Stoker Android App now Available
 

The first version of my Stoker Android application is finally available:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...t.android.paid

It can connect directly to the stoker or to the open source stoker-web server.

Features in Stoker only mode:

• Monitor temperatures, updates every two minutes or on demand.
• Update probe settings, target temps, alarm settings, local alert settings
• Background monitoring to check for alarm conditions. Uses native Android notifications when alarm is detected.

Features in Stoker-web mode:

• Monitor temperatures, updates every 5 seconds or on demand.
• Update probe settings, target temps, alarm settings, local alert settings
• Background monitoring to check for alarm conditions. Uses native Android notifications when alarm is detected. Checks on two minute intervals.
• Create/End Logs on stoker-web server, apply specific probes to logs
• Add text notes to running logs.
• Requires username and password to send updates to stoker-web

This is the first version of the app and contains the basic functionality to operate and monitor the stoker.

Future planned enhancements:

• HTTPs mode for stoker-web
• Ability to change probe names from client
• Configure blowers and assign them to pit probes (The Blower box is on the screen, but non functional.)
• Adding a graph for stoker-web mode
• Ability to modify the time the app polls for data.

The app uses the http port only on the stoker. Stoker http access is very slow, it can take 8-10 seconds to respond to a json request. Patience is required when using the app in direct stoker mode.

Stoker-web access is done from RESTful web services. The stoker-web server constantly receives temperature data from the stoker from the telnet interface. Stoker-web can return up to date temp data in milliseconds and enables the Android app to poll more frequently.

The 2 minute polling for Alert conditions, when the phone is sleeping, was chosen to extend the battery life of the mobile devices. Polling too frequently will keep the radio active which can significantly reduce battery life. Future versions will have a configurable polling interval so the app can be tailored to suite your needs or device. For version 1, the 'Stop All' menu feature needs to be used to stop the background service.