Need Sensor Data Chart Visualization Advice

[_phillip]

I need some basic advice for creating a sensor data chart.

I have a fully functioning micro controller project based on Adafruit’s Feather MO WIFI board which I really like. It gathers water tank level and temp/humidity data all of which can be viewed on Adafruit’s IO.

None of this would have been possible without the amazing help I have received from within these forums. Thank you!!

That said, I now want to create a real time chart that will visualize the water tank levels over time. (There are two water tanks that I will be monitoring.) I have spent weeks trying to determine which chart app is most appropriate and was also seeking to find a good tutorial to help guide me. Unfortunately, practically every tutorial I have come across is based on ‘static’ data - JSON, CSV or TSV data. I want this simple line chart to visualize real time data such as stock charts show.

I have spent a lot of time learning D3.js, but have yet to find a working example using this chart app that visualizes dynamic data from an external sensor source. While D3 may be tedious to learn, at the end of the day it may be the best charting app for the purpose, but time will tell if this is correct or not.

If someone can provide some basic advice on chart apps and perhaps point me to a working tutorial I would be very grateful.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments.

[jwcooper]

What is the time frame you need to monitor your water tank levels over? Free accounts on Adafruit IO can monitor real time charts over 30 days. You could create a dashboard to show the trend over the longer time period when you configure the chart block.

If you sign up for IO+, you could see the trend over 60 days (or longer if you boost the data storage).

Also, you could export your data and chart to any other service, but that's a bit more complicated with nearly limitless options to choose from. As you mentioned, it would be a bit more static as well.

[_phillip]

Thanks for your post.

I mentioned that I am currently using AIO and it works great. The tank monitoring will continue until the water co-op ceases to exist, if that is what you were asking.

I would like the chart to be on the water co-op's own website where board member's can view the data 24/7. The chart data must be preserved so it can be referred to at will. What I do not understand is how all of this data is to be saved so that it can be visualized at will. There is much that I do not understand and am hoping that someone can help me with this.

Your comment about exporting my data and chart is an interesting one. In the past I tried to paste the AIO dashboard into the co-op's website but that failed. I could paste/import any other webpage, but not the AIO. Perhaps that is just not possible.

Thanks for your help.

[jwcooper]

On your /username/feeds/feed-name page (click feeds in the header and drill down into your feed), you can "Download All Data" for that feed. You can then export it as JSON or CSV. That will help you get going to follow the tutorials that are using JSON or CSV.

Then, you'll need to set a reminder every 20-30 days to download that data and import it into whatever system you decide upon to store that data.

[_phillip]

Thanks again for the feedback.

You comments prompted a 'got'cha' moment for me. I am donating my time/resources to this non-profit water association project and was hoping that when the the sketch/hardware was perfected that I had finally reached the end of the tunnel. Overseeing the status of the data appears to be a forever task, so it seems that I will be bound to this project for some time. It is what it is.

I was aware that I could download my data from the AIO, but never gave it much thought because installing a chart was not on the menu at that time. Times have changed.

The issue I have with downloading/saving the old data is that I will still need a chart to visualize this data. It seems to make more sense to have the dynamic chart on their website and save the data there as well. In this manner, interested parties could go back in time to view data as they wish. I have an SQL database setup for their website so that is probably the mose efficient way to save the sensor data.

I have much to learn.

Thanks for your help.