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Hardware Projects

Overview

How do I run DietPi-Software and install optimised software items?

To install any of the DietPi optimised software items listed below run from the command line:

dietpi-software

Choose Browse Software and select one or more items. Finally select Install.
DietPi will do all the necessary steps to install and start these software items.

DietPi-Software menu screenshot

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review the DietPi Tools section.

Return to the Optimised Software list

Google AIY

“Ok Google. Who is your daddy?”

Our installation is highly optimized and lightweight

We do not install a desktop environment. User will be required to setup Google API and keys on another system (please see first run setup below).
We highly recommend SSH to allow for a quick setup of Google API and device link.
We also recommend one of DietPi file servers, for easy transfer of assistant.json, generated during Google API setup.

Google AIY logo

Once DietPi has installed the Google AIY Voice Kit, and rebooted, you will need to setup your Google API account and link the device.

  • Follow the link below, to setup Google API and download client keys, required to enable the speech API:
    https://aiyprojects.withgoogle.com/voice#google-assistant--get-credentials
    Remark: When setting up the activity controls, ensure you also enable “Include Chrome browsing history and activity from websites and apps that use Google services”, else she will not function ;).
  • Make sure you have one of DietPi’s file servers installed.
    Once completed, download the client_secret.json and save it to:
    • If using SSH: /mnt/dietpi_userdata/voice-recognizer-raspi/assistant.json
    • If using file server: voice-recognizer-raspi/assistant.json

  • Run the command below, then follow the onscreen link/instructions to setup verification:

    cd /mnt/dietpi_userdata/voice-recognizer-raspi
sudo -u dietpi env/bin/python3 -u src/main.py

  • Once the “Ok, Google” prompt appears, test the device. Then you can terminate the program with Ctrl+C and restart the service:

systemctl restart voice-recognizer

The Voice Kit software is located at:

/mnt/dietpi_userdata/voice-recognizer-raspi

To check the status of the service run:

systemctl status voice-recognizer

htop screenshot showing Google AIY Voice Kit service running

Mycroft AI

Mycroft AI is a free and open source voice assistant.

Mycroft AI logo

The company behind Mycroft AI is out of business

The below setup method hence does not work anymore, all servers have been shut down. OpenVoiceOS and Neon AI forked it and we will try to migrate to one of these. Until then, our Mycroft AI software option is not functional. We are happy for anyone helping with the migration. More information can be found on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mycroftai/comments/1av7t0o/mycroftai_website_is_down_anyone_have_an_update/

  1. Branch selection: For inexperienced users we recommend the master branch as well: Y
  2. Auto updates: It slows down the the startup process a bit, but it anyway takes a while to load all skills, so we recommend this as well: Y
  3. Add Mycroft commands to PATH: Chose NO here, since the installer runs as user mycroft, which is no login user, which is why this has no effect: N
  4. Check code before submitting: If you are an official Mycroft developer, choose Y, else: N
  1. If you did no reboot after install, load Mycroft commands to current shell session: . /etc/bashrc.d/mycroft.sh
  2. Start CLI client: mycroft-cli-client
  3. You should see and at best hear the invitation to pair your device, e.g.: PairingSkill - INFO - Pairing code: XXYYZZ
  4. Visit REMOVED (EDIT: Link is permanently down) to start pairing and configuring your device and skills.

Remark: this requires about 3 GiB of RAM and takes a while, so assure that you have enough memory (4 GiB recommended), in case increase your swap file size and grab yourself a coffee.

cd /mnt/dietpi_userdata/mycroft-core
sudo -u mycroft ./scripts/install-mimic.sh $(nproc)

PiJuice

PiJuice is an all in one, battery based power supply HAT for the RPi, featuring UPS capabilities and battery run time.

PiJuice logo

Our default installation does not include the desktop application. If required, please install a desktop first, then execute the following command to install the GUI afterwards:

apt install pijuice-gui

The PiJuice program can then be launched (LXDE) from LXDE start > Preferences

  • SW1 = Power on unit
  • SW2 = Power off unit (runs a sample script which can be modified /var/lib/dietpi/dietpi-software/installed/pijuice/pijuice_func1.sh)

  • Additional configuration can be made via editing the following file (Full list of available config options):

    nano /var/lib/pijuice/pijuice_config.JSON

Restart the service to apply any changes:

systemctl restart pijuice

At the time of writing, this will update firmware on the device to V1.1_2018_01_15, however, please replace the firmware link with the latest version:

wget https://github.com/PiSupply/PiJuice/raw/master/Firmware/PiJuice-V1.1_2018_01_15.elf.binary -O package.binary
chmod +x package.binary
pijuiceboot 14 package.binary

RPi.GPIO

The standard, well known GPIO interface library for the RPi (Python). Bring out the engineer in you!

Raspberry Pi GPIO pictogram

Website: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/RPi.GPIO

WiringPi

Alternative GPIO interface library based on C. Bring out the engineer in you!

Raspberry Pi GPIO pictogram

cd /root/wiringPi*
ls -l

gpio -v
gpio readall

Website: http://wiringpi.com

WebIOPi

WebIOPi allows you to control your Raspberry Pi’s GPIO hardware using a web interface.

Raspberry Pi GPIO scheme

The web interface is accessible via port 8002:

  • URL = http://<your.IP>:8002
  • Username = webiopi
  • Password = raspberry
  • Run webiopi-passwd
  • Enter the username webiopi
  • Enter your new password twice

You must also restart the webiopi service for your new password to take effect:

systemctl restart webiopi

To be able to access your WebIOPi interface over the internet, you may install Remot3.it (Weaved).

Website: https://webiopi.trouch.com

Node-RED

Node-RED is a visual tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services in new and interesting ways. Node-RED uses a standalone web server that can be accessed remotely.

Node-RED web interface screenshot

The web interface is accessible via port 1880:

  • URL = http://<your.IP>:1880

To install the Node-RED dashboard, the user interface of Node-RED, use settings “Manage palette” from programming IDE or run the following command from console:

node-red-admin install node-red-dashboard

Use the following URL to connect to the dashboard from your browser:
https://<your.IP>:1880/ui/

Node-RED, all configs and data is stored in the following location:
/mnt/dietpi_userdata/node-red

To view Node-RED service logs, run the following command from console:

journalctl -u node-red

You can update Node-RED modules via programming IDE. To update the “node-red” core module, run the following command from console:

systemctl stop node-red
cd /mnt/dietpi_userdata/node-red
sudo -u nodered npm up --no-audit node-red
systemctl start node-red

The current Node-RED version can be read in the programming IDE in the burger menu at the right upper corner.

Website: https://nodered.org
Libraries resp. flows: https://flows.nodered.org

Mosquitto

Eclipse Mosquitto™ is an open-source (EPL/EDL-licensed) message broker that implements the MQTT protocol versions 3.1 and 3.1.1.
MQTT provides a lightweight method of carrying out messaging using a publish/subscribe model. This makes it suitable for IoT (Internet of Things) messaging such as with low power sensors or mobile devices such as phones, embedded computers or microcontrollers like the Arduino.

Mosquitto logo

Mosquitto by default listens on network port 1883. Clients need to authenticate with the following credentials:

  • Username: mosquitto
  • Password: <your global password> (default: dietpi)
  • Config directory: /etc/mosquitto
  • Config file: /etc/mosquitto/mosquitto.conf
  • Password file: /etc/mosquitto/passwd

To change the default authentication password for the mosquitto user, run the following command:

mosquitto_passwd /etc/mosquitto/passwd mosquitto

To create a new authentication user, run the following command:

mosquitto_passwd /etc/mosquitto/passwd <new_user_name>

After changes have been done, you need to restart the service:

systemctl restart mosquitto

For further details, see the official documentation, linked below.

To view Mosquitto server logs, run the following command:

journalctl -u mosquitto

Mosquitto is installed via its official APT repository, hence the following commands can be used to update it to the latest version:

apt update
apt install mosquitto

Official website: https://mosquitto.org/
Official documentation: https://mosquitto.org/documentation/
Source code: eclipse/mosquitto

Blynk Server

Platform with iOS and Android apps to control Arduino, ESP8266, Raspberry Pi and similar microcontroller boards over the Internet, written in Java. This is the server component to replace the Blynk Inc. cloud servers.

Also installs:

Blynk app on a smartphone

The web interface uses port 9443:

  • URL: https://<your.IP>:9443/admin (You may ignore the browser warning, as a self-signed certificate is used by default.)
  • Email address: admin@blynk.cc
  • Password: <your global password> (default: dietpi)

DietPi installs Blynk (including user data and config file) to the following location:

/mnt/dietpi_userdata/blynk

Logs can be viewed via:

journalctl -u blynkserver

and more detailed log files in:

/var/log/blynk

We created a systemd service for Blynk, automatically started by DietPi at boot:

systemctl status blynkserver

DietPi will also install the Blynk JS library, along with this installation. Please skip this section when you reach the Blynk user guide.

Config file changes via web UI do not have any effect.

To change settings you need to edit

/mnt/dietpi_userdata/blynk/server.properties

and restart the Blynk server:

systemctl restart blynkserver

The new “Blynk IoT” app does not support a self-hosted Blynk server!

The “legacy” Blynk app will prompt hints about the new “Blynk IoT” app at several places. You need to ignore these since the new app does not support self-hosted Blynk severs, but only the Blynk Inc. cloud.

  1. Download the Blynk app for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.blynk
  2. To log into your own server, press Log In, then the three dots at the bottom and switch the slider to CUSTOM.
  3. There you can enter your own Blynk server’s IP/domain and use the above login credentials.
  4. Create a new project by following this guide: https://docs.blynk.io/en/getting-started/what-do-i-need-to-blynk
  5. The authentication token for the new project can be obtained from the app and as well from the web interface at Users > admin@blynk.cc within the Profile DashBoards section. Use it to connect with your Blynk library Node scripts.

Once you created a project in the iOS/Android app, you may test the connection via /mnt/dietpi_userdata/blynk/client-tcp-local.js. You need to edit the file and replace YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN with the authentication token of your project. Then run it:

/mnt/dietpi_userdata/blynk/client-tcp-local.js

Within the script you can also define event listeners and handlers. By default the value of the virtual pin V1 is printed to console when it changes, and the value of the virtual pin V9 is set to system time seconds whenever the pin is read. For a more interactive test you could hence add the following widgets to your project via app:

  1. Add a Button and change its OUTPUT pin to Virtual > V1. Go back and hit the play button. Whenever you push the button in the app, the test script console should print the value changes as defined.
  2. Hit the stop button. Add a Value Display, change its INPUT pin to Virtual > V9 and the READING RATE to 1 sec. Go back and hit the start button. While the test script is running, the display widget will not show the server’s system time seconds, updated every 1-2 seconds.

Hit Ctrl+C to exit the test script.

Update Blynk with:

dietpi-software reinstall 131

Official website: https://blynk.io/
Official documentation: https://docs.blynk.io/
Source code: Peterkn2001/blynk-server
License: GPLv3

Blynk Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.blynk

Blynk JS library npm page: https://www.npmjs.com/package/blynk-library
Blynk JS library source code: vshymanskyy/blynk-library-js
Blynk JS library license: MIT

Audiophonics PI-SPC

Power control module for Raspberry Pi which allows you to physically power on/off the system, without the need to run poweroff. See https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/raspberry-pi-and-other-sbc-accessories/audiophonics-pi-spc-v2-power-management-module-for-raspberry-pi-p-10912.html for further details.

Audiophonics PCB photo

Ensure correct GPIO pins!

Please ensure the correct GPIO pins are used, when connecting Pi-SPC to RPi (see image below).

Raspberry Pi GPIO scheme

To power off the system begin the shutdown process: Hold the power button for < 0.5 seconds. If you don’t have a button, you can also close the pins BP PIN C and BP PIN NO, with your favorite electrically conductive metal (e.g.: tweezers).
Remark: Avoid holding the power button for longer than 2 seconds, as this will hard power off the system (same effect as pulling the power cord). Doing so will create file-system corruptions, during shutdown IO operations.

Grafana

The open platform for beautiful analytics and monitoring.

This installation and documentation was possible, thanks to @marcobrianza.
Remark: Grafana binaries are specific to the CPU architecture, therefore, swapping SD cards between RPi 1 <> 2+, is not recommended.

Grafana web interface screenshot

A database server is required for Grafana. As Grafana offers many options (InfluxDB/MySQL), we have not automatically installed either as manual configuration may be preferred.
However, we highly recommend installing InfluxDB.

You can do this using the install steps provided by DietPi-Software tool or running the next command line in the terminal:

dietpi-software install 74

After the InfluxDB is installed, please follow the database creation guide here.

The web interface is accessible via port 3001:

  • URL: http://<your.IP>:3001
  • Username: admin
  • Password: <your global password> (default: dietpi)

If you have created a database as per the InfluxDB online documentation, please follow these instructions:

  • From the Home Dashboard click Add data source, then enter the following information:
    • Type = InfluxDB
    • URL = http://localhost:8086
    • Database = mydb
    • Username = test_user
    • Password = test_password01
    • Leave the remaining items with the default values.
  • Click Save & Test
  • From the Home Dashboard
    • click New dashboard
    • click Graph
    • click on the example graph
    • Press E to edit the Data Source and the custom query

The data location for Grafana is stored resp. linked with symbolic links to the DietPi userdata directory: /mnt/dietpi_userdata/grafana

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