iRidium pro: a new visualization and automation platform for the Internet of things
On April 12, iRidium pro went on release - a set of tools for the installer / system integrator , as well as a full-fledged automation platform. The software can be used as the basis of almost any “smart” or “smart” building project, home or commercial AV integration, and many others. In the current era of the Internet of things, multi-platform, the availability of ready-made solutions and free programming come to the forefront - this is exactly the set that iRidium pro focuses on.
I participated in the beta testing of iRidium pro, which lasted several months. Now I have been working with the final version for two days. In this article, I would like to describe the main differences and innovations that I encountered during the transition from iRidium 2.x.
It is often asked why the "new" and why the "platform"? It seems that iRidium is well known, it has been used in this market for several years. The fact is that iRidium used to be just a tool for creating graphical interfaces. As such, it is used at the very end of the project, when the installed system just needs to be supplemented with control from tablets / smartphones. This functionality remained, but now iRidium pro can be used as the basis of the automation project. That is, implement the logic, automation and user interface within the framework of the platform, and select the rest of the equipment in accordance with this.
Updating projects through the cloud
It’s convenient to use the cloud to upload projects to the panel. The configuration project is uploaded to the office, right from there you can send an invitation to the end user by mail. The client clicks on the link and receives a project or update immediately on his device.
For the author, his projects are available in the side menu of the client application. And yes, now you can have several projects loaded into the project at once and show all of them to clients:
Panel / Server projects.
Now creating a management project, you can leave it to work only on the panel, as before or create an additional “server” project for it.
This approach is not without advantages:
- iRidium server remains constantly on 24/7 and monitors everything that happens in the system
- connecting to the server, we immediately get the status of channels / sensors / counters. In some systems without a permanently connected controller, this process takes much longer
- in the server project you can prescribe rules and logic, including mathematical calculations
- more about iRidium Server
For example, at my place there is no special automation controller (and the desire to buy it, frankly, too). But I wanted to get graphs of temperature, lighting and energy consumption, as well as speed up the process of obtaining device statuses when connecting a smartphone to the system. I also wanted to make some schedules and simple rules, but there was nowhere to store them. Immediately after the release of iRidium pro a few days ago, I launched the Windows version of the iRidium server on the Intel Compute Stick, which is constantly connected to my TV - and now I can use the automation functions without buying an additional controller. The more correct option, of course, is to use a specialized controller or a constantly working server for this task, for example file / media / video surveillance.
In general, the idea is that, depending on the type of object, it is possible to choose, as freely as possible, the device that will take over the automation functions. Supported operating systems are Windows and Linux, x86, x64 and ARM platforms.
The centralized approach also has a drawback - any problem with the controller turns into a problem right away for the entire system. They tried to make iRidium Server as reliable as possible, but even on spaceships problems occur. To minimize the consequences for important facilities, you can use a second safety controller or automatically switch control to direct when the connection is lost. Also, in some hardware controllers there is a function of automatic restart, in case of a hang.
Client Applications and Licensing Policies
Those who worked with iRidium 2 know that the installer, in order to make the project, needed to obtain trial licenses that were tied to the HWID of the control device. Even for the emulator mode in the editor, you had to get such a license.
Now everything has become easier. At the first launch, the application will ask you to enter the login and password of the iRidium account (you can get it in your account at www.iridiummobile.ru ). Client applications run in full functionality mode for 20 minutes, after which a restart is required. Temporary licenses, now 60 days old, also remained.
Commercial and trial licenses can be obtained directly in the office. The new system made it possible to get rid of HWID controllers activation (and, accordingly, iRidium's certification of these controllers), so now for any system you can use licenses for several control panels at once. 5 main tariffs are divided by the number of supported panels:
In any version, you can add panels for a fee.
Using iRidium Server is already included in the price of licenses. In this case, the server will be limited by a number of variables / datapoints (one datapoint is one control channel + one feedback channel):
How much the license will cost can be calculated using the calculator, which is located in your account on the website .
Schematic logic editor
The first release included this function only in its infancy, it will develop further. If earlier, to describe any logical interactions, it was necessary to go to the javascript section and write code, now you can create a diagram, drag the necessary blocks onto the screen, connect them to each other and bind them to driver variables. Below is an example of such a scheme.
The X and Y values are the driver’s feedback, such as temperature and set point. If X> Y, then at the output of the logical block we get 1, if X
Additions to the gallery and fonts / icons The
eternal problem: to find the icons "house", "light bulb" and "arrow" in the same style. In the new version, the gallery includes quite a few iOS-style icons that used to be part of paid styles.
Another nice feature is the set of branded symbolic fonts in which letters or numbers indicate the corresponding images. You can copy the same element, change the letter in the Text field and get all the necessary icons. Another convenience of working not with images, but with fonts is that changing the color, size and other font settings will lead to a corresponding change in the image.
Now popup windows can just be drawn in the right place
It is clear that this is much more convenient than placing it at the right place with the indentation numbers on the top and left (although this option also remains):
Web management
Starting with this version, iRidium functions can be controlled via the web. An example of this control is in the server’s web panel: You can
figure out how it works by examining the new iRidium REST API.
Trends, charts, and databases.
Now you can observe changes in values, generate trends in a web-based format or in an application, and record changes in Database.
You can also use the new iRidium DB.API
Improved SIP and SIP Video features
SIP sound quality has improved dramatically, with many more codecs and systems supported than before. You can easily implement SIP Video functions, that is, communicate with video using the device’s built-in camera. It doesn’t matter which version of iRidium you use - Windows, Android or iOS, the connection between them will be established.
This function allows you not only to communicate - you can implement the video surveillance functions through the gadget's camera or a video nanny on request.
Demo project “virtual house”
With the advent of iRidium Server, it became possible to use virtual addresses. One of the projects using this function was to create two graphical interfaces that will allow demonstrating the management of the Smart Home for the customer using a computer and a tablet / smartphone.
Initially, it was made for a demonstration stand for exhibitions, but now this kit is available for professionals, a brief launch guide is here .
Video from the ISE 2016 exhibition in Amsterdam:
SSL2, OAuth, voice control, etc.
IRidium pro supports new authorization methods and secure connections. This allows you to interact with cloud and web services that were previously impossible to work with. Interaction with Nest, Gmail, Google.API, Yandex.API and other services is already being implemented by several developers.
An example of voice control through Google and Yandex (link to the forum).
All these are just the main changes that immediately catch your eye. There are many others, but I don’t have the task of repeating the documentation , so I’ll round off.
Now in development are several updates and additions of functionality that will appear throughout the year. On the basis of the platform, a fundamentally new product called iRidium lite and the iRidium store of modules have been tested for a long time, but I will write about them in a separate article, which is already closer to the release.
On April 15, at 12-00 Moscow time, an introductory webinar on iRidium pro will be held. You can sign up here .
I participated in the beta testing of iRidium pro, which lasted several months. Now I have been working with the final version for two days. In this article, I would like to describe the main differences and innovations that I encountered during the transition from iRidium 2.x.
It is often asked why the "new" and why the "platform"? It seems that iRidium is well known, it has been used in this market for several years. The fact is that iRidium used to be just a tool for creating graphical interfaces. As such, it is used at the very end of the project, when the installed system just needs to be supplemented with control from tablets / smartphones. This functionality remained, but now iRidium pro can be used as the basis of the automation project. That is, implement the logic, automation and user interface within the framework of the platform, and select the rest of the equipment in accordance with this.
Updating projects through the cloud
It’s convenient to use the cloud to upload projects to the panel. The configuration project is uploaded to the office, right from there you can send an invitation to the end user by mail. The client clicks on the link and receives a project or update immediately on his device.
For the author, his projects are available in the side menu of the client application. And yes, now you can have several projects loaded into the project at once and show all of them to clients:
Panel / Server projects.
Now creating a management project, you can leave it to work only on the panel, as before or create an additional “server” project for it.
This approach is not without advantages:
- iRidium server remains constantly on 24/7 and monitors everything that happens in the system
- connecting to the server, we immediately get the status of channels / sensors / counters. In some systems without a permanently connected controller, this process takes much longer
- in the server project you can prescribe rules and logic, including mathematical calculations
- more about iRidium Server
For example, at my place there is no special automation controller (and the desire to buy it, frankly, too). But I wanted to get graphs of temperature, lighting and energy consumption, as well as speed up the process of obtaining device statuses when connecting a smartphone to the system. I also wanted to make some schedules and simple rules, but there was nowhere to store them. Immediately after the release of iRidium pro a few days ago, I launched the Windows version of the iRidium server on the Intel Compute Stick, which is constantly connected to my TV - and now I can use the automation functions without buying an additional controller. The more correct option, of course, is to use a specialized controller or a constantly working server for this task, for example file / media / video surveillance.
In general, the idea is that, depending on the type of object, it is possible to choose, as freely as possible, the device that will take over the automation functions. Supported operating systems are Windows and Linux, x86, x64 and ARM platforms.
The centralized approach also has a drawback - any problem with the controller turns into a problem right away for the entire system. They tried to make iRidium Server as reliable as possible, but even on spaceships problems occur. To minimize the consequences for important facilities, you can use a second safety controller or automatically switch control to direct when the connection is lost. Also, in some hardware controllers there is a function of automatic restart, in case of a hang.
Client Applications and Licensing Policies
Those who worked with iRidium 2 know that the installer, in order to make the project, needed to obtain trial licenses that were tied to the HWID of the control device. Even for the emulator mode in the editor, you had to get such a license.
Now everything has become easier. At the first launch, the application will ask you to enter the login and password of the iRidium account (you can get it in your account at www.iridiummobile.ru ). Client applications run in full functionality mode for 20 minutes, after which a restart is required. Temporary licenses, now 60 days old, also remained.
Commercial and trial licenses can be obtained directly in the office. The new system made it possible to get rid of HWID controllers activation (and, accordingly, iRidium's certification of these controllers), so now for any system you can use licenses for several control panels at once. 5 main tariffs are divided by the number of supported panels:
- Starter: 1 panels
- Basic: 5 panels
- Advanced: 10 panels
- Enterprise: 25 panels
- Enterprise_plus: 50 panels
In any version, you can add panels for a fee.
Using iRidium Server is already included in the price of licenses. In this case, the server will be limited by a number of variables / datapoints (one datapoint is one control channel + one feedback channel):
- Starter: 50 variables
- Basic: 250 variables
- Advanced: 1000 variables
- Enterprise: 2500 variables
- Enterprise_plus: 60,000 variables
How much the license will cost can be calculated using the calculator, which is located in your account on the website .
Schematic logic editor
The first release included this function only in its infancy, it will develop further. If earlier, to describe any logical interactions, it was necessary to go to the javascript section and write code, now you can create a diagram, drag the necessary blocks onto the screen, connect them to each other and bind them to driver variables. Below is an example of such a scheme.
The X and Y values are the driver’s feedback, such as temperature and set point. If X> Y, then at the output of the logical block we get 1, if X
Additions to the gallery and fonts / icons The
eternal problem: to find the icons "house", "light bulb" and "arrow" in the same style. In the new version, the gallery includes quite a few iOS-style icons that used to be part of paid styles.
Another nice feature is the set of branded symbolic fonts in which letters or numbers indicate the corresponding images. You can copy the same element, change the letter in the Text field and get all the necessary icons. Another convenience of working not with images, but with fonts is that changing the color, size and other font settings will lead to a corresponding change in the image.
Now popup windows can just be drawn in the right place
It is clear that this is much more convenient than placing it at the right place with the indentation numbers on the top and left (although this option also remains):
Web management
Starting with this version, iRidium functions can be controlled via the web. An example of this control is in the server’s web panel: You can
figure out how it works by examining the new iRidium REST API.
Trends, charts, and databases.
Now you can observe changes in values, generate trends in a web-based format or in an application, and record changes in Database.
You can also use the new iRidium DB.API
Improved SIP and SIP Video features
SIP sound quality has improved dramatically, with many more codecs and systems supported than before. You can easily implement SIP Video functions, that is, communicate with video using the device’s built-in camera. It doesn’t matter which version of iRidium you use - Windows, Android or iOS, the connection between them will be established.
This function allows you not only to communicate - you can implement the video surveillance functions through the gadget's camera or a video nanny on request.
Demo project “virtual house”
With the advent of iRidium Server, it became possible to use virtual addresses. One of the projects using this function was to create two graphical interfaces that will allow demonstrating the management of the Smart Home for the customer using a computer and a tablet / smartphone.
Initially, it was made for a demonstration stand for exhibitions, but now this kit is available for professionals, a brief launch guide is here .
Video from the ISE 2016 exhibition in Amsterdam:
SSL2, OAuth, voice control, etc.
IRidium pro supports new authorization methods and secure connections. This allows you to interact with cloud and web services that were previously impossible to work with. Interaction with Nest, Gmail, Google.API, Yandex.API and other services is already being implemented by several developers.
An example of voice control through Google and Yandex (link to the forum).
All these are just the main changes that immediately catch your eye. There are many others, but I don’t have the task of repeating the documentation , so I’ll round off.
Now in development are several updates and additions of functionality that will appear throughout the year. On the basis of the platform, a fundamentally new product called iRidium lite and the iRidium store of modules have been tested for a long time, but I will write about them in a separate article, which is already closer to the release.
On April 15, at 12-00 Moscow time, an introductory webinar on iRidium pro will be held. You can sign up here .