JULIO AGUIRRE
Published © CC BY

Propane tank IoT Level Meter

Know your level of propane with a smart and IoT device that can predict your propane reserves in days.

IntermediateWork in progress8,425
Propane tank IoT Level Meter

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Adafruit hx711 24 Bit Delta Sigma ADC
×1
ACS711EX current sensor
×1
Solar Panel 5V 300ma
×2
Load Cell 150Kg 2mv/V
×1
Load Cell support frame
×1

Software apps and online services

Ubidots
Ubidots
Arduino IDE
Arduino IDE

Story

Read more

Custom parts and enclosures

CAD FILES

01.png

02.png

03.png

04.png

06.png

Schematics

Connections Diagram

I used arduino uno for fritzing connections. Use a Linkit One.

Code

Code Rev 0.2

C/C++
/* This is a simple program to connect the LinkIt ONE Based Propane-O-Meter
 * to Ubidots IoT to share system status info and propane tank content quantity.
 * uses GPRS data connection, and is Solar Powered and gps enabled.
***********************************************************************************/
#include <LTask.h>
#include <LWiFi.h>
#include <LWiFiClient.h>
#include <LGPS.h>            // LinkIt GPS Library
#include <LBattery.h>  // Want to be able to read the battery charge level
#include <LGPRS.h>      //include the base GPRS library
#include <LGPRSClient.h>  //include the ability to Post and Get information using HTTP
#include "DHT.h"           //Library to read DHT22 Temp and Humm sensor.

#define WIFI_AP "xxxxxxx"
#define WIFI_PASSWORD "xxxxxxx"
#define WIFI_AUTH LWIFI_WPA  // choose from LWIFI_OPEN, LWIFI_WPA, or LWIFI_WEP.






#define DHTPIN 8     // what pin we're connected to temp and humm sensor
#define DHTTYPE DHT22   // DHT 22  (AM2302) sensor. required by library
DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE); // declare temo and hum sensor type object


// These are the variables you will want to change based on your IOT data streaming account / provider
char action[] = "POST ";  // Edit to build your command - "GET ", "POST ", "HEAD ", "OPTIONS " - note trailing space
char server[] = "things.ubidots.com";
char path[] = "/api/v1.6/collections/values";  // Edit Path to include you source key
char token[] = "joS8W4xxLtT8lSdIsQnb4CE8eLPaR7";  // Edit to insert you API Token
int port = 80; // HTTP


// Here are the program variables
int num;                            // part of the length calculation
String le;                         // length of the payload in characters
String var;                        // This is the payload or JSON request
unsigned long ReportingInterval = 300000;  // How often do you want to update the IOT site in milliseconds
unsigned long LastReport = 0;      // When was the last time you reported
const int ledPin = 13;                 // Light to blink when program terminates
String Location = "";          // Will build the Location string here


int solarcurrent = 0;
int solarvoltage = 0;
long rawtankweight = 0;


float h = 0;    //Store dht22 sensor hummydity
float t = 0;    //Sotore dht22 sensor Temperature

// Create instantiations of the GPRS and GPS functions
//LGPRSClient globalClient;  // See this support topic from Mediatek - http://labs.mediatek.com/forums/posts/list/75.page
gpsSentenceInfoStruct info;  // instantiate
LWiFiClient globalClient;                //Create a object for use of wifi

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(115200);             // setup Serial port

  LWiFi.begin();

  
  LGPS.powerOn();                  // Start the GPS first as it takes time to get a fix
  Serial.println("GPS Powered on, and waiting ...");
  /*Serial.println("Attach to GPRS network");   // Attach to GPRS network - need to add timeout
  while (!LGPRS.attachGPRS("web.vmc.net.co","Virgin Mobile","")) { //attachGPRS(const char *apn, const char *username, const char *password);
    Serial.print(".");
    delay(500);
  }
  Serial.println("Connected to Virgin Mobile Colombia GPRS Network");
  
  LGPRSClient client;    //Client has to be initiated after GPRS is established with the correct APN settings - see above link
  globalClient = client;  // Again this is a temporary solution described in support forums
*/
  pinMode(DHTPIN,INPUT); // define dht22 sensor pin as input

    dht.begin();         // initialilize dht22 sensor

  pinMode(4, OUTPUT); // data line
  pinMode(5, OUTPUT);//clock line
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);//clock line
  digitalWrite(4,LOW);
  digitalWrite(5,LOW);

  Serial.println("Connecting to AP");
  while (0 == LWiFi.connect(WIFI_AP, LWiFiLoginInfo(WIFI_AUTH, WIFI_PASSWORD)))
  {
    Serial.println("Re-try Connecting AP");
    delay(1000);
  }

  Serial.println("connected to AP ");
  Serial.println(WIFI_AP);

}

void loop(){
 
 


  LGPS.getData(&info);                     // Get a GPS fix
       if (ParseLocation((const char*)info.GPGGA)) {  // This is where we break out needed location information
         //Serial.print("Location is: ");
         //Serial.println(Location);                 // This is the format needed by Ubidots
       }

  
  if (millis() >= LastReport + ReportingInterval) {  // Section to report - will convert to a function on next rev
    LGPS.powerOff();                  // Start the GPS first as it takes time to get a fix
    Serial.println("GPS Powered off, to avoid signals shift and load cell reading error");
    delay(1000);
    


    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
    delay(1000);
    digitalWrite(13,LOW);   
    delay(500);
    rawtankweight = 0;        // To store hx711 ADC lecture of load cell 
    solarcurrent = 0;
    solarvoltage = 0;
    for(int k=0;k<10;k++){
      rawtankweight=rawtankweight+read1();//read load cell data
       solarcurrent = solarcurrent + analogRead(A1);
       solarvoltage = solarvoltage + analogRead(A0);
       
    }

    rawtankweight=rawtankweight/10;
    solarcurrent = solarcurrent/10;
    Serial.print("corriente");
    Serial.println(solarcurrent);
    float solarcurrentmili = (5*float(solarcurrent))/1024;
    Serial.print("corriente en volt");
    Serial.println(solarcurrentmili);
    solarcurrentmili = ((solarcurrentmili-2.5)/45)*1000;
    Serial.print("corriente en miliamps");
    Serial.println(solarcurrentmili);
    solarvoltage = solarvoltage/10;
    solarvoltage = (solarvoltage*10)/1024;
    
    while(!dht.readHT(&t,&h)){
      delay(2000);
    }

    String value = String(LBattery.level());     //Linkit One Battery Status
    String chargestatus = String(LBattery.isCharging());     //Linkit One Battery Status

    Serial.print("loadcel=");
    Serial.println(rawtankweight);
    Serial.print("Solar Panel Volt:");
    Serial.println(solarvoltage);
    Serial.print("Solar Panel Current:");
    Serial.println(solarcurrentmili);
    Serial.print("Linkit battery charge level:");
    Serial.println(value);
    Serial.print("Linkit battery charge status:");
    Serial.println(chargestatus);
    Serial.print("Humidity: "); 
    Serial.print(h);
    Serial.print(" %\t");
    Serial.print("Temperature: "); 
    Serial.print(t);
    Serial.println(" *C");
    



      
       


    var="[{\"variable\":\"562ef0c37625427dad377d5f\",\"value\":" +  String(t) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"562ef0f67625427de23bf516\",\"value\":" +  String(h) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"562ef14d7625427eea154a21\",\"value\":" +  String(value) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"562ef17d76254201ed8d3f27\",\"value\":" +  String(chargestatus) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"562ef196762542024600de71\",\"value\":" +  String(solarvoltage) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"563011ae762542683080b6bd\",\"value\":" +  String(solarcurrentmili) +"},";
    var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"562ef1b27625420302ec1c98\",\"value\":" +  String(rawtankweight) +"},";
    
    if (Location.length()==0) {
         var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"5630159a76254274497d0d2e\",\"value\":" +  String(0) + "}]"; //Build the JSON packet without GPS info
       } else {
      var=var +  "{\"variable\":\"5630159a76254274497d0d2e\",\"value\":" +  String(1) + ", \"context\":"+ Location + "}]";  // with GPS info
       }

    
   
     num=var.length();               // How long is the payload
     le=String(num);                 //this is to calcule the length of var
     Serial.print("Connect to ");    // For the console - show you are connecting
     Serial.println(server);
   
    if (globalClient.connect(server, port)){  // if you get a connection, report back via serial:
      Serial.println("connected");  // Console monitoring
      Serial.print(action);                   // These commands build a JSON request for Ubidots but fairly standard
      Serial.print(path);                     // specs for this command here: http://ubidots.com/docs/api/index.html
      Serial.println(" HTTP/1.1");
      Serial.println(F("Content-Type: application/json"));
      Serial.print(F("Content-Length: "));
      Serial.println(le);
      Serial.print(F("X-Auth-Token: "));
      Serial.println(token);
      Serial.print(F("Host: "));
      Serial.println(server);
      Serial.println();
      Serial.println(var);  // The payload defined above
      Serial.println();
      Serial.println((char)26); //This terminates the JSON SEND with a carriage return
      globalClient.print(action);                   // These commands build a JSON request for Ubidots but fairly standard
      globalClient.print(path);                     // specs for this command here: http://ubidots.com/docs/api/index.html
      globalClient.println(" HTTP/1.1");
      globalClient.println(F("Content-Type: application/json"));
      globalClient.print(F("Content-Length: "));
      globalClient.println(le);
      globalClient.print(F("X-Auth-Token: "));
      globalClient.println(token);
      globalClient.print(F("Host: "));
      globalClient.println(server);
      globalClient.println();
      globalClient.println(var);  // The payload defined above
      globalClient.println();
      globalClient.println((char)26); //This terminates the JSON SEND with a carriage return
      LastReport = millis();
    }
    delay(2000); // wait for server response
     while (globalClient){
      Serial.print((char)globalClient.read());
     }
     globalClient.stop();
     LGPS.powerOn();                  // Start the GPS first as it takes time to get a fix
     Serial.println("GPS Powered on, get a new fix. load cell is not working");
  }
}

boolean ParseLocation(const char* GPGGAstr)
// Refer to http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm#GGA
// Sample data: $GPGGA,123519,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,1,08,0.9,545.4,M,46.9,M,,*47
{
  char latarray[6];
  char longarray[6];
  int index = 0;
  //Serial.println(GPGGAstr);
  //Serial.print("Fix Quality: ");
  //Serial.println(GPGGAstr[43]);
  if (GPGGAstr[43]=='0') {        //  This is the place in the sentence that shows Fix Quality 0 means no fix
    //Serial.println("No GPS Fix");
    Location = "";           // No fix then no Location string
    return 0;
  }
  String GPSstring = String(GPGGAstr);
  for (int i=20; i<=26; i++) {         // We have to jump through some hoops here
    latarray[index] = GPGGAstr[i];     // we need to pick out the minutes from the char array
    index++;
  }


  float latdms = atof(latarray);        // and convert them to a float
  float lattitude = latdms/60;          // and convert that to decimal degrees
  String lattstring = String(lattitude);// Then put back into a string
  Location = "{\"lat\":";
  if(GPGGAstr[28] == 'S') Location = Location + "-";
  Location += GPSstring.substring(19,20) + "." + lattstring.substring(2,4);//If lattude beggins with 0 ubidots response is error. the code of latitude fix latidude if beggins with 0
  index = 0;
  for (int i=33; i<=38; i++) {         // And do the same thing for longitude
    longarray[index] = GPGGAstr[i];     // the good news is that the GPS data is fixed column
    index++;
  }
  float longdms = atof(longarray);        // and convert them to a float
  float longitude = longdms/60;          // and convert that to decimal degrees
  String longstring = String(longitude);// Then put back into a string
  Location += " ,\"lng\":";
  if(GPGGAstr[41] == 'W') Location = Location + "-";
  if(GPGGAstr[30] == '0') {
    Location = Location + GPSstring.substring(31,33) + "." + longstring.substring(2,4) + "}";
  }
  else {
    Location = Location + GPSstring.substring(30,33) + "." + longstring.substring(2,4) + "}";
  }
  return 1;
}


long read1() {
  // wait for the chip to become ready
  while (!(digitalRead(4) == LOW)){
    Serial.println("no listo");
  }

  byte data[3];

  // pulse the clock pin 24 times to read the data
  for (byte j = 3; j--;) {
    for (char i = 8; i--;) {
      digitalWrite(5, HIGH);
      bitWrite(data[j], i, digitalRead(4));
      digitalWrite(5, LOW);
    }
  }

   //set the channel and the gain factor for the next reading using the clock pin
  for (int i = 0; i < 1; i++) {
    digitalWrite(5, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(5, LOW);
  }

  data[2] ^= 0x80;

  return ((uint32_t) data[2] << 16) | ((uint32_t) data[1] << 8) | (uint32_t) data[0];
}

Credits

JULIO AGUIRRE

JULIO AGUIRRE

1 project • 7 followers
Airline pilot, and maker. Co-founder of MakerColombia.com
Thanks to Mauricio Moreno and Bodge.

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