Version 1.0.4-26

Which IOT cloud platform should my students use with the powerful Arduino PortentaH7!

And the winner is: Adafruit.io

Here is an image of my criteria for my students:

Why Adafruit?

• Great MQTT, Connects well with Helium, uses CayenneLPP for easy JSON data compression. Works well with Arduino Products.
• Has HTTP(s) access to online variables (I will check if you can download data using HTTPS)
• Awesome Developers, when asked if they could activate MQTT-Websockets they had it working in one day?
• MQTT-Websockets working
• Has a free tier with a sensible amount of data etc.

Steps for students to use Adafruit.io

1. Signup/Login to the Adafruit.io website.Click "IO" --> Click "MY-KEY" --> Copy your Username and your Active Key
   
2. Then load this page to send/receive data from a static MQTT-Websocket ada-websocket02.html IT WORKS GREAT!
   
3. Now try an MQTT app for Android like iotmqttpanel or for any laptop Node-Red or for Windows try MQTT-explorer
   Reminder to use "feeds" and not "feed" /{username}/feeds/{name-of-feed}
   If you find these confusing then just move on
   
4. Send data from a static webpage over HTTP
   The following needs your webhook key. That's it.
   1. Easiest way to send data to io.adafruit.com; Just use a normal HTML form. Copy following into a file with a .html extension
      Adafruit webhooks are in the format<br> https://io.adafruit.com/api/v2/webhooks/feed/rvVztyR9G5D51ix6xoNkFCMMGG9T <form id="myForm01" target="_blank" action="https://io.adafruit.com/api/v2/webhooks/feed/rvVztyR9G5D51ix6xoNkFCMMGG9T" method="POST"> Send your choice: <select name="value"> <option value="0" selected>0</option> <option value="1">1</option> <option value="2">2</option> </select><br> <input type="submit" value="Send data to io.adafruit.com"> </form>
      
   2. ada-write-to-feed01.html Send raw data to Adafruit using vanilla Javascript async await fetch. WORKS GREAT
      
   3. ada-write-to-feed02.html Send formatted value=4 data to Adafruit using vanilla Javascript async await fetch. WORKS GREAT
      
   4. ada-write-to-feed03.html Send JSON formatted {"value":"4"} data to Adafruit using vanilla Javascript async await fetch. WORKS GREAT
5. Read data from a webpage over HTTP Draft: ada-read-feed02.html WORKS GREAT
   
   

   Now the important Arduino Connections

   
   
6. Send data from an Arduino PortentaH7 with WiFi using form style HTTP POST action arduino-portenta-post01.ino
   Code here as well
   /*By rocksetta * Use at your own risk * */ #include <Arduino.h> // Only needed by https://platformio.org/ #include "WiFi.h" #include "WiFiSSLClient.h" ///////please enter your sensitive data in the Secret tab/arduino_secrets.h // Choose either the following arduino_secrets.h tab and bracket out the next 2 lines after it // That route is more secure. // Or just change the lines below for your Network and Password. Eaier but not as secure // Since if you share this file it will have your info on it ////////////////////////////// Set the below values ///////////////////////////////////////////// //#include "arduino_secrets.h" // more safe #define SECRET_SSID "yourSSID" #define SECRET_PASS "yourPASS" // IPAddress server(52.54.163.195); // IP to connect to - use either char server[] = "io.adafruit.com"; // Server to connect // note the slight difference between a webhook and what we need // https://io.adafruit.com/api/v2/webhooks/feed/rvVztyR9G5D51ix6xoNkFCMMGG9T String myAdafruitWebhook = "/api/v2/webhooks/feed/rvVztyR9G5D51ix6xoNkFCMMGG9T"; String myData = "value=234"; /////////////////////////////// set the above //////////////////////////////////////// char ssid[] = SECRET_SSID; // your network SSID (name) char pass[] = SECRET_PASS; // your network password (use for WPA, or use as key for WEP) int keyIndex = 0; // your network key index number (needed only for WEP) int status = WL_IDLE_STATUS; WiFiSSLClient client; void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); //while (!Serial) {} // wait for serial port to connect. I DON'T LIKE WAITING // Below non-blocking and gives time for serial monitor digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit to connect serial monitor"); digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit"); digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit"); pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(LEDB, OUTPUT); digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); // blue on while connecting digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // check for the WiFi module: if (WiFi.status() == WL_NO_MODULE) { Serial.println("Communication with WiFi module failed!"); // don't continue while (true); } // attempt to connect to WiFi network: while (status != WL_CONNECTED) { Serial.print("Attempting to connect to SSID: "); Serial.println(ssid); // Connect to WPA/WPA2 network. Change this line if using open or WEP network: status = WiFi.begin(ssid, pass); // wait 10 seconds for connection: delay(10000); } Serial.println("Connected to WiFi"); digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH); digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); // Green on When Connected // print the SSID of the network you're attached to: Serial.print("SSID: "); Serial.println(WiFi.SSID()); // print your board's IP address: IPAddress ip = WiFi.localIP(); Serial.print("IP Address: "); Serial.println(ip); // print the received signal strength: long rssi = WiFi.RSSI(); Serial.print("signal strength (RSSI):"); Serial.print(rssi); Serial.println(" dBm"); Serial.println("\nStarting connection to server..."); // if you get a connection, report back via serial: if (client.connect(server, 443)) { Serial.println("Conected to Server! Sending data"); client.println("POST " + myAdafruitWebhook + " HTTP/1.1"); client.println("connection: close"); client.println("content-type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=utf-8"); //application/x-www-form-urlencoded application/json client.println("host: io.adafruit.com"); client.println("user-agent: arduino"); client.println("content-length: " + String(myData.length()) ); client.println(); client.println(myData); client.println(); client.println(); } } void loop() { // if there are incoming bytes available // from the server, read them and print them: while (client.available()) { char c = client.read(); Serial.write(c); } // if the server's disconnected, stop the client: if (!client.connected()) { Serial.println(); Serial.println("disconnecting from server."); client.stop(); // do nothing forevermore: while (true); } }
   
7. Send data from an Arduino PortentaH7 using MQTT over WiFi arduino-portenta-mqtt-client01.ino
   Code here as well
   /* * Uses the library MQTT.h from https://github.com/256dpi/arduino-mqtt * but made for the PortentaH7 * By Rocksetta * Use at your own risk! */ #include <Arduino.h> // Only needed by https://platformio.org/ #include "WiFi.h" #include "WiFiSSLClient.h" #include <MQTT.h> ////////////////////////////////// You need to enter these /////////////////////////////////////////////// //#include "arduino_secrets.h" // more safe to move the following #define SECRET_SSID "yourSSID" #define SECRET_PASS "yourPASS" #define THE_SERVER "io.adafruit.com" int myPort = 8883; //ssl 8883, insecure 1883 #define THE_RANDOM_ID "random2345345" // if using several devices each one needs this to be unique #define THE_USER_NAME "yourUSER" #define THE_ADAFRUIT_ACTIVE_KEY "aio_aaaaa-your-active-key-aaaaaa" #define THE_TOPIC_USER_FEEDS_KEY "yourUSER/feeds/yourFeedName" // such as joeUser/feeds/led1 long myMillisSecondDelay = 30000; // 30000 = 30 seconds ////////////////////////////// End the entry area ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// int status = WL_IDLE_STATUS; char ssid[] = SECRET_SSID; // your network SSID (name) char pass[] = SECRET_PASS; // your network password (use for WPA, or use as key for WEP) WiFiSSLClient netSSL; MQTTClient client; unsigned long lastMillis = 0; void connect() { Serial.print("Checking wifi to: " + String(ssid)); while (status != WL_CONNECTED) { Serial.print("."); // Connect to WPA/WPA2 network. Change this line if using open or WEP network: status = WiFi.begin(ssid, pass); // wait 10 seconds for connection: delay(3000); } Serial.print("\nWifi Connected, now connecting to the MQTT Broker ..."); // clientID (a random unique number), username, activeKey, bool for skip while (!client.connect(THE_RANDOM_ID, THE_USER_NAME, THE_ADAFRUIT_ACTIVE_KEY)) { Serial.print("."); delay(3000); } Serial.println("\nconnected to : " + String(THE_SERVER) ); client.subscribe(THE_TOPIC_USER_FEEDS_KEY); // client.unsubscribe(THE_TOPIC_USER_FEEDS_KEY); } void messageReceived(String &topic, String &payload) { Serial.println("incoming: " + topic + " : " + payload); // Note: Do not use the variable "client" here as it will lock up } void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); //while (!Serial) {} // wait for serial port to connect. I DON'T LIKE WAITING pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(LEDB, OUTPUT); digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit to connect serial monitor"); digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit"); digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); delay(5000); Serial.println("Wait a bit"); digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW); // blue on while connecting digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // check for the WiFi module: if (WiFi.status() == WL_NO_MODULE) { Serial.println("Communication with WiFi module failed!"); // don't continue while (true); } // MQTT brokers usually use port 8883 for secure connections. client.begin(THE_SERVER, myPort, netSSL); client.onMessage(messageReceived); connect(); digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH); // Green on while connected digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); } void loop() { client.loop(); if (!client.connected()) { connect(); } // publish a message roughly every 30 seconds. if (millis() - lastMillis > myMillisSecondDelay) { lastMillis = millis(); // Send whatever reading is at A0 from 0->1023 even if nothing is connected to it client.publish(THE_TOPIC_USER_FEEDS_KEY, String(analogRead(A0)) ); } }
   
   
   
8. Send data from an Arduino PortentaH7 using HTTP POST over Ethernet arduino-ethernet-insecure-adafruit-post.ino Since this is insecure I suggest not using it
   
   
9. Send data from an Arduino PortentaH7 using MQTT over Ethernet arduino-mqtt-ethernet-insequre.ino Since this is insecure I suggest not using it
   
   
10. Try an Adafruit MQTT integration with the Helium console (advanced: need a LoRaWan board like the Portenta LoRa Vision Shield) Get 10,000 Data Credits for signing up. WORKS GREAT
    
11. Try an Adafruit HTTP integration with the Helium console (advanced:see above). I still need to test this.

Second place is: HiveMQ

Third place is: Arduino Cloud

Honourable Mention to:

Note: Most of these sites are fine, they just need a User Experienc Expert to make them faster to setup and easier to use.

The Old Index, before Adafruit won!

IOT cloud sites that are good but not yet great in my opinion!

A few resources I like