Article ID: 150323sab
Last Reviewed: July 10, 2023
See also:
APPNOTE: Installing PmScreen on an Android Device.
APPNOTE: PMGateway Setup Guide.
The information in this article applies to:
- PMGateway version 3.3.2 and later when used to provide remote access to one of the Power Master Loggers
- NOTE: PMGateway was previously called PmRemoteAgent in older releases.
Target Audience
This article is aimed at:
- All users of PMGateway who wish to remotely control a Power Master Logger via SMS.
Summary
PMGateway is an application that provides timed remote download of recorded files and general control of a Power Master Logger. It runs on a phone or tablet running the Android operating system.
A feature of PMGateway is its ability to be controlled remotely by commands sent via SMS. PMGateway receives, interprets and performs the command requested, enabling the user to change PMGateway’s settings, or transmit the command to the logger via Bluetooth, Ethernet, or USB.
Before you start
You will need all of the following:
1) An Android device to which you can send SMS messages.
- If using Bluetooth: device must be within 10m (Bluetooth maximum range) of the Power Master Logger that you are using to record data.
- If using USB: device must be within 5m of the Logger.
- If using Ethernet: location of the device is irrelevant as long as both the Android device and the logger are connected to the same network.
2) A copy of PMGateway installed on the Android device.
3) A Power Master PM1000, PM2000, PM3000 or PM7000 with a Bluetooth, USB or Ethernet interface.
4) A device from which to send SMS messages.
Command Format
All commands have a common format and follow these conventions:
1) A command starts with the period / dot character “.”
2) A single command word immediately follows the period / dot character.
3) The parameters (if required) follow the command word and are space separated.
4) A parameter containing spaces must be enclosed in double quotes.
5) A final optional parameter determines where any response generated should be sent.
6) Commands are not case sensitive so .start .START and .stART are all considered the same.
Command quick reference
Communications Setup and Registration Info
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .login | [phone number] | [email | sms | none] | |
| .logout | [phone number] | [email | sms | none] | |
| <user>@<domain.com> | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .emailinterval | [always | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 | finish] | [email | sms | none] | |
| .emailnow | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .emailrecordings | [true | false] | [email | sms | none] | |
| .response | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .numbers | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .settings | [email | sms | none] |
Logger Setup and Configuration Management
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .scan | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .logger | <Logger Serial No.> | [email | sms | none] | |
| .config | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .configupload | http(s)://<domain>/<filename>.zip | [email | sms | none] | |
| .configlist | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .configload | <filename>.plc | [email | sms | none] | |
| .timesyncenable | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .timesyncdisable | [email | sms | none] |
Recording
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .start | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .stop | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .restart | [email | sms | none] |
Polling
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .pollinterval | <minutes> | [email | sms | none] | |
| .pollstart | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .pollstop | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .pollnow | [email | sms | none] |
State Information
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .status | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .values | [email | sms | none] |
Alerts
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .alertenable | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .alertdisable | [email | sms | none] | ||
| .alertemail | <user>@<domain.com> | [email | sms | none] |
Development
| Command | Parameter 1 | Parameter 2 | Parameter 3 |
| .registers | <location> | <count> | [email | sms | none] |
Command descriptions
Communications Setup and Registration Info
.login command
For security and data integrity reasons, PMGateway ignores messages received from a number/phone that is not authorised. The .login command adds a new number to a list of authorised numbers that will be able to control the app via SMS. This command only needs to be used once for each number/phone authorised to control PMGateway. There are two ways you can use this command to authorise a number:
1) When next to the device running PMGateway, ensure PMGateway is running in the foreground and send the .login command without any parameters from the device you wish to authorise. PMGateway presents a dialog on the screen requesting confirmation. Click Yes to add the number to the authorised number list.
2) When not near the device running PMGateway a number can be authorised, from a second previously authorised number, by sending the .login command followed by the number of the phone to be authorised.
Examples:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .login 012345678910 email | Adds 012345678910 to the authorised numbers list and send response back over email. |
| .login | Add this phone’s number to the authorised numbers list (local access to the device running PMGateway required to accept) |
.logout command
Removes a number from the list of authorised numbers.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .logout 012345678910 | Deletes 012345678910 from the list of authorised numbers (this can be sent from 012345678910 but would be the last command able to be accepted from that number) |
.email command
Specifies the email to send data and responses to.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .email jo******@*****le.com | Sets the email for results to: jo******@*****le.com |
.emailinterval command
Specifies the interval at which to send status emails.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .emailinterval 24 | Sets the status email interval at every 24 hours |
.emailnow command
Sends a status email immediately.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .emailnow | sends a status email |
.emailrecordings command
Specifies whether to send new recordings as soon as they are downloaded or to wait and send them with the next scheduled email.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .emailrecordings true 24 | New recording are sent as soon as they are downloaded from the Logger |
.response command
Sets the default response method – this is how PMGateway will respond when a command is sent that does not have: <email>, <sms> or <none> appended.
NB: if <email>, <sms> or <none> are appended to any future command, the response will be sent by that method for that single instance of the command only, and will otherwise default back to the method that has been set when the .response command was last used.
Examples:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .response email | SMS commands received from now on will by default respond over email, unless stated otherwise |
| .response none | No response will be returned from SMS commands. |
.numbers command
Returns a list of authorised numbers.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .numbers email | Sends list of registered numbers via email. |
.settings command
Returns the current general settings for PMGateway.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action | Example Response |
| .settings email | Returns PMGateway settings | poll.period=15 email.address=<user>@<domain.com> email.interval=every hour upload=email PM7S0363.connection=bluetooth |
Logger Setup and Configuration Management
NB: If using .ConfigUpload or .ConfigLoad commands with a configuration file with a symbol in it, be aware that PmGateway will not recognise the file unless the symbol is correct – in these cases, users may want to find other methods of loading/uploading files (such as using PmFile), or renaming the configuration file before attempting these commands.
.Scan Command
Performs a Bluetooth scan and reports any Loggers found.
Example:
.Logger Command
Select which Logger to use for further commands.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .logger PM7S0123 | Selects PM7000 serial number 0123 for any subsequent commands. |
.Config Command
Extracts the current configuration from the Logger and sends it to the registered email address.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .config | Sends the current configuration from the selected Logger to the registered e-mail address |
.ConfigUpload Command
Allows a configuration to be uploaded from a URL.
The URL must point to a zip file containing a single .plc file and must be accessible by the PMGateway device using http or https.
URLs containing spaces must be inside quotation marks.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .configupload “http://www.example.com/loggers/3p4wYconfig.zip” | Downloads the zip file from the specified URL to the phone, unzip it and transfer the included .plc file to the Logger. |
.ConfigList Command
Get a list of configs present in the Logger and send it to the registered email address.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .configlist | Sends a list of configurations by email. |
.ConfigLoad Command
Load a specified configuration into the Logger.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .configload “3p 4w Y Std PQ 8MB 400A 7day.plc” | Loads the specified configuration into the Logger. |
.TimeSyncEnable Command
Time sync enable: if this is on, PMGateway will read the current time from a specified NTP server, and update the attached logger using this time. A request to read the time will be sent to the server no more than once every two hours (due to the Terms of Service for NTP servers).
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .timesyncenable email | Starts time sync function and sends a notification via email. |
.TimeSyncDisable Command
Stops the timesync function – logger time will stop being updated via NTP server.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .timesyncdisable email | Stops time sync function and sends a notification via email. |
Recording
.start command
Starts the Logger recording (if the Logger is already recording this has no effect).
Examples:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .start email | Starts the Logger recording, sending the result over email |
| .start sms | Starts the Logger recording, sending the result back in an SMS |
.Stop Command
Stops the Logger recording (if the Logger is not recording this has no effect).
Examples:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .stop email | Stops the Logger recording, sending the result over email |
| .start sms | Stops the Logger recording, sending the result back in an SMS |
.Restart Command
Stops and then starts the Logger recording. If the Logger is not recording, this will start the Logger recording.
Examples:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .restart email | Stops the current recording and start the next session, sending the result over email |
| .restart sms | Stops the current recording and start the next session, sending the result back in an SMS |
Polling
.PollInterval command
Specifies the interval in minutes at which to poll the logger.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .pollinterval 15 | Sets the poll interval to 15 minutes |
.PollStart command
Starts PMGateway polling the Logger.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .pollstart | First poll will occur on the next interval boundary |
.PollStop Command
Stops PMGateway polling the Logger.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .pollstop | Finishes any poll in progress then do no more polling |
.PollNow Command
Polls the Logger immediately.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .pollnow | PMGateway will poll the Logger immediately |
State Information
.Status Command
Reads the Loggers status and returns the results.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action | Example Response |
| .status email | Gets the Logger status, sending the result back in an email | PM1S0651 Status: Recording Battery Volts: 5.979 V Ambient Temp: 32.8 deg Firmware: 1.025 Free Memory: 89.3 % |
.Values Command
Reads the Loggers channel values and returns the results.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action | Example Response |
| .values email | Gets the channel values, sending the result back in an email | Channels: 01=230.8 Vac 02= 8.1 Aac 03= 2.0% 04= 2.2 Aac 05= 0.00 Pfs 06= 1.00 Flg 07= 0.37 Pst 08= 0.33 Plt 09= 0.49 Vac 10=50.05 Hz |
Alerts
.AlertEnable Command
Some Loggers include an Alert flag which is checked when the Logger is polled. If enabled and the alert flag is set when a poll occurs an email is sent immediately, rather than waiting for the next email interval.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .alertenable | Turns on alert emails. |
.AlertDisable Command
Turns off alert emails. If supported the alert status is still checked and reported with the normal emails.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .alertdisable | Turns off alert emails |
.AlertEmail Command
Sets an email address to which to send alert e-mails – can be used to send alerts to a different email address to which all other responses are sent to.
Example:
| SMS Sent | Action |
| .alertemail ja******@*****le.com | Sets the email for alerts to: ja******@*****le.com |
Development
.Registers Command
This command is reserved for development – not for use by end users.