Blebricks consist of a set of modular "smart bricks": the BLE-B, constitutes the fundamental brick, the heart of the system, and communicates directly via Bluetooth with the relevant mobile application or through remote servers with our Gateways or by means of specific communication Blebricks. The other bricks go into a set of sensors, actuators, power units, and communication modules that include Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and LP-WAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) technologies. The various Blebricks are then assembled together according to the requirements of the various applications, interlocking the functionality they need in a similar way to how LEGO is done. Once connected, the bricks recognize each other and are able to self-configure to function immediately. The prototype IoT (Internet of Things) device built in this way is ready to work. The technology is ultra low-power and therefore suitable for creating portable and wearable devices or for battery-powered uses. A set of mobile applications (MakeApp), coding tools (App Inventor), a powerful Bricksdoor platform based on Node-RED along with third-party web platforms make Proof-Of-Concept immediate. The development cost and time for the realization of new IoT products and solutions are drastically lowered, thanks also to an efficient "turnkey" industrialization service.
The thing is very simple, as each "Blebricks node" corresponds to a physical Blebrick equivalent. To use the nodes it will sufficient to:
- create the hardware prototype by embedding the Blebricks.
- Connect the Blebricks to an MQTT broker via Gateways, Blebrick ESP or Bricksdoor app.
- Enter the node corresponding to the used Blebricks into the flowNode-RED and configure it with the IP of the MQTT broker and the topic used.
- connect a graphics unit (e.g. gauge, graph etc) from the Node-Red Dashboard palette or other processing nodes as desired
You will be able to find more information at this link: https://www.bleb.it/quickstart/#Esempi_Bricksboard More examples on how to use the single nodes can be directly imported from the Import menu of your Node-RED environment. Just select Import -> Examples and then open the directory "@blebtechnology/node-red-blebricks" to import a working example of your Blebrick Node.
As a general rule to get furhter details on individual Blebricks and nodes, once entered in yout node-red environment, you can hover your mouse over the node red "Blebricks" palette where the various NODE Blebricks are listed. Depending on their physical functionalities Blebricks nodes are organized in the following self-explanatory main groups:
The following functionalities are embedded in the basic BLE-B Blebrick and included in the Blebricks Node-RED Palette:
- BLEB_TEMP: Embedded Temperature Sensor
- BLEB_IN: Digital Inputs
- BLEB_RPS: Round Per Second (RPS) Counter
- BLEB_TEMP: Embedded Temperature Sensor
- BLEB_IN: Digital Inputs
- BLEB_RPS: Round Per Second "RPS" Counter
- BLEB_CNT: Pulse Counter
- BLEB_BATT: Battery Level
- BLEB_RSSI: Received Signal Strenght Indication value (from the BLE-B or the added communication Brick)
- CHT Blebrick: CO2, Humidity and Temperature sensor
- ENV Blebrick: Temperature, Pressure, Relative Humidity, VOCs, IAQ sensor
- OAQ Blebrick: Ozone and implicit NHx Sensor providing EPA outdoor Air Quality Index
- PMx Blebrick: Particulate Matter Sensor including PM1, PM2.5, PM10, with separate Particles counts from PM0.1 to PM10 to detect i.e. Pollins or smoke particles
- PTx Blebrick: Accurate temperature sensor based on PT100/PT1000 platinum thermistor
- SOIL: Soil sensor able to detect Soil temperature, humidity, pH, TDS, conducibility and fertility (NPK)
- PRT: Air Pressure and Temperature sensor
- RHT: Air Relative humidity and temperature sensor
- CLT: Infrared contactless temperature sensor
- SMS: Soil moisture sensor
- SLS: Sound Level Sensor, to detect environmental noise
- MAG: 3-axis magnetic sensor
- IMU: 9-axis inertial sensor including 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer, 3-axis gyroscope and a DSP unit to provide Absolute orientation (yarn, pitch and roll ol Euler angles) through an embedded kalmann filtering algorithm
- AHR: Provides an accurate value of Absolute orientation (+/- 0,1°) of pitch and roll (or equivalent) Euler angles, through an advanced embedded kalmann filtering algorithm
- ACC: 3-axs acceleration sensor with wake-up capabilities
- LGH: Lightning sensor able to detect approaching storms (esperimental)
- PLV: based on a third party Optical Pluviometer sensor with no moving parts
- WND: based on a third party Ultrasound Wind Sensor with no moving parts able to detect wind speed and direction
- SOL: based on a third party Pyranometer to detect the intensity of solar radiation and the Albedo (requires two SOL sensor)
- DSD: based on a third party radar Disdrometer able to detect hydrometeors dimension and tell if it is snowing, hailing or raining
- PYR: see under light sensors section. Eleven (11) channels Spectrometer to detect light and solar radiation intensity. Might be used as a valid alternative to a Pyranometer and Albedometer able to provide overall values and distinguish the spectral contribution of the different wavelenghts
- IRR: Infrared coded receiver working toghether with [IRT] Infrared Trasmitter (see Output control Blebricks)
- SFX: Sigfox modem to receive sensor data gathered over the Sigfox Communication Network
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ESP: communication Blebrick able to communicate with a MQTT broker via WiFi Connection
--ESP+LRW by adding an additional LRW Blebrick you can also be able to communicate over a LoRa local network (LoRa Gateway) with no need of an additional Node-RED node
-- ESP+ETH and by adding and additional ETH Blebrick able to also communicate over Ethernet without no need of an additional Node-RED node - GPS: Inertial communication sensor acting as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo (RLM supported) and BeiDou receiver that provides information about Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, Speed, Cours, FIX and Geofence status. The Node can be directly connected to Google WorldMap to see the position and additional information through Google Maps
- [GEOREF]: Communication node to be used with Google maps to Geo-referentiate devices by means of localization Apps. Useful for installation of static devices (i.e. agricolture, buildings, etc)
- UHF: UHF EPC Code reader
- NFC: NFC Reader
- BLE: BLE (BLE-B and Blebricks beacons) Reader, useful for presence detection and RTLS applications.
- REL: Output Blebrick embedding a 60W bistable relay to control AC and DC external equipment
- WPL: Output Blebrick embedding a Mid Power LED to provide light signals
- VBR: Output Blebrick embedding a Vibro-Motor to provide mechanical signals (vibration)
- BUZ: Output Blebrick embedding a Buzzer to provide a 70 dB fixed tone
- IRT: Output Blebrick performing as a Infrared Transmitter to create IR barrier and Low rate IR communication system (to be used with IRR Brick)
- ODC: Output Blebrick embedding 4 full bridge high power switches (24V/48W), Two Insulated inputs and two insulated OC outputs. Can be used to control DC walves, motors etc.
- LCD: Output Blebrick embedding a LCD display. The node receives data from any sensor node and the physical LCD displays their values through a remote or local MQTT connection.
- PWM: Output Blebrick embedding a 24V/48W H-Bridge that can be PWM controlled to perform as a dimmer (i.e. for LED stripes )
- REL: Output Feedback Node to get the status of the REL Blebrick
- WPL: Output Feedback Node to get the status of the WPL Blebrick
- VBR: Output Feedback Node to get the status of the VBR Blebrick
- BUZ: Output Feedback Node to get the status of the BUZ Blebrick
- IRT: Output Feedback Node to get the status of the IRT Blebrick
- ODC:Output Feedback Node to get the status of the ODC Blebrick.
- PYR: Visible light and Infrared Spectrometer. Provides the spectral contribution over 11 different wavelenghts including a clear channel: can be used for the analysis of fluid quality (i.e. oil, wine, etc), of solar radiation patterns and for didactical experiments (light rifraction/riflession)
- UVA: Ultraviolet UV-A intensity detector
- RGB: detects visible light colours and the intensity of Red, Green, Blue and White
- CMS: measures the DC Current, providing the Current Units (uA, 10uA, 100uA, 1mA), the working Voltage (mV), the Value of measured Current (depending on Current Units) and the corresponding caclulated Power
- RMS: measures the RMS (Root Mean Square) of the alternate voltage applied at its terminal (mV). When used in conjunction with a Current transducer (i.e. current sensor clamp) works as AC current sensor, providing a RMS value proportional the AC current passing through the current transducer
- VMS: measures the Voltage (DC) applied at its terminal and provides an otuput in mV
- PDM: Proximity detector with embedded ToF Infrared Ranging Laser sensor able to work up to 4 m of distance. In ranging mode measures the distance of a reflective plain obstacle, also providing a feedback about the quality of the revealed signal. When in Crossing Counter mode (i.e. to count passages) it counts the crossing in one direction (positive) and the opposite (negative) keeping also track of the overall number of crossing. The different operation modes can be activated through our MakeApp and/or by sending a specific command
- CAP: CAP works as a touch button ("button" pressed or released). When operating in latched mode, it works as a virtual switch, and tell if the switch is in status A or status B. The different operation modes can be activated through our MakeApp and/or by sending a specific command
- UWS: Proximity detector Blebrick that implements a Radar, doppler based, Motion Detection function
- TPD: works both as a Touch sensor and as Proximity Detector that, depending on applications and sensor size, can detect presences up to several tens of centimeters. It can be also used to detect seat occupancy
- PROTECTOR: The Protector (PROximity deTECTOR) is a BLE wearable device used for Real Time Localization application: it detects and records the presence of other Protectors/Beacons within a user-defined BLE range and triggers configurable alarms, including LED light, vibration or sound