Program that can log/control many multimeters and other devices.

[HKJ]

Hello,

I’d like to monitor my washing machine and tumble dryer. I have an ATORCH S1BWP smart plug that can connect via Bluetooth-SPP. As the range isn’t sufficient, I’m proceeding as follows:

On an Android mobile phone located near the washing machine, I have installed the BT/TCP-Bridge 12.2 app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=masar.bb
This app forwards the data as a TCP server via my home Wi-Fi to the PC.

On the Windows PC, I have installed a virtual COM port: https://www.hw-group.com/software/hw-vsp3-virtual-serial-port

In the Test Controller, I select the ATORCH S1BWP and connect it via the virtual COM port.

So far, this has worked quite well. However, I would now like to do away with the virtual COM port driver and connect the ATORCH S1BWP directly via TCP (the mobile app will, of course, remain in use).

Is there a way to do this? Unfortunately, my attempts so far have been unsuccessful.

Maybe.

You can go into the driver definition and add the TCP port used, then you can select socket for the ATORCH device and specify the IP address, this may work if the connection is transparent.

[akapuma]

You can go into the driver definition and add the TCP port used, then you can select socket for the ATORCH device and specify the IP address, this may work if the connection is transparent.

Can you support me? Gemini and I had been trying for hours, but without success. For example, I replaced

#port comfixedbaud
#baudrate 9600

with

#port 2345
#interface Socket

and wrote

192.168.238.29

in "address" at "load devices". Bit it didn't work

Best reggards

akapuma

[HKJ]

You can go into the driver definition and add the TCP port used, then you can select socket for the ATORCH device and specify the IP address, this may work if the connection is transparent.

Can you support me? Gemini and I had been trying for hours, but without success. For example, I replaced

#port comfixedbaud
#baudrate 9600

with

#port 2345
#interface Socket

and wrote

192.168.238.29

in "address" at "load devices". Bit it didn't work

Best reggards

akapuma

You simply add the portnumber to this line:
#port comfixedbaud
#port comfixedbaud 2345

The you can right click the type field on the "Load devices" page and select socket (You may have to delete and reload the device for this to work).
The port number is not a random number, but the actual port number on you phone that this application uses.

[akapuma]

I added the port number, which is used by theBT/TCP bridge.
In the "Adress field", I added the IP adress.

But I got no connection. Mobile phone says "no client conneted".

Edit: BT/TCP bridge on phone is using 192.168.238.29:2345
In ATorchDevices.txt, T wrote "#port comfixedbaud 2345".
In adress field. I wrote "192.168.238.29"

#idString ATorch,ATorch,
#name ATorch
#handle ATorch
#port comfixedbaud 2345
#baudrate 9600

#driver ATorch
#readingDelay 5

#checksum none

[HKJ]

I added the port number, which is used by theBT/TCP bridge.
In the "Adress field", I added the IP adress.

But I got no connection. Mobile phone says "no client conneted".

I looked in the actual ATORCH driver and sad to say, it only support serial connection. I.e. my idea about switching to a network connection will not work for ATorch devices.

[akapuma]

Thanks for the information.Then I won’t spend any more time for experimenting; it also works fine using the virtual COM port.

Best regards

akapuma

[HKJ]

TC has a couple of public drivers (9 total) that is documented, but in addition to them it also has some specialized drivers that are not documented. The specialized drivers are generally written to handle exactly what the device or class of devices can do, nothing more. In this case it only supports serial, because all Atorch devices I have seen uses serial, i.e. not reason to add network.
The documented drivers generally supports more interfaces, because they have to work with a wider variety of devices.

[flash2b]

O a def I am making for a Rigol PSU, which is LXI class, SCPI is anwered while SCPIx all are getting null back.

General SCPI commands such as *IDN? work on both.

Do I need to setup something to be able to use SCPIx ?

[ton4eff]

I have a Test Controller connection problem with my Agilent 34401A rev: 11-05-02. I'm using the configuration file for the Enhanced version. If I just start the program (mode 10mA AC), it runs normally, connects to the instrument and if I press start logging it runs as it should. But soon as I try to change "mode" the program starts lagging and responds very slowly. If I press "Setup", the instruments shows error 410. I have the same behavior if connected to another PC with Win 10. Please note that if I try to change mode from the "HP 34401A 3457A 3456A 3478A Standalone Software" (from this forum), I have no problems at all to switch between the modes, there are no errors and the instruments is running smoothly. Only, I couldn't make it to work at 10mA AC.
In Test Controller the parity bits is set to 2, also in the COM port in the device manager.
My 34401A settings under I/O menu:
Interface: RS-232
Baud rate: 9600 baud
Parity: none 8 bits
Language: SCPI

Also, if I'm logging in 10mA AC mode, there are no AC current values in the chart. It's manually set to show between 1-3mA AC (measuring ~2mA).
 TestController debug.txt (6.79 kB - downloaded 11 times.)

[flash2b]

Adjust your scales. I probably now on automatic so small currents are now shown as big steps.

[ton4eff]

"It's manually set to show between 1-3mA AC (measuring ~2mA)." 

[flash2b]

add more digits then

[ton4eff]

Doesn't work no matter how many digits I set. The histogram is working however.

[ton4eff]

I made a recording how the program freezes and doesn't show properly mA AC in the chart. Tried with a few other config files and it is more or less the same behavior.

[HKJ]

O a def I am making for a Rigol PSU, which is LXI class, SCPI is anwered while SCPIx all are getting null back.

General SCPI commands such as *IDN? work on both.

Do I need to setup something to be able to use SCPIx ?

I will look at it tomorrow.

[HKJ]

I made a recording how the program freezes and doesn't show properly mA AC in the chart. Tried with a few other config files and it is more or less the same behavior.

I have no idea what is going wrong for you, but a few notes:
1) When the chart shows multiple 0 in the scale, the issue is "Decimals" specified on the "Scale for charts" page and remember to correct the correct scale!
2) If you have upgraded in the same directory, there may be issues with the version of the definition, always unpack the definitions into a empty directory, not on top of the old definitions (Mostly it works, but not always).

[ton4eff]

 @HKJ, thanks. The decimals helped for the chart, I was adding digits in the instrument, sorry, it was my bad... 
As for the "upgrading", I tested freezing on another computer with freshly installed java and test controller...

[akapuma]

I would like to use my Atorch S1BWP smart plug to monitor the energy consumption of a washing machine. If, for example, I take a reading once every minute, the value will be random, depending on whether the drum is currently spinning, stationary or even reversing. That is why I want to read the energy consumption every minute. The current reading (in kWh – although it is incorrectly displayed as Wh) minus the previous reading gives the energy consumed in kWh per minute. If I multiply this by 60,000 min/(kWh), I get the average power consumption for the last minute in watts.

The socket has a display resolution of 5 decimal places. As the energy is a cumulative value, 5 decimal places is not unreasonable. So if the value changes within a minute from 1.50497 kWh to 1.50498 kWh, then I had an average power consumption of 0.00001 kWh/min × 60,000 min/(kh) = 0.6 W.

The ATORCH definition file now says ‘#value Energy Wh D2’. This means measurements are taken to only two decimal places. The resolution drops to 0.01 kWh/min × 60,000 min/(hk) = 600 W, which is far too imprecise.

I have now changed the entry to “#value Energy Wh D5”, with the following result:
- Under “Current values” and “Table”, 5 decimal places are displayed, but the last three are always 0.
- In the CSV file I’ve generated, all trailing zeros are truncated.

Am I correct in assuming that this is a limitation of Atorch? The BT-APP E-test also only displays two decimal places.

Best regards

akapuma

[Cyclotron]

I would like to use my Atorch S1BWP smart plug to monitor the energy consumption of a washing machine. If, for example, I take a reading once every minute, the value will be random, depending on whether the drum is currently spinning, stationary or even reversing. That is why I want to read the energy consumption every minute. The current reading (in kWh – although it is incorrectly displayed as Wh) minus the previous reading gives the energy consumed in kWh per minute. If I multiply this by 60,000 min/(kWh), I get the average power consumption for the last minute in watts.

The socket has a display resolution of 5 decimal places. As the energy is a cumulative value, 5 decimal places is not unreasonable. So if the value changes within a minute from 1.50497 kWh to 1.50498 kWh, then I had an average power consumption of 0.00001 kWh/min × 60,000 min/(kh) = 0.6 W.

The ATORCH definition file now says ‘#value Energy Wh D2’. This means measurements are taken to only two decimal places. The resolution drops to 0.01 kWh/min × 60,000 min/(hk) = 600 W, which is far too imprecise.

I have now changed the entry to “#value Energy Wh D5”, with the following result:
- Under “Current values” and “Table”, 5 decimal places are displayed, but the last three are always 0.
- In the CSV file I’ve generated, all trailing zeros are truncated.

Am I correct in assuming that this is a limitation of Atorch? The BT-APP E-test also only displays two decimal places.

Best regards

akapuma

If you're not opposed, I monitor this with Home Assistant. YMMV depending on what support your devices have, but I used Shelly and have a few Z-Wave monitors with great success. You can use plugins to pump the data into a database for further analysis too.

[akapuma]

How frequently can Home Assistant sample data? For instance, I’m interested in whether a washing machine continues to draw power for heating after the water has already reached the target temperature. That wouldn’t be possible using the Tuya app for my smart plug.

I’d prefer to avoid Shelly devices; in my professional capacity, I’ve tested such equipment for compliance with the EN 60669-2-1 standard. In my view, these devices are unsuitable for permanent electrical installations, and I would never install them. My ATORCH smart plug is almost certainly no better, but at least I can unplug it when I’m done using it.

[HKJ]

I would like to use my Atorch S1BWP smart plug to monitor the energy consumption of a washing machine. If, for example, I take a reading once every minute, the value will be random, depending on whether the drum is currently spinning, stationary or even reversing. That is why I want to read the energy consumption every minute. The current reading (in kWh – although it is incorrectly displayed as Wh) minus the previous reading gives the energy consumed in kWh per minute. If I multiply this by 60,000 min/(kWh), I get the average power consumption for the last minute in watts.

You can use the math page to calculate on the received values, it can do average or /hour calculations.

Also TC has a function to analyze duty cycle, it is a popup that is called "timer counter"

Am I correct in assuming that this is a limitation of Atorch? The BT-APP E-test also only displays two decimal places.

Yes, the protocol limits how many digits TC sees.

[HKJ]

O a def I am making for a Rigol PSU, which is LXI class, SCPI is anwered while SCPIx all are getting null back.

General SCPI commands such as *IDN? work on both.

Do I need to setup something to be able to use SCPIx ?

You do not, I just checked with Keysight 34465A, it uses SCPI and can use LXI.
Changing to SCPIx did not prevent it from working in LXI

[flash2b]

Bug in TC for #cmdSetup radio

if the a selection contains the work "Class" it will not display

#cmdSetup radio Display_mode System
:read: :DISPLAY:MODE?
:write: :DISPLAY:MODE
Normal NORMAL
Waveform WAVE
Dials DIAL
Classic CLAS

if I change the last to Klassic CLAS it will work

It is a Classic bug !

[HKJ]

Bug in TC for #cmdSetup radio

if the a selection contains the work "Class" it will not display

I cannot reproduce this bug.

[flash2b]

This was the second time the meta processor got confused by the filename and a matching ID for a device.

I changed the filename and now it is ok again.

The rule is: A def file name should never contain only an identifier that equals a device's id