Getting Started Instructions

I have just done a completely clean install of EmonCMS using the instructions on GitHub and they largely worked fine.  I am now looking at the instructions for setting up the feeds and I feel they are wanting.

Having followed the discussions over the years on different feed engines and their suitability for different types of logging (most of which I did not understand), this subject is then not mentioned anywhere in the instructions http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/modules/emonTxV3  The only thing in the instructions that tell me which engine to use is the screenshot of the final Feeds screen.  I also think the screenshots are not of the latest version of Emoncms either (which is even more confusing).

Can these instructions be improved with a simple 'recommended setup' for each input to create suitable logs and include the engine to be used please.

Could someone please confirm what feeds should be created for each input and what the right (best) engine is to use for each feed.  I have power, temp and humidity being captured.

Cheers :)

Brian

borpin123's picture

Re: Getting Started Instructions

Any help?

TrystanLea's picture

Re: Getting Started Instructions

Thanks Brian, Missed your post here, yes Il take a look at this and update. I see the emontx guide uses kwh/d data for the app module and the new app module uses accumulating kwh feeds instead.

The emonpi setup guide has a good overview on feed setup that is up-to-date:
http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/modules/emonpi

On the emonpi/emonbase the feed engine options are phpfina and phptimeseries. Its recommended to use phpfina for all standard logging as it uses half the disk space that phptimeseries uses for regular interval timeseries data (all standard power, temperature, kwh data with OEM).

If your doing any logging of nodes that have a variable update rate using a custom firmware then phptimeseries may be the better engine to use.

On emoncms.org, I would like to change the recommended engine to PHPFina from PHPFiwa as it would then be consistent across the emonpi/emonbase and emoncms.org, making it easier to migrate feeds across both. But the averaging feature on the PHPFiwa engine can be very useful for looking at temperature and power feeds over long timescales, so the option to use PHPFiwa would be good to be retained. The PHPTimeseries engine on emoncms.org is used for daily data created with the input processor power_to_kwhd and others. But daily data on emoncms.org has never had timezones correctly implemented and the app module needs accumulating kwh feeds created with the power_to_kwh processor and phpfina feed engine.

borpin123's picture

Re: Getting Started Instructions

Hi Trystan,

Thanks.  I'll try that.

One other thing, how do I install additional modules - base emoncms has nothing appearing in the top left banner.  It is mentioned all over the place they are available but I can find nothing saying how to install them!

Cheers

blaal02's picture

Re: Getting Started Instructions

Hi Brian,

I'm wondering if you came to any good conclusions here?

I'm in much the same dilemma - for each of the CTs, the older doc seems to suggest logging the current feed using PHPFIWA, the current power to kWh with PHPFINA (PHPFIWA isn't an option) and power to kWh/d with PHPTIMESERIES (PHPFINA & PHPFLNA not options). The newer doc seems to suggest that the daily graphs can come from the kWd/PHPFINA log - but I'm not quite sure how to do that on a multigraph.

Thanks,

Sandy

borpin123's picture

Re: Getting Started Instructions

I ended up with a log to feed PHPFINA  and a 'power to kWh' PHPFINA feed.  Seems to work but not really sure it is right!  I did do a power to kWh/d but I'm not sure you need it for the 'My Electric' app (which I use in preference to the olders histograms etc) and that feed is in an error state anyway.  I also seem not to have REDIS installed so did not try either of those.

HTH

Cheers

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