",
  "enableRebootCheck": "restartLoop",
  "enableiBeacons": "1",
  "fanEnable": "-",
  "fanGPIOPin": "-1",
  "fanTempDevId": "0",
  "fanTempOffAtTempValue": "2",
  "fanTempOnAtTempValue": "60",
  "ifNetworkChanges": "0",
  "indigoInputPORT": 12087,
  "ipNumberPi": "192.168.1.220",
  "ipNumberRpiSetStatic": "0",
  "ipOfServer": "192.168.1.8",
  "maxSizeOfLogfileOnRPI": 10000000,
  "myPiNumber": "0",
  "networkType": "fullIndigo",
  "output": {},
  "passwordOfServer": "xxxxxxxxx",
  "portOfServer": "8176",
  "pressureUnits": "Pascal",
  "rPiCommandPORT": "9999",
  "rPiRestartCommand": "",
  "rebootHour": 1,
  "rebootIfNoMessagesSeconds": "99999999999999",
  "rebootWatchDogTime": "-1",
  "restartBLEifNoConnect": true,
  "rpiDataAcquistionMethod": "hcidump",
  "sendToIndigoSecs": 90,
  "sensorList": "",
  "sensorRefreshSecs": 20.0,
  "sensors": {},
  "shutDownPinEnable": "0",
  "simpleBatteryBackupEnable": "0",
  "sleepAfterBoot": "10",
  "startWebServerINPUT": "0",
  "startWebServerSTATUS": "0",
  "tempUnits": "Celsius",
  "timeStamp": "2021-07-09-19:50:39",
  "useRTC": "",
  "useRamDiskForLogfiles": "0",
  "userIdOfServer": "xxxxxxxx",
  "wifiEth": {
    "eth0": {
      "on": "off",
      "useIP": "doNotUse"
    },
    "wlan0": {
      "on": "on",
      "useIP": "use"
    }
  }
}

ls -f /var/log/pibeacon
/var/log/pibeacon


Hope this helps
Colin

Ha!
After looking into /var/log/pibeacon I discovered the plugin wasn't communicating with the Indigo server.
I temporarily disabled the mac's firewall and it all started working.
So now I can play around and see what's what.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction

Colin

Yes, you need to open the port that is set in config on your mac from rpi to mac

And I suggest to have 2+ rpi. Then things get much smoother. They need to “see” each other’s Bluetooth

If you want to use bleconnect devices eg
iPhone, ble sensors, SwitchBot etc you need 2 ble channels on your rpi.
Beacons are detect though a continuous listening process - no sending - ( beaconloop.py) Each of the beacons sends a message every 0.5 to 1 seconds.

Bleconnect.py needs full dedicated access to a Bluetooth channel to open a connection to the ble sensors. During that time the listening process stops.
And the bleconnect connection might timeout then beaconloop does not see any messages coming in for 20 seconds

Buy a 5 $ csr Bluetooth dongle.
Unfortunately the rpi3 and 4 have a bad blue tooth stack. When you add an external Bluetooth dongle it sometimes does not start the internal Bluetooth channel.
Anyway Bluetooth and wifi use the same physical hardware on the rpi. That gives sometimes performance issues when you use wifi.
I have added 2 external Bluetooth dongles to my rpis then it works really nicely. With > 50 ble sensors serviced by an rpi ( besides about 100 Bluetooth beacons- I buy anything new and try them out ) and indigo now knows in which room I am. Just in case I forget.

But for a simple beacon setup you dont need that.

Suggestion: do it step by step.
I am here to help.

Karl

Hi Karl
Thanks that's really helpful.
I'm playing with one pi for now but have another one lurking in a box which I can put into service when I'm a bit more acquainted with how it all works.
Looking good so far, I am trying BLE for my iphone but as you say it tends to drop out now and then so I'll definitely be adding a dongle.

indigo now knows in which room I am. Just in case I forget.

I can relate to that

Thanks again for the help
Colin

just in case:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VNM6BF7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details is the $5 CSR BLE dongle

MANY of the other cheap ones have all the same MAC# .If you have 2 of those active all hell brakes loose. The MAC # is THE KEY in the plugin.

Karl

Actually I was wrong. Those csr dongles have the same problem
they change their mac numbers every 6 months with a new manufacturing batch

I guess if you need to buy several you need to buy from different manufacturers one each.


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