Asset Tracking using mcThings, Microsoft Azure IoT Hub and Sigfox
How the platform works
Setting up your IoT Hub through Azure
Setting up your Sigfox backend
Programming your mcDemo205
Visualizing your data in Azure Power BI
Additional examples/support

Published December 10, 2017 © GPL3+

GPS Asset Tracking Using the mcDemo205, SIGFOX & Microsoft!

Using the Sigfox network, an mcDemo205 device and Microsoft's Azure IoT hub, we'll display locations using powerful visualization tools!

BeginnerFull instructions provided1 hour2,225

GPS Asset Tracking Using the mcDemo205, SIGFOX & Microsoft!

Things used in this project

Hardware components

mcThings mcDemo205

mcThings mcGateway110

Software apps and online services

Microsoft Azure

Sigfox

mcThings mcStudio

Story

Asset Tracking using mcThings, Microsoft Azure IoT Hub and Sigfox

In this project, we will setup an mcDemo205 to acquire its location, using GPS, and then send it out using Sigfox to Microsoft's Azure IoT Hub. From there, we will bring the data into Microsoft's Power BI so that we can display the locations on a map!

How the platform works:

The mcThings platform allows you to send information using mcAir and Sigfox! For this example, we are using the mcDemo205 device (which can communicate on both networks). In this case, we'll use mcAir to program the device and then send the information to the cloud using Sigfox.

The mcThings platform includes 2 main components: mcModules/mcDevices and mcGateways. A powered and connected mcGateway creates the mcAir network (up to 200m range under optimal conditions) and bridges the information between the mcModules (within range) to and from the Internet. Using the IDE (mcStudio) and mcScript (ultra-low power programming language - a subset of VB.NET) allows you to wirelessly connect, debug and program modules with your customized scripts.

Note - You also require an mcDongle to complete firmware updates on the modules/devices and gateways! We recommend looking at the mcModule120 Dev kit which includes everything you need to get going!!

You can use mcAir and SIGFOX in tandem

Setting up your IoT Hub through Azure

You first need to login or sign up for an Azure account (you can sign up for free and get $200 credit to start testing it out).

After you are up and running, you need to setup your IoT hub within Azure. Try out this tutorial and you can also search for others and videos online.

Create an IoT hub using the Azure portal : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-hub/iot-hub-create-through-portal

Setting up your Sigfox backend

After you activate and connect your device to Sigfox (contact your region's Sigfox Network Operator for more details), you need to setup your callback so that the data from the mcDemo205 that arrives at the Sigfox backend is parsed properly and directed to your Azure IoT Hub.

Within the Callback menu, the Azure IoT hub integration is ready to go:

You need to create your custom payload configuration, get your connection string from Azure (to direct the information to your account) and write the JSON body. Sigfox provides support information on their website to learn more. Microsoft also provides information on their support page.

For this example, we will use the below information on the backend:

Programming your mcDemo205

We'll program the device to get a GPS location once every 10 minutes and send the coordinates via Sigfox. The device will look for a minimum of 3 GPS satellites and timeout after 2 minutes if no signal is found.

On boot, the device will set itself to the Sigfox RC2 radio zone (US & Mexico). You can also set the device to RC4 (South America, Australia, New Zealand).

We then pack the message up and send it to Sigfox where it will be parsed by the information we entered into our Sigfox callback and relayed to our IoT Hub

The code for programming is found at the bottom of this project.

Visualizing your data in Azure Power BI

There are plenty of tutorials out there that describe all the cool stuff you can do within Power BI. Check these ones out:

Visualize real-time sensor data from Azure IoT Hub using Power BI: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-hub/iot-hub-live-data-visualization-in-power-bi

The Power BI samples, a tutorial:: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/sample-tutorial-connect-to-the-samples

We plotted our locations onto a map including the specific Lat/Long coordinates:

Plotting GPS coordinates into Power BI map tool

We also plotted and measured the longest message that we sent from the device to the base station during the experiment:

Additional examples/support

Be sure to check out (and join!) our hub here on Hackster to see other examples and projects that we have put together! Check out our forum and YouTube Channel for more support.

Thanks for reading!

Code

mcDemo205 GPS Code

Class GPSMicrosoft
    ' Message Types
    Const MSGTYPE_LOCATION As Byte = 1
    
    ' Configuration Constants
    Const GPS_TIMEOUT_uS As Integer = 120000000 '120 second timeout
    Const GPS_MIN_SAT_COUNT As Integer = 3 'minimum satellites to get a fix
    
    Shared Event Boot()
        ' Set Sigfox radio zone to US
        Lplan.SigfoxRadioZone(SigfoxRadioZone.US)
    End Event
    
    Shared Event StartLocationAcquisition() RaiseEvent Every 10 Minutes
        Led2 = True
        Thread.Sleep(100000)
        Led2 = False
        Device.StartGPS(GPS_TIMEOUT_uS, GPS_MIN_SAT_COUNT)
    End Event
    
    ' Called when GNSS location aquired or timeout occurred
    Shared Event LocationDelivery()
        ' Get latitude
        Dim Lat As Float = Device.GetLatitude()
        ' Get longitude
        Dim Lng As Float = Device.GetLongitude()
        ' Get GNSS fix time
        Dim timeIntUs As Integer = Device.GetGpsFixTime()
        ' Create Sigfox list of byte
        Dim sigfoxMsg As ListOfByte = New ListOfByte()
        
        
        ' Verify if the lat and lng were properly obtained
        sigfoxMsg.AddByte(MSGTYPE_LOCATION << 2)
        If Lat.IsNaN() Then
            Lat = 0.0
        End If
        
        If Lng.IsNaN() Then
            Lng = 0.0
        End If
        
        ' Add data to Sigfox message
        sigfoxMsg.AddFloat(Lat)
        sigfoxMsg.AddFloat(Lng)
        'sigfoxMsg.AddByte(GetTemperature())
        
        If Lat <> 0.0 Then
            ' Send Sigfox Message
            Lplan.Sigfox(sigfoxMsg)
            ' Turn off LED2 to indicate Sigfox transmission complete
            Led2 = False
        End If    
    End Event
End Class

Credits

mcThings

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Use mcThings to quickly & easily create, test and deploy IoT solutions for industrial, business/commercial and individual needs!

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GPS Asset Tracking Using the mcDemo205, SIGFOX & Microsoft!