IVT, Bosch heat pump easy integration, Home Assistant

In search of the optimal solution on how to interface our IVT Heat pump, first try here, I stumbled over a nice integration for Home Assistant(HA). A first quick setup is shown at the right.

The first obstacle was that it was HA which I knew about but never used.  So it was "back too school" and doing a blog post about a HA Core install.

Home Assistant core install, Raspberry Pi and Python 3.12

The best way to start with Home Assistant(HA), and Raspberry Pi(RPi), is off course to use the ”Raspberry Pi imager” and in the menu select "Other specific-purpose OS => Home Assistant and home automation => Home Assistant". This will install the HA operating system.

It works very well and here are the install instructions. 

On the other hand if you want to add HA to a RPi which you already have up and running, without Docker, you need to install something which is called "Home Assistant Core".

Please check the "Remarks" below before you start.

IVT, Bosch heat pump easy integration, NodeRed

If you are running the IVT Anywhere or the Bosch Easy remote app you probably also can retrieve its data with for example NodeRed. 

With the nice application Bosch XMPP you can set up an integration with the cloud service supplied by your vendor.

Raspberry Pi OS Lite with GUI, RDP, VNC, Chrome

Updated 2024-03-02 !

I like the Raspberry Pi(RPi), with Raspberry Pi OS Lite (no Desktop is included), headless operation, and then adding the software You need. Until now I haven't had a use case where I needed a Desktop but now was time. 

Why don't use the Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop ?? In that package there is a lot of software I don't need and I really want to optimize the RPi. I think that the less software You install the happier RPi will be...

😉

AIS receiver and dispatcher ! The best ?!

Updated 2024-02-18

I found this amazing application, AIS-catcher, just scrolling around on Youtube and it includes "all" you need for an AIS receiver staying ashore or installed on a boat.

It is compatible with a wide range of Software Defined Radios (SDRs). These include RTL-SDR dongles (such as the ShipXplorer AIS dongle and RTL SDR Blog v4), AirSpy (Mini/R2/HF+), HackRF, SDRPlay, SoapySDR, and file/network input (ZMQ/RTL-TCP/SpyServer). 

Clone the Raspberry boot disk

Updated 2024-02-20 !

A very nice way to fix a backup is to make a copy, bootable, of the actual SD card You are using on the Raspberry Pi(RPi). This will be done even when the RPi is up and running !

This application can also be used to make a bootable SSD or USB drive !!

You clone from the command line so You don't need the standard GUI, Pixel, and the "SD card copier" function.

It is also possible to set up a a scheduled job, cronjob explained later, which for example makes a clone every night at 1 o'clock.

DMI forecast API for atmosphere, ocean and sea ice, free !

Updated 2024-02-10

DMI is the Danish Meteorological Institute and the Open Data API provides free and open access to DMI’s data.They are covering a pretty big area not just Denmark.

I'm maintaining the weather station for Domstens yacht club and have become really interested in weather "issues".

The actual use case for me is that I have to change the mooring, of our boat, if the water level exceeds 60 cm from normal. For several years I have been searching for a free forecast API so I can get an early warning when the water level rises.

Node-Red is used.

Teltonika RUT 240 as source for Mesh Network or router

I have used the TP-link Deco M9 for quite a while and it have worked very well.

Since almost 2 years I have used mobile broadband as a source for the Mesh network, at home, via a Nokia Fastmile(NF) with no direct flaws.

Getting a very nice offer, half the monthly cost, for mobile Internet from our mobile phone operator it was time to test something new.

Since I probably will have to return the Nokia receiver quitting the old supplier I had to test the new provider with some other equipment. Running the Teltonika RUT 240(TR) in our yacht, in the summertime, it was available for testing.

Install Weather34 with WeatherLink, v2 API

Updated 2024-01-08 OK with Bookworm 64 bit, PHP 8.2 !

This post is an update from a former post which handles on how to set up a weather WEB-site with data from Davis Weather Link(WL) but here adapted to the latest WL API v2.

Any product that reports weather data to WL can be used as a source for this weather template.

This is made without additional software such as Cumulus, Weather display or the Meteobridge product.

RPi install Apache/PHP WEB-server

Updated 2024-01-07 ! OK with Bookworm & PHP 8.2 !

As a part of one of my project, the ultimate Weather site ? Weather34, I needed a WEB-host with PHP.

I started up with a fresh Raspberry OS Lite SD Card with Samba installed.

Log on, with ssh/terminal to the RaspberryPi(RPi), in this case hostname "pws01", and update the OS with

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo apt clean

go on and install the Apache server with

sudo apt install apache2

Samba, RPi as Windows file/print server

Updated 2024-01-05 OK with Bookworm !

If You want that the Raspberry Pi(RPi), shall appear in MS File Explorer or Mac Finder, as a File server, the easiest way is to install Samba.

This also makes it much easier if You want to edit files on the RPi with editors from Your MS/Apple device. Or maybe moving files from/to the RPi.

Raspberry Pi OS install with Mac/Windows/Linux

Updated 2023-12-06 !

When starting up a new project with Raspberry Pi I like to start up fresh and with a minimal OS. Therefore i always use Raspberry Pi OS(ROS) Lite and then adding what I need. 

Doing it right You don't have to use an external display, keybord and mouse, just a "ssh" client.

Flash to a SSD ? Check this post.

SDR calibrate with kalibrate-rtl

Updated 2023-12-05 !! OK, with Bookworm (32/64 bit) !!

To optimize the reception with SDR:s, Software Defined Radios, it is important to receive on the proper frequency. Due to variations in production there could be deviations.

The calibration could be done against standard GSM transmitters which are providing a stable reference frequency.

Another way is found in the AIS-catcher application and use the information supplied in the graphs "Frequency Shift". 

Raspberry Pi watchdog made simple

Updated 2023-11-08 for Bookworm !

The purpose of a watchdog timer(WD) is very well described here but a more practical answer is;

If your Raspberry Pi(RPi) "freezes", or hangs, it will automagically reboot within a very short time.

This is made with a combination of hardware and software which is all ready available, on the RPi, and just have to be enabled.

After some hours Googling and testing these are my findings !

Homebridge made simple, Homebridge

Updated 2023-10-26 !

HomeBridge(HB) is the software where You make Your home automation devices appear in the Apple Home App as native products. In this post a Raspberry Pi is used as the HB server.

There has really been big improvements in the installation process and I think the HB version is better/easier than HOOBS.

Migrate from HOOBS ?! Link

Raspberry headless install with WiFi

Updated 2023-10-17 !

To make a headless, without monitor, keyboard and mouse, install of Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi(RPi) with built in WiFi and no LAN cable connection, please follow the instructions below.

For example the RPi Zero and Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ don't have any LAN cable port so the setup is quite usable.

To make an active WiFi connection at first boot You have to use the "Advanced options" in Raspberry Pi Imager or create, old way, a configuration file called "wpa_supplicant.conf".

NetworkManager UI and access point, hotspot

Updated 2023-10-12 !

In a former post I shared some thoughts about how to start using NetworkManager (NM), on a Raspberry, and here I will continue with additional examples that can help with network setup.

• NMTUI is NetworkManager text UI which can handle the most common tasks in a easy way.
• An access point or hotspot will be configured.
• "sudo nmcli connection edit xxxx" is a command that guides you throw a change of parameters.

Bluetooth Beacon and Raspberry

Updated 2023-10-02 !

The latest models of Rasberry Pi, (RPi), comes with built in Bluetooth, (BT), so how to receive data from Your Bluetooth devices ?

A Bluetooth Beacon, could be a RuuvuTag, is a device that You don't have to pair with, You just scan and receive the data that they are transmitting.

Start with checking that Your BT interface is working, in a terminal window, typing

hciconfig 

Volvo C70, Mk1, convertible tips and trix

I own a 2003 C70 Volvo softtop convertible but at the age of 20 she got some problems with the softtop/cab. 

So this post will be some problem solving and links to information which could be handy. 

There is a private Facebook group which is active and helpful.

Remote access, remote.it, made simple

Sometimes it's really nice to reach your applications at home when you are somewhere else. 

There are several applications but this post will be describe a really quick setup with remote.it on a Raspberry Pi(RPi) or another Linux platform. Of course there also is a Windows version.

For non-commercial use, with up to 5 devices, it's free !

The most used services are; http, ssh, vnc, rdp, SAMBA(smb/cifs) .....

I'm using it to display NodeRed dashboard, access servers with "ssh" and file sharing with SAMBA there all applications are running on RPi:s at home.