happiness is more iOT - my eunuchs

After installation of the Shelly Plus 1 into the gate opener I discovered the company sells a lesser known iOT module called Uni. It requires more electronics skill to use but has the most functions than the nicely packaged and easier to use modules. I went ahead and order four to get the best unit pricing.They arrived a few days later and I can't wait to play with one. Here is what they look like.
 

it is as small as they can make it for a DiY iOT

The crumbled manual comes in the box is hard to read so I downloaded one online. It is a bit different and has less connectivity examples. With some electronics skills it is very easy to put the module to use. I already have some compatible sensors and other parts from my playing with Arduino a few years ago.

Unlike the modules designed to also used with AC power and switching Uni's two switch outputs are MOSFET capable of only 100mA. They intend you to use an external relay if needed.

I turned the ranch upside down trying to find my one and only DHT-22 temp/humidity module from more than 5 years back to no avail. They are a dime a dozen if you buy them in quantity. If you buy them in the US prepare to pay 10x more. As a frugal rancher I ordered a bunch from AliExpress to be shipped via slow steam boat from China.😂  Patience always pays.

DHT-22 temperature/humidity module

From my prior tests these DHT-22 modules are not that accurate, but good enough for monitoring if you place drops below freezing, or you have a catastrophic water leak.

I really want to give the Uni a try but I'd like to have at least a temperature sensor. Racking my brain out, I then realize I have the DS18B20 temperature sensor back when I was playing with Arduino. I found the prototype setup I built over 5 years ago and there they are, not one, not two, but three sensors all connected together, as you can have up to three of them on the same I2C bus.

I first power up the Uni without any input output connections. I want to set up its wifi networking in the Shelly Cloud app first. I also did a firmware update. 

I powered it up and used the iPhone Shelly Cloud to find it and set up its wifi networking

I found my Arduino prototype project

this one DS18B20 board has two encased DS18B20 connected to it on the bottom

I named them Shelly's eunuch 1 and 2 least they conspire on me 😳; eunuch rhymes with Uni

On the app each Uni appears as two logical devices as there are two switched output which has their own toggle button.

It took me a bit of time to rig up two DS18B20 to the I2C sensor input with power and ground. I also wire the analog (ADC) input to Vcc through a 2.2k resistor. The sensor ground is referenced to the power supply ground so this will simulate measuring the power supply voltage to the Uni. I plan to install one Uni into the solar hut up at the front gate so I can monitor the temperature and the voltage of the two Group 27 marine batteries.

the two DS18B20 connected, and the power consumption barely increased by may be 2-3mA

I am quite impressed with the Shelly Cloud app. As soon as I connected the two DS18B20 to it it adds the two temperature fields for the sensors. 

the app automatically detects the two sensors and adds the corresponding fields

here I heated up one sensor with the soldering iron and the temperature jumped to 50.9C

The Uni is a very nice iOT module for the money. The beauty of Shelly devices is they are all stand alone wifi network devices, without the need to have a hub in the same room. Most other iOT modules require a wireless hub in the same room, which do not suit my needs as I have so many structures. 

In addition to iPhone app, one can also access the module with a web browser.

interestingly the depiction on the web browser is more logical

here I added the Uni to the dashboard of the Shelly app

There are a lot more behind what first meet the eyes with Shelly, once one started to discover. There are many very well thought out knobs for one to tune. Shelly is not for the those just want simple setup and connectivity, but will reward those willing to try and learn new things. When I first set up the Shelly Plus 1 I had some connectivity challenges when move it from the house down to the front gate. But soon I figured out how to deal with it.

One mind bending feature that I came across is Enabling Access Point on the Shelly iOT modules. Since each of them is a wifi client, what is the purpose of enabling it as AP? They don't provide an explanation but I realized after some thought. While it is a wifi client and commenting with an AP the AP it uses is at a distance. By enabling itself as an AP another client like the iPhone can connect to the Shelly if the other AP is too far away. Hence the Shelly module serves as a wifi network extender. If you have many Shelly devices scattered around the property, they collectively increase the wifi signal coverage.

I went ahead and configure the Uni into AP mode. Not wise unless you have copious time. I locked myself out not able to access it. The problem is its default network IP of 192.168.33.1 versus what I set my router to 10.0.x.x. The two IP ranges just don't play together well. Thanks to the direct simple browser using its local IP I was able to access the Uni with my iMac, and undo the AP mode and restored it back to the no fancy wifi client mode.

When I have more time I would return and mess with the AP mode again.

So who is Shelly, or the company and the people behind it? To find out takes some digging and reading between the lines. Most of the consumer iOT companies are in PRC and I assumed Shelly to be the same. It turned out it is a European company.

The only good information I can find is searching for allterco wikipedia. Doing so I found a page in Bulgarian. Again, reading between the lines and seeing the executive team, I knew immediate the man behind the company is Dimitar Dimitrov. No doubt he is the technical brain of the company. His co-founder Svetlin Todorov is likely one with business acumen, and he is the US Operation and Business Relations. 

the executive team of Allterco