Fab Academy 2025

Appearance

Week 11 - Networking and Communications ​

Assignments ​

Group Assignment ​

  • Send a message between two projects

Individual Assignment ​

  • Design, build, and connect wired or wireless node(s) with network or bus addresses and local input &/or output device(s)

Group Working ​

My group work is attached here: https://fabacademy.org/2025/labs/unnc/assignments/week11/week11.html

Individual Working ​

Arduino Cloud Platform Configuration ​

  1. Account Registration and Login

Visit Arduino Cloud official website and register an account (I chose GitHub OAuth registration)

alt text

alt text

  1. Device Registration

Go to Devices interface and select "Add Device"

alt text

After clicking "Add Device", select the board type (I chose "Third Party Device" for XIAO ESP32 C3)

alt text

  1. Select XIAO ESP32 C3

alt text

  1. Configure basic device information, device name: Tiertza

alt text 5. Save the Device ID and Secret Key:

alt text

Thing Object Creation ​

  1. Go to Thing page

alt text 2. Define Cloud Variables: | Variable | Type | Permission | Description | |-------|------|------|------| | distance | int | Read-only | Ultrasonic distance data (cm) | | temperature | float | Read-only | Ambient temperature (℃) | | humidity | float | Read-only | Ambient humidity (%RH) |

  • First create distance variable (read-only)

alt text

alt text

  • Similarly create temperature and humidity variables (float type)

alt text

  1. Variable binding configuration - associate with registered physical device

alt text

alt text

Network Configuration ​

  1. Click Network, enter WiFi credentials and device secret key

alt text

alt text

Development Environment Setup ​

  1. Install Arduino Cloud Agent

alt text

alt text

  • Follow installation prompts

alt text

alt text

alt text

alt text

Code Implementation ​

  1. Enter the Sketch interface, and four files will be automatically generated

alt text

alt text 2. Below is a brief introduction to the functionality of each file:

  • thingProperties.h
    • Declare variables and initialize cloud properties
    • Contains variables created in Arduino Cloud including their types and sync modes (Read/Write)
    cpp
    // Code generated by Arduino IoT Cloud, DO NOT EDIT.

#include <ArduinoIoTCloud.h>
#include <Arduino_ConnectionHandler.h>

const char DEVICE_LOGIN_NAME[]  = "0fa1ab03-c0e7-4124-a682-2fadb81c765a";

const char SSID[]               = SECRET_SSID;    // Network SSID (name)
const char PASS[]               = SECRET_OPTIONAL_PASS;    // Network password (use for WPA, or use as key for WEP)
const char DEVICE_KEY[]  = SECRET_DEVICE_KEY;    // Secret device password


float humidity;
float temperature;
int distance;

void initProperties(){

ArduinoCloud.setBoardId(DEVICE_LOGIN_NAME);
ArduinoCloud.setSecretDeviceKey(DEVICE_KEY);
ArduinoCloud.addProperty(humidity, READ, ON_CHANGE, NULL);
ArduinoCloud.addProperty(temperature, READ, ON_CHANGE, NULL);
ArduinoCloud.addProperty(distance, READ, ON_CHANGE, NULL);

}

WiFiConnectionHandler ArduinoIoTPreferredConnection(SSID, PASS);
  • demo_apr08a.ino
    • Main program file for control logic
    cpp
    #include <ArduinoIoTCloud.h>
#include "thingProperties.h"
#include "DHT.h"

#define DHT_PIN  D1    
#define TRIG_PIN D8   
#define ECHO_PIN D9    
#define LED1 D4   
#define LED2 D5   

#define DHT_TYPE DHT11
DHT dht(DHT_PIN, DHT_TYPE);

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
delay(1500);

dht.begin();
pinMode(TRIG_PIN, OUTPUT);  
pinMode(ECHO_PIN, INPUT); 

initProperties();
ArduinoCloud.begin(ArduinoIoTPreferredConnection);

setDebugMessageLevel(2);
ArduinoCloud.printDebugInfo();
}

void loop() {
ArduinoCloud.update();


long dist = getDistance();
distance = (int)dist;


if (distance < 200 && distance > 0) {
    digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
} else {
    digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
    digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
}


temperature = dht.readTemperature();
humidity = dht.readHumidity();

delay(1000); 
}

long getDistance() {
digitalWrite(TRIG_PIN, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(2);
digitalWrite(TRIG_PIN, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(TRIG_PIN, LOW);

long duration = pulseIn(ECHO_PIN, HIGH, 30000); 
return (duration * 0.034) / 2; 
}
  • Sketch Secrets
    • Stores WiFi and device credential information (SSID, password, Device ID and Secret)

alt text

  • README Document
    • This ReadMe.adoc file serves as project documentation, covering installation, circuit assembly, code upload, and component list. It is written in AsciiDoc format, making it suitable for Arduino hardware projects.
    txt
    :Author: xusun_fab
:Email:
:Date: 08/04/2025
:Revision: version#
:License: Public Domain

= Project: {Project}

Describe your project

== Step 1: Installation
Please describe the steps to install this project.

For example:

1. Open this file
2. Edit as you like
3. Release to the World!

== Step 2: Assemble the circuit

Assemble the circuit following the diagram layout.png attached to the sketch

== Step 3: Load the code

Upload the code contained in this sketch on to your board

=== Folder structure

....
sketch123                => Arduino sketch folder
├── sketch123.ino       => main Arduino file
├── schematics.png      => (optional) an image of the required schematics
├── layout.png          => (optional) an image of the layout
└── ReadMe.adoc         => this file
....

=== License
This project is released under a {License} License.

=== Contributing
To contribute to this project please contact: 

=== BOM
Add the bill of the materials you need for this project.

|===
| ID | Part name      | Part number | Quantity
| R1 | 10k Resistor   | 1234-abcd   | 10       
| L1 | Red LED        | 2345-asdf   | 5        
| A1 | Arduino Zero   | ABX00066    | 1        
|===


=== Help
This document is written in the _AsciiDoc_ format, a markup language to describe documents. 
If you need help you can search the http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc[AsciiDoc homepage]
or consult the http://powerman.name/doc/asciidoc[AsciiDoc cheatsheet]
  1. Add necessary library dependencies:
    • ArduinoIoTCloud (v1.x)
    • DHT sensor library

alt text

alt text

  1. After completing the code editing, there are two ways to upload it to the development board:
  • Upload via the web interface, but this method is prone to upload failures

alt text

alt text

  • Upload completed

alt text

  • Open serial monitor to view connection status

alt text

alt text

  • Upload code via Arduino IDE: log in to cloud account and pull cloud code
    • Open Arduino IDE and log in to cloud account
    alt text
    • Pull cloud code:
    alt text
    • It can be edited locally and uploaded to the development board. Locally written code can also be pushed to the cloud for storage.
    alt text

Data Visualization ​

  1. Create Dashboard monitoring panel

alt text 2. Add Widget components

  • Value display: Real-time temperature

alt text

alt text

  • Link variables

alt text

alt text

Reference: ​

The reference and design files are listed below:

The .ino file for network communication can be found in my repository:https://gitlab.fabcloud.org/academany/fabacademy/2025/labs/unnc/students/xu-sun/-/blob/main/docs/assignments/week11/resource-week11/week11-NetworkDemo.ino?ref_type=heads