WEB Thermometer

Measure how much HOT will be summer '2000 with a WEB browser!!

WEB Thermometer + NetThermometer are a couple of useful utility to measure the temperature remotely via the WEB (the former) or TCP/IP (the latter).

How about the final goal of this project?

My hope is that every PC attached to the internet will provide the WEB Thermometer, so to build up a world wide temperature map always up to date.

What I need to run WEB Thermometer?

At server side you need:

• a PC with Windows95/98/NT or Linux installed
• a simple hardware connected to the COM port
• a http server (like "Microsoft Personal Web Server" or "Apache") running
• the following files in the cgi-bin directory: cgitherm.exe (Windows) or therm.cgi (Linux) and sekeleton.html. The skeleton.html file is the HTML template for the results page (optional)

At client side you need only an HTML browser with JavaScript (*) capability (like Netscape Navigator 3 and Internet Explorer 4). There's no constraint to use a PC, you can even use a PDA.
(*) JavaScript is needed to perform the measures update automatically. With a browser that don't support JavaScript you need to click on the "Reload" button to update the measures.

What I need to run Net Thermometer?

At server side you need:

• a PC with Windows95/98/NT or Linux installed
• TCP/IP network capability
• a simple hardware connected to the COM port

At client side you need a PC with Windows95/98/NT or Linux installed and TCP/IP capability.
It's possible to run the server on Linux and the client on Windows and viceversa.

How can I get the software?

You will find the last version of WEBThermometer/NetThermometer here
The software is copyright by Claudio Lanconelli (alias LancOS) and is
distributed under the GPL license (read the COPYING file).

If you want to add the WEB Thermomenter to your WEB pages, you must be sure that the result page (the page that show the temperature) contains a link to http://www.cs.unibo.it/~lanconel. I suggest to use the default skeleton.html to accomplish it.

I know that the CGI program have to be trusted, so I distribute the CGI executable with the source code. If you suspect any security hole in it, just look at the sources, possibly correct it and send me a mail

How can I get the hardware?

You can build it yourself because it's very simple (look at the schematic file schematic.gif), but if you need an hardware ready to use or just the professional PCB send me a mail to lanconel@cs.unibo.it

Alternatively the SI Prog multipurpose programmer is able to work with WEB Thermometer.

You can attach up to 8 temperature sensors (Dallas DS1621), but probably with all sensors you need an external power supply (+5V).

Can I change the output html page?

You can create your own result page in HTML. It must contain a line with the tag 'RESULTS' and a link to my URL. The tag will be replaced by the thermometer results.
I suggest to start editing the default skeleton.html file. Note that skeleton.html file must be in the same directory of cgitherm.exe file.
If no skeleton.html is found, the default template will be used instead (without JavaScript).

What does it mean "Er-11" response?

Check that the hardware is connected and the proper COM port selected on the server.

What does it mean "Er-13" response?

Ther temperature sensor is not responding.
Solution: connect the DS1621 sensor and select the proper address (1-8).
Note that if I have only one sensor at address 1 and I select the addresses 1-3 (sensor 1 + sensor 2 + sensor 3) the result will be
27ºC Er-13 Er-13
if the current temperature is 27ºC.

What does it mean "Er-14" response?

The program can't open the COM port you selected.
Usually the reason is another program are using the COM port, so select another COM port.
Under Linux check that the http process has permission to read/write the selected COM port (/dev/ttyS?).

Download the software

Read the Copying.txt file before to download the software, please

• WEB Thermometer Version 0.94 for Windows95/98/NT

• WEB Thermometer Version 0.94 for Linux