Need help with logging to local emoncms instance

Quick summary of what I am trying to do: I want to use a Raspberry Pi as a local emoncms server to log inputs from PHP scripts I've created. I can't seem to get the emoncms set up to listen for my API calls.

Here's what I've tried:

I created an SD card from "emonbase ready-to-go SD card image" posted June 17 2015.(http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/node/10729)

I booted up my RPi and created an account on the local emoncms instance. I have not connected to an emonTx or emonTH. (I plan to do try this eventually, but I have data that I can get locally by parsing information from my inverter, as well as from Weather Underground.)

To begin posting data to my local emoncms, I would like to begin using a url such as this one, which works for my online emoncms.org account:

http://emoncms.org/input/post.json?json={power:200}&apikey=cc3eddc6c4629bfa4088a59exxxxxxxx

But I would like to log data locally, so I substitue my localhost and the API Key from the Admin page.

Problems:

1. The "Input API" page is not available on my local emoncms server. So knowing how exactly to construct my URL.

2. I'm suspicious that a few times I've created a valid URL to post data to my local emoncms, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere.

3. All my nodes on the "Nodes" page show "Inactive".

4. I have had trouble reading the documentation and others' posts to understand if I need to create a node and/or a reporter, and if so how to do it, and if there is more that needs to be done before the node can accept input.

I'd appreciate help. I've really searched the forums and read a number of posts, and it is difficult for me to get a sense for how to proceed.

Thanks

Brandon

 

 

[APIkey obscured for confidentiality - Moderator (RW)]

baldockery's picture

Re: Need help with logging to local emoncms instance

It turns out there are three versions of emoncms.

1. Emoncms – the main branch for the full emoncms server
2. Extended
3. Low-write – designed for running on SD cards for emonBase/emonPi\

The instruction on OpenEnergyMonitor.org > Get Started > emonPi/emonBase provide a link to an SD card image that has the low-write version. If you flash an SD card with this image and boot it up on your Pi, you have an emonBase, ready to start receiving input from an emonTx and communicating it to an emoncms server, like emoncms.org, or your own that you create. What you don't have is a full emoncms server ready to receive input from API calls.

The three branches are all available and discussed on GitHub/emoncms: https://github.com/emoncms/emoncms

All my questions were answered by figuring out the difference between these branches. Posting input to a local emoncms server with API calls requires a full emoncms server.

pb66's picture

Re: Need help with logging to local emoncms instance

Hi Brandon

Sorry I missed your OP, your findings are mostly correct, however the changes to low-write version to use a "nodes" rather than "inputs" input stage was very recent and the previous low-write versions prior to the emonPi launch had the full input api. 

I'm not familiar enough with the new set up to say what is needed or when/if it will develop but personally, I would expect it to have a functioning input API soon.

In the mean time you can use the pre-emonPi image as in the OLD: Raspberry Pi 2 pre-built SD card image (emonSD-13-03-15.img) BETA thread. You do not need to have a full emoncms install to use the input API's..

Paul

 

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