CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpmysqllivearduino
Chris M
Chris M

Reputation: 127

Regularly update database without browser/user

I currently have a MySQL database which I was hoping to use to store regularly updated data from a temperature sensor connected to the internet.

I currently have a page that, when opened, will grab the current temperature and the current timestamp and add it as an entry to the database, but I was looking for a way to do that without me refreshing the page every 5 seconds.

Detail: The data comes from an Arduino Ethernet, posted to an IP address. Currently, I'm using cURL to grab the data from the IP, add a timestamp and save it to the DB. Obviously only updates when the page is refreshed (it uses PHP).

Here is a live feed of the data - http://wetdreams.org.uk/ChrisProject/UI/live_graph_two.html

TL;DR - Basically I need a middle man to grab the data from the IP and post it to a MySQL

Edit: Thanks for all the advice. There might be a little bit of confusion, I'm looking for a solution that (ideally) doesn't require a computer to be on at all (other than the Server containing Database). Since I'm looking to store data over long periods of time (weeks), I'd like to set it up and leave a script running on the server (or Arduino) that gets the temp and posts it to the Database.

In my head I would like to have a page on the server that automatically (without any browser open, or any other prompting other than a timer) calls a PHP script.

Hope that clears things up!

Upvotes: 2

Views: 2611

Answers (5)

Slemgrim
Slemgrim

Reputation: 957

You can use JavaScript to auto refresh the page

<script type="text/javascript">
    function timedRefresh(timeoutPeriod) {
        setTimeout("location.reload(true);", timeoutPeriod);
}
</script>

A better solution would be ajax and send the date regulary in the background to the database.

Another way is to use a PHP-CLI script and to schedule it with cron jobs that gets the values from your sensor automatically.

Upvotes: 0

Chris M
Chris M

Reputation: 127

In this case, the best solution was using the Arduino to post a request to a PHP script which done its thing and added the retrieved value to a database. The way I have it running just now (for simplicity sake) is with a GET request from the Arduino using the EthernetClient.

Code:

char server[] = "www.example.com";

and

if(client.connect(server, 80)){
  client.println("GET /test.php?input_val=99 HTTP/1.0");
  client.println("HOST: www.example.com");
}

However, since I'd already built my website around the fact that the data was posted to an independent server/IP*, I opted to use cron to schedule a task. In this case I wanted to update my DB every 5 - 10 seconds. However, I'm piggybacking on somebody else's server, so I contacted the server owner and asked them to set up a cron job calling "/mysubdir/cron_update.php" every minute (the fastest cron can call). From there I done a bit of 'ScriptCeption' and within the PHP script, completed my calls every 10 seconds for a minute before finishing the script.

Thanks to everybody who helped me out, I'm posting this here as a complete answer and explanation, because technically everybody was correct.

Upvotes: 0

Sandeep Manne
Sandeep Manne

Reputation: 6092

you can post directly to web server from your arduino using ArduinoEtherenetClient (click link to get example)

POST /insertData.php - in insertData.php use $_POST["tempCaptured"] to get the temp value and insert that in db.

Good article on using ArduinoEthernetClient http://interactive-matter.eu/how-to/arduino-http-client-library/

Upvotes: 2

web-nomad
web-nomad

Reputation: 6003

Write a code(ping.php) which pings this url at fixed intervals.

Now, setup a cronjob which runs this code at fixed intervals.

Your cron can be 0 */2 * * * PATH_TO_{ping.php} // will run every 2 hours

your ping.php file will connect to the live feed, grab the data and store results to the db.:

Upvotes: 1

Bradmage
Bradmage

Reputation: 1231

If I understand the problem. You just need a replacement for refreshing the web page every 5 seconds?
Not getting the data?

I would setup an ajax connection, and have the php run in a kind of infinite loop. echoing new data back to your javascript to update the graph. The PHP loop would have to have a timeout check to eventually close the script.

Upvotes: 0

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