Connecting to Helium
In this chapter, we will go over the basic use of the Helium platform and how to relay sensor data out through the Helium platform.
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| Helium Introduction In this chapter, we will introduce the Helium console controls that we use to get a first impression of the Helium console. Let's get started > |
Before starting this section, make sure you have Helium LoRaWAN® coverage around your deployment environment, otherwise you will not be able to add devices to Helium via LoRa®. For more details, please read Helium LoRaWAN®.
Adding Grove - Wio-E5 devices to the Helium console
To relay sensor data out of Helium, first step we need to add Grove - Wio-E5 to the Helium console to build the connection between the local device and the Helium platform.
To add Grove - Wio-E5, go to Devices and click the + Add Device icon on the top right of the window.
As described above for the Helium console device, a triplet of data -- DevEUI, AppEUI, and AppKey is automatically generated at this point.
We'll start by filling in the name of the device, here I'll name it lora wio terminal.
Please download the necessary environment for Arduino and Wio Terminal in pre-approved content.
Grove - Wio-E5 allows users to set their own DevEUI, AppEUI, and AppKey, so we can fill in the triad information generated by Helium above under the corresponding columns.
Open the Arduino IDE and copy the following code into the Arduino IDE.
#include <Arduino.h>
#include "disk91_LoRaE5.h"
Disk91_LoRaE5 lorae5(&Serial); // Where the AT command and debut traces are printed
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
/*
Select your frequency band here.
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_US915
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_1
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_2
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_3
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_4
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_KR920
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_IN865
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AU915
*/
char deveui[] = "2CF7FXXXXXX0A49F";
char appeui[] = "80000XXXXXX00009";
char appkey[] = "2B7E151628XXXXXXXXXX158809CF4F3C";
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
uint32_t start = millis();
while ( !Serial && (millis() - start) < 1500 ); // Open the Serial Monitor to get started or wait for 1.5"
// init the library, search the LORAE5 over the different WIO port available
if ( ! lorae5.begin(DSKLORAE5_SEARCH_WIO) ) {
Serial.println("LoRa E5 Init Failed");
while(1);
}
// Setup the LoRaWan Credentials
if ( ! lorae5.setup(
Frequency, // LoRaWan Radio Zone EU868 here
deveui,
appeui,
appkey
) ){
Serial.println("LoRa E5 Setup Failed");
while(1);
}
}
void loop() {
}
The above code has no restrictions on the Grove - Wio-E5 connection, it will automatically search for the Grove port that the Grove - Wio-E5 is connected to, but the search process may take a while (about a minute or so).
Please select the LoRaWAN® band you wish to use. This band must be consistent with the gateway band you are using. The available frequency bands are in the comments of the code below. In the tutorials we use, the default is the EU868 band.
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
/*
Select your frequency band here.
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_US915
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_1
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_2
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_3
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_4
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_KR920
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_IN865
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AU915
*/
The EU868 band is commonly used in the European region.
The US915 band is commonly used in North America.
The AU915 band is commonly used in Australia region.
Please replace the Helium generated DevEUI, AppEUI, and AppKey with the code below.
char deveui[] = "2CF7FXXXXXX0A49F";
char appeui[] = "80000XXXXXX00009";
char appkey[] = "2B7E151628XXXXXXXXXX158809CF4F3C";
Upload the code for Wio Terminal and open the serial port monitor of Arduino IDE, set the baud rate to 9600 and observe the setting.
After making sure the above information is completed, click Save Device below to finish adding the device.
Please wait patiently for the device to be added. (This will take about 20 minutes.)
Write decoders function for different sensors
In the previous sections, we instructed you on how to use the Wio Terminal to read the values of the individual sensors in the kit. To send the sensor values to Helium via Grove - Wio-E5, it is necessary to use AT commands to do so. The sent data is received by Helium and needs to be decoded before it becomes real data that we can read. This is the reason why we wrote the decoder.
Also, since the data format sent is not uniform, with sensors having integer, float, positive and negative data, etc., the decoder code required for each sensor is different.
| Sensor Type | Download Address |
|---|---|
| Wio Terminal built-in light sensor | Download |
| Wio Terminal built-in IMU sensor | Download |
| Soil Moisture Sensor | Download |
| VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30) | Download |
| Temp&Humi Sensor (SHT40) | Download |
| Vision AI Module | Download |
Option 1. Wio Terminal Light Sensor data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it Light_data.
In the previous section Wio Terminal Light Sensor, we used an integer variable light to store the light value read by the light sensor and sent that value out using the send_sync() function. So, the goal of the decoder we wrote in Helium is to be able to parse this integer data.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
if (port == 8) {
decoded.light = bytes[0]<<8 | bytes[1];
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 8-bit light sensor in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Option 2. Wio Terminal IMU Sensor data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it IMU_data.
In the previous section Wio Terminal IMU Sensor, We use float numbers x_values, y_values, z_values to store the three axes of data returned by IMU, and multiply these three sets of data by 100 to convert them to integers and then send them together.
In particular, it is important to note that these data can be both positive and negative, so we also need to parse this and restore it to a float number.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
function transformers(bytes){
value = bytes[0] * 256 + bytes[1];
if (value >= 32768) {
value = 32768 - value;
}
value = value/100.0;
return value;
}
if (port == 8) {
decoded.x = transformers(bytes.slice(0,2));
decoded.y = transformers(bytes.slice(2,4));
decoded.z = transformers(bytes.slice(4,6));
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 48-bit IMU sensor in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Option 3. Grove Soil Moisture Sensor data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it Soil_data.
In the previous section Grove Soil Moisture Sensor, we used an integer variable sensorValue to store the soil moisture value read by the soil moisture sensor and sent that value out using the send_sync() function. So, the goal of the decoder we wrote in Helium is to be able to parse this integer data.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
if (port == 8) {
decoded.soil = bytes[0]<<8 | bytes[1];
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 8-bit soil moisture sensor in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Option 4. Grove VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30) data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it SGP30_data.
In the previous section Grove VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30), We use integer variable tvoc_ppb and co2_eq_ppm to store the VOC and eCO2 values.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
function transformers(bytes){
value = bytes[0] * 256 + bytes[1];
return value;
}
if (port == 8) {
decoded.voc = transformers(bytes.slice(0,2));
decoded.eco2 = transformers(bytes.slice(2,4));
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 16-bit SGP30 in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Option 5. Grove Temp&Humi Sensor (SHT40) data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it SHT40_data.
In the previous section Grove Temp&Humi Sensor (SHT40), We use float variables temperature and humidity to store the temperature and humidity values. And send the two values after they have been enlarged a hundred times into integers.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
function transformers(bytes){
value = bytes[0] * 256 + bytes[1];
if (value >= 32768) {
value = 32768 - value;
}
value = value/100.0;
return value;
}
if (port == 8) {
decoded.temp = transformers(bytes.slice(0, 2));
decoded.humi = transformers(bytes.slice(2, 4));
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 32-bit SHT40 in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Option 6. Grove Vision AI Module data decoder
We create a new Custom Script and name it AI_Version_data.
In the previous section Grove Vision AI Module, We use int variables model and confi to store the type of model identified and its confidence level.
The configuration code of its decoder is as follows. Please paste the following code into the code section of Helium. Click the Save Function to save this decoder.
function Decoder(bytes, port) {
var decoded = {};
function transformers(bytes){
value = bytes[0] * 256 + bytes[1];
return value;
}
if (port == 8) {
decoded.model = transformers(bytes.slice(0,2));
decoded.confidence = transformers(bytes.slice(2,4));
}
return decoded;
}
We can input the data of 16-bit Vision AI in SCRIPT VALIDATOR on the right side to check whether the decoder parses correctly.
Go back to Flows and connect the device to the decoder.
Upload code send data to Helium
On the different sensor pages we provide detailed codes for uploading data. You can also find the sensor code you want to use in the list below.
Before using the code provided in this section, please note that the Device EUI, App EUI and App Key in the code are consistent with the device information added by Helium. And check if the frequency band configured for Grove - Wio-E5 is the same as the gateway band in your area or Helium. Failure to do so may result in network access failure.
The code to set the LoRaWAN® band is as follows, and the default setting is EU868 band. (The EU868 band is commonly used in the European region.)
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
US915 band (The US915 band is commonly used in North America.)
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_US915
AU915 band (The AU915 band is commonly used in Australia Region.)
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AU915
| Sensor Type | Download Address |
|---|---|
| Wio Terminal built-in light sensor | Download |
| Wio Terminal built-in IMU sensor | Download |
| Soil Moisture Sensor | Download |
| VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30) | Download |
| Temp&Humi Sensor (SHT40) | Download |
| Vision AI Module | Download |
The above code for sending sensor data can be uploaded directly to the Wio Terminal from the Arduino IDE and run. At that time, please turn on the serial monitor and adjust the baud rate to 9600 to observe the data transmission in real time.
For more details, please return to the section on the use of individual sensors in the reference catalog.
Real-time data and debug
Once we have the device connected, you can start to view data transfers in the real-time packets and event log.
In the latest version of Helium update, Helium no longer gives away 10,000 DATA CREDITS to new users, only 250 DATA CREDITS. You are free to adjust the frequency of sending data to reduce DC consumption, or purchase it at your own choice.
In the My Devices tab, we can click on the beetle button on the right side of the screen to see the information about the data received by Helium.
We can pay special attention to the information in the following sections.
payload: Information about the data sent to Helium in base64 format.
port: The port number where the data was received.
In our code, the port number for sending messages is set to 8, so in the debug window, all messages about the sensor should be payload for port 8. For reading and decoding the payload, you can do it with the help of this decoding website.
Source Code Analysis
If you want to apply the content of this tutorial to your own project development, learning to understand the meaning of the code is essential. Here we will use the code of SHT40 sensor as an example to explain the logic of code implementation.
At the beginning of the program, we need to prepare the necessary triad information to connect to Helium and to set the frequency of the Wio-E5.
#define Frequency DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
/*
Select your frequency band here.
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_EU868
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_US915
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_1
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_2
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_3
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AS923_4
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_KR920
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_IN865
DSKLORAE5_ZONE_AU915
*/
char deveui[] = "2CF7FXXXXXX0A49F";
char appeui[] = "80000XXXXXX00009";
char appkey[] = "2B7E151628XXXXXXXXXX158809CF4F3C";
Next, a data_decord() function is defined. This function converts the sensor values into data frames that can be parsed by the Helium decoder and also comply with the LoRaWAN® protocol, and stores them in the array data[].
In general, to prevent data overflow, we need to consider the maximum and minimum values that the sensor may read. And split into hexadecimal numbers that will not overflow.
void data_decord(int val_1, int val_2, uint8_t data[4])
{
int val[] = {val_1, val_2};
for(int i = 0, j = 0; i < 2; i++, j += 2)
{
if(val[i] < 0)
{
val[i] = ~val[i] + 1;
data[j] = val[i] >> 8 | 0x80;
data[j+1] = val[i] & 0xFF;
}
else
{
data[j] = val[i] >> 8 & 0xFF;
data[j+1] = val[i] & 0xFF;
}
}
}
For the SHT40 sensor, he will have two data, one is temperature data and one is humidity data, and there are positive and negative values, so the negative numbers need to be processed, and also the decimal places need to be processed.
int_temp = temperature*100;
int_humi = humidity*100;
The next step is the initialization of the SHT40 and the initial setup of the Wio-E5. These will all be executed in the setup() function.
lorae5.begin(DSKLORAE5_SWSERIAL_WIO_P2)
In the initialization code, DSKLORAE5_SWSERIAL_WIO_P2 represents the Grove interface on the right side of the Wio Terminal, while DSKLORAE5_SWSERIAL_WIO_P1 represents the Grove interface on the left side. For other projects without external sensors, you can also use DSKLORAE5_SEARCH_WIO , which will automatically search for the Grove interface your Wio-E5 is connected to.
lorae5.send_sync( //Sending the sensor values out
8, // LoRaWan Port
data, // data array
sizeof(data), // size of the data
false, // we are not expecting a ack
7, // Spread Factor
14 // Tx Power in dBm
)
The important role of the send_sync() function is to send the sensor values over the LoRaWAN®. The first parameter indicates the channel number to send the data, the second parameter indicates the content of the data sent, and the third parameter indicates the length of the data sent. In general, we only need to focus on the content of the first three parameters.
delay(15000);
The delay at the end of the program determines how often you want to send data. We do not recommend sending at a rate of less than 10 seconds, as sending at such a high frequency may cause the Wio-E5 to work abnormally, and may be recognized by Helium as an abnormal device and blocked because of the high frequency.
To learn more about the code and features of Grove - Wio-E5, please refer to the GitHub link of the repository. A special thanks to Paul Pinault (disk91) for writing the library for Grove - Wio-E5.
The above section is a step-by-step guide on how to use the device to connect to Helium and receive data. However, from a practical point of view, the data currently sent to Helium is not human readable. If you have a requirement for data visualization, you can then refer to the following steps to complete the tutorial on integrating Helium into Microsoft Azure IoT hubs, which will take you through the process of displaying the data in a graphical way.
| Helium integrate into Azure IoT Hub This section describes how to configure Microsoft Azure and integrate with Helium to upload data to the Microsoft Azure platform. Let's get started > |
| Cloud Platform Section | |
| Helium integrate into Google Sheets This section introduces the use of Google Forms in Helium integration. and using Google Forms to store sensor data. Jump to chapter > |
| Helium integrate into AWS IOT Core This section describes how to visualize the data information received by Microsoft Azure using the free Web APP integration. Jump to chapter > |
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Statement
- The LoRa® Mark is a trademark of Semtech Corporation or its subsidiaries.
- LoRaWAN® is a mark used under license from the LoRa Alliance®.