"Look at you hacker, in order to use me, you must understand first." -- Anemone
Anemone is an open platform which allows you to experiment with Internet of Things. Anemone allows you to easily build open hardware device and to create a simple apps which will run both in cloud and on mobile devices.
First take a look at our website http://www.anemone.cloud.
Then continue reading.
Anemone ecosystem consists of:
- Anemone Overview (you are reading it now)
- Anemone Platform which consists of:
- Anemome Cloud
- Anemone Mobile Client iOS & Android apps (you can download them from www.anemone.cloud)
- Anemone Tentacle open hardware device you can build and 3D print
- Anemone Documentation where you can read everything you need to know
- Anemone Toolkit which you need in order to create a Tentacle or build Anemone App
- Anemone Apps Repository
- Anemone Cloud Connectors List
More information about the Anemone Platform are provided below.
Anemone has three main parts:
- Mobile Client
- Cloud
- Tentacle
Mobile Client is iOS and Android application which allows you to manage Tentacles and control Anemone Apps. You can download it for free from Apple AppStore and Google Play Store. Both links are on our website http://www.anemone.cloud.
Cloud is the final component of the platform which connects the Tentacles to the Mobile Client. But that is not all. The Anemone Cloud can connect both the Mobile Client and Tentacles to other API service on the internet using Connectors.
Tentacle is open hardware device based on Arduino YÚN which is the Internet of Things part the our platform. You can either connect as a guest to a Tentacle of your friend, or you can build your own (which will recognize you as its master).
The Cloud, Mobile Client and Tentacle together form a platform where Anemone Apps can run.
And Anemone Apps are here for you to use them, to develop them and mainly to have some fun with them.
With Anemone Platform you can do the following:
- You can display textual information from the the Anemone Cloud on Tentacle display (information is stored inside variables in the cloud component of Anemone app)
- Tentacle can change value of variable of it's app cloud component (eg. when some button on the Tentacle is pressed or when some data is measured)
- You can create so called "Anemone Apps" which contains variables which can be shown on Tentacle display and/or in the Mobile Client app. You can let user enter some data using his mobile phone, adjust this data in the cloud and show result on the Tentacle. Or you can let user interact with the Tentacle and process this interaction in the cloud and show the result in the mobile app.
- The platform is done in a way that owner of a Tentacle can share it to his friend or change the running Anemone App using the OTA (Over-The-Air) update.
The Anemone Platform is completely OPEN. Everybody can become a user by signing up for free. Every user can either receive a guest access or can build his own Tentacle. One can then install some apps from our public repository of Anemone Apps or he can create his own app.
Main goal of Anemone Platform is to provide a place where Anemone Apps can live.
Anemone App is a tiny piece of software which can be built by you. We have designed the Anemone platform in a way that it will be extremely easy for you to make new Anemone Apps.
Anemone app is every application which runs on the Anemone platform.
Every Anemone app has three components:
- Mobile User Interface
- Cloud Logic
- Tentacle User Interface and Logic
Every of these three components of an Anemone App runs in one part of Anemone platform:
- Mobile User Interface runs in the Mobile Client app
- Cloud Logic runs in the Cloud
- Tentacle User Interface and Logic runs on the Tentacle
When you create these three components you have successfully created an Anemone App. Every Anemone App is explicitly defined by these three components.
- Mobile User Interface is defined by an interface.json file
- Cloud Logic is defined by an manifest.json file
- Tentacle User Interface and Logic is defined by arduino .ino sketch which uses our Anemone arduino library
The interface.json file describes list of input and output components which together form the user interface of Anemone App which is shown inside the Mobile Client when your Anemone App is open.
Through this interface you can either read data from your Anemone App or provide data input. All data are in fact loaded and stored in the Anemone Cloud (from where the Tentacle will load them).
When defining the Anemone App Mobile User Interface you can use set of prepared components.
Interface of your Anemone App can look like this:
In order to make this Mobile User Interface, you need to create an interface.json file which can look like this:
{
"platform": {
"appId": "juicy-day",
"driver": "anemone",
"type": "interface",
"version": 1
},
"input": {
"inCostCzk": {
"type": "numberField",
"label": "Cost in CZK"
}
},
"output": {
"outCostEur": {
"type": "numberLabel",
"label": "Cost in EUR"
}
}
}You can find more information about creation of interface.json files for Anemone Apps in our How to define Anemone App User Interface in interface.json tutorial.
The manifest.json file describes list of variables and bindings which together form the cloud component of every Anemone App.
Every variable has a name and data type. And in addition an information whether it is readable (get) or writeable (set) from the Tentacle (the readability and writeablity from the Mobile Client is defined on other place of the manifest.json - in bindings).
{
"variables": {
"varCostCzk": {
"dataType": "float",
"get": true,
"set": false
},
"varCostEur": {
"dataType": "float",
"get": true,
"set": false
}
}
}The second part of the manifest.json file contains the list of bindings. There are two types of bindings - user interface bindings and cloud connectors bindings.
{
"bindings": {
"interface": {
},
"connectors": {
}
}
}User interface bindings (defined inside the "interface" section) describe bindings of variables to user interface components of Mobile User Interface defined in interface.json.
{
"bindings": {
"interface": {
"bindCostInCzk": {
"variable": "varCostCzk",
"from": "inCostCzk"
},
"bindCostInEur": {
"variable": "varCostEur",
"to": "outCostEur"
}
},
}
}The connectors bindings (defined inside the "connectors" section) describe bindings of variables to Anemone Cloud Connectors.
Connector is a component of Anemone Cloud which provides access to other web services (like Twitter of CSAS WebAPI).
Connectors are integrated in the Anemone Cloud. List of all existing connectors can be found here. You can create new connectors based on our manual.
The connector definition looks like this:
{
"bindings": {
"connectors": {
"exchangeRate": {
"connector": "exchangeRate",
"variable": "varCostCzk",
"args": {
"apiKey": "INSERT YOUR API KEY HERE"
},
"output": {
"variables": [
"varCostEur"
]
}
}
}
}
}The complete manifest.json file can look like this:
{
"platform": {
"appId": "juicy-day",
"driver": "anemone",
"type": "manifest",
"version": 1
},
"variables": {
"varCostCzk": {
"dataType": "float",
"get": true,
"set": false
},
"varCostEur": {
"dataType": "float",
"get": true,
"set": false
}
},
"bindings": {
"interface": {
"bindCostInCzk": {
"variable": "varCostCzk",
"from": "inCostCzk"
},
"bindCostInEur": {
"variable": "varCostEur",
"to": "outCostEur"
}
},
"connectors": {
"exchangeRate": {
"connector": "exchangeRate",
"variable": "varCostCzk",
"args": {
"apiKey": "INSERT YOUR API KEY HERE"
},
"output": {
"variables": [
"varCostEur"
]
}
}
}
}
}You can find more information about creation of manifest.json files for Anemone Apps in our How to define Anemone App Logic in manifest.json tutorial.
The last component of Anemone App is the one which will run on a Tentacle.
This component is in fact an arduino .ino sketch file which runs on the Arduino YÚN and is "the brain" of the Tentacle.
In order to make the development of Anemone sketches easier, we have prepared the anemone arduino library and default Tentacle user interface components and screens.
You can find more information about creation of arduino sketch files for Anemone Apps in our How to create Anemone App Sketch in Arduino IDE tutorial.
You can use the Anemone platform either as a User or as a Developer.
In order to start as a User, all you need to do is:
- Sign up for free on the Anemone platform website. Select your account avatar while doing so (by a name of the icon only - that is the real fun!)
- Download the Mobile Client app for iOS or Android (you can find links to apps on our website http://www.anemone.cloud)
- Find some Tentacle which you would like to control. In order to control a Tentacle, you need to either own it (which means to build it first), or be invited to it as a guest
- Take a full control of the Tentacle. You can control the running app as both guest and owner. Or switch the running app for another one or trigger Tentacle share mode as owner. Both can be done from the Mobile Client or Cloud administration
When starting as a Developer do the following:
- Sign up for free on the Anemone platform website. Select your account avatar while doing so (by a name of the icon only - that is only way which contains the real fun!)
- Download the Mobile Client app for iOS or Android (you can find links to apps on our website http://www.anemone.cloud)
- Build a Tentacle. Every real developer has its own Tentacle
- Make an Anemone app. Prepare the interface.json, manifest.json and arduino sketch .hex files for your application. Login to the cloud administration and add your first Anemone app
- Install the app on your Tentacle via OTA from cloud administration (by pressing a Install button)
- Test the app on your Tentacle when being in a sandbox mode.
- Submit the app for approval to the public apps repository via button in the cloud administration
- The anemone team will review and approve the app
- Every user of the platform can download the app and use it
- Congratulations - you are now Anemone apps developer. The world is yours!
- Check out our website
- Sign up for free and download the Mobile Client
- Read the How to build Anemone Tentacle tutorial
- Read the How to make Anemone App tutorial, or directly
- Read the How to make Anemone Connector tutorial
- You may be also interested in the Anemone Apps Repository, List of available Anemone Connectors and Anemone Arduino Library documentation
- Explore the "Juicy Day" example Anemone App on our GitHub
- Write us. Tweet about us, write on Facebook, make a blogpost. Use hashtag #anemoneCloud.
Anemone platform is a result of cooperation between Honza Sechovec and Juicymo.
It could never be created without support of guys from Česká Spořitelna
Anemone has been created with love in Prague.
In case of any question or issue, feel free to add a GitHub Issue in this repository.
For their great effort we owe a BIG thank to the following people and entities from the joint project development team (everybody did a lot more then what was expected from him):
- Pedro Pinto da Silva for the outstanding graphical design of the entire platform including website, mobile app, Arduino app UI and infographics. This platform design has a story.
- Martin Svoboda for the development of Anemone Cloud Ruby on Rails application, manifest and interface JSON parsers and database.
- Šimon Kautský for the development of Anemone Mobile Client app both for iOS and Android in Unity3D and for solving all these ugly platform specific bugs.
- Filip Bursík for the development of Arduino part of Anemone platform in C and for all those dreamless nights when the program did not fit the small Arduino YÚN memory.
- Michal Mlejnek for the huge amount of Anemone Tentacle 3D case model iterations in Blender - including the final one which you can print and enjoy.
- Jana Moudrá for coding the Anemone platform presentational website (the one at http://www.anemone.cloud). Fully responsive with all the cute JS features.
- Honza Sechovec for the vision, guidance and mainly for the patience. The development of the platform took a bit longer than expected, but the result is worth it.
- Tomáš Jukin for the platform architecture and the fact that all the stuff fits well together. And for the ugly electronical stuff, the documentation, slicing, soldering and 3D printing.
- Kanárek (which is a Prusa3D i3 MK2 3D printer) for printing every single iteration of the Anemone Tentacle 3D case model and still work.
"They say great science is built on the shoulders of giants." -- Cave Johnson
Anemone Platform is build using well known technologies you should not miss.
- Anemone Tentacle is an Open Hardware device build around on the Arduino YÚN and Arduino TFT Display.
- Anemone Cloud is created using Ruby on Rails
- Anemone Mobile Client is programmed in Unity
- Join the platform! Either as a User or Developer, you can join the Anemone platform and explore the world of IoT in a fun way. See http://www.anemone.cloud.
- Spread the word! I you know somebody who might be interested in our platform invite him ale show him your Tentacle.
- Make your own apps based on manual.
- Make new connectors and submit them as pull requests to this repository.
- Interested in serious development? Wanna extend the platform itself? Contact Honza at honza@flexer.cz.
Arduino YÚN is a terribly slow device. So when you turn it on (typicaly by plugining in the USB cable), it will just turn on the green LED an do nothing. In this time the Arduino YÚN Linux/WiFi part is booting up. When this will finish, the ÝUN will turn on a white LED (this can took up to 5 mins). And this is the moment when it will start the Arduino sketch ans hence your Anemone App as well.
After the initial setup a so called "Initial Arduino Sketch" is installed on your Tentacle by the tentacle.sh script you have downloaded from the Anemone Cloud Admin. This sketch just shows the "Ready for app install" text and image.
After 60 seconds, the "Initial Arduino Sketch" will try to perform an OTA update.
Because the hardware limitations of the Arduino YÚN (especially the way how the SPI bus is wired to the ICSP pins on YÚN), the TFT screen needs to be turned off prior an OTA update. This is why the screen goes black when OTA update is in progress.
And because Arduino YÚN is quite slow, the OTA update can take up to 5 minutes event on fast internet connection.
So the solution of this is just wait till the OTA update will complete. Your app will run after it.*
*We know that this is not the best user-friendly behavior and we are working on a possible solution which could make this better in future. So have crossed for us fingers...
Arduino YÚN is able to very often corrupt its memory and completely freeze. The Anemone platform is prepared to this and in this case you can save the situation by performing the following:
- Try to SSH to your Tentacle, if that is still possible, run there the Tentacle initialization script (
tentacle.sh) again (if you do not have it, feel free to download it again from Anemone Cloud). Thetentacle.shis designed to be idempotent (which simply means that it is OK to run it multiple times).tentacle.shwill initialize the Tentacle once again, and once again will install the Initial Sketch. But after 60s in its update period the Initial Sketch will automatically detect that some Anemone App is already installed on the Tentacle and will automatically perform the OTA to it. And because the Anemone App state (= its variables) is always stored in Anemone Cloud, your app will be back up with all its data. This should solve your issue.
- If the hints from step 1. did not help (probably because the Tentacle/Arduino YÚN is no longer responding to anything, including SSH), try to turn the Tentacle off and on (by cutting power to it - do not rely on the onboard reset buttons). When you plug it to power again, wait till the Arduino YÚN completes its booting - it will turn on the white LED on its surface - it takes around 5 mins. Now your Tentacle might resume its normal operations (that means that your Anemone App should boot up). If not, try if at least the SSH is working and follow instructions from step 1.
- If even hints from step 2. were not helpful, your Arduino YÚN went completely stuck (this happened multiple times to us durring the development of the platform ;)). In this case nothing else than a YÚN linux image reset will help you. Follow instructions on the official tutorial how to reset Arduino YÚN linux image. That usually helps. When done, follow with instructions from the step 1.
You need to access the Tentacle physically and press the cloud button (located below the left bottom corner of the screen). Or you can convince the Tentacle owner to press the key button in his Mobile Client app on his Tentacle info page.
This will initiate a share mode of the Tentacle. When in this mode, Tentacle will show a four digit guest code on its screen - eg. 1234.
When you physically access a Tentacle in share mode, you can type its guest code to your Mobile Client app (after pressing the Add Tentacle button on the dashboard).
The Tentacle will now appear in your Mobile Client under the Guest Boxes label. You can now control the Anemone App which is running on it.
Just follow our manual. It includes a part list and even a model of cute case which can be 3D printed! All the difficult stuff is done, what remains are just the fun parts ;).
This software is licensed under MIT license.
