[Release] Ambient Weather Station App (AWS)

[KurtSanders]

Ambient Weather Station App 6.2.1

Release Notes:

• This is a major update to my previous Ambient Weather Station (AWS) releases that contained compatibility for both SmartThings and Hubitat. Versions 6.x.x and above are only compatible with Hubitat.
• If your current instance of AWS is working to your satisfaction, this new 6.x release may introduce some issues that were not caught in local testing of my AWS configuration.

Features:

• This Hubitat® end user developed application provides integration to your Ambientweather.net weather data via the AmbientWeather API.
• A custom Hubitat® SmartApp which provides integration to weather/environmental data generated from one's personal Ambient Weather® station, sensors and accessories.
• Select all/some of the weather attributes you want into your HE environment. Selecting only the weather elements you desire will reduce the CPU load/events that your HE processes.
• Choose various weather units of measures.
• Choose the AWS Server automatic polling frequency that works for your applications (1 min to 180 mins (3 hours)) or manually via Rules/WebCore.

Supported Ambient Weather Station Brand Devices and Accessories:

• Ambient Weather Station with Internet Access
• PM25/AQIN Sensors
• Up to 8 AWS compatible weather remote sensors:
  • Soil Sensors
  • Wind Sensors
  • Rain Sensors

Requirements:

• You must create your own and have access to the following private data strings displayed at your AWS Account and My Devices webpages.
  • Locate your weather station's macAddress
  • Locate your Ambient's API key

Installation

• via Hubitat Package Manager

Source GitHub Repository

• STAmbientWeather

Change-log: Features by Version

Version 6.0.0

• Added sensor data from Ambient AQIN/CO2 Sensor to the HE Ambient Particulate Monitor device,
• Added sensor data from Ambient Lightning Detector to HE Ambient Main Console Device,
• Changed default run every from 5 to 15 mins to reduce event load on HE hub.
• Removed all remnants of legacy code and detection logic to completely end support for the SmartThings version.

Version 6.1.0

• Performance Improvement: Added new UI feature ability to select all or filter the weather data keys imported into HE.\n\n - The data key filter will allow one to select only those weather data keys needed and as a result, will reduce the number of events generated by the HE hub.
• Added a 'Clear All States' command in the AWS device UI that will remove all previous current states so that the next AWS Poll will only reflect only the active/filtered list of weather data keys. Using is optional and one only need to run this command once for cleanup.
• Removed much of the legacy SmartThings code and several device attributes that are not applicable to Hubitat.
• Changed custom AWS device driver data attributes to numeric from string (SmartThings legacy).
• Removed problematic device capabilities, Motion, Power, Energy and Water as these impacted HSM and are no longer needed. AWS users can use WebCore/Rules to obtain same capability functionality of monitoring Rain and Wind data values imported into HE".
  
  
  
  
  

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Suite Version 6.2.0 (6-18-2024)

Filename	Type	Version
ambient-weather-station.groovy	Application	Version 6.2.0
ambient-particulate-monitor.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.0
ambient-weather-station remote-sensor.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.0
ambient-weather-station.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.0
AWS-Library	Library	Version 1.0.0

Notice, please fully test this new release before implmenting into your production hub. There are numerous major fixes & code changes implemented in this release.

1. Upgraded logging capabilities and schedules in the app and device drivers.
2. Improved installation GUI, fixed numerous issues with child device creation.
3. Improved integration of new Ambient soil sensors and data.
4. Added ability to rename child device labels in and outside of AWS app.
5. Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements.
6. Implemented HE library/bundle for code optimization.
7. Implemented synchronization of logging in child devices from the AWS parent app for improved troubleshooting and consistency of logging.
8. Automatically remove old device data value states in all child devices from the AWS app after update which removes stale data states that might not be accurate after a user exits the AWS app. A manual or auto refresh will re-populate the current device data states.

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Suite Version 6.2.1

Filename	Type	Version
ambient-weather-station.groovy	Application	Version 6.2.1
ambient-particulate-monitor.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.1
ambient-weather-station remote-sensor.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.1
ambient-weather-station.groovy	Device Driver	Version 6.2.1
AWSLibrary	Library	Version 1.0.0

1. Bug Fix Only (Renamed AWSLibrary removing hyphen in filename)

[user3925]

Hello,
Is there anyway I can roll back to the previous driver code? I was using the water sensor, energy, and power for my Actiontiles panels. I really liked to know when it was raining outside on my panels.

Thanks!

[KurtSanders]

Dear @user3925 ,

Sorry to hear that you were using the legacy SmartThings capabilities that were removed in the latest release for Hubitat only. Many AWS users were in favor of having these capabilities that were not accurate for AWS removed as they were causing issues with their use of HSM and other applications.

If you want a install a previous AWS release, you will need to manually remove your current release and manually download and install the v6.01 groovy app and drivers that are in the Github at this 6.01 history point. HPM does not have a previous version/roll-back/restore option.

You could also keep the current Ambient Weather release and use, for example, webCore or Rule to monitor AWS attributes listed below and create events for water, energy, motion and power virtual devices that could be displayed in ActionTiles. Here are the definitions below:

Driver Capability List for AWS custom weather attributes

WaterSensor

• hourlyrainin >0 = 'wet' else 'dry'

EnergyMeter

• maxdailygust

MotionSensor

• windspeedmph > 0 = 'active' else 'inactive'

PowerMeter

• windspeedmph

[user3925]

Thank you for the quick response! I will see if I can work around it with the new release!

[garyjmilne]

Hi Kurt, I know you have Tile Builder Advanced but if you have not been following the thread I've added a new module called Grid for creating more sophisticated layouts. This is my weather tile.

You can read more about it here if you are interested.

[RELEASE] Tile Builder - Build Beautiful Dashboards

Another snippet of interest as I'm going through my testing. [image] Notice the Wind Direction. It is just a large Unicode arrow whose direction tracks the Wind_Degree value from Open Weather. 53 degrees in Minneapolis on Christmas Eve. That is crazy!! Merry Christmas everyone.

[KurtSanders]

@garyjmilne thanks for the heads up. Will give it a try when we get back from extended trip.

[willnjen]

I've installed the app using the package manager and went through the setup process successfully. It says it's updating every 5 mins which is the time interval I selected.

What I don't know is how to add tiles to my dashboard to show temperature, humidity etc. I don't know if I haven't installed it properly or am I being a bit dim. What should I do?

Thanks for any help.

Will

[KurtSanders]

You will need to review this doc: Hubitat® Dashboard | Hubitat Documentation.

Some of the weather data like temperature are easy to select for the dashboard but much of the weather data are attributes of the device to select.

[ljp-hubitat]

@KurtSanders

Kurt, we haven't chatted since you and I first discussed porting this smrthings app to Hubitat years ago. I am still using it but this “update” from December does remove some of the things I was using. I have a Pool Temp sensor (among other sensors)attached to my AWS-8482 Panel. Both the panel battery and the pool temp sensor battery have now ceased to report battery level or other related States.

This is your port but how does it help anyone, new or old users, to remove functionality already supported unless the AWS API has stopped supporting those devices or functions. I use the Pool temp sensor to control my solar pool heater valves to keep the pool at a reasonably consistent temperature. I really would love to see you reconsider your removal of these devices. I have lost some significant functionality.

Thanks for your consideration,

LJ

EDIT: just an update, actually it is not just the panel and pool temp sensor. None of the other attached soil moisture sensors are reporting battery either. The app shows 0 remote sensors now.

These are very essential to my landscaping irrigation and pots. Please reinstate support of the 8482 Panel and attached devices. Please reinstate all battery reporting. Please. There are no other good alternatives out there.

EDIT #2: So I have taken a different troubleshooting tack. I have tried to install a second instance of the App. Some glitchy things are going on with the installation process. First, after I enter the API Key and go to the next screen, I select the weather station. Then a screen comes up that shows that I have 5 Sensors attached to the station. when I hit the next screen where I can name the sensors, only two sensor lines show up, number 1 and 2.

So from here, I go through to the end, and then from the App screen, I select the new instance of Ambient Weather Station and click through to the below screen and now that screen only shows two sensors.

The second issue is when I hit the screen to select all or only some of the states I want to download, I press the toggle switch to not download ALL states, and a selection dropdown appears but the toggle switch doesn't show as turned off. I then select the states I want and hit next. Only the screen I return to it still shows that All states will be downloaded. If I go back into the selection screen and hit the toggle switch it then turns off. Then when I save and go back to the previous screen, it shows up properly.

In summary, I still can't get this new version to install all sensors. It appears that the update process messed up my original instance of your app, but there are some bugs in installing another instance. It does not appear to be the case that your app no longer supports the AWS-8482, or at least not completely.

@KurtSanders I would love to hear your thoughts. As before, I am happy to help you with Beta Testing again.

LJ

[KurtSanders]

Dear @ljp-hubitat ,

Sorry this update did not work as expected for your weather/pool/soil. I will be happy to help you with getting all the sensor information from your weather station. I am out on vacation through January and when I return I will private message you to debug missing data.

[willnjen]

Hi Kurt

My dashboard tiles are always blank using either the weather template or variable string.

I can see that the data is coming into my hub from Ambient Weather in the logs. There are weather data values that look OK in the log but there is also an error.

Could this be why my tiles are empty in the dashboard?

Thanks for any help.

Will

[KurtSanders]

@willnjen Not sure why you are seeing this error in Ambient Weather Station (AWS) app.

Can you try a fresh install of AWS using the steps below?

1. Remove the current installed AWS Application
2. Run a HPM Repair which will download the latest AWS app and device drivers.
3. Install AWS and add your Ambient Weather API key and check preferences for polling, etc.
4. Check the newly created AWS devices for accurate weather station data.

Let me know if this fixes the issues you are experiencing, and if this does not fix it, we can work on this via a Private Message thread and my test hub.

[willnjen]

Thanks, that fixed it. Not sure why because I'd uninstalled and reinstalled before.

Happy it's working now because your Ambient Weather app is one of the reasons I ditched SmartThings and move my house to Hubitat. Thanks for the help.

Will

[KurtSanders]

@willnjen

Thanks, that fixed it. Not sure why because I'd uninstalled and reinstalled before.

Happy it's working now because your Ambient Weather app is one of the reasons I ditched SmartThings and move my house to Hubitat. Thanks for the help.

Will

Yea! So happy that it is working... I am working on some bugs that are related to installation, so expect an update in a few weeks....

[KurtSanders]

A new AWS update 6.2.0 is available in HPM: Release Notes

[ljp-hubitat]

Looks nice Kurt. Love the obvious changes. I will test a clean install and a limited set of state downloads to validate those things. My soil sensors are back online. I will get back after testing.

Thanks so much for your continued support of this app and drivers.

LJ

[GolfYankee]

Having issues upgrading and installing from scratch but I figured it out and wanted to let you know the problem and workaround.

I was running the previous version and just decided to upgrade it to the latest (installed previously from HPM). I received the same error as described in this post. So I decided to manually upgrade the app code by replacing it with 6.2.0 manually and see what happens. I got an error saying the AWS-Library was not found.

So then I decided to do a new install from scratch incase there was compatibility issues. I uninstalled AWS from HPM and verified all apps and devices were removed. Then proceeded to install AWS again but encountered a package installation issue. No details were provided and the logs didn't really have much details.

I noticed that during install it didn't say that the Library was being installed which it showed in your install screenshot. Also I knew the original error that said AWS-Library was missing when upgrading. So I then proceeded to manually install the Library code. Once the library was manually created (by cut and pasting the code into the library section), I then attempted to install AWS from HPM again and viola, it worked.

I'm assuming there is something wrong with the package manifest (haven't looked into it) in which the library is not getting installed so it fails with a dependency error. I'm running the latest version of Hubitat so not sure if something changed there either which affects how libraries are installed.

During the installation, this is what was displayed (took a screenshot mid install). Note that my screen looked different than yours in which it does not show the Library being installed.

Regardless, thought I would report this and for anyone having upgrade/install issues, this is the workaround for the time being.

[KurtSanders]

@GolfYankee

Thank you for catching this install issue.

As it turns out, it looks like a Hubitat library name cannot have a "-" in the filename when it is extracted as a zip file. The bundle in zip format silently removes the offending hyphen in the library and does not generate an error message. I did not catch this on my HPM installs since that AWS library with the "-" was already installed on my development server. Ugh!

I am working on a bug fix 6.2.1 version that will remove the offending "-" in the AWS library name and resultant zip bundle and will hopefully allow others users to install AWS without issue thanks to your help.

Again thank you!

[dsmith_jr]

I'm trying to deploy your latest after removing the package by Snell.

It's not liking the API key. So is there a special format required to add the API and/or application keys to get the application working?

Thanks,
Don

[KurtSanders]

@dsmith_jr

I am not familiar with Snell? Are you sure you are using my Ambient Weather Station App which is installed using Hubitat Package Manager?