Update 1st of March, 2017
Read the pre-lude on: Prototyping a GUI for the Hug
Time for an update! It has been a while since I documented my progress. This doesn’t mean I haven’t progressed! The beta release of the Hug Remote app is finished, a prototype of the control interface and a WiFi module that allows you to control the timer module via WiFi using the Hug Remote or the interface. Within the next couple of days I will describe how each of these components is working.
Hug Remote
The Hug Remote is an Android application that is available on the Google Play store. With this app the user of the Hug is able to control the front and back heater intensity and duration of a session as well as start one of the three session presets that will change the intensity of the heaters over time.
The Hug Remote communicates with the Hug timer module via the Hug WiFi module. When the app is started it will search for the Hug WiFi module on the wireless network it is connected to. The Hug WiFi module shows its IP address on a small display. This address needs to be entered into the app. This is achieved by pressing the logo on at the top of the screen for 1 second.
Once the Hug Remote is linked with the timer the status message will show it is connected. The video below shows how the Hug Remote connects to the Hug WiFi module after which a session is started.
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The image below shows an example of the IR heaters that are powered through the timer module by using the Hug Remote. For a more technical description of the Hug Remote, go here.
Hug WiFi module
The Hug WiFi module (with an ESP8266 12-E at its core) is the communication bridge between the Hug timer module and the Hug Remote and Hug Prototype control interface. When the module is activated for the first time it needs to be connected to a WiFi network. To achieve this, it will start a Wireless Access Point with SSID “Hug” that you need to log-in to using a smart phone or laptop. After connecting to this access point you are redirected to a web interface in which you can select the WiFi network that the module needs to connect to (big shout out to the wifimanager firmware of tzapu). After selecting the desired network and entering the password the Hug WiFi module will connect to this network. When a connection has been established, the display of the Hug WiFi module shows the name of the network it is connected to and the IP-address it has obtained from the WiFi router. This address needs to be entered into the Hug Remote on first time use.
When the Hug Remote app is connected to the Hug WiFi module and a session is started, the display will display the status of the Hug.
Hug Prototype Interface