First off, I'm a Compleat Beginner. I would like to control this 16-relay Denkovi board over the internet so I can maintain my aquarium when I'm away. Doubtless Denkovi's instructions are excellent for someone who knows what he's doing, but I don't know what I'm doing, so the heavy concentration of jargon and acronyms just makes my eyes go blank. Is there a noble soul out there who could give me a rough summary of how to proceed?

http://denkovi.com/wifi-16-relay-board-modBus-tcp#third_parity_software

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdenkovi.com%2FDocuments%2Fwifi-16-relay-modbus%2Fcurrent-version%2FUserManual_WiFi16_ModBus.pdf&clen=1982648&chunk=true

 

Congratulations you entering to the world of domotic ...also called Building management system ( BMS )

Having said that , what kind of sensors are installed 0...looks like that board is kind of interface module to get WIf communication through modbus LAN TCP ...

Search for Access from Domoticz interface on the web page that you shared ( it is swon /displayed link for the open source "free software")
You got also other communication protocol /interface like red nodes which is also expalined on the link...


Without knowing sensors ( instrumentation used on this case) i cannot add more ..

How do you need /want to maintain that aquarium..by maintaining water temperature? Moisture ?
These parameters can be easily monitored and maintained by such equipments ...

What type of controller will be used ,? Rasperri PI or other one?


Looks like yo will need to get familiarized with modbus TCP LAN first to go on red nodes or other communication protocol /interface..
Search for Modbus LAN TCP first on the web!


Any time!

James

 

I'm not using any sensors, just intend to use the relays to turn on/off pumps, feeders, etc. I'm able to access the board via wifi on my local network so I can set parameters, etc. Where I'm running into a dead end is communicating with the board on the web. Do I need to establish a URL for the board? Would software like Modbus Poll be necessary/advisable?

 

I'm not using any sensors, just intend to use the relays to turn on/off pumps, feeders, etc. I'm able to access the board via wifi on my local network so I can set parameters, etc. Where I'm running into a dead end is communicating with the board on the web. Do I need to establish a URL for the board? Would software like Modbus Poll be necessary/advisable?

There should be kind of information on the manual of that device...

 

I just have a read on the manual... Everything that you asked is well described from page 12 till 18 at least..
Any time!

 

 

 

 

And You are welcome!

Just get a good read on the manual as all needed to know is inside!

Any time!

James

 

 

I'm able to access the board via wifi on my local network so I can set parameters, etc. Where I'm running into a dead end is communicating with the board on the web. Do I need to establish a URL for the board? Would software like Modbus Poll be necessary/advisable?

When you say you're able to access the board on your local network, do you mean you are simply opening a web browser and typing in the relay module's IP address? Or do you already have Modbus software on your computer/phone/tablet that you can turn relays on and off with via WiFi on your local network?

My recommendation is to first get Modbus communication working via WiFi on your local network. Using a computer, you can use Modbus Poll, as shown in the relay module's manual. If you have an Android phone or tablet you can use ICC's NetLink app with the Modbus/TCP Plugin app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iccdesigns.netlink
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iccdesigns.netlink.modbus

After you get Modbus communication working on your local network, then you can move to controlling the relay module over the internet. This is where things get a bit complicated, though.

A naive (i.e. very insecure) way of doing this would be to setup port forwarding on your internet router to forward TCP port 502 (the standard Modbus/TCP port) to the IP address of the relay module. You can then connect to the relay module over the internet using Modbus/TCP by connecting to the public (WAN side) IP address of your internet router. Of course, if you can connect to this port, then anyone on the internet can also connect and control your relay module at will (did I mention this method is very insecure?).

A more secure way of doing this is to setup VPN on your home network. This will allow you to access any device on your home network over the internet as if you were connected to the local network directly. Your internet router may have an option to enable VPN access, otherwise, you may need to purchase a device that can act as a VPN server (for example, a Raspberry Pi https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-create-a-vpn-server-with-raspberry-pi).

In addition to either of the two above methods, you may also need to setup Dynamic DNS (DDNS), since the public (WAN side) IP address of your internet router is likely to change, unless you have paid for a static IP address from your ISP. This will allow you to access your home network using a host name (URL). Many internet routers support DDNS, so you may be able to do it with yours. You will also need to use a DDNS service, such as No-IP
https://www.noip.com/

There are a lot of resources available online for setting up a VPN and DDNS, and it will depend on the capabilities of your internet router. Google is your friend here.

 

When you say you're able to access the board on your local network, do you mean you are simply opening a web browser and typing in the relay module's IP address? Or do you already have Modbus software on your computer/phone/tablet that you can turn relays on and off with via WiFi on your local network?

My recommendation is to first get Modbus communication working via WiFi on your local network. Using a computer, you can use Modbus Poll, as shown in the relay module's manual. If you have an Android phone or tablet you can use ICC's NetLink app with the Modbus/TCP Plugin app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iccdesigns.netlink
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iccdesigns.netlink.modbus

After you get Modbus communication working on your local network, then you can move to controlling the relay module over the internet. This is where things get a bit complicated, though.

A naive (i.e. very insecure) way of doing this would be to setup port forwarding on your internet router to forward TCP port 502 (the standard Modbus/TCP port) to the IP address of the relay module. You can then connect to the relay module over the internet using Modbus/TCP by connecting to the public (WAN side) IP address of your internet router. Of course, if you can connect to this port, then anyone on the internet can also connect and control your relay module at will (did I mention this method is very insecure?).

A more secure way of doing this is to setup VPN on your home network. This will allow you to access any device on your home network over the internet as if you were connected to the local network directly. Your internet router may have an option to enable VPN access, otherwise, you may need to purchase a device that can act as a VPN server (for example, a Raspberry Pi https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-create-a-vpn-server-with-raspberry-pi).

In addition to either of the two above methods, you may also need to setup Dynamic DNS (DDNS), since the public (WAN side) IP address of your internet router is likely to change, unless you have paid for a static IP address from your ISP. This will allow you to access your home network using a host name (URL). Many internet routers support DDNS, so you may be able to do it with yours. You will also need to use a DDNS service, such as No-IP
https://www.noip.com/

There are a lot of resources available online for setting up a VPN and DDNS, and it will depend on the capabilities of your internet router. Google is your friend here.

Thanks very much jschulze. This is exactly the kind of information I need. It will take me a while to plow through it, but I believe your info will help me get where I want to go.