In a previous article we discussed how to use the Twine to monitor the state of a garage door and send alert notifications via text (SMS) or email if the door had been left open for a certain period of time.  In that article/project we used the built-in orientation sensor in the Twine and the Twine mounted directly to the garage door to determine garage door state.  While this was a simple and elegant solution there a certain practical issues for a long term garage monitoring solution that this project did not really address.  

The number one issue is battery life.  Mounting the Twine directly to the garage door forces the Twine to run solely on batteries and the battery life on the Twine may be too short to be practical for a permanent installation.  Personally, I prefer a physically connected powered solution so that I don't have to concern myself with battery replacements.  The second practical need for my installation was the need to monitor more than one garage door.  Using the previous project concept, it would require 2 Twines to pull this off.  Finally, it may not be practical to mount the Twine directly to the garage door for all installations.  

In this article we will address these limitations by installing the Twine to the garage wall and not directly to the door.  We will use external magnetic sensors designed for garage doors and we will connect two door sensors to a single Twine unit to monitor the state of both garage doors.  

The advantage of using a sensor that is designed for use with a garage/overhead door is that its sensor range is much greater and thus more tolerant than a traditional security system door magnetic sensor.  The sensor range is 3 to 4 inches.   These garage door sensors are designed to be installed on a concrete floor, but in my installation, I decided to install them on the wall above the door and not go through the effort of drilling into the concrete. 

Install the sensor directly to the wall or floor and route the wires such that they will not interfere with the garage door as it travels up/down.  Install the magnet and adjustable plate directly to the garage door so that the magnet is within a couple of inches of the sensor when the garage door is fully shut.  I have two garage doors that I want to monitor so I installed a duplicate sensor on the adjacent garage door. (see photo)

Route the wires to the location where you want to install the Twine.  You may need to use nylon cable ties to hold the wires in position to prevent getting in the way of the garage door travel.  I installed mine in a location where I could easily access the Twine for battery replacement or maintenance.  You may also want to consider a location that can easily access a power outlet so the Twine can be powered locally and not rely on battery power. 

I used a 4D finish nail to hang the Twine on and a 6D common nail on the right-hand side of the Twine to hold it in place.  The Twine breakout sensor board is also required and should be installed along with the Twine using the provided 1/8" stereo wire.  The magnetic sensors can be wired directly to the Twine breakout board or you can extend them with additional wire if you need to install the Twine in a location that is a further distance than the existing sensor wires can reach.  The black wires (common) from the sensors should be attached to the GND pin on the Twine breakout board.  The red wires (NC) from the sensors should be attached to the IN pin on the Twine breakout board.  The green wires (NO) from the sensors are not used in this project.  Both garage doors are attached to the single Twine so that both doors can be monitored.  Note, they are not monitored individually or discretely, but rather as one.

The last step is to use a micro-USB power supply to power the Twine locally.  This will then use the mains power to power the Twine and the batteries will only be used for backup in the event of a power failure.  

Configuring Twine 

If you have not previously performed the initial setup configuration on your Twine, then please visit this article and perform the configuration steps before continuing.

Open a web browser and login to the Twine management web application:
https://twine.supermechanical.com/ 

Next, select the specific Twine device that you are working with from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen.

Next, we are going to create a new RULE to issue notifications when the Twine's breakout sensor is in the closed position for at least 15 minutes indicating that one of the the garage doors is open.  (If you have any existing rules defined, you may want to delete them first.)  Use the Add Rule button to create a new rule.  

The new rule should be applied as follows:

WHEN
> "breakout" changes to "is closed" after "900" seconds

THEN
> send SMS text message (and/or email)

Also make sure to define the number of seconds for the trigger time and reset time under the "Options" section of the "When" trigger.  I am using 900 seconds which is 15 minutes.  So the garage door must be open for 15 minutes before triggering the notification.

Below is rule I am using:

Testing

Now that we have installed the Twine and garage soor sensors to the garage doors and configured the logic rule, let's test the system.  Simply open one of the garage doors and wait the configured delay time, fifteen minutes in my case, and you should receive the text notification (and/or email).

Final Thoughts

While this project was a little more complex and involved than the first Twine garage door project, I believe that this is truly a better approach for a permanent installation.  Using this approach, the Twine can be powered locally and you can monitor multiple doors with a single Twine.  Have fun automating your home with the Twine. 

Overview

Shopping List

Wiring

Connecting the Floodstop to Twine is an extremely simple task.  The Floodstop unit comes with a short connector lead that plugs directly into the NO (normally-open) or NC (normally-closed) output ports.

Attach the two wires from this connector lead to the IN and GND (Ground) pins on the Twine Breakout board.  (It does not matter which lead wire is connected to which pin, either direction will work.)  Then plug the connector into the NO (normally-open) output port of the Floodstop unit.

NOTE:

If you are already using the NO (normally-open) port for use with the Furman power controller or for any other purpose, then alternatively use the NC (normally-closed) output port for the Twine connection and simply reverse the trigger condition logic of the rule in the Twine configuration section.

Below is a photograph of my Twine connected to my Floodstop unit.  

Configuring Twine 

If you have not previously performed the initial setup configuration on your Twine, then please visit this article and perform the configuration steps before continuing.

Also, your Breakout Board should already be connected to the Twine at this time.

Open a web browser and login to the Twine management web application:
https://twine.supermechanical.com/ 

Next, select the specific Twine device that you have connected to the Floodstop from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen.

Next, we are going to create a new RULE to issue notifications when the Floodstop detects a water leak.  If you have any existing rules defined, you may want to delete them first.  Use the Add Rule button to create a new rule.  Since we used the NO (normally-open) output port on the Floodstop we will define a Twine rule to take action when the circuit becomes closed.  The Floodstop will close the circuit when water is detected on its sensor pad.

The new rule should be applied as follows:

WHEN
> breakout  = "is closed"

THEN
> send email and/or text messages and/or twitter post1

( 1 Twitter posts will be available in the next version of the Twine web application software) 

An example of the rule I am using is displayed below.

After creating the rule, make sure to click the Save to Twine button at the bottom of the screen.  It will prompt you to flip the twine on its back to immediately save the new rule to the Twine unit.  Now just wait until the save is complete.  It takes around 20-30 seconds to complete.

You are done, that's all that is needed to setup notifications from the Twine. We will now move on to testing.

Testing

Now that we have everything wired and configured, let's test the system.  Just drip a few water drops on the Floodstop sensor pad and the Floodstop should sound its audible alarm and close the water valves.  Within a few minutes (or less) you should receive the email, text message, and/or twitter post from Twine.  

Verify that you received the SMS text message.

Verify that you received the email notitification.

Final Thoughts

This project turned out to be an extremely simple task due to the simplicity of the Twine hardware and software.  For permanent installations, you may want to consider powering the Twine via its micro USB connection with a permanently plugged in power supply so that the system does not fail to notify you becuase of dead batteries in the Twine.  I just don't like to rely on batteries for anything that is mission critical.   (Same goes for the Floodstop, power it locally in addition to the batteries.)  

Contents

• Unboxing
• Configuration
• First Impressions / Thoughts

Unboxing

Eleven months ago, I backed a startup project on Kickstarter called Twine.  

TWINE

Listen to your world, talk to the Internet

Want to monitor things and environments remotely without a nerd degree? Maybe you want to get a tweet when your laundry's done, an email when the basement floods, or a text message when you left the garage door open.

Twine is the simplest way to get the objects in your life texting, tweeting or emailing

My long awaited Twine finally arrived today.  

You can order a Twine device here:

• Twine Portable Wi-Fi Sensor 
• Twine Portable Wi-Fi Sensor + Full Sensor Package
• Twine Portable Wi-Fi Sensor + Magnetic Switch
• Twine Portable Wi-Fi Sensor + Moisture Sensor  

It came packaged in an unassuming and simple cardboard box.

Upon opening the cardboard box, the Twine hardware device was revealed in a top compartment. 

Lifting the Twine hardware out of the box reveals a finger hole to remove the upper compartment divider.

The lower compartment holds the supplied AAA batteries and any additional sensor accessories that were included in the order.  My order only included the Breakout Board accessory.  A mini phono cable is also included to connect the sensor board to the Twine hardware. 

Install the AAA batteries and then slide the Twine cover shut.  

Once the batteries are installed place the Twine upside down on a flat surface and the white LED should remain on.  This prepares the Twine to be configured for network access.  Proceed to twinesetup.com to begin the configuration process.

Configuration

PREREQUSITE:

You will need to perform these steps from a computer with a wireless network card/adapter installed.

STEP 1 : Open a web browser to twinesetup.com to begin the configuration process.  Once the web page is displayed, place the Twine upside down on a flat surface.  Click the "I can see the light" button when the white LED light is on solid and not blinking.

STEP 2 : Next, change your computer's wireless connection to connect to the "\\||| Twine" access point.

Once connected, the web page will display a "Success" message and then automatically load the next page.

STEP 3 : Next, select the wireless network that you want the Twine to connect to and provide a password if required.  
(You must connect to an access point that is broadcasting an SSID)

STEP 4 : After the wireless network connection has been configured flip the Twine and set it on its back on a flat surface.  
(The "TWINE" logo should be facing up.)

STEP 5 : Next, change your computer's wireless connection back to your private wireless access point/router.

Once connected back to your private wireless network (with Internet access), the configuration page will display an "Excellent!" message and then automatically load the next configuration page.

The next part of the configuration is associating your Twine hardware with a cloud-based account.  If you do not have an existing Twine account, then use the displayed form to create a new account.  If you already have an existing Twine account, then use the "Sign-In" link at the top of the page.

Existing accounts can simply logon with their user credentials.

Next, the configuration pages will determine if the Twine hardware is eligible for any firmware updates.  If a firmware update is available, you will be prompted with an update message.

To start the firmware update, you will be prompted to flip the Twine over on its back again.

Please wait while the firmware update installs.

Once the firmware update is complete, a success message will be displayed on the configuration page.

The final configuration step is to assign a friendly name to the Twine unit.  Click the Finish button after you have provided a name.

Your Twine is now successfully configured and ready for use.  You can change the orientation of the Twine and see it updated on the dashboard page.  You can also create rules that allow you to specify conditions that trigger actions.  Rules are what make the twine do something with the data it collects.  

Optional Accessory Sensors

After configuring your Twine, you can insert the provided phono cable into any of the optionally purchased sensor boards and into the Twine.  

The sensor will be displayed on your Twine Dashboard momentarily. 

First Impressions / Thoughts

My first impressions of the Twine are very favorable.  The hardware, plastics, and packaging are top notch.  The tactile feel is inviting and size of the Twine is ideal.  I was blown away with the initial setup/configuration process.  Configuring a device with no display and no inputs can be very challenging and difficult for users to setup on private networks.  Twine's approach of using it as a temporary WiFi hot-spot and the seamless integration of the configuration web application is unsurpassed.  I literally had my Twine configured and attached to wireless my network in less than 5 minutes.  That is a remarkable feat.  

I do however have some longer term concerns/opinions ...  

• The usefulness of the Twine is totally predicated on the web software where rules can be applied and triggered actions take place.  While admittedly the web application is currently in its infancy, it is pretty basic and very limited at the moment.  We will need to see some aggressive advances in the web software to keep pace and promote more uses of the Twine as a platform.  
• Again, the Twine is in early adoption right now, but some form of an programmatic API must be provided to allow software developers further enhance and integrate with the Twine hardware.  An open API will help promote integrations with other systems and devices and not require Supermechanical to do all the heavy lifting.  Build a development community and encourage and support developers to take the Twine from an interesting and fun little device to a real platform.  
• The early adopter cost was in the $100 range.  I believe these costs will need to come down dramatically to encourage general adoption.  I could see a large number of Twines spread throughout my house all performing unique and discrete little tasks, but the costs would need to be more affordable to make this viable.
• Currently the Twine hardware and its sensor accessories are all about inputs.  Outputs are another important aspect that will need to be addressed.  Not only do I want to send information in to The Cloud, but I also want to trigger outputs to turn on and off things in the real world.  The Internet-of-Things is bidirectional.

Despite my conerns, this device is still an impressive little beast.  The magic is really in the software/firmware and with what we have seen thus far, we can continue to expect an elegant, intuitive and easy to use web user interface for working with the Twine.  I do believe that Supermechanical will continue to improve on the software/firmware and we will see some very cool hobbyist projects emerge.  I am looking forward to participating in a development community when an API emerges.  

A twitter trigger is coming in the next software update, so I have a small project in mind to setup when that feature becomes available.  Stay tuned for more articles to come involving Twine.