Config files

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There are at a minimum two config files for a given installation. config.ini contains a list of all the stations and how to talk to them; And how to ship the data around. shefcodes.txt contains how to map sensors names for a station to shefcodes.

shefcodes.txt format

shefcodes.txt has the format:
<Station Name> <Sensor Name> <SHEF Duration Code> <2 letter SHEF code>
This file must also end with a New Line. Station and Sensor name cannot have any spaces.

The main configuration file can contain 3 different sections.

Section Description

service Configuration directive for an individual service

dcp settings for how to talk to a remote station and where to store it's data

session settings for how to ship data where it needs to go

Section	Description
service	Configuration directive for an individual service
dcp	settings for how to talk to a remote station and where to store it's data
session	settings for how to ship data where it needs to go

Any number of these sections my exists in the config files; currently there are only two services: Askitd and Transmitd. The practical limit on the number of stations is currently not known, but if you are collecting data from remote stations think about your interval and how long it takes each station to respond.

The valid options are as follows(New section will be bold):

Secction/Setting Description Valid Values

service service configuration service:<name of service>

interval time to wait before preforming task again HH:MM:SS, all values must be positive, gets converted to seconds

offset time after top of the hour to start interval timer HH:MM:SS, all values must be positive, gets converted to seconds

port TCP/IP port used to listen for commands 1024-65535

host TCP/IP address to listen on for commuincations requests any address your machine uses, or 0.0.0.0 for all

archivedir Where the archive data will get stored Any valid writable directory on the host system

outputdir Where the temporary data files with sit Any valid writeable directory on the host system

session data transport configuration sessino:<session name>

enable Should this station be processed 1 for yes and 0 for no

system base name of the file in the output directory that has the data we want to send any text that can be used as a filename on the system and that python can handle

priority Controls ordering of transmissions >= 0, 0 is the highest priority

datadir Directory on remote machine that will be recieving data Any valid directory for the target operating system

deleteaftertransmitd controls with we should delete the temp file after a successful transmission of this session 1 for yes, 0 for no

hostN host that we will try to transmit to N is a number starting from 1, 1 being the first host to try. The format is:
plugin:network address/phone number:username:password:other data( any format except colon seperated )

com plugin is the name of a valid Transmitd plugin( without extension) in the plug-ins diretory.

dcp remote station parameters dcp:<station name>

dcptype name of dcp module that known how to recieve data from the named station any valid dcp plug-in name( without extention ) that is in the plug-ins directory

lastdate time of the newest data the station had when it was last polled date in the format MM/DD/YYYY,HH:mm:SS

user username used to login dcp a valid username for the dcp, this field can be blank

password password for the user account on the DCP a valid passowrd for the dcp, this field can be blank

enabled whether or not to collect data on a polled interval from this station 1 for yes, 0 for no

timezone time zone code for this dcp Any valid SHEF time zone, a DST time zone is not recomended as the shefit program will give an error when you get near the DST shift and you will loose that data

system base name of the data file this station belongs to any valid filename for the host operating system( without an extension

comtype name of the communications module for the medium used to talk to this station name of any valid comm. plug-in( without an extension ) in the plug-ins directory

databits number of data bits used serial port communications 7 or 8. Usually 8

parity Used for error checking in serial port communications Even, Odd, None.

stopbits Used for serial port communications 0, 1, 1.5, 2. 1 is most common among newer devices

flow Flow control used for the serial communications device Software,Hardware,None

baud speed of serial communications any valid baudrate that the sending and receiving device can handle

port serial port on the computer to use, or ethernet port to connect to

Serial - a 1 based index for which port to use( e.g. on windows COM1=1, on linux(if the program gets ported) ttyS0 = 1

Ethernet - any valid port that you can connect to

timeout amount of time to wait before giving up on a readline call >=0. 0 is no timeout, time is in seconds

address where on a network this dcp is a valid text string address for the used communications module. For ethernet an IP address, for a radio, whatever that radio uses.

group-subnet what "group" is this DCP part of for the communications medium being used a valid entry for the communications type being used.
NOTE: there was a reason for the subnet part, but I can't remember what it is.

channel the frequency to set the radio 2 a number that reqpresents the frequency, usually a channel number

Secction/Setting	Description	Valid Values
service	service configuration	service:<name of service>
interval	time to wait before preforming task again	HH:MM:SS, all values must be positive, gets converted to seconds
offset	time after top of the hour to start interval timer	HH:MM:SS, all values must be positive, gets converted to seconds
port	TCP/IP port used to listen for commands	1024-65535
host	TCP/IP address to listen on for commuincations requests	any address your machine uses, or 0.0.0.0 for all
archivedir	Where the archive data will get stored	Any valid writable directory on the host system
outputdir	Where the temporary data files with sit	Any valid writeable directory on the host system
session	data transport configuration	sessino:<session name>
enable	Should this station be processed	1 for yes and 0 for no
system	base name of the file in the output directory that has the data we want to send	any text that can be used as a filename on the system and that python can handle
priority	Controls ordering of transmissions	>= 0, 0 is the highest priority
datadir	Directory on remote machine that will be recieving data	Any valid directory for the target operating system
deleteaftertransmitd	controls with we should delete the temp file after a successful transmission of this session	1 for yes, 0 for no
hostN	host that we will try to transmit to	N is a number starting from 1, 1 being the first host to try. The format is: plugin:network address/phone number:username:password:other data( any format except colon seperated ) com plugin is the name of a valid Transmitd plugin( without extension) in the plug-ins diretory.
dcp	remote station parameters	dcp:<station name>
dcptype	name of dcp module that known how to recieve data from the named station	any valid dcp plug-in name( without extention ) that is in the plug-ins directory
lastdate	time of the newest data the station had when it was last polled	date in the format MM/DD/YYYY,HH:mm:SS
user	username used to login dcp	a valid username for the dcp, this field can be blank
password	password for the user account on the DCP	a valid passowrd for the dcp, this field can be blank
enabled	whether or not to collect data on a polled interval from this station	1 for yes, 0 for no
timezone	time zone code for this dcp	Any valid SHEF time zone, a DST time zone is not recomended as the shefit program will give an error when you get near the DST shift and you will loose that data
system	base name of the data file this station belongs to	any valid filename for the host operating system( without an extension
comtype	name of the communications module for the medium used to talk to this station	name of any valid comm. plug-in( without an extension ) in the plug-ins directory
databits	number of data bits used serial port communications	7 or 8. Usually 8
parity	Used for error checking in serial port communications	Even, Odd, None.
stopbits	Used for serial port communications	0, 1, 1.5, 2. 1 is most common among newer devices
flow	Flow control used for the serial communications device	Software,Hardware,None
baud	speed of serial communications	any valid baudrate that the sending and receiving device can handle
port	serial port on the computer to use, or ethernet port to connect to	Serial - a 1 based index for which port to use( e.g. on windows COM1=1, on linux(if the program gets ported) ttyS0 = 1 Ethernet - any valid port that you can connect to
timeout	amount of time to wait before giving up on a readline call	>=0. 0 is no timeout, time is in seconds
address	where on a network this dcp is	a valid text string address for the used communications module. For ethernet an IP address, for a radio, whatever that radio uses.
group-subnet	what "group" is this DCP part of for the communications medium being used	a valid entry for the communications type being used. NOTE: there was a reason for the subnet part, but I can't remember what it is.
channel	the frequency to set the radio 2	a number that reqpresents the frequency, usually a channel number

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