This app was mentioned in 10 comments, with an average of 1.70 upvotes
In case anyone wants to know, the app is called MQTT Dash, and it deserves some recognition. It's an easily configurable control panel for MQTT.
This is what I do, but it's a bit overkill for OP, and complicated to access from the internet.
An MQTT broker on the internet like adafruit.io should be sufficient. For MQTT there is an android app which can be used as a front end.
If you do go the Nissan Connect route, and want to access the API, here's the thread to watch (linking to the last page, as that's most relevant):
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2214&start=120
Personally, if I had the time (and if this can be controlled via the CAN bus), I'd go the Carloop route with the GSM module.
The Nissan Connect service is slow, doesn't always work, and the app is clunky.
I skipped the upgrade, and started using the timer feature in the morning. But you're right that pre-cooling the vehicle during random trips is very useful (and something I'll miss).
Last but not least: if you're considering MQTT (CloudMQTT seems to work well, and is free), and use Android, don't forget to check out MQTT Dash.
indeed, there is an app for MQTT thingy on android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash&gl=US
But you will need a broker to connect to, though...
You could have an MQTT server somewhere on the internet or even in your home if you can open a port and have a stable connection. Then you could have the sensors send the data to different topics obviously, and perhaps have different users, passwords and ACL so that everybody can see their own data only (or maybe everyone is ok that all your users can see the data from the other users).
Then get an MQTT client for the phones, e.g. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash and create a nice GUI with it. Check that you can export the GUI to send it to the other users.
You don't need to invent an API for that. But on the other hand you are already using an API: both ends of your connections (sensors -> MQTT server, and MQTT server <-> apps) know how to talk to each other.
If you want to write a web app, you can also do that of course. Either build it from scratch or use something like Node-RED.
MQTT doesn't need NAT forwarding if you use an MQTT broker that's on the internet, like adafruit.io.
This app can be used as a client/GUI https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash
I kinda just started putting this together. It's still a very much diy-maker-hoge-poge contraption, but most of individual components appear to work.
If anyone else want to look seriously into trying to do something similar or maybe track something else idk, here's the path I went:
- Hologram IoT sim (You can buy this on amazon)
- SIMCOM SIM7000A modem (I'm using this shield from botletics [on amazon too])
- And an arduino or any other controller of choice. I wanna do some wifi stuff so I'm thinking esp8266 or 32 at some point. One idea I wanna try is to connect to an SSID as an "unlock" for my onewheel.
As of right now, I can connect to local cell networks, sms, LTE, but the gps is acting up. I can do gsm location but that's a bit more data and I really want the gps to work so still a WOP. MQTT server is set up at home with a raspberry pi I had lying around. After that I went to the google play store and found a MQTT dashboard app. Made a simple button that launches a google map query with whatever data it picks up from the broker (the raspberry pi) as both the app and the controller are subscribed to the same MQTT topic. When the broker gets a message, all things subscribed will be updated; now including my phone! The other thing I have is a simple python script on the raspberry pi that saves the last 'X' number of coordinates to an excel sheet. All of this combined is (ideally... cause its still not done yet) more or less 'lifetime' real-time tracking for about $100 ($70 for me since I had plenty of raspberry pi's and micro-controllers). The reason I'm posting about an incomplete project is to just encourage more people to get out there and give it a shot.
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Tl:dr - All I need to do to make this proof-of-concept complete is to fix a tiny part of a modem. Specifically a gps antenna. Once that's done, I'll have a working system and just need to embed it into the XR. I want more diy enthusiasts to jump in or hear from :P
this one supports it. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash